Sandworms of Dune
by Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson
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Book Reviews of Sandworms of Dune
Book Review: NOT Herbert's vision.
Summary: 1 Stars
(Amazon deleted this post, amongst many others. My respect for Amazon is diminishing...)
How could a series with so much potential and brilliance turn out so horribly?
The lack of Frank Herbert's brilliance isn't hard to miss: the studies of the inter-workings of ecology and economy, religion and politics, humanity and technology... all these things receive typical pimple-faced science fiction thoughtless application.
Take maybe the most obvious example: Qelso. Herbert the elder studied and made supreme efforts to map the fantastic Dune universe naturally to it's human history, giving it a fascinating realism by thoughtfully incorporating language relevant to the histories that characters and cultures were derived from... the Bene Gesserit and Bene Tleilaxu for instance... where as Herbert the younger seems to grab random letters from a scrabble bag to create 'science fictiony' names like Qelso. I couldn't read it without thinking of that 70's show the whole time.
I read these last two books longing at least to see Frank Herbert's vision seen through, if not through thought provoking writing, at least through the closing of the plot line - they couldn't have ruined the basic plot line, even with trite writing, could they?
I'm convinced this was not Frank Herbert's vision. The ending was absolutely sexist which is particularly disgusting, and it completely diminished all the careful work Frank Herbert had put into developing this intricate world, to have everything turn out rosy in a couple blinkings of the eyes.
And nobody learned anything. The horrifying sexist practices of the Tleilaxu Axlotl tanks continued - but now they're willing volunteers. Ecological devastation continued with exhaustive mining and manipulation of limited natural resources - but now there is a diversified portfolio. Abuse of 'lower class' citizens (the machines) continued - but now they're willing workers. Dependence on an ultimate dictator continues - but this dictator is noble and well meaning.
The one small shining light of the book - the noble work of the Qelsans (embarrassed of that name yet?)- was totally condescended and made light of when our new dictator heroically swoops in and takes them under his wing, ending their silly quest for independence and a return to ecological balance.
This ending is just insulting. I feel compelled to steal Herbert's original outline, gather together some other Dune followers who have real integrity, and humbly write and release a rogue novel that hopefully can approach the wonder of Herbert's original vision.
Book Review: This can't be what Frank had in mind.
Summary: 2 Stars
"Sandworms of Dune" (SoD) is such a mess it's hard to know where to begin.
Billed as the second half of "Dune 7," Frank Herbert's proposed final novel of the classic Dune series, SoD picks up after "Hunters of Dune" with the passengers of the no-ship Ithaca looking for a new homeworld while evading Marty and Daniel -- the elderly couple who were revealed to be the artificial intelligence Omnius and the cross-dressing thinking machine Erasmus. So yes, to understand who Marty and Daniel are, you have to have read Kevin J. Anderson's Legends of Dune prequel books, because they were never mentioned in Frank Herbert's original series.
After a series of meaningless events, which includes the complete waste of the original series gholas, the novel ends with the defeat of the thinking machines, the realization of the Ultimate Kwisatz Haderach, the disappearance of Omnius and the Oracle of Time, and the death of anything remotely resembling Frank Herbert's themes.
As you can tell, I'm not a fan of SoD. I think Anderson and Brian Herbert totally misinterpreted the themes that Frank Herbert had written about in the original Dune series.
For one, Frank Herbert showed in "Dune Messiah" how charismatic leaders and supermen can be detrimental to a society. He also wrote about how humanity being ruled by one force could face extinction in "God Emperor of Dune." Yet, Anderson and Brian Herbert chose to end the Dune series with humanity and the thinking machines united under the Ultimate Super-Duper Kwisatz Haderach/Evermind.
Another issue is that of the Golden Path. According to the original books, the Golden Path was the centuries-long plan that led to the Scattering, an explosion of humanity throughout the universe. The God Emperor believed such a spreading of human beings throughout multiple galaxies -- in addition to genes that make people "invisible" to prescient visions -- would insure the survival of humanity. However, in SoD, we learn that the God Emperor was a fool. The Scattering, according to the new books, was a failure because the thinking machines had humanity surrounded and it took the Oracle of Time (an Anderson and Brian Herbert character from the Legends of Dune series) to save humanity.
In the end, SoD fails on so many levels I could write a 10-page review. Instead, I will just say that fans of Frank Herbert's original books will not enjoy this book. It lacks the intelligence of Frank Herbert's novels and turns the Dune universe upside down.
It's unfortunate that a ghola of Frank Herbert can't be made to finish the Dune series.
Book Review: Interesting, but doesn't feel like a Dune novel should
Summary: 3 Stars
This review is difficult to write because there are many things about "Sandworms" that I really like, but there are too many things wrong with it to call it "great". Instead it is just pretty good.
First, the good: As a Dune fan I kept reading in part simply because I wanted to see how the authors would attempt to finish Frank Herbert's epic story. For the most part I was pleased with the way that most of Herbert's original characters are portrayed, referring to Duncan Idaho, Sheeana, Teg, Murbella, etc. While the dialogue is sub par in places, I was convinced for most of the book that Frank Herbert originally envisioned these characters. I thought the story was fairly well done for about the first half, with just enough intrigue and excitement to be worthy of Dune.
Now, the bad: This book, along with "Hunters", is ostensibly based on Frank Herbert's outlines, but I wonder how detailed those outlines were, because there are just too many things that seem bizarre when placed in the Dune universe. First, I really didn't like having thinking machines as the Enemy that Herbert envisioned. In particular, the specific characters of Erasmus and Omnious are the authors' creation from the earlier trilogy, and I can't help but feel like they brought them back just to play with them some more. They don't feel like they have anything to do with Dune; they make they book just like any other sci fi novel.
But the biggest pitfall is that the story tries to be too epic. There are way too many characters who are supposed to be important but don't really do anything (Alia, Leto), plot points that are pointless (ultraspice, morphed worms), and I was really annoyed by the fact that most of the gholas end up doing nothing significant and are either killed off or drop from the plot some other way. The ending wraps up way too quickly, neatly, and bizarrely for such a complex story.
In the end, "Sandworms" is fun to read and is exciting at times, but there were too many seemingly random and preposterous story points to call it a fitting end to the Dune saga. Rather, it is a book that you would read once and appreciate, but likely not turn to again.
Book Review: Money Changes Everything - SPOILERS!!
Summary: 4 Stars
Sandworms of Dune is a book by Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson. I am going to tell you now, it is just a stepping stone to the next series of books that these 2 have planned for the Dune Universe.
The 2 have created the gholas of all of the favorites Dune characters from the original series, and have done almost nothing with them in this book. This includes Paul, Lady Jessica, and Chani. I cannot imagine bringing these beloved characters back, and hardly using them at all.
Conversely, Dr Yueh is brought back as a ghola, and is used extensively.
I like the writing style of BH/KA. One of the flaws of the Original Dune was the writing style of Frank Herbert. One would have to read and re-read what he was trying to get across. Heretics of Dune, for example, is almost an incomprehensible book because of Herbert's writing style.
I think it is good...Yes good...that the Thinking Machines are Daniel and Marty from Chapterhouse: Dune.
But I agree with a previous reviewer. There is a fairy-tale like quality to some of the plot resolutions in Sandworms.
Erasmus, the kinder, gentler Thinking Machine, flips a mental switch, and every Face Dancer dies in the Universe!!? Norma Cenva shows up, and banishes Omnius forever!!? Weird.
But the merging of Erasmus and Idaho is fantastic.
I suspect that these 2 crazy [and money-hungry] Dune authors have other sequels up their sleeves. Like Idaho/Erasmus fighting Omnius when he escapes from the Other Universe; or something like that. But honestly, are you glad to be gotten rid of the Tlielexu? I know I am.
Book Review: Ultimate Kwisatz Haderach or Ultimate Failure?
Summary: 1 Stars
To be fair to Herbert and Anderson, Frank Herbert had a number of dum ideas. Among the insideous creations: face dancers; gholas; axlotl tanks; and worst of all Leto II becoming a sandworm.
But what made Herbert's stories work; was that he was a great writer capable of taking the dumbest ideas and making something out of them. Something intriquing, something worth reading.
In Sandworms of Dune, readers are left with the worst of Herbert's ideas, taken by SF's worst writers, who conspire to create a terrible book in an attempt to enhance the cash hoards of Hourse Herbert and House Anderson.
In Sandworms of Dune, the no-ship continues through space with its gholas; Omnius marches through the empire destroying human worlds; the Bene Gesserit puts up a futile attempt to stop Omnius; the face dancers just infiltrate the humans making these worse; and the Oracle of Time has some mysterious purpose which is never revealed until the end. To about pg 475 of 549; everything goes against the humans.
Then the ending is a complete disappointment with human victory hinging on the help of Erasmus and the Oracle of Time, both of whom don't have any motivation to help the humans bc they both hate them.
Other than Duncan Idaho, no one on the Ithaca really does anything. And even he doesn't do much other than proclaim himself the Ultimate Kwisatz Haderach. Pretty stupid. In fact, the authors just ended up eliminating the ghola children bc they didn't know what to do with them.
Overall, poor imagination; bad writing; and stupid ideas make this book a complete failure.