The Butlerian Jihd

by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson

first published 2002 by Hodder & Stoughtom

I have not been, till now, a fan of novels added to a series by a writer other than the original author of the parent work, even when the original worker is claiming part responsibility, as with Anne MCaffrey and Arthur C Clarke in their later "collaborations".
Between such covers, I had found, disappointment lay between the lines.
But last year I read my way through the Second Foundationseries and conceded that, where the homaging author has clearly studied the original works with an obsessed thoroughness, to the degree that his imitation has been blessed by the Estate Executors, such additions CAN mimic the host author's work to an uncanny degree, and, by providing additional background, act as an aid to the understanding of the original texts.

And the collaboration of Kevin Anderson, himself a scifi writer of note, with Brian Herbert, another established scifi scribe, and son of the Dune series author, Frank, seems like to be a literary marriage on which a whole new dune dynasty can be founded.

I read the Prelude To Dune series first, the three "Prequel" novels, and loved all three, revelling in the new insights added by this explanation of how all things began, how the planetary family dynasties were formed, and how the longlasting family feuds developed and were fed.
These books followed well Frank Herbert's style of writing; only occasionally were there reminders of dual authorship and a filial pen.
Such homage-writing, I decided, was actually a complement and supplement to the original works, and could keep an original author alive longer. As a literary marriage, surely, a consumnation devoutly to be wished..

And Dune Legends:The Butlerian Jihad begins a new series by this successful partnership, whose prose style becomes steadily more melded and welded until almost seamless in its utilization of Frank Herbert's style and vision.

The Butlerian Jihad is the first instalment in the story of how humans began to rebel against the cymecs and the thinking machines, how the melange industry began on Arrakis, how the sandworms were harnessed for riding, how space travel was accelerated, how the sorderesses were developing their telepathic powers on Rossak, and how males were experimenting to gain that same power.

Above all, this novel creates DUNE Atmosphere, and, in the process, equips us well to go back and reread all the original Dune novels in the bookcase! Despite its being a LONG read, and with self-contained, alternate-sequence chapters, this novel cannot be skimmed. I found myself wanting desperately to read the next to be published- or to go back and read it again at once, unusual for this jaded ex-librarian!

True, just here and there, still, little pockets of prose the elder Herbert would not have claimed, or his editors might have redpenned out, and the battlescenes of widespread destruction and mayhem seem a little under-adjectived at times, as though at least one of the authors is a little squeamish about writing violently...again, something a less-reverential editor might deal with in future volumes.
But folks, all in all, this is a GREAT READ!!!
As Dean Koontz is quoted on the cover of my New England Library paperback edition:

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