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goodnight_moon 's review for:
Dune Messiah
by Frank Herbert
I could read you a line from Dune and offer you $10,000 to correctly identify the speaker and you would probably fail, because every character in Dune is just about the same person: arrogant and calculating. They all speak in codes, hiding their own intentions but somehow interpreting the hidden meanings of others - assuming they're a hero. The only people who act based on emotions end up dead and looking foolish for it. The only difference between any of them is what they want, and whether or not they hold all the cards.
Reading Dune is like if 8 grandmasters were playing one game of chess and they were told to narrate it as entertainingly as possible to someone who barely understands the rules of chess. I'm convinced that you're not supposed to root for or against anyone. I'm also convinced that you're not supposed to have any idea of what's going on. Just sit there and be fed the details in the order you were intended to receive them - there will be an explanation at the end, but probably not the one you were expecting. With Dune, I found that a very entertaining, albeit whiplash-inducing, rollercoaster of plot points. I never felt anything other than excitement or boredom. But hey, it's science fiction, not fantasy.
Dune Messiah is like Frank Herbert did acid every hour and then wrote about the visions and philosophies he experienced. I had a much harder time following the point of Messiah than I did of Dune - and I walked into Messiah knowing what a Kwisatch Haderach and a Shai-Hulud were, so that should tell you something. While I agree that the political and social landscapes felt very different, that doesn't change that it's still a linear experience of plot points A to B to C with more characters who are still the same person. I ultimately found it much less gripping, probably because the novelty of a book like Dune had naturally worn off, but also probably because the action was much more political and strategic than physical.
Dune felt like a closed loop, a story unto itself. I didn't mind Dune Messiah as a sequel, I thought the books went nicely together. And I appreciated how much shorter it was. But I honestly have no idea if I have the mental energy to read the third book.
Reading Dune is like if 8 grandmasters were playing one game of chess and they were told to narrate it as entertainingly as possible to someone who barely understands the rules of chess. I'm convinced that you're not supposed to root for or against anyone. I'm also convinced that you're not supposed to have any idea of what's going on. Just sit there and be fed the details in the order you were intended to receive them - there will be an explanation at the end, but probably not the one you were expecting. With Dune, I found that a very entertaining, albeit whiplash-inducing, rollercoaster of plot points. I never felt anything other than excitement or boredom. But hey, it's science fiction, not fantasy.
Dune Messiah is like Frank Herbert did acid every hour and then wrote about the visions and philosophies he experienced. I had a much harder time following the point of Messiah than I did of Dune - and I walked into Messiah knowing what a Kwisatch Haderach and a Shai-Hulud were, so that should tell you something. While I agree that the political and social landscapes felt very different, that doesn't change that it's still a linear experience of plot points A to B to C with more characters who are still the same person. I ultimately found it much less gripping, probably because the novelty of a book like Dune had naturally worn off, but also probably because the action was much more political and strategic than physical.
Dune felt like a closed loop, a story unto itself. I didn't mind Dune Messiah as a sequel, I thought the books went nicely together. And I appreciated how much shorter it was. But I honestly have no idea if I have the mental energy to read the third book.