I Read Books: God Emperor Of Dune
The first three Dune books take place over a period of 20-odd years, now we skip ahead 3,500 to the end of the reign of Leto II, son of Paul Atriedes. SPOILERS there, sorry.
The novel opens with some action – a theft, an assassination attempt. Mostly it is about Leto not really explaining his plan for humanity, the Golden Path, while discoursing on past political systems and religions, while other characters who are somewhat disgruntled at his rule half-heartedly plot against him. Chief amongst those are Siona Atriedes, many-times descendent of Leto’s sister and Duncan Idaho, the many-times resurrected ghola of one of the original Leto’s most prominent followers. The Bene Teliex have a weird plot in which they have created the perfect bride for Leto, and send her as ambassador.
Leto is unable to consummate such a marriage as he is turning into a sandworm. There are no sandworms left, and the only source for melange, the spice that is the most valuable item in the universe (lets people travel through space, extends life, gives visions, lets people see past lives and even the future) is now his stash.
Anyway, despite the time skip, and that Arakis has been transformed into a (mostly) non-desert planet, this is very much a Dune book, though one that looks to more decadent parts of Middle Eastern history. In addition some people have actual sex (rather than being hinted at, perhaps the fifteen years between the first book and this one have allowed this, or perhaps Herbert is more confident in putting it in now he’s a bestselling author). The political commentary gets a bit odd at times; sometimes it feels very like it comes from an unexpected future angle, but sometimes it sounds like an American in his 60s telling the kids they’re naive.
Anyway I re-read this (and the series) because I accidently copied a theme in my space opera serial last year, but fortunately it’s not that prominent; basically Leto, like his father Paul is prescient and can see futures. Without him Humanity would be extinct already*. Yet prescience is itself a trap, catching humanity in already seen destinies, so Leto has been trying to create a way out of the trap.
He succeeds, probably. SPOILERS?
Read This: Although this is a soft reboot, allowing you to jump on the series at this stage, I would only recommend this if you are reading the rest of the series
Don’t Read This: If Dune is not doing it for you
* “Without me there would have been by now no people anywhere, none whatsoever. And the path to that extinction was more hideous than your wildest imaginings.”
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