Fellow sci-fi scribe,Arthur C. Clarke, once saidofFrank Herbert’sDune, “I know of nothing comparable to it exceptLord of the Rings.”J.R.R. Tolkienmay have recoiledat this remark if he ever heard it, but the two works have certainly had comparable impacts on their respective genres (even ifLord of the Ringspenetrated further into the wider culture). They are similarly epic in scope, both authors died before completing the final expansion of their worlds, and both had sons who took up the mantle.
The first part ofDenis Villeneuve’s movie adaptation was received exceptionally well by both audiences and critics, indicating thatDunemay have finally achieved a breakthrough in pop culture to match Tolkien. This was helped by a star-studded and devoted cast made up ofTimothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Oscar Isacc, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, and many more, and its success is expected to carry on with the release ofDune: Part Two. The second installment includes the addition of actors likeFlorence Pughas Princess Irulan,Austin Butleras Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen,Christopher Walkenas Shaddam IV, and more. But new fans coming to the books by way of Villeneuve’s films may struggle to find the proper starting place. There are many moreDunenovels than there are for Middle-earth, stretching in two directions in time from the originalDunebook of 1965. Different books cover different conflicts, each with some relation to one another, and then there are all those strange names and terminology to keep straight.
We can’t promise you aid in memorizing all those names, but we can help you know where to start your reading. Below, you’ll find a full list ofDunenovels in chronological order, and a breakdown of the different eras for the books as authorship passed from Frank Herbert to the team ofBrian HerbertandKevin J. Anderson.Note: the short stories set in the world ofDuneacross various publications are not included here.
Dune Books in Order of Release
Dune Books In Chronological Order
Dune: The Original Series
The core ofDuneremains the original series started by Frank Herbert in 1965. Herbert wrote six novels before his death in 1986:Dune,Dune Messiah,Children of Dune,God Emperor of Dune,Heretics of Dune, andChapterhouse: Dune. The first book establishes the competing factions of the intergalactic conflict, set thousands of years in the future, over the priceless spice mélange on theplanet Arrakis. It is alsothe story of the rise of Paul Atreides (played in the films by Chalamet) to the imperial throne. Paul struggles with his power inDune Messiah, ultimately bequeathing it to his twin heirs. The pair of them, particularly Leto II Atreides, come into their own inChildren of Dune. Before fan pressure convinced Herbert otherwise,this was the intended endof the series.
WithGod Emperor of Dune, the story jumps thousands of years ahead, as Leto II’s plan to prevent the extinction of humanity reaches its pivotal moment. The result is the Scattering: humanity’s forced spread across the universe. More millennia pass untilHeretics of DuneandChapterhouse: Dune, which tell of tensions that arise among the keepers of Arrakis after waves of refugees return from the Scattering, fleeing from a great enemy.
Zendaya & Florence Pugh Reveal the ‘Dune 2’ Scene They Were Nervous to Film
Zendaya & Pugh also talk about deleted scenes and the first thing you should watch if you’ve never seen their work.
Chapterhouse: Dune, published just one year before Herbert’s death, ended on a cliffhanger. However, Herbert had begun outlining the seventh volume of his story, and the notes were used by his son, Brian, and Anderson in writingHunters of DuneandSandworms of Dune. Thesefinal novels reveal the great enemy to be an empire of “thinking machines” (Herbert’s term for A.I.), and many of the prominent characters of past novels are revived for humanity’s final confrontation with this threat.
Prelude to Dune Prequel Trilogy
Hunters of DuneandSandworms of Dunemay have concluded the original story, but they weren’t the first toes Brian Herbert and Anderson dipped into those literary waters. That would be thePrelude to Dunetrilogy, consisting ofHouse Atreides, House Harkonnen, andHouse Corrino. Thesebooks are set in the decades immediately before the firstDuneand expand on the histories of many ofDune’solder supporting characters.House Atreidesis primarily concerned with the coming-of-age of Leto I, Paul’s father. Leto’s growth continues inHouse Harkonnen, which also goes deeper into the sordid pleasures and betrayals of his great rival, Vladimir Harkonnen.House Corrinois the most direct set-up to the originalDune, as Leto’s concubine, Jessica, becomes pregnant with Paul.
Legends of Dune Prequel Trilogy
Duneis regarded as a seminal work of soft science-fiction – that is, science-fiction that stresses its human elements over concerns about scientific accuracy or plausibility. In the future imagined in the originalDune, interstellar traveldoesn’t even involve computers. Herbert and Anderson’s second prequel trilogy,Legends of Dune, explores why that is.The Butlerian Jihad, The Machine Crusade, and theBattle of Corrinchronicle events set 10,000 years beforeDune, when humanity was under the thumb of thinking machines. The jihad of the first title encompasses all three books, culminating in a decisive victory for humanity.The Thinking Machines escape total annihilation, however, allowing them to return as the final great enemy of the original series.
Heroes of Dune
So that’s an original storyline, largely written by the father, and two prequel trilogies written by the son and his partner: easy enough to keep straight. We hope you enjoyed that clarity because it goes out the window withHeroes of Dune, the two-book series follow-up by Herbert and Anderson.Paul of Dunebounces between events taking place betweenDuneandDune Messiahand episodes from Paul’s youth.The Winds of Duneconcerns Paul’s mother, Jessica, during the time betweenDune MessiahandChildren of Dune.
The Great Schools of Dune Prequel Trilogy
Herbert and Anderson couldn’t resist another set of prequels. AfterThe Winds of Dune, they looked to the aftermath ofLegends of Dunefor their next trilogy. The “Great Schools” of the trilogy’s title refers to various organizations from the original Dune who have just begun to find their feet after the Butlerian Jihad. While they’re all featured in each installment of the trilogy, the titles of the three books refer to three different factions: the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood inSisterhood of Dune, the Mentats (human “computers” developed to replace thinking machines) inMentats of Dune, and the Spacing Guild inNavigators of Dune.
The Caladan Trilogy
Most recently, Herbert and Anderson expanded on the events immediately precedingDuneagain. Theirfocus is on the immediate family unit of Paul, Leto I, and Jessicaon the Atreides homeworld of Caladan.The Duke of Caladanis for Leto,The Lady of Caladanfor Jessica, andThe Heir to Caladan, the most recently publishedDunenovel, is for Paul.
Dune: Part Two
Paul Atreides unites with Chani and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family.
Dune: Part Twois available to watch in theaters in the U.S. beginning March 1.
GET TICKETS
