Interested in reading ‘Dune’? There’s more to the series than you might think

Eva Terry
·4 min read
Timothée Chalamet stars in the new film “Dune: Part 2.”
Timothée Chalamet stars in the new film “Dune: Part 2.” | Youtube.com/@WarnerBrosPictures
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The second installment of “Dune” will hit theaters on March 1, 2024, and the third trailer was released on Tuesday.

“Dune” (2021) covered the first half of the series’ first book, “Dune” (1965). So instead of acting as a “Dune” sequel, “Dune: Part 2” will cover the second half of the book.

Without spoilers, Movie Web described the plot of “Dune: Part 2.” It will pick up where the first movie left off, telling the story of “Paul’s rise to power and the subsequent rebellion against the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV.”

The film will bring Florence Pugh to the screen as Princess Irulan, Zendaya as Chani, Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha and Christopher Walken as Emperor Shaddam IV.

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Who wrote ‘Dune’?

After “Dune,” Frank Herbert wrote five more sequels. By the time Herbert died of cancer in 1986, he’d begun outlining the seventh novel in the series with his son, Brian, The New York Times reported.

In the late ‘90s, when editing an anthology of short stories about “Dune,” Brian received a letter from Kevin J. Anderson that said, “Not only would I love to write a Dune short story, but if I may be so bold as to suggest it, I’d be interested in writing a new novel,” per January Magazine.

From January to May 1997, Herbert and Anderson researched where Frank was intending to go with the series. Herbert found 1,300 pages of working notes about future books in his father’s attic, and from there, the project kicked off.

Frank Herbert wrote six novels in the “Dune” series, and Brian Herbert and Anderson wrote 16 more novels, a collection of novellas and two graphic novels.

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What is ‘Dune’ about?

“Dune” (2021) is based on Herbert’s super futuristic sci-fi novel where humans live on many different planets.

IGN Entertainment described, “In this future, power is shared between a monarch known as the Padishah Emperor, the Space Guild (which controls interstellar travel) and a collection of feudal houses known as the Landsraad.” They compared it to “a futuristic version of Game of Thrones.”

In this universe, people don’t rely on advanced technology like super computers or sophisticated weapons. Instead they rely on “melange,” which is “a psychotropic spice that can enhance the mind and prolong life, with some users even gaining psychic abilities and the power to access the shared memories of their ancestors,” per IGN.

The story follows Paul Atreides, played by Timothée Chalamet, as he journeys to the desert planet, Arrakis. His family oversees the mining of melange (which they call spice) and he discovers secrets about his ancestry.

List of ‘Dune’ books released chronologically

  • “Dune” (1965) — Frank Herbert.

  • “Dune Messiah” (1969) — Frank Herbert.

  • “Children of Dune” (1976) — Frank Herbert.

  • “God Emperor of Dune” (1981) — Frank Herbert.

  • “Heretics of Dune” (1984) — Frank Herbert.

  • “Chapterhouse: Dune” (1985) — Frank Herbert.

  • “House Atreides” (1999) — Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.

  • “House Harkonnen” (2000) — Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.

  • “House Corrino” (2001) — Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.

  • “The Butlerian Jihad” (2002) — Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.

  • “The Machine Crusade” (2003) — Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.

  • “The Battle of Corrin” (2004) — Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.

  • “Hunters of Dune (2006)” — Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.

  • “Sandworms of Dune” (2007) — Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.

  • “Paul of Dune” (2008) — Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.

  • “The Winds of Dune” (2009) — Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.

  • “Sisterhood of Dune” (2011) — Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.

  • “Mentats of Dune” (2014) — Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.

  • “Navigators of Dune” (2016) — Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.

  • “The Duke of Caladan” (2020) — Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.

  • “The Lady of Caladan” (2021) — Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.

  • “The Heir of Caladan” (2022) — Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.

  • “Princess of Dune” (2023) — Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.

Other ‘Dune’ related books

  • “Sands of Dune” (2022) — Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, a collection of novellas.

  • “Dune: The Graphic Novel, Book 1” (2020) — Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.

  • “Dune: The Graphic Novel, Book 2” (2022) — Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.