The Bodhisattva

I’m assuming most people have read the first chapter available for August release of Dune 7: The Hunters of Dune, brought to us by the duo of Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert.

If you could animate the text to scroll up, one could imagine that this is not Dune 7 the continuation of legendary Science Fiction series, by the equally legendary Frank Herbert, who wrote the last Dune novel of consequence, but instead is perhaps some Lucas sponsored EU affliction, Stars Wars Prequel: Episode Deux written by Kevin J. Anderson, or perhaps Christopher Paolini (it’s hard to differentiate a times). Alas, this is no new hope, this project - long rumored - seems to be coming into fruition. Were the abominations that were The Legends of Dune, and the Prelude to Dune, not a sign enough of that this - at best - is the very definition of simply a bad idea?

Although I questioned the release of the prequels in the late 90’s that continued until 2004, I was resigned to be able to read them and not really think of them as in any way an implication on Herbert’s canon (which is not the official stance). I read them as a semi-comical, fan-fiction of the Dune mythos. Truth be told, I had never read a Brian Herbert solo novel, and I never read a Kevin J. Anderson novel I even remotely considered tolerable (and still haven’t on both accounts). There was a divide - a reasonable buffer -we could create for ourselves with prequels, which was perhaps their best (and only) positive characteristic. Although they made connections to mythos we could treat it as a suggestion - a possibility - that we could choose to entertain in the greater picture or not. I, even subconsciously don’t associate the two together, as I know on my own bookshelves (which are meticulously categorized and in order, and account for several thousand books). My copies of Frank Hebert’s Dune (which include perhaps the jewel of my collection a first print copy of Dune) are not followed by the charlatans (legally considered or not), instead you will find these subtractions on a group of shelves that I keep at a distance from the rest of my shelves - an island if you will - that also include works like Terry Brook’s Landover sequence, copies of Weis and Hickman’s various Dragonlance, Goodkind’s Sword of Truth, among various other books that probably eclipse two hundred books in total, that through some quirk, I refuse to integrate into the rest of my collection - my hate for them so overwhelming, I swear that the inanimate objects feel it themselves. You know, where you put Eragon. Being a completist, comes with pains indeed.

The point is, we can stick them on another shelf - out of mind - and forget them, only recounting them to participate in bashing them when brought up in various discussions, and other positive outlets. I don’t know if we can do this with Dune 7, the project title itself insinuates six that came before - the half-dozen that were actually good. The significance of Chapterhouse: Dune - the last Bodhisattva recognized Dune work - is something that I carry with me, my shadow, the Face Dancers, Daniel and Marty, signifying an ending that is a beginning, both an argument that there is no end to the journey, and that is why it cannot be told.

I have to read The Hunters of Dune, much like I had to watch the Starwars prequels. This is a book that has ultimate consequences to the reader’s canon , again not the official canon - the differences distinguished by a number of elements, not the least of which is an incredible drop off in stature that comes along with anything being compared to the experience that were the Lucas prequels (not including Stover’s novelization of The Revenge of the Sith, which I thought was fantastic).

The potential cartooning of Dune is something that for some reason, even knowledgeable of the many releases that come out that I view with some level of disdain strikes an even more powerful chord within in me. The possible devolution of Dune into the worst example of Wilson Tucker’s coinage is a scary thought. Maybe however, I’m over-reacting…

From the synopsis:

“Aboard their sophisticated no-ship, they have used long-stored cells to resurrect heroes and villains from the past including Paul Muad¹dib and his love Chani, Lady Jessica, Thufir Hawat, even the traitor Doctor Yueh, all in preparation for a final confrontation with a mysterious outside Enemy so great it can destroy even the terrible Honored Matres.”

Maybe I’m not! Holy Shit! Resurrecting all the dead character’s for a final confrontation to fight the ‘outside enemy’ - who the hell is it? It’s Grand Admiral Thrawn!

I don’t know, I just felt guilty of making fun of other works recently, and not spending enough time trying to figure out why people aren’t - at the very least - more apprehensive (or out murdering and pillaging) about this. If it’s 100X’s better than the prequels it will still be awful, and unworthy. I’m just very, very, afraid.

Thoughts? Any Dune fans out there?

Tags: books