Dune: House Atreides: House Trilogy, Book 1

By: Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 26 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

Capturing all the complexity and grand themes of the original, this prequel to the Dune series weaves a new tapestry of betrayal, passion, and destiny into a saga that expands the tale written by Frank Herbert more than 30 years ago.

Listen to more of our titles in the Dune series.

©2001 Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson (P)2009 Tantor

Critic reviews

" Dune: House Atreides chronicles the early life of Leto Atreides, prince of a minor House in the galactic Imperium. Leto comes to confront the realities of power when House Vernius is betrayed in an imperial plot involving a quest for an artificial substitute to melange, a substance vital to interstellar trade that is found only on the planet Dune. Meanwhile, House Harkonnen schemes to bring Leto into conflict with the Tleilax, and the Bene Gesserit manipulate Baron Harkonnen as part of a plan stretching back 100 generations. In the Imperial palace, treason is afoot, and on Dune itself, planetologist Pardot Kynes embarks on a secret project to transform the desert world into a paradise." (Amazon.com review)
"Though the plot here is intricate, even readers new to the saga will be able to follow it easily (minute repetitions of important points help immensely), as the narrative weaves among the many interconnected tales. The attendant excitement and myriad revelations not only make this novel a terrific read in its own right but will inspire readers to turn, or return, to its great predecessor." ( Publishers Weekly)

Entertaining

The first Dune novel is a masterpiece and is widely considered one of the best sci-fi novels ever. Though the series continued in many following novels, I was never a big fan of the sequels. However, the prequels by Frank Herbert's son are very good. In my opinion, these prequels capture the spirit of the original Dune and do a better job of expanding the Dune universe than the sequels written by the original author. These are highly entertaining, though I warn that it should come with a PG-13 rating.

Dune lives!!!

I had avoided the off shoot series created by Frank Herbert's son and Kevin J. Anderson for quite some years because I really enjoyed the original series and I was concerned that the image would tarnish if these works were executed poorly. Oh man, was I pleasantly surprised.
Old Duke Paulson Atreides is a fine figure of an honorable leader who has learned his life lessons, not just read them in a book. His maxim 'Never marry for love as it will surely be the downfall of our house' is something young Leto Atreides will learn from example.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Imperium, an Emperor schemes to bring down a great house in order to get an edge on spice riches; A sadistic bastard hunts little children through archology tunnels then forests in order to feel...bigger; a planetologist dreams of reforming the planet Dune; The Bene Gesirit and the Bene Tleilax follow their own plans and machinations to shape the Universe. Yep, DUNE lives!
The character building of Leto Atreides going from teenager to inheriting the mantle of Duke of Atreides is artfully crafted. Definitely a set up for Dune. How the Baron becomes the extremely heinous character he is in Frank Herbert's original Dune is really entertaining. Brian and Kevin may have painted Raban with slightly too much brains in this one but it is easy to see how his depravity kills that edge.
One thing that was lacking in other works of this franchise that I really enjoyed here was the ship to ship combat. I don't want to spoil it for the reader or listener but this is a good addition.
Alright guys, I'm sold. Going to consume the rest of them in due course now. This was a audible product with excellent narration which I'm coming to expect from Random House Audio. Five entertainment points out of five is the best I can do for you here, Sorry!

Thank YOu

Loved it, could stop listening. finished it in just over a day. can't wait for the next one Which I will be starting right away

Brian, you have honored your father and more than done him justice. Thank you

DUNE, House Atreides

What made the experience of listening to Dune the most enjoyable?

First, I have read the series several times. This is one of my favorite books, so it onky made sense to get aan audio version to relive the adventure while on the road. It never let me down and made the long drives so much easier. The hard part was having to stop and put it down.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Dune?

When Paul steps into his power- the sleeper is awakened and assumes his responsibility for the good of all, this is my most memorable moment.

What does Scott Brick bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Animation, intonation that brings it alive. He gives more for my imagination to play on and visualize.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, and I did, with a few necessary intermissions.

Any additional comments?

Recommend highly as a travel companion.

Masterpiece

This is wonderfully conceptualized, written and performed. Provides wonderful color and information to the story of Dune!!

If you have read the originals this is a fantastic treat

I think the original Frank Hubert books are and still is a masterpiece of what science fiction can be. That being said sometimes his writing style can be more monologue for a few chapters and than one chapter of character driven plot points. Franks Son and Kevin Anderson have done an amazing job of making Dune stories that flow a little more coherently with focus on characters and their actions to drive plot instead of sweeping monologue heavy conversation. It a fitting tribute and contribution to the dune universe and I had a absolute wonderful time listening to this book and Scott Brick’s ability transport me to Arakis and beyond

Don't be dissuaded by haters

I was hesitant about the prequels, but I'm glad I read this now! Worth it!

The saga continues...

Gaining a clearer picture of the landscape of the Dune universe is a wild ride. These books existed long before I was born and continue to blow my mind today. I can't say this enough, but the lore is amazing. On to the next.

Excellent piece of Science Fiction.

A vast and rich universe with complex charecters and incredible worlds. After listening to this book, I immediately bought the next 3 books in the line.

Great book

Awesome book and excellent background stories to set up the original Dune book. Loved the detailed histories of the great houses and explanations of how they got to each position of the original.