Dune - Read prequels First?

[Emperor Harkonnen]

I would recommend to everyone who plans to read Dune for the first time, to read the prequels first :)

[nemafakei]

I would reccommend that you read Dune first lest the prequels do put you off, or lest you start with an understanding of the Duniverse from the Prequels, rather than the actual book. FH's books carry the original meanings and theory; the prequels are merely interesting plot diversions.

[Emperor Harkonnen]

I thought that the prequels had much easier english than Dune Messiah

[Acriku]

I read Dune Messiah first, and I loved it. Then I read Dune, then CoD. I think you should read First 2 Dune first, because they set the story of the "main" story. THEN you should read the prequels, because then you would have an idea of what's going on.

[Alia_of_the_Knife]

I say you do what I did, which was to read the first book first. The prequals are very good books, but if you expect all of them to be that way, you would be very suprised at how many people would turn away from Dune and Dune Messiah. Also, if you started with Dune Messiah, you wouldn't know the background as well as you would know it if you read Dune. Another thing is, though I'm sorry to say it, you would think that Paul Muad'dib is a tyrant, because you would have nothing to compare him to! If I sat down to read them again, I would definetely do what I did again.

Alia

[Vanguard3000]

My understanding is that you should always read books in the order they were written, not chronological order. Besides, the originals are so much better and, as Nema Fakei said... well, just read his post, I'm too lazy to copy it.

[Lord J]

Although I personally think the prequels were much better written, much easier to read and easier to understand the characters, the original Dune *has* to be read first, or you can't really enjoy the depth of the prequels. Or what comes after.

[Gunseng_Harkonnen]

Yes, the best is read at first Dune and Dune Messiah. Prequels are good but Dune is still Dune, the Frank Herbert thing. In Dune are showed characters like Fenring and Leto in main plot and its great read about past of these people when we know them already.

And first Dune is the best book I`ve ever read

[Emperor Harkonnen]

I first read HH then Dune and Messiah. and now I have started on HC.

If u read the prequels first then you get to know the characters and you will understand Dune better.

[TMA_1]

Well the problem is. brian and kevin wrote their books in understanding that you would probably understand the universe already. the first Dune novel sets the political and ethical reasonings behind it all. The prequels were great books but were more whimsical and happier than the dark atmosphere of the books written by frank.in my opinion.

[nemafakei]

I agree - the atmosphere is totally different. And "you get to know the characters" - ? No... you will get to know BH's and KJA's undeerstanding of the characters from the books and notes... the characters in the prequels are almost... second-hand information. (Or third had, or whatever... you know what I mean?)

[Timenn]

You must read Dune first, then you know you had the best, and Dune is Dune, all the other books are something that belongs to Dune

[Gunseng_Harkonnen]

And they were made from FH`s notes. Besides when you want understand Dune, you must read Dune with it`s filosophy, ecological and political connection and after reading it, you can read "Adventures of young Leto Atreides". I like prequels very much, but it isn`t the same, though reading is easier.

[Colonel_Worf]

I read the original trilogy first... and I reccomend reading the prequels first, too. You get a feel of the whole thing and you're not as in the dark. I'm sure when the Legends of Dune trilogy comes out, I will introduce people to those first.

[TMA_1]

I would agree with you worf if Frank Herbert wrote the prequels. He didnt though so the way of the books that brian herbert and kevin j anderson wrote were different than Frank's writing. Like if you read The Hobbit first before the lord of the rings, that is fine because it was written by jrr tolkien. I am not a big fan of fantasy but still thats a good example. Frank didnt write the prequels so they kinda have to be second list.

[Lord J]

Hrmm...I must say though, Tolkien's writing style changed between LOTR and The Hobbit. The LOTR trilogy was, IMHO, written more for the mature reader, the thinking person as it were.

Anyway, the prequels are great, although they aren't Frank's own, they *were* based on his notes and storyline plans. Either way, I would be careful that reading the prequels doesn't become so easy and fair that when a reader starts reading Dune, stops, because of it's difficulty. I see the whole Dune series as a meal, and the prequels as dessert...Emphesis on God Emperor as being something like brussel sprouts, or turnip greens :P .

[exatreide]

do you be dissen my GEOD!? you best not be dissen da GEOD or yall gona get a kedja blade whare it dont belong seeeee homezee? *translation* You dont like GEOD? its my fav poor old letto *sniffel sniffel* yea i kind of think about it the same way Dune is the main course a nice rare steak. messiah is the wine or drink. COD is like the corn of the meal.... GEOD is um.......i ran out of ideas hehehe. anyway. i recomned the series first then the prequels.

[TMA_1]

I have to agree with EX. GEOD was my second favorite book in the dune series. Blew my mind away. The prequels were based on the notes, but you dont write a book by notes. Its called artistic license. They have to make the book, therefore making it theirs and not frank herberts.

[Alexander_Ordos]

I agree with you guys - GEOD is best really though better read the prequels first. In GEOD ( in the end ) the historians say that "now" there's only spice from the Tleilaxu vats, hmm I thought, where di I hear this? - Yes the prequels. Offcourse there'r much more conection but this one is obvious. Start from the prequels or the FH Dunes will be too hard to understand...

Ordos

[TMA_1]

no not only from tleilaxu. It majorily comes from arrakis. Its just that the essence of Leto II was in every sandtrout that would again turn into worms. This caused worms to be somewhat intelligent and therefore much harder to mine spice.

[Alexander_Ordos]

Yes I actualy meant that there's only "enough" spice from Tleilaxu vats. There's spice from the worms yes but very little...

[Colonel_Worf]

I agree with you guys - GEOD is best really though better read the prequels first. In GEOD ( in the end ) the historians say that "now" there's only spice from the Tleilaxu vats, hmm I thought, where di I hear this? - Yes the prequels. Offcourse there'r much more conection but this one is obvious. Start from the prequels or the FH Dunes will be too hard to understand...

Ordos

Well, a lot of people understood FH's Dune books before the prequels were written, so you don't HAVE to read the prequels, but I think it does make them a little less confusing.

[GhostHunter]

What I did was read Dune before the pres came out, then read Messiah, then the pres came out I read those and then finished up the rest of the books, only thing I hate is the Ixians at the end of House: Corrino prequel owe the Atreides SO much because Atreides sent their full force to save Ix, yet in Dune, the Ixians are just another House like all others......Until next post, Vilgent.

[Alexander_Ordos]

In FH Dunes Ix plays a major part, though it isn't a House at all - like the Tleilaxu they'r a faction selling Tech. goods, that's all :-

[gryphon]

They are suppliers of one of the most important .. . . persone in God Emperor of Dune to.

Not to forget some great gadgets.