Book Report - Children of Dune

The original Dune may be my personal favorite piece of fiction. Granted, any given mood probably comes with its own favorite book, but Dune is the only one that I've consistently pushed on anyone I thought might be interested. I'm not even the most ardent sci-fi fan, although I'm always up for a bit of escape, and I've certainly been guilty of yearning for a world that resembled any number of fictional universes. In doing a bit of research after finishing (for the second or third time) Children of Dune, the third book in the series, I stumbled upon the fact that Herbert had original conceived the first three books as one single story, and that the entire plot was essentially mapped out prior to beginning work on the first book. I was a bit taken aback by this, as they've always read as very independent stories to me. That said, it now begs the task of rereading the whole trilogy with an eye for the themes that were intended to span the entire story. Herbert himself describes the three stories as a sort of literary fugue in this fantastic essay on the origins of the story.

The themes of the Dune series resonate today without much stretching of the imagination required. Herbert touches on religion, fanaticism, politics, war, power structures, corporate influence, ecology, natural resources, addiction, superstition, jihad, and any number of other related topics that dominate today's headlines. Children of Dune follows the story of children of Paul Atreides and the power struggle between a now-lost Alia and her government, Leto and Ghanima (Paul's Children), the deposed House Corrino, the Fremen religion and its priests, and those who seek to return to the old ways of the desert. It's hard to go into too much detail without giving away the twists and turns of the story. The essence of the political conflict, however, comes down to which faction will end up with control of the empire. The religious element, which is largely Leto's progression down the road of his father, is a bit stranger and more complicated. It's fair to say that I found its ultimate direction somewhat unsatisfying, but it certainly makes for an interesting read, and I can see how it fits as the ultimate embodiment of Herbert's take on the deified leader.

Like all of the books in the series, the dialogue is intricate and meaning is many times in what is left unsaid. Plans exist within plans, and often times, we are left without access to the inner thoughts of those involved, leaving us to ferret out real intentions by ourselves. What is striking about this chapter of the story, for better or worse, is its bleakness. Religion has become an instrument of control, alliances are tenuous and shifting, death lurks around every turn, and it is hard to find a character worth identifying as a protagonist. As Leto changes throughout the story, the reader finds their own feelings toward him shifting from empathy to skepticism. The depth of interpersonal character development in the first book is replaced by the depth of manipulation and machination of all involved. While it retains the grand scale of the story of the Atreides arrival on Dune, it loses much of its humanity. That loss, however, is largely the point Herbert is trying to make. The theme of obtaining, regaining, and holding onto control are echoed in the internal battles of Alia, Ghanima, and Leto. The systems of religion and governance that were established in the wake of Paul's rise to power have now entrenched themselves to the point where they are governed with the objective of retaining power. By the sheer amount of influence their decisions wield, they attract those who are attracted to power, and thus sow the seeds of their own demise (and the associated collateral damage). In short, it is largely a story of consequences, both forseen and unforseen.

Children of Dune isn't a book to pick up if you are looking for a light adventure. Herbert, in general, has the ability to make me feel that I read at the third grade level, and I can't count the number of pages I've had to reread to stay on top of the unfolding story. The complexity of dialogue and plot are part of what makes these books a pleasure to reread. Like a Wes Anderson film, much of it fits together better the second or third time around. If you are a fan of the first Dune, it is hard not to recommend that you read the second and third book if only to see Herbert's vision in its entirety. The first book certainly stands on its own as an incredible story, but the second and third stand ready to undo much of the mythology created in the first, and without considering the consequences of the events of the first story, it is easy to miss much of what Herbert was trying to say. The writing of Dune was not undertaken lightly. Six years of research went into the story before it ever hit the page. It's reading deserves a willingness to invest in trying to understand Herbert's universe and the lens through which he saw our current world.