Dune Sequels Explained
What happens in the sequels to Dune? A quick summary of all six Dune books by Frank Herbert: Dune, Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, God Emperor of Dune, Heretics of Dune, and Chapterhouse: Dune.
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Imagery from Dune (2021), Children of Dune (2003), Jodorowsky's Dune (2013)
Thumbnail art by Furio Tedeschi (based on a design by Devon Cady-Lee): www.artstation.com/furio
Paul art by Bella Bergolts: www.deviantart.com/bellabergolts
Duncan art by Kiaun: www.deviantart.com/kiaun
Lots of official art by Marc Simonetti: art.marcsimonetti.com/
Chairdog art by RingmasterBent: www.deviantart.com/ringmaster...
Paul art by Greg Ruth: www.gregthings.com/dune
Holy war art by Kamen Anev: www.artstation.com/kamen
Leto II and Ghanima art by Felipe Ramos: www.artstation.com/feliperamos
Art by Yury Ostapchuk: www.artstation.com/yourez
Vladimir/Alia art by Kristian Tsvetanov: www.artstation.com/kristian_a...
Sandworm art by Peter König: www.artstation.com/peterkonig
Fremen art by Eren ARIK: www.artstation.com/erenarik
Preacher art by Sam Carr: www.artstation.com/samcarr
Laza tigers art by minenanoah: www.deviantart.com/minenanoah
Leto II art by Devon Cady-Lee: www.artstation.com/gorrem
Leto II art by AndrewRyanArt: www.deviantart.com/andrewryanart
Hwi art by LindelinArtanis: www.deviantart.com/lindelinar...
Leto II art by jontorresart: www.deviantart.com/jontorresart
Leto II art by Alex Jay Brady: www.artstation.com/boac
Bene Gesserit art by Ramazan Kazaliev: www.artstation.com/ramazan221
Sheeana sandworm art by Dmitry Andreev: www.artstation.com/dm_a
Tleilaxu art by Dev Pramanik in Dune: House Atreides graphic novel
Sandworm art by Denis Maznev: / denismaznev.art
Some character portraits made with Artbreeder: www.artbreeder.com/
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Special thanks to Patrons Cameron Weiss, Michael Appell, Ryan Steele, Harry, Shane Veglia, NotGac, Tim Cunniff, T. Ledoux, Ilhuilkamina Urdiana.
0:00 Dune
1:37 Dune Messiah
3:24 Children of Dune
5:18 God Emperor of Dune
7:06 Heretics of Dune
8:23 Chapterhouse: Dune
#Dune
The lesson: If you don't know what to write, Just resurect Duncan Idaho for the 47th time
Or it is a symbol of never ending servitude, the trauma behind being killed and resurrected by your Lord for tens of times makes for one of the most dramatic characters of all times, which is also the only way Duncan could have lost his loyalty for the Atreides and betray Leto. Leto did that on purpose so that eventually Duncan and Siona want to kill him, setting off the Golden Path.
@@thelordoftime803nah its j lazy
nah, only a small mind thinks thats lazy.@@masterlinn2200
imagine reading a completely unrelated book and you read "Duncan Idaho is resurrected. Like you look at a cookbook and step 7 in a casserole is resurrect Duncan Idaho
@@masterlinn2200What's actually lazy here is your comprehension.
Duncan Idaho being practically immortal and gaining sex powers was definitely not what I expected for the future of this series
i thought that was WHY they cast jason mamoa
@@sebcw1204 that’s if they even reach the point where he gets the powers
It is what it is.
"Duncan it's 4PM! time for your daily resurrection!"
@@sebcw1204 See I would have liked that until they cast that wanker.
The fact that Duncan Idaho is pretty much the only person to be a main character in all of the original 6 Dune books is hilarious
Right and in my head it's Jason momoa
which makes it 10x funnier@@sazr9569
Me watching movie: wow this movie is so good i love frank herbert i love paul i love this excited for part 3 me watching waht happens in dune messiah and haevnt even finished seeing: i hate frank i hate everything i hate dune i shouldve known
@@dannyolizbethhow the hell do you watch the two movies and doesn't realize Paul is the villain? Villeneuve makes it blatant obvious.
@SemNome-rg7xg The point of dune is that morality is more complicated than good and evil, just politics.
Jason Momoa when his lawyer shows him the fine print in his contract: "I signed up for what!? OK. I guess I can do some flashback scenes. That's cool. I'm going to do what?!"
Now I'm just waiting for a movie that's four hours of Jason Mamoa talking with a giant worm man.
knowing momoa, from what he has been saying in the last couple years, he will probably say he is offended, and needs a safe space.
He'll just end up having sex with worms.
@@runningcommentary2125 You and me both, book 4 is my favorite of the series.
@@CircumlunarFeasibilityNah, I know him a bit better than you. He'll be on call for Villeneuve to use, but Villeneuve will probably go with someone younger to portray 'Clone Duncan.'
It is my personal belief that Frank Herbert, in his youth, fell deeply in love with a man from Idaho named Duncan, and he never got over it.
That’s Interesting asf
"We named the dog Idaho!". Wait. Wrong series. kzhead.info/sun/nrNqfdmClpugeXA/bejne.html
@@DonSwaggin no it's not
That's highly unlikely but I got your point.
@@ericsaldana8236 yo calm down
Frank Herbert’s relentless obsession with Duncan Idaho is the most bizarre part of Dune’s lore and that’s not an easy feat
It's a badass name can you blame him?
It's mainly because he got so many letters from fans saying how much they liked his character. That's why he brought him back for book 2 then in the others. Otherwise he most likely just remains a small character in the first book.
@@purple8289 what are you talking about? He literally died a year after the release of the books?
@@purple8289Fr? He was such a minor character in book 1. Outside of his drunk scene with Jessica he really doesn’t do anything. And his death was so anti-climactic and overshadowed by Kynes death.
hey if there is a movie for the rest of the book, then jason mamoa is rich.... well he already is
When I was a kid my mum would often tell my young brother ‘you just don’t know when to stop’. I think Frank needed someone to tell him that.
lolol
Why? The books are bizzare but so so good
true why tf kill the main character and die destroying the readers imagination?
Paul isn't the hero nor the main character....that's the point@@dondawest-ig4qu
@@reganvryer818 Anything after God Emperor was a mistake.
.......yeah I can see why Villeneuve only wants to do the first two books and leave
I think so too...
Somehow, Duncan Idaho returned. 😂
In the next Star Wars movie palpatine returns with special sex powers
lololol
Ah right when I commented this too 😂
Still better than star wars
@@AirBendinCatis it possible to learn this power?
Something happens Dune: Guess I'll resurrect Duncan Idaho
It’s like that old joke about the show Supernatural. “Omg he died! …he’ll be fine. Give him a few minutes”
@@mobilerds490 huh? I was a teenager when spn came out, I watched every season?
@@eileensnow6153you killed Kenny, you bastard. All well next episode.
And give him special sex powers
jason momoa plus special sexual powers ftw
When your friend starts telling you about their dream
This😂
Book 4 sounds like a good place to stop since the Atreides arc finally ends with Leto II and humanity breaks out of its vicious cycle via the Scattering. Books 5 and 6 just sound like tying up loose ends involving the Bene Gesserit
The god emperor story makes sense, just like any other stories about fight for your freedom and break the vicious cycle. Unlike Dune and other few badass books, it still accepts you in this alien environment and the unknown regions of space. The rest is just woke agenda, cops and robbers and war stories etc.
@@tankguy5312 You lost me at "woke" agenda.
@@Pdmc-vu5gjGod that word has lost all of its original meaning. Stupid right wing media co-opting it.
@@highvoltage7797it has no meaning at all.
Me spoiling the entire saga to myself after watching Dune Part 2. I cant help myself
Me too And realized DUNE is sooo deep 😂
I’m shocked at how bad the rest of it is i mean??? Whyyyyy
no more Timothee Chalamet lmao.
Me too😂
Same
Herbert seems to have used lots of “spice” while writing these books.
Not cinnamon but some opium and cocaine with meth.
@@user-yr9lt7dz8k Oh, that's a great mix for writing, though. Not necessarily for the result of said writing, but damn does it make you feel like you're doing something truly epic as you type until you can't feel your hands - or feel them way too much - and you can't remember if you've blinked since last Thursday.
The depth of imagination and creative detail Herbert displayed in 'Dune' doesn't come from drugs....people just think (or wish) it does...I wouldn't be surprised if Herbert tripped a few times or smoked herb, but I sincerely doubt that helped him write any of these books
I was going to chime in about how equating creativity with drug use is lazy but was he actually on drugs?
He was. He based the spice off his own experience with psilocybin (magic mushrooms)
Jason Momoa is about to lead this franchise
Fr 😂
As much as I don’t want there to be more than three films, it would be really funny to see a wormy Leto resurrect Duncan Idaho countless times while the soundtrack chants along
OK. So the key point we learned here is that if the new Dune movies become a franchise, Jason Momoa is gonna be in all of them. Sick!!
Definitely biggest jackpot when it comes to actor contracts
Funny cause I was thinking after the first one that it was funny such a big name actor got merked so early
If I remember correctly he was a kid in some of them so, unless they use a lot of CGI to deage him, I don't see him coming back in all of them
Getting the Iron-Man contract
Denis said he'll stop after Messiah (for good reasons). Maaayyy be Children of Dune could be adapted to finish off the Atreides plot line, but it would be a hard sell to audience since Paul is no longer the main character. They will have to set up a new main character in Dune Messiah if they wanted to adapt Children of Dune. No chance in Hell the last 3 books get adapted. The plots are convoluted, unfinished and too fanfiction-y.
So, the moral of the story is: _Duncan: "Ah shit, here we go again..."_
This reminds me of the bowl of petunias in hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy
I've been a fan for 35 years and have read all 6 dozens of times. I always find something different each read-through. I have to say, you're one of smartest, most thorough reviewers I've ever encountered
Whats your favorite? Mine is God Emperor of Dune 😊 reading it again for the fifth time 😊 Greetings from Antwerp
How about the books that his son wrote? Did you read any of them, if so are they any good
What do you think of the recent movie adaptations? What do you think Dennis will do for part 3?
@@tanmaysahoo7416Ive read 3 of them so far. I quite like them. They are not as deep as Frank’s original works, but they are fun and exhilarating sci-fi stories. I plan on reading many more.
Man, it's going to be so interesting to see what Dennis does with Dune Messiah.
I would never have believed that anyone could have summarized all the Dune books in just 12 minutes. Well done, well done!
“The Dune sequel books get weird.” Well put!
I started watching and figured it was 2hr video lol
Our Host here, has an excellent Radio/Broadcast voice! So he makes it entertaining and interesting!!!
Agreed
Why are you singing praises for some one invested in mind shrink,(shortening the thought train on a subject).Think of the time it took you to read that story, the time you spent giving them a mental image , the joy of discovery with each new page. That is why you read these great works, not to shrink it to a 12 minute spot.
Paul: I don't want to do this Dune Universe: Too bad.
Paul: Mother, I don't want to do this. Mother: Too bad, YOU... will try.
Paul successfully disengaged, but didn't anticipate sin son to re-engage.
@@hritviknijhawan1737worst line in scriptwriting history
@@hwalnut7202 nah it's the best.
duniverse
"Seeing the future is a curse a trap that takes away Paul's free will" This line can be applied to Attack on Titan with Eren's ability to see into the future
Future sight being a curse is always pretty fun to watch. Same with Immortality. Showing off what a lot of people would probably imagine to be cool powers as a near completely negative thing is just interesting.
Leto II understood the true answer to the Gom Jabbar test. If you want freedom and infinite possibilities you must gnaw off your own leg and escape the trap. This is why Leto II erased his sister’s memory and let her go to live her own life. He gnawed off her leg and let her escape. The equivalent to this is Founding Titan Eren sends a message back to his kid self and tells him to take Mikasa and *RUN AWAY* your years are short sure but just run away let this cursed destiny to someone else, *BE SELFISH, THINK FOR YOURSELF AND ONLY FOR YOURSELF*
I am like 99% sure that AoT was massively inspired by Dune
Jee I wonder where they got the idea from?
man from a movie watcher standpoint seeing this, it's so out of the box seeing duncan getting ressurected 999 times
Duncan Idaho has got to be the main character of this series, or at least represent a theme.
True, even though he's variously a super-skilled soldier, a vat-grown mentat clone, and so on, he's still in a sense the 'everyman' character who represents the wider mass of humanity caught up in the power struggles of the rulers of the Dune universe.
I have always considered Duncan Idaho to be the true Kwisatz Haderach. Paul was a failure as he was a generation early. While Duncan was 'born' again and again, getting enhanced skills each time. Just my opinion.
@@ddibbleyisn't that exactly what happened in " Hunters and Sandworms of Dune " ?
I remember when I saw the original movie when I was a kid I cried when Duncan died. This was way back in the 80s. Then I grew up and read the books and Duncan was my fave character.
@@ddibbley Leto II was the true Kwisatz Haderach. Paul could've been but rejected it in the crucial moments. Duncan is just a man in most incarnations.
Duncan Idaho is a giga chad, gets revived multiple times, frees humanity, and gets sex powers.
No he's giga Duncan not Chad! Chad is Chad
Book 1: Paul become the savior of the Fremen, and becomes the emperor of the universe 😁 Book 2: ...This is a bad thing. 😢
rubs me the wrong way
A new dune book is written: Duncan Idaho: oh god not again 😩
It's insane how much Dune did for science fiction.
That being said, "Duncan Idaho" is still the worst fictional name I've ever heard 😂
@@SweetArmadillo361 it’s so goofy that it forces me to accept it with ease. Like “I guess this what we’re doing…Duncan Idaho….fuck it”
Could you elaborate. How has dune impacted science fiction?
@@JAEWST it influenced Star Wars
It’s the lord of the rings of sci fi
It's interesting how so many fans think that Leto II's Golden Path will save humanity even though a huge theme in the series is that you should be wary of powerful and charismatic leaders determining the fate of entire societies. I would not be surprised if Frank would have let the Golden Path end in a huge disaster if he had been able to finish the series.
Yeah. I think it's an open question whether Leto's Golden Path is even relevant in the later books, beyond peoples' belief in it -- Heretics of Dune ends with Odrade asking "Hey! Old worm! Was this your design?" -- "There was no answer".
He managed to convince me. He was not just the leader that bound people together he was the outsider that people resented. He was not just an emperor but a predator. Blew my mind when Moneo realized what he meant. A predator forces it's prey to evolve to get away from it. If the Golden Path fails I think it would simply be because it didn't work, not because there was anything wrong with the idea in the first place. If leaving the Earth is analogous to a child leaving the crib, I think the Golden Path is analogous to an adult getting kicked out of the house.
I think that "the golden path" was about letting go of control. The whole point was to get humanity so locked up that it had to go explore, spread out and get so big that no one person could ever even dream on controlling them anymore. Without that humanity would stagnate and die out because it had become all about a few controlling everything. Leto II is an oxymoron. Controlling because it was the only way to let humanity be free. But it's also a little cheap because he can see the future so you can't really argue that he was wrong unless you doubt that he and Paul could see the future. Hard to see the "golden path" backfiring when the only other option was humanities extinction.
I never bought the idea that the Golden Path was meant to ensure humanity's survival by scattering us further across the universe. That's just moving the date of our extinction forward. I really liked the second idea Herbert presented, that it was intended so that Leto could eradicate prescience everywhere but in him, and then destroy himself so that no one could ever possess prescience again, thus freeing us from its trap. If only Herbert could have turned this idea into a book that wasn't a total slog to get through. Or did he even need that book to explain these ideas I just explained in three seconds? He could have worked them into Children of Dune.
@@godhand291 but you don't have to abuse a child in order to get them to leave the house. Yes, people need to be challenged and tested in order to grow and learn but there's no need to be cruel and vicious about it.
Many years ago I read the entire series one right after another. It took me about 6 or 7 months. It gets increasingly wild, but is so engrossing. I highly recommend it even to those who think they've been spoiled by this video. There is so much that you can get out of it beyond the simple plot points. Herbert was a visionary and genius and skilled writer.
After seeing Part 2 i had to find out what happens next and oh boy was i wrong. Seems like after Messiah the story shifts to spice overload and gets really wild. Just like the author said that even the characters are out of their control. Dune part 2 was fantastic and i would have never thought that the story would get this crazy afterwards. Still love Dune part 1&2 and after this even more.
I love that Dune is celebrated as this visionary science fiction masterpiece with a cohesive, detailed universe and believable, iconic characters - and also includes absolutely wild, out there sci fi concepts in the sequels. Zen clones, worm men, super speed, millennia-long schemes - but it's all somehow believable and consistent. At least the Frank Herbert novels. It's tragic he passed before finishing his last.
God Emperor of Dune especially is awesome because Leto jumps from a very impassioned debate about humanity's relationship with God to "idk the vibes I get from an all male military are kinda gay" in the space of like a paragraph
@@Mitcheck315 Hahaha, so true
What? No it's not. Dune is a terrible universe...
@@Nomadmandude that’s just like, your opinion man
@@Mitcheck315 Leto is peak fiction book 4 really resonated with me.
If you want a story about feudalism, the nature of one's self, and family, you read the first three Dune books. If you want a story about free will and how we all must go on our own path you read the next three Dune books. And if you want to hate yourself for investing so much time into something that didn't matter you read the last two Dune books
Don-t read pass the first book you said? Ok.
@@Demondzeta Yes I know the first book is separated into book one, book two, and three, however when people collectively refer to Dune they mention the book as a whole. If you only want to read the first one that's fine. There are people who have only read Enders Game or The Hobbit without ready any of the other follow up books doesn't take away from their brilliance.
@@dannytheman1313 I just really liked the first one and the second one was horribly disappointing, so i-m not sure I want to read the rest.
@@Demondzeta The second one is more of a deconstruction of the hero's journey like Paul defeated the evil emperor and has been crowned king! And has no idea how to run the empire. But its not a terrible book it talks about the ramifications of paul becoming a religious figure. I recommend getting to Children of Dune if you want to finish the Paul story its really good. But you can stop whenever.
@@Demondzeta I hace re read all of them and get something out of it every time.
What I like is that Duncan Idaho eventually always remembers his first life, but not all of his clone lives. I mean, how can he? He's cloned stock. And then in the final book... all his past lives flow back to him, giving him effectively infinite skill in all fields.
Thanks for summarizing the Dune sequels in such a clear and concise way.
So, the first book was sane, and the next 5 were way out there. Got it.
I'd commit up to Book 4. The first book is a complete story, but I love the books that follow. After the Scattering, once it skips ahead thousands of years, it's almost like starting a new Dune series, with the exception of the omnipresent Duncan Idaho.
@@fos9698 Agreed, the last two books are still worth a read but I felt that the first four do constitute a fairly complete story cycle in and of themselves, and the last two were written more because people (and probably publishers) wanted more and the author enjoyed the setting/characters, as often happens.
Second book is sane as well. It just cuts with the selfless hero crap.
The first 3 is actually fine.
@@ar4imond yes it does, it pretty much takes the p!$$ out of Lawrence of Arabia, and the White Savior trope
Learning about the whole series as a whole, it now makes sense to me why the Dune books often don't make it beyond the first book in film/series adaptations (besides the obvious fact the series was never truly finished). The first story seems like a classical hero's journey that has revenge, heroism and becoming an emperor leading a proud warrior people in the end. The perfect (marketable) hero fantasy so many people like. Then the sequels promptly deconstruct that and show it for the pathetic idea it is. Paul's story shows us how the hero's journey likely WOULD pan out for most people (answer: poorly) and that makes us uncomfortable.
So true
"You either live long enough to become the villain or you die fighting for something you believe in." - Twoface from The Dark Knight.
@@donvandamnjohnsonlongfella1239 Wasn't it "You Either Die a Hero, or You Live Long Enough To See Yourself Become the Villain"?
That’s imo the problem with lots of deconstruction post-modern stories They often just become self fulfilling telling you constantly "oh actually the world isn’t nice." And it’s like yeah of course the world sucks when everything tells you it really sucks and doesn’t take itself serious and all hope is sucked away. I mean after watchman basically everything is just *beep bob, Deconstruction, Deconstruction, Deconstruction, Deconstruction.* It becomes a tiring trope and lots of people are beginning to get tired by it. If you want to deconstruct then at least give some form of hope into the message unless your story literally is just self fulfilling despair.
No, it often doesn't go beyond the first book because the rest of the series doesn't have a satisfying conclusion until Chapterhouse and because Messiah, despite being a crucial part of the story, isn't very marketable due to its intellectual nature.
I have a feeling your Philosophy of Dune video is your own Winds of Winter
Thanks for the synopsis. Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse Dune were very difficult reads.
Dune Messiah is a tough read at first because it almost serves to make you stop rooting for Paul who you've been led to believe is the great hero of the series. I found it profoundly sad for the most part and difficult know who to enpathise with but man the ending hit all the right notes it completely won me over
It’s become by far my favorite on re-reads, I think it is slept on way too much in favor of the weirdness of Leto II.
Sounds like it heavily influenced Attack on Titan
@@ManateeMentality just rewatched and fully finished that show after reading dune a few years back and i was amazed at how much eren made me think of paul. very similar characters dealing with similar terrible purpose lol
If I had known about Dune before watching AoT I woulda call the manga pure plagiarism when Eren starts to see the future.@@sdhjsjana72js
yeah that was the purpose. Somehow people didn't understand that Paul wasnt some mythical hero from the first book
Pretty damn interesting lore. Safe to say we won't be seeing the full story on screen
But knowing Hollywood, they will make sequels or even prequels and spinoffs in 10 years 😬
@@LittleMopeHeadI don't think they can man, they would have to go completely out of script past the second book. The events are very abstract and philosophical most of the time and wouldn't really fit a visual media such as cinema. Maybe they can take the setting and throw in some bullshit substory in it.
Maybe they can evolve the visual story telling medium and make something as revolutionary that makes you lose track of time like 2001 space Odyssey
I think the furthest hollywood would be willing to go is god emperor but even thats a stretch, and i doubt denis wants to do too many dune movies, i heard he would like to do messiah though so we have that
@@kebabdevil6611 yeah the only way they could do it is if they don’t actually do it and change the vast majority of how the story plays out. it could maybe work as a play lol
Great summary, but you seemed to have missed a key point of the Tleilaxu master being aboard the ship at the end: he carries with him the actual key to saving humanity.
Great videos, thanks! Can't wait for your review of Dune Part 2, but even more for your Philosophy of Dune video (still hoping you will someday publish it 😬)
I know that Dune is an incredibly deep story, filled with complex worldbuilding and it has inspired countless stories But I can't help but burst out laughing every time Duncan gets resurrected
The man cant seem to get a rest
Duncan's resurrecting is like Kenny being killed-off in every episode of South Park to be brought back in the next episode. 😁
to be loved by God might not be so great after all!
He is the mothra of this universe
It's crazy. In the later sequels written by Herbert's kids, literally everyone from all the books gets resurrected multiple times and then all the clones live happily ever after. Its wack.
I think it's important to point out that Book 2 as so miserable because Herbert sort of failed when he wrote book 1. He wanted that message to be evident, but he was sort of too good a writer to make it clear. People read it and thought that Paul was a standard fantasy hero and loved him and Herbert sort of saw that as a failure.
That's weird, I always felt like painting Paul as the hero in this situation instead of *literally anyone else* just made me hate him more.
Which is why he wrote Paul comparing his kill counts to Gengis Khan and Hitler, to make sure HE ISN'T supposed to be a Hero.
PAul knew he failed his universe.
It's hard to consider him NOT a hero when you give him near ultimate knowledge and he says I will go down a path leading to an ultimate salvation. It's a utilitarian argument where he may do monstrous things but he does it with the alternative being worse than what he did. So how is he a failure or the bad guy? He just played the shit hand he was dealt the best way he possibly could.
@phillipA123 exactly what I was saying the other day, it's not like he wasn't the chosen one, he could see all shit possiblities and chose the one that would lead to humanity surviving
This video is so good I keep coming back to it
I really loved your summary of the books!!! Thank you!
duncan idaho, the william afton of dune 💀
Underrated comment LMAO
Wouldn't that make William Afton the Duncan Idaho of FNAF?
Oh my God Dune and FNAF parrelled with each other I've officially seen it all
I ALWAYS COME BACK
He also kind of reminds me of Ultron because Ultron always finds a way to come back same thing you said for Hydra.
Man, I loved this synopsis. Well done. I would argue against two things, however - Paul being emperor was not "a failure" so to speak, though Paul did fail. Dune (book 1) speaks of Paul's "Terrible Purpose," a Purpose that he both knows he must do but that he also fears because of the cost. The cost is to his humanity, billions of lives (through his Jihad), to the freedom of mankind, and to his legacy. Paul wanted more than anything to be a "good" leader - one who inspired others and who elevated the lives of others. He wanted to be a "good duke" like his father. He rejected that future and did everything he possibly could to prevent it from coming - to find another option. However, everything that he did just made things worse, because he was unwilling to do what must be done. Leto II's brilliance is that he saw the same future but instead of fearing and rejecting it, he embraced it. He knew what he was sacrificing - not only his humanity by becoming more Worm than man, but also his legacy. People would hate him for what he did to humanity. He effectively "broke" mankind. He also paid a price of unending restlessness via his consciousness being trapped in the proto-worm entities. It was to be like forever dreaming, never being able to awake. His consciousness continue for millennia to come. The second thing is that I would argue that the terraforming of Arrakis, leading to the death of the sandworms and the severe reduction in spice harvesting also wasn't a mistake. The Fremen certainly didn't fully understand the implications of what it was that they desired, and thus in that regard it was a "mistake" (I mean, by the time of "The God Emperor of Dune," the only remaining Fremen were known as "Museum Fremen" - basically historians that barely resembled the Fremen of Paul's day and age). The cost that the Fremen paid was to their strength as a people. I argue that this wasn't a mistake because without control of the spice, there is no way that Leto II could have held such sway over his Empire. Literally everyone had to come to him for spice and he was free to dole it out as capriciously as he saw fit. Without that one singular aspect, he would have likely still been a ruler, but would have been far less of a tyrant and would have not been able to usher in his "Golden Path." One of the most interesting revelations that I've had regarding Leto II when I reread the series as an adult was the fact that he knew exactly what he was doing and why - he chose the hardest path because it was the only right path that would lead to the salvation of mankind. Again, well done!!!
The way I saw it, was that Paul was too afraid to do what needed to be done, to sacrifice his humanity.. His son was far more brave and selfless. His son walked the Golden Path.
This is why I like book 4! I greatly enjoyed Leto2’s different and lonely approach. He will be remembered as a tyrant- but to me he will also be humanity’s lonely savior.. the farthest from human yet the most human.
What you say is true. Wish i had time for the video.
@@kris0032 so like Jesus except he will be remember as the devil?
I like to think in a parallel universe, MatPat made a video about how Leto II actually was the true hero of the story all along.
You had me at dominatrix space invasion 🛐
Aside from the very successful marketing campaign for it's potatoes, the state of Idaho owes most of it's name recognition/fame to 3 things: Frank Herbert, and his bizarre choice of name for his weaponmaster/ghola/mentat character; Gus Van Sant, who made the 90s visionary movie "My Own Private Idaho" - Keanu Reeves' break into actual serious acting (and one of the more famous roles for the late River Phoenix); The B-52s band, who named one of the very popular early 80s songs "Private Idaho" - inspired by the movie.
I love how Dune as a series continually overturns itself, to the point of being an entirely different beast in different eras. Messiah was a response to Dune, Children of Dune is a very, *very* different tone and then God Emperor is really like no other novel I can think of. Herbert took a lot of risks just being experimental and creative and crammed in so many ideas that I feel you benefit as a person reading and applying a lot of his ideas to real life, or at least understanding how others use conditioning and power.
Foundation comes pretty close.
If only his ideas in the later books could have been matched by the increasingly bizarre and sluggish narratives.
@@squamish4244 i feel like if he had more years of writing maybe he could have finished the saga and start something new with mor cohesiveness
@@brandon-butler Depending on your tastes you may even find Foundation superior.
@@hycynth82828 For sure. He wrote plenty of books and short stories between the Dune books and he hadn't lost his touch. He lost the plot specifically with Dune.
Dune, even in its heroic first novel, has tinges of something sinister on the horizon. Paul can see the war in his name, and willingly believes he can avoid it but every move he makes pushes it closer, not further. Frank was never a fan of the conquering hero so he wrote within that framework but always hinted that this course of action was wrong. From it being known they were exploiting a set up religious prophecy, that was deliberately set up for the soul purpose of being exploited, to Paul's arrogance that he can subvert the coming storm. The book even ends on a sort of down note. Paul is Emperor but no one is rejoicing. He took the throne out of petty revenge afterall.
I’ve only read the first novel, but the fact Paul was a supervillain was obvious to me.
@@dashiellgillingham4579 Read the next two at the very least (unless you didn't enjoy it of course) Paul's arc is worth the read.
And he is Emperor of the "known universe". Space is huge. "That's why we call it space," as Carl Sagan said. From the moment I read that banned groups could flee into the galaxy outside the empire, I knew there was something more going on, something being ignored.
Emperor killing his family, friends and legions of troops is not petty, that is a major reasons to seek revenge.
@Dashiell Gillingham "Supervillian" is a strong word to use. He's more of an antihero (appropriately so, since the first book follows the "hero's journey" narrative).
So you mean to say that Duncan Idaho was the main character all along?
This is the best and simple explanation i have seen
The Dune sequels get more and more bizarre as they go.
Im sure Frank Herbert also used quite the amount of „spice“ in the creation of his novels
@@mort7987 Spice must flow.
It’s like jojos bizarre adventure
@@colown8319jojo memtioned 🗣️🔥🔥
I don't know if you're aware, but the picture of the plant you used when you describe the vegetation of Arakis is Portulacaria afra - a South African plant that's used to rehabilitate overgrazed arid areas and exceptionally good at carbon storage and promoting rainwater infiltration. A coincidence or a nice nuanced touch.
Nothing is a coincidence
I think that’s a shot from the 2021 film, in the ecological station sequence?
Fitting that the Portulacaceae...the Purslanes...being such a succulent xeric loving and thriving plant...that it would be one of dominants in colonizing this new habitat...along with Euphorbiaceae, Cactiaceae and xerix non-epiphytic terrestrial Bromeliaceae.
@@mrhouse3412 things just are.
Alt Shift X singlehandedly revived the speculative evolution community with one video. Man knows what he's doing.
man thats a surprisingly great synthesis. must have been very hard to gather the enormous amount of information and details in each book and make a well written and coherent video 🙌🏻🙌🏻
Frank's son wrote the conclusion to the saga based on his Dad's notes. It ties up everything in a decent fashion and makes sense and also explains Frank's obsession with Duncan.
It was also embarrassingly awful and best left forgotten.
People, please don't waste your time on the trash fan fiction novels from his son.
The latest dune movie got me interested in the books. Read the first one and just watched the 2000 miniseries. Your videos couldn’t have come at a better time
Juan Cena xDDD
Still have to recommend you read the sequels, at least up through God Emperor (though 5 & 6 are also excellent).
I'm concrete stan of yelling "those bastards" with explosions in the background
If you go through them all, I do recommend Brian Herbert's final 2 books that finishes the story and his prequels starting with the Butlerian Jihad and Machine Crusade books
@@sinephase Why would you recommend those shit stains?
It's been over 20 years since I read the Dune sequels, and I only remember three things: 1) that time Leto II covered himself in fish 2) God Emperor was secretly the best out of the series 3) The sentence "It could order him to blink, fart, gasp, shit, piss-anything" was in Heretics of Dune. I distinctly remember reading that, taking a moment, putting the book down, and thinking to myself "huh, well... that was quite the sentence I just read."
You forgot "adult beefswelling."
@@_Jay_Maker_ ...in his loins.
Completely agree with point #2.
As much as God Emperor is great, the ending is so anti-climatic; it just ends. It made me feel so unfulfilled. Thankfully, Chapterhouse had a satisfying ending.
I'm currently reading Heretics. Good to know there is such a beautiful line to look forward to
I'm so glad I dropped the series after Children of Dune. The 1000 year time skip seemed like a good stopping point.
I haven’t heard about dune before the first modern movie came out, and was surprised to learn that there is so much lore to it, basically like a different type of warhammer
I love that it ends with the tribute to his wife. Because for me, the Dune series is a story of love and how love is one, if not THE, thing that makes us humans.
To bad he hated his son for being gay lol
I always thought there was not nearly enough love in the Dune universe. I actually think it's a key failing of the series. Everyone is a power-hungry monster and anyone who isn't e.g Kynes is killed off. This universe has many highly developed human minds, but all done in the service of power and domination. Whereas we see that all of the sophisticated 'inner technology' techniques in our world have all been put in the service of cultivating love and wisdom - e.g. Buddhist meditation, Christian mysticism, Sufism, Advaita Vedanta Hinduism, native American use of psychedelics.
@@squamish4244 yeah, for me Alia becomes mad because of lack of love, paul does what he does at the end of book 2 out of love, leto II realises love is what makes us human after alooooot of time. Jessica and Leto I do what they do out of love. Best Duncan Idaho, aka Duncan from book 2, is torn from love. And ofc it ends with star crossed lovers, Duncan and murbella. As well As the letter from Herbert to his wife
@@squamish4244 ofc there are tons of other ideas explored, these are mostly my initial surface feeling after have read them, but its the one that resonated with me the most at the time
@@fredrik5827 I accept what you're saying. I still think the series is too nihilistic and that there is not nearly enough grace and compassion - and love - in it for my taste. The examples you listed are pretty much it in six books. Fremen society in Dune is absurdly, irrationally violent. Kill off your best people in stupid fights? Why? What a waste, especially when you're already battling an existential threat. It's not until the very end of Dune Messiah that we get emotions other than cold calculation. The rest of the book is a nasty slog. Paul is an asshole. I know that's the point, but even so. The God-Emperor sacrifices himself to free humanity. That's a remarkable moment. But the rest of the book is kind of sterile. And the result of his sacrifice is pretty horrendous in the short term. Like, dear god, Frank. Cut us some slack! Duncan and Murbella aren't star-crossed lovers as much as they are sexually addicted to one another. Frank's letter at the end is beautiful, but it's not part of the story. I didn't get a sense of much going on between the two characters at the end. I love Dune, but it has its flaws. It's my personal preference, but I would pick the often-compared LOTR over Dune as a balm for the soul any day. It's a reflection of the very different backgrounds and personalities of Herbert and Tolkien. One thing that strikes me is that Herbert never saw combat in WW2, yet his books are graphically violent. Tolkien saw combat in WW1 at the Somme, one the of the biggest battles in history. He did not write about violence graphically. Neither did Robert Jordan, who was a gunner on a helicopter in Vietnam. Perhaps it was because they had actually seen war that they could never write about violence the way Herbert does. These are just my thoughts and if you disagree I certainly am not going to be offended. Art is in the eye of the beholder after all.
Did not know dune lore went so deep. I watched the movie without knowing anything about it and it is one of my favorite movies.
This just barely scratched the surface, a good summary but there's so much it would take several multi-hour long videos to explain, which I'm sure exist but reading the books is more enjoyable.
@@Blodhelm I love the first movie and the second just came out gots me hyped can’t wait to see it. I don’t do much reading but it’s definitely a series I wanna get into. Was gonna get the book at one point but didn’t wanna spoil the sequel. It is such a cool universe tho used to be a big Star Wars fan when I was a kid but this tops that by far. Super excited to go see that second movie
@@Blodhelm nah , book was boring, Movies are great
the audiobooks are quite good if that fits your schedule/medium better.
@@sathira_anuk5179 mfs really out here admitting they don’t like to read and can’t be entertained even by the most simple tales lol
6 dense books with wildly fluctuating philosophies and characters summarized in 12 minutes. Nicely done!
Duncan Idaho is the true main character at this rate. I just imagine if Denis would make all the dune books into a movie, Jason momoa would be having a blast. 😂
I've been mystified by this and the last Dune video. I was never interested in the movie, and didn't know much about the book, but these summaries have been truly enthralling. Fantastical stories, mortifying concepts, thank you for making them so much more accessible.
You really should read the books, these descriptions barely do justice. Be warned though, the books are long and you will have to put them down frequently to reflect.
because a movie is not accessible?
@@andreww4751 No, not as accessible as this. I was never interested in the movie, whereas this video is free, convenient, and really well written to be succinct and still interesting/compelling.
@@vyshnavreddy9201 before seeing these videos, I was not considering reading the books. Now, the first one at least is definitely on my to-read list.
@@allykaman9340 My personal favourites are 4 and 5, God emperor and heretics. Stuffed full of contemplative monologues, soliloquies and conversations
I feel very strongly that if frank Herbert had more of an interest in honing the plot of his work into a more consistent and cohesive narrative it would have done a lot to bolster and flesh out his philosophical and existential ideas
As much as I like the universe & really enjoyed the first book, I couldn't focus at all on the 2nd and 3rd. All the talking about possibilities of the mind and dreams really drew me out. I enjoyed the plotting and the action, limited as it was. I get why people enjoy the existencial ideas in it. I hate it.
The narrative not being cohesive is a mirror of the Dune universe. Each successive book is a rejection of what came before. There is no overarching story of humanity. The best we can do is lay the groundwork for as much diversity and randomness as possible and then get out of the way.
I highly suggest reading some of his other books. Free from the expectations of Dune fans, he produced some really brilliant books. For example, The Jesus Incident, about an insane colony ship AI which uses an entire world to explore its Lamarckian fixation is brutal, well-told, instructive and incredibly thought-provoking.
@@bunkie2100, is that the book that ends with the ship telling the people to decide how they will worship it (ship)?
@@ChibsterofNurgy Same here.I I think a lot of people stranded somewhere in children of Dune and never bothered reading Emperor , heretics and chapterhouse.
This video is so well done...
Man, I hope we can get film adaptations of these sequels in the future
I read dune once a year for about fifteen years. The other books in the series, I read about five or six times, each. The one thing I concluded, and this happened after I read Messiah, was that Herbert himself was not sure what he wanted to do with the overall story.
i remember the worm-emperor Leto II had a butler who was freaked out of him but also kinda his friend. That was a super cool dynamic to me cause i felt like it was a unique relationship in literature. a couple other characters stood out to me as novel in a similar way: Liet-Kynes and Duncan Idaho v.132 lol
I can hear Duncan screaming “alright”
Oh boy can't wait to see what they do with Dune Pt.3. In some way I wished it ended with Pt2 on a high, but as well, I'm very curious what Denis Villeneuve will come up with to finish the trilogy.
Just have to give a quick shout-out to my boy Stilgar... could've killed Leto as a baby but didn't... couldn't help but feel deeply melancholic and sad everytime the "museum fremen" came up in god emperor... my thoughts always went to stilgar and how he would've cursed them! Often overlooked character imo
Stilgar, Moneo, and Jessica are my favorite characters after Paul
Agree.
Lisan AL GAIB!
The first Dune book is a wonderful masterpiece. I was a huge fan of the second book, personally. While not quite as flawless as book 1, I really enjoyed how you found yourself empathizing with both Paul and the conspiracy organized against him. I also thought there is some delightful trickiness to the question “how do you even conspire against someone who can see the future?” I also read book 3. (It was fine.) I couldn’t get into the fourth book at all, and never finished the series. TLDR: Thanks for summarizing the rest of the series. I can’t believe I almost got through my life without ever learning Duncan Idaho gets a magic penis.
Someone should start cloning Jason Momoa with magic penis, for sale.
i got half way theough book three and sadly gave up
@@thekiwininjasmusic4928 Same. After seeing this recap I think I made the right call.
@@thekiwininjasmusic4928 Yeah… 3 is… alright. I think some of the Alia stuff is interesting. I think I mostly find it readable from the perspective that it’s a bit of a better resolving point, and does come out feeling like a trilogy. It’s a definite step down from 2, which despite me having a real soft spot for, I must admit is a definite step down from 1.
OMG underrated comment.
duncan idaho being ressurected like kenny from south park is the best running dune bit i hope is kept in the movies
Absolutely fascinated to see what they do with the rest of the series of films...
They won't do anything with it. Villeneuve won' touch anything beyond Messiah with a ten foot barge pole.
“The emperor commands that you stop reading after children of dune” I remember having my mind absolutely blown away upon discovering that Dune had sequels when i was younger. I seriously thought it was only one book! So glad i read them all, despite some being better than others. I absolutely believe that, if brian hadn’t have taken over due to his death, that frank would’ve made dune have a sad or tragic ending if he was still alive. Good vid as always shift
Personally, I feel like he never would’ve ended dune if he lived forever. To me dune feels like the story of humanity and how no matter how many problems we solve there’s always something on the horizon. Always something to work toward or struggle against. Always charismatic leaders with good or bad intentions. Always factions plotting against each other.
Frank Herbert's Dune was critical of humanity but an important point is hope for humanity and our ability to change and adapt. I think Dune 7 would have had a hopeful ending and be about humanity's evolution.
God Emporer of Dune is one of my favorite books of all time. It is incredible. The horror of it is just intense.
Brain hijacking the Dune universe IS the sad and tragic ending.
I thought the ending with Daniel and Marty was "just" a massive cliffhanger. "Aaah, now I'll never find out". But the fourth wall explanation presented by you makes perfect sense. Thank you!
There are 2 more books written from manuscripts by the son. Hunters of dune and sandworms of dune. Tidy the series up completely.
@@alandickey843 Just like the Matrix has no sequels, the Dune series was never completed by unskilled hacks.
Have read all the books multiple times but am so grateful for how neatly this video lays outs the major plot…thank you for helping to connect all the dots in our minds
A very good summery. Having read all six Dune books, I've tried to explain to some people just how weird it gets. I believe that most people think I'm making it up. 😅
I recently finished the 6 original novels and I just have to say, wow the art in this video is fantastic. I loved seeing the different interpretations of characters. Nayla, the Duncan ghola, Hwi, and Siona were especially great. Cudos the the artist(s). I also just have to say that going through the major plot points make these books seem a lot more readable and exciting than they actually are haha.. but again as you said, its about the ideas not the plot.
Those portraits of Nayla, Duncan, Hwi and Siona were made for this video in Artbreeder, a free AI image gen tool! Gonna make more for future videos :)
Marc Simonetti is the GOAT!
@@AltShiftX dude?? What are you doing? Remember the Butlerian Jihad!
In case you don't know the 7th and 8th book written by the Son are actually after the extensive notes of Frank and finish the plot as he'd imagined it. Very much worth the read imo, very different style, but it works quite well given what the last book was supposed to be
At the end of the day, aside from the first Dune book, the other books are absurdly dull. I would not recommend anyone a read.
Hey man I just wanted to tell you I really appreciate all your work. I've been seeing your videos since 2013 and the new Dune stuff is amazing. Don't know if you'll revisit ASoIF for House of The Dragon but I'll watch anything you put out.
Thanks so much! Yup, House of the Dragon and ASOIAF videos are coming.
@@AltShiftX Tyrek horse video incoming!
11:14
@@AltShiftX 2:00 That's not Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohaim.
@@AltShiftX God love ya :)
0:44 Chairdogs?! That took the term "Dogsitter" in an entirely new direction...
Let's say this is not what I expected the story to go on but now I know what kind of mindset I should have getting into it
The dune storyline sounds incredibly convoluted
It is but that's kinda the vibe. Those who are here for it are REALLY into it but it is absolutely not for everyone.
Almost any set of 6 novels is going to sound convoluted when you summarise it in 10 minutes.
The Dune books have had the most impact in my formative years. My lifelong interest in philosophy, politics, economics, mythology, computer science all have a start in Dune
*laughs in Pendleton Ward' Adventure Time*
@gracefool good point
RIP Raised by Wolves.
😢
Noooo what happened?
I had to go look it up after seeing your comment. They’re trying to get another service to pick it up. Come on, Bezos, use that money for good.
@@ryancummings5583 he's not gonna😅
That was a very good SF series. 😢
Rewatching and hoping we get that philosophy video soon. It'll be a great watch.
I was like there is no way he’s gonna squeeze 6 books into a 12+ mins the movies took like 3hrs each and I had to watch them twice to understand. Great job.
If you don't mind me making a suggestion: How about you look into Hyperion and Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons. Everyone who talks about it tends to focus on the Shrike and the Time Tombs and while the Shrike is undeniably a great monster, there is so much more delicious worldbuilding in these books. There are tree ships! Spaceships that are real living trees! How's no one talking about that? Also for being first published in the early 90s, there is a very interesting depiction of the virtual world and AI. Not to mention the politics and the time travel and the poetry and so on.
This. We need a Hyperion analysis!
@@hhjhj393 Absolutly. I love that sci fi is shifting in a more green, more solarpunk direction. Today the radical idea is a hopeful future, lol
These are great books!
@@hhjhj393 You may enjoy "In the Court of the Crimson Kings" by SM Stirling - The Crimson Dynasty uses genetic engineering and organic tech for *everything* including medicine and guns.
those first two books are probably my favourite sci-fi novels after dune tbh, though I'm not fussed on the two sequels
I love all these books immensely and this was a great video! But hearing the story summarized sounds like I’m on the most terrifyingly vivid acid trip I could ever wish or not wish to encounter lol
I believe you're on to something. In the 1960's, people took 'acid trips'. While in the Dune books, the 'substance' is the geriatric Spice.
I'm asking myself if reading the books is going to be worth it.
The books sound scary and existential
@@eddie_asante.1 its great
@@christophercarrillo2860 alright then. All the books ot just book 1?
This was a great video man
If you think the infinitely resurrected Duncan Idaho and Paul's half-worm son are weird, I raise you this genuine canonical fact of the Duniverse: whenever the sandworms detect a rhythm and swallow it, they believe that they are mating with the thing that was creating the rhythm.
It should be noted that the Fremen have a tradition of banishing those who've lost their sight, among other defects, into the sands. And that its only because of his powers that he was able to keep it from happening as long as he did; i.e. his being Emperor, the religious leader of the Fremen, and especially his prescience that allowed him to see despite his lack of eyes. But even in the end, it seems by the will of the universe as with Paul's, he is unable to go against the rather barbaric customs of his Fremen despite it not even having any bearing on him. Paul is not weak, and he can see better with prescience than any of his Fremen, but to persist is to go against the culture -- the brutal culture that surely helped in his conquest of the universe in the first place.
What's also interesting is that that was a tradtion in the Byzantine Empire (at least the value of being sighted vs. blinded).
And it's noted that by going into the desert to die, that by his willingness to live, and die, by Fremen custom, he basically bought the Fremen's loyalty to his children.
@@threepoint14159265 More that of perfect physical form over all, since other parts go mutilated at various points (Like Justinian II losing his nose)
@@cevk This, and it was the beginning of destroying his legacy to free himself from it.
I can see parallel with Paul and the character of Eren Jager. The power of seeing the future but no power to change any of the outcomes.
It's been awhile since I read AOT, but wasn't Eren actually able to change the future? His future self was able to communicate to his dad to achieve the outcome he wanted? The theme of future sight being a curse is very fun either way.
im new to dune having just watched part 1 this morning but Duncan Idaho being a meme is pretty hilarious
Jason Momoa secured himself a Marvel contract equivalent, for life 😂