IT IS FINISHED

Finishing this series took years off my life. Did I need to finish it? No. Did I enjoy it? Not really. Dune messiah and Children of Dune were great but I lost it after that. Finishing just became a point of pride! I find the actual plot to be incredibly fascinating but the execution is not there for me.

I am a reader who sometimes enjoys books that make me work hard. This book (this series) is one of those. I loved it, but I fully understand that not everyone will.

In addition to being one of the greatest science fiction sagas ever, the Dune Chronicles were a massive sociological "thought experiment" on Herberts part, and I for one am thankful he had the time to share his thoughts with us. These books (especially the later ones) are the kind you have to put down from time to time to just think about... and then re-read the last few pages. You will have to refer to the appendix for definitions and clarifications. If you manage to finish all six books, you will find that parts of them come back to you unbidden years later, and you will pleasantly sit and wonder at the meaning of some passage and the vastness of Herberts imagination. It's hard work, but as with most strenuous climbs up high mountains, the view from the top makes it all worth it.

Finally, finally, I've come to the end of this weird, meandering, navel-gazing series. For me, the series ended satisfactorily at God Emperor. I'd even had various people (most of them teachers, no less) advise me not to read past a certain book in the series, but, like, you can't tell me not to read a book, man--I'm gonna read the book you just told me not to read. After all, I reasoned to myself, I'd come this far, and there were only two more, and I didn't want to leave the world of Dune feeling as if it were unfinished. Surely, two whole books must have something of value in them. Right?

Heretics and Chapterhouse are parts one and two of a larger fifth book in the series, one that delves into the inner-workings of the Bene Gesserit, which makes it sound a lot more interesting than it actually is. Instead I got two books worth of bureaucrats dancing around with a society of militarized dominatrices.

That also makes it sound more interesting that it actually is.

One thing I do appreciate about Heretics and Chapterhouse is the inclusion of more female characters and characters of color in main or important roles. While the first few books had a decidedly Lawrence of Arabia in space sort of vibe--i.e., white men traipsing around the desert playing war--Heretics and Chapterhouse feel more diverse and grounded, as if the world were more real, more textured, not just a sandbox for bored white men.

In hindsight, I think I could have stopped at God Emperor and not missed much, but I don't regret sticking with one of the most avant garde series in the science fiction genre.

IM FREEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WORST EXPERIENCE OF MY FUCKING LIFE

The epic conclusion to the original series - and it kinda ends on a cliffhanger! *rips out hair*
 
I'm very much looking forward to Villeneuve's interpretation of Dune that will be shown in theaters this year so I decided to not only read the original book but also the rest of the series.
 
Ten years have passed since Arrakis has been virtually destroyed in the previous book. Yep, it's gone. Well, not GONE, but it is dead, the surface uninhabitable thanks to the honored Matres and the tech they brought with them.
Sheeana, Duncan and Teg's daughter Odrade (now Mother Superior to the Bene Gesserit) have managed to flee with a sandworm and a handful of sandtrouts. So the plan, now, is to turn the planet Chapterhouse into a desert where they'll breed more sandworms so the spice will flow once more and there will never be such a threat to prescience and space travel ever again.

This plan is somewhat complicated by the fact that the Honoured Matres are zipping through what has remained of the Empire, eliminating any and all Bene Gesserit planets, killing the nobles as well as the Ixians. Oh, by the way, there is only ONE Tleilaxu left, Scytale (saved from Arrakis when the others fled), their technology and knowledge therefore all but gone, too. So everyone is hiding, basically, while trying to bring together everything they have for one last attack.

Meanwhile, on Chapterhouse, a ghola of Miles Teg is bred and raised (weirdly, he's calling his own biological daughter "mother") and while I was glad to have him back, I'm not sure I'm a big fan of everyone just being brought back from the dead willy-nilly (fresh blood, in my opinion, would be better).
Sheeana, for the most part, is overseeing the afore-mentioned project to create more sandtrouts and more sandworms but she doesn't really agree with Odrade's overall approach which leads to her and Duncan forming plans of their own.

I must say that after the big bang at the end of the last book, I was somewhat disappointed at the lack of equal action for about the first 3/4 of this final volume. Sure, the conversations, meetings and planning were important but it also felt anti-climactic. I wanted the last remaining forces to strike back immediately and teach those invaders what is what. *lol*

What was a nice surprise was the introduction and/or explanation of certain tech, both encountered before and new. It was also a dead-giveaway. *shudders*
Moreover, we finally got further details about the motivations of certain characters (much needed since we didn't get many answers in the previous book).
And apart from the lessons about trauma we had to witness time and time again, it begged the question of what threat was coming towards the Empire.
I had a theory (and had it confirmed by Brad for whom this is the umpteenth re-read) and must say that it is THE proof of the author's mastery. He didn’t just keep going to make money, he had a plan from the beginning or this wouldn't have worked, we had all the hints strewn across all volumes (it's what I picked up on here and there) and now, the demons come home to roost! We did get a glimpse at the very end of the book with world-shattering implications but no confirmation / actual confrontation yet (it's maddening).

The question throughout the book was: are the Bene Gesserit depraved and evil (though at least not as badly as the Honoured Matres) so Sheeana and Duncan were correct in loading up the Jews, a worm, some futars - and yes, I'm wondering about how that will go - as well as Teg and Scytale and escaping to a universe without boundaries or are they the only possible bastion against whatever is coming (especially now that the Bene Gesserit and the Honoured Matres have become one Sisterhood)?
This on top of the ever-present question of: Is this all still the Golden Path?

I'm still not 100% sold on what is coming (yes, I know it after I asked due to the implications in this "final" volume). I mean, cloning everyone - Paul, Leto etc - seems a bit too simplistic. Yes, throughout all books we were following genetic engineering, perfecting humans, but shouldn't we aim for the perfection of our species instead of "only" some individuals? Is this really the future?! What will that lead to? Will there be a second Dune, a second galaxy with new Reverend Mothers like Rebecca, founded by the original characters we met in the very first book while the old powers battle it out with the intelligent machines, destroying them and themselves in the process?! Oh, but how much I would have loved to see the final conflict as written by Frank Herbert! Alas.

LOTS to think about while reading and after concluding the series. I don't think I'll read the books that haven't been written by Frank Herbert himself. I know Brian Herbert and his co-writer followed original notes and cornerstones at least with the next 2 books, but it still doesn't feel right. And despite there being a cliffhanger here, I'll just fill in the gaps myself.

Last but not least, let me thank my buddy-reader, Brad, for this epic quest through time and space. I had a blast!

Aziz Annelerin ve Şerefli Anaların kurguda en baskın olduğu, serinin son kitabı olan epik kurgu. Bu kitapla birlikte Şerefli Anaların ne denli şerefsiz ve diplomasiden yoksun bir şarlatanlar topluluğu olduğunu görüyoruz. Bu, birazda Bene Gesserit klanından kopuşun yarattığı aşağılık psikolojisinin dışavurumu olarak okunabilir.

Rebecca ve hahamın diyalogları üzerinden ilerleyen bir İsrailiyan tarih itirafı da kitapta dikkati çeken bir noktadır. Rebecca'nın eski Yahudi ataları nezdinde geçmişe dönük günah çıkarmaları sırasında haham, ataların sorgulanmasını uygun bulmaz ve Rebecca'yı sürekli uyarır. Bu konuşmalardan yazarın kadim İsrail tarihine karşıt bir okuma yaptığı ve bunu karakterler aracılığı ile sunduğu varsayılabilir.

Bene Gesseritler, soy üretimini takıntı haline getirmişlerdir. Serinin başından sonuna kadar amaçları temelde aynıdır: Seçilmiş ve ritüelist genleri bularak çiftleştirmek, bu yolla kendi arkalarını kollayacak bir Kuisatz Haderah doğdurtmak. Kuisatz Haderah diye tanımlanan kişi de "aynı anda birden fazla mekanda olabilen ve bu mekanlarda görü sahibi olan"dır. Kuisatz Haderah türü (her ne kadar Dune'a özgü nitelikleri ve amaçları da olsa) bir yönüyle bize Nietzsche'nin "üstinsan" türünü anımsatıyor. Böyle bir geni yaratmak, Bene Gesserit cadıları için hem bir koruyucu kalkan görevi görecek hem de pragmatik emellerine ulaşmak için yetkin bir sacayağı olacaktır. Zaten bu mükemmel gene bir türlü ulaşamadıklarından Aziz Anneler, Şerefli Anneler'in tehdidine karşı Ixlilerle zorunlu bir ittifak kurarlar.

Öte yandan Şerefli Analar ve Bene Gesserit popülasyonları için düşünsel bir bağlam da kurmak mümkündür: Şerefli Analar, eylemleri düşünüldüğünde totaliter bir yapıya sahiptirler. Kaderciliği ön plana alırlar ve diplomasi kültürleri yoktur. Bene Gesseritler ise ilk kitaptaki baş anne Gaius Helen Mohiam'dan tutun da Rahibeler Meclisinin aziz annelerine kadar bütünüyle bilinçli ve determinist anlayışa dayanırlar. Kendi içlerinde demokrasiyi temel almışlar ve her durumda ortak yazgıya karşı savaş açmışlardır.

Serinin tamamlandığı sona etraflıca bakıldığında klişeleşmiş bir bitiş görülmüyor. Bu durum, memnuniyet verici. Daniel ve Marty'nin konuşmalarını içeren son bölüm çok güzel olmuş ve öyle sanıyorum ki bu iki kişi, serinin yazarı ve eşinden başkası değil.

Dune serisi, ilk kitaptan son kitaba kadar epik bir Atreides destanıdır. Bu anatemin bağlayıcılığı dışında Dune bize ekolojik bir çerçeve çizer: Su, doğal çevre ve çöl imgeleri bu çerçevenin önemli sacayaklarıdır. Bu seri klasik bir bilimkurgu olmanın ötesinde doğanın geleceğini önemseyen, kaynakların verimli kullanılmasına ilişkin alt metinler sunan bir yapıttır. Bu yönüyle okunduğunda kurgudan alınacak dersler ve edinilecek hazlar daha nitelikli olacaktır.

A thrilling and satisfying end to the Dune saga. I know there's quite a bit of evidence (including in the text) that Herbert intended to write at least one more Dune novel, but I feel quite satisfied with this as a concluding chapter. I don't believe I will read any of Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's sequels or prequels; I have not heard good things, and Herbert's vision was so unique that I have trouble imagining that even his son could continue it in the same vein.

This book was honestly just not very good. To be honest, I haven’t enjoyed a Dune book since Children of Dune, and even then it didn’t reach the highs of the first book. I’m really glad that this series is over (unless you count the ones that Frank Herbert didn’t write, which I won’t because I’d rather not continue from here) because Dune has really lost me during this trilogy. Like honestly, I can’t think of one thing I actually enjoyed in this one, which is a shame. Dune is one of the best books I’ve ever read, but it’s almost not worth getting so sucked into it knowing that this is where the world expands to. I’m sure I’ll be revisiting that entry sometime in the future, but I highly doubt my rereads will get as far as this one.

Pe cât de mult mi-au plăcut primele 3 volume, pe atât mi-au displăcut următoarele. Din păcate mi se pare că povestea nu duce nicăieri, personajele nu îmi plac, iar lumea creată a devenit neinteresantă.
DNF 20%

Dune should have been a trilogy.

while the first book in the dune saga is my favorite sci-fi book i’ve ever read, the sixth and final installment in the series ended up being anything but that. i find myself having a complicated relationship with this book, and series as a whole — this series takes place over thousands and thousands of years meaning that the characters i fell in love with in book one aren’t with us til the end. even though the political and religious development throughout the years are so fascinating and well done, i found myself not connecting to the story in the later installments because of the lack of my favorite characters. this leaves me with quite bittersweet feelings towards the series as a whole, which is truly a shame.