From God Emperor of Dune
AHHHHHH I love this book and series so much I'm trying not to just gush.
:took-restraint:
Mild Gushing about God Emperor of Dune
To anyone who has read Dune and possibly the next couple books but not God Emperor of Dune, and considers themselves someone who "likes the story," you absolutely must continue at least to this book. This book is the fulcrum around which both halves of the series pivot, and since we never got the final 7th book of the planned series I think it is kind of the dramatic peak of the story.
Paul Atreides Spoilers
All the preceding books exist to bring you to this point, this dramatic cleft torn right through reality that indisputably establishes a Pre-Tyrant existence and a Post-Tyrant existence.
It finally brings the conclusion of the real Paul Atreides story: the failed messianic figure, cautionary tale, and most importantly near-forgotten relic of a bygone age.
God Emperor of Dune is what really hammers home that the time of the Atreides is a grotesque aberration in a tapestry of moving parts set in firmament hundreds of thousands of years prior. The world of Paul becomes a literal museum piece as the social evolution started under his reign continue to become and arrive at logical conclusions over the span of nearly 4,000 years. The fate of Duncan Idaho, the complete transformation of the ecology of 'Rakis, further examination of Scarcity's relation to power, the true story of the Bene Tleilax, what exists beyond the boundaries of known space...
It is a VERY different style of writing from the other books (before and after) and that may put some people off but I whole-heartedly think that it is impossible to have deep appreciation for the story of Dune without God Emperor.
E) Here is an NBC interview with Frank Herbert about the release of God Emperor of Dune
I’ll keep away from any spoilers since I’m about half way through God-Emperor right now but I have enjoyed it. It does feel like a lot of the dialogue between Moneo and Leto/ Duncan and Leto goes over my head.
I had a nice follow-up for you but it disappeared :(
Should be safe for OP spoiler
It does feel like a lot of the dialogue between Moneo and Leto/ Duncan and Leto goes over my head.
Part of this is because things circle back around later, or is referencing arcane things that have already passed. The books were not actually written chronologically, IIRC God Emperor and Heretics were pretty fleshed out a bit prior to Dune Messiah which helps add to the holistic psychedelic feel of the narrative.
Though, another part of it is Herbert writes much of that dialogue as a "god" speaking down to the reader/character which I think is a great voice to use, particularly after the kind of cautious and horrified yet determined inner voice of Paul. Leto II seems to take particular pleasure in torturing Duncan this way. Some of my favorite lines from the book/dialogue are precisely when Leto II is condescending to posterity or the reader through the stolen journals etc. I think that the purposeful obtuseness and condescension is kind of necessary to create a compelling "godlike" character without allowing the reader to use that voice or have to insert themselves as the godlike character if that makes sense. Especially since for most of the series characters are not that hard to read. Part of the reason why it's so hard to film a really good Dune movie is because so much of it takes place inside people's heads via internal monologues etc.
To be honest I have not found much material of Herbert talking about this stuff in particular so a bit of it is interpretation and speculation; but he betrays this kind of depth when talking about the other books in interviews and stuff so I feel confident in it.
I had much difficulty getting through it my first time around. There was alot to wrap my brain around and at a younger age that I just stopped picking it up halfway through! Much later I came back and had a better appreciation for literature in general and a more nuanced understanding of the abstract themes and subtext; it quickly became my favorite series and this my favorite of the books.
although, you could joke I just stockholm syndromed myself into liking it
Friendly reminder that while the dune books are super good, and I love them a ton, Herbert was a fucking fascist don't internalize his philosophy.
