muaddib1's Full Review: Frank Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson - Dune: La Bat...
A look at Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's "Prelude to Dune, House Atreides" the prequel to Frank Herbert's epic 6 volume masterpiece "The Dune Chronicles" from the perspective of an owner of "The Dune Encyclopedia".
Warning, some spoilers here, read the book first !
It was with great excitement that I picked up a copy of "House Atreides" at my local bookshop. I didn't know of the project and was very pleasantly
surprised that there was more of Dune ! On the other hand I was skeptical
about how good a job anyone other than Frank Herbert could do. As it turned out that although I was not disappointed, it had some flaws. Let me explain.
Many years ago, I was fortunate to find a copy of the now out of print "Dune Encyclopedia" (DE from now on) compiled by Dr Willis E. McNelly. Much of the DE was fleshed out from Frank's own notes and has his "approval". The DE had within it expanded and given life to a multitude of little things with stories and rich histories which were necessarily unexplained in the "Dune Chronicles" and in general went with the flow of the Chronicles.
When I read "House Atreides" I found to my disappointment many things differed from the version of stories in the Encyclopedia. The most major deviations are:
1. Duke Leto's history. To begin with Duke Leto's father, Paulus in "House Atreides" but Minotaurus (Mintor) in The Dune Encyclopedia and Paulos XVIII being Leto's grandfather. Leto's mother in "House Atreides" is Lady Helena whereas in the encyclopedia his mother was Mintor's concubine Bekah who died during childbirth. The events in Leto's life differ greatly when comparing "House Atreides" with the Encyclopedia, perhaps some of the events detailed in the Encyclopedia have yet to happen in Leto's life.
2. Duncan Idaho's history. Duncan was born a slave on Giedi Prime in "House Atreides" and escaped to Caladan at the age of 9 and where Leto mentioned of his intention to send him for training with House Ginaz. "House Atreides" ends before this story unfolds further. However, in the Encyclopedia, Duncan was born on Caladan and apprenticed to House Ginaz where he was captured and enslaved on Grumman during a war of Assassins between Houses Ginaz and Moritani. Later, at the age of 22, Duncan was sold to House Harkonnen for slavery on Hagal where he was later rescued by the Atreides.
3. Shaddam IV's history. In "House Atreides" Elrood IX, Shaddam's father, was assassinated by Hasimir Fenring with a slow poison with the full knowledge and complicity of Shaddam. Hasimir had also previously eliminated Shaddam's elder brother (who was first in line to the Throne). In the Encyclopedia although Elrood IX was also assassinated by poison, it was he that was involved in a plot to assassinate Shaddam.
I would have loved to see "House Atreides" and "The Dune Encyclopedia" match each other in detail but I realise two "Dune" products of anyone who isn't Frank Herbert will never be synchronised.
Overall a great read, I couldn't put it down. I was a bit disappointed with the ending until I realised there are more "prequels" to Dune in the pipeline leading up to the events in the "Dune Chronicles". I can hardly wait !
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