Don't even think about reading House Harkonnen without reading its predecessor Dune: House Atreides; anyone who does so risks sinking in the sands between Frank Herbert's original Dune and this prequel trilogy by Herbert's son, Brian, and Kevin J. Anderson. The purist argument that had Frank Herbert wanted to go backwards he would have done so is, at least in part, negated by the sheer narrative verve, and by the fact that Anderson and Brian Herbert manage to pull some genuine surprises out of this long-running space-opera. House Harkonnen is a massive book, and there are places where it becomes plot heavy, but in following the story of Duke Leto Atreides and the conflicts with House Harkonnen, the authors succeed in spinning a gripping adventure while going off in some unexpected directions. Anderson, who has written many successful Star Wars novels, has noted his particular admiration for The Empire Strikes Back, and his desire to emulate that film's dark take on the genre. In House Harkonnen, the conflict encompasses the tragedy of nuclear war, marked by grief and horror, vengeance and torment, and all while the complex intrigues continue to unfold. As one character puts it:

Everything has its cost. We pay to create our future, we pay for the mistakes of the past. We pay for every change we make--and we pay just as dearly if we refuse to change.

Ultimately this is the theme of a compelling game of consequences, choices, and responsibility, a study of Leto's growth into power and the price of politics and love. --Gary S. Dalkin, Amazon.co.uk


From Library Journal
As the young Duke Leto Atreides seeks to live up to his late father's expectations, his rivals plot to bring about the downfall of House Atreides. Plots and counterplots involving the debauched Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, his Bene Gesserit enemies, and the treacherous schemers of the enigmatic Bene Tleilax escalate the tension among factions of a fragile galactic empire. Though power seems to reside in the hands of the emperor and his elite armies, the fate of many worlds hinges on the destiny of a single planetDthe desert world known as Arrakis, or Dune. Continuing the story begun in Dune: House Atreides (LJ 10/15/99), coauthors Herbert and Anderson reveal the prehistory of the late Frank Herbert's classic Dune novels. Strong characterizations, consistent plotting, and rich detail provide this second of a trilogy of prequels with the same evocative power of the original novels. Libraries should anticipate a demand from old series fans as well as newcomers to the world of Dune. Highly recommended. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
Tim Curry's narration moves smoothly between a wide range of characters and detached observatory style. He adopts an air of condescension for the characters of the ruling classes, highlighting class distinctions and imbalances of power that breed contempt and foment revolution. His characterization is superb, and he delivers the dialogue to good advantage in setting mood and showing the depth of depravity and corruption of the Baron Harkonnen and his inner circle. Special effects, presented judiciously, serve as a nice complement and do not overtake the narration. This abridgment is smooth, with no obvious gaps or loss of important detail. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


From Booklist
In Dune: House Atreides , three men struggled with the demands and temptations of power. Shaddam Corrino conspired to acquire it, Baron Harkonnen seized and extended it, and Duke Leto Atreides struggled to hold it with justice and mercy. Unbeknownst to those three, Pardot Kynes and his son, Liet, led the Fremen in the secret battle to make Arrakis into a green paradise. Ten years later, Shaddam sits on the Peacock Throne, Leto has married the exiled daughter of Duke Vernius of Ix, and Baron Harkonnen, a victim of biological warfare, decays a little every day. Even the exorbitantly expensive Suk doctor, Wellington Yueh, can't cure the childless baron. To consolidate his clan's future influence, the baron turns to the family of his despised, outcast brother. Abulurd Harkonnen, a man of integrity and kindness, has survived his vicious relations by withdrawing to an icy world of furred whales and arctic monasteries. His sons show the vile Harkonnen temperament, however, and repair to the baron for encouragement. Meanwhile, Duncan Idaho trains with the elite sword masters of Ginaz, and Lady Margo Fenring, wife of Arrakis' imperial ruler, makes secret contact with a Fremen priestess. The power all these characters wield has great effect. Whether it be insinuating a lady in waiting into the Atreides household or secretly aiding rebels on Ix, each action lays another stone in the remarkable construct of the world of Dune, which Herbert's father began. Despite its huge cast and complex story, the second Dune series is proving to be exceptionally accessible and entertaining. Roberta Johnson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

FROM OUR EDITORS

Our Review
All Eyes on Arrakis
Here, in Dune: House Harkonnen, the second prequel novel (following Dune: House Atreides) to the classic Frank Herbert Dune series, Herbert's son Brian again collaborates with bestselling science fiction novelist Kevin J. Anderson to give us the complex plots, immense political tensions, sprawling cast, and high-action sequences of the original Dune works.

Dune is the intricate saga of the desert planet Arrakis (also known as Dune), the very heart of a vast galactic empire and all its rebel factions. Dune is the only source of Melange, a spice that grants psychic powers and near-immortality to interstellar pilots.

As ruler of a galaxy-spanning empire, Shaddam IV of House Corrino continues to use his influence, assassins, and allies to keep an iron grip on his Peacock Throne. Duke Dominic Vernius, onetime leader on the mechanized planet Ix, smuggles spice, while his children, Rhombur and Kailea, remain on Caladan as guests of the Leto Atreides. Leto and Kailea have an affair that produces a son, Victor, but their relationship is filled with hidden intent and betrayal. The mystical order of Bene Gesserit witches continue to work in secret in order to breed the "Kwisatz Haderach," a superhuman psychic child that can only be created through the manipulation of both Atreides and Harkonnen genes.

The childless Baron Harkonnen, now suffering the effects of a disfiguring illness devised by the Bene Gesserit, calls back his outcast brother Abulurd in order to ensure the future of House Harkonnen. Abulurd, the only Harkonnen who retains his gentleness and integrity, lives out his existence on an ice planet as his own two evil sons join the baron in his schemes. Eventually, Leto falls in love with the Bene Gesserit Jessica without ever realizing that Jessica is to give birth to a daughter who will mate with a Harkonnen and bear the Kwisatz Haderach.

Once again, Herbert and Anderson prove that they're not only capable of extrapolating events from the original Dune series but are also extremely skilled at continuing the tradition of a visionary, multilayered narrative. This novel brims with emotionally charged, muscular prose and a wealth of absorbing subplots. The authors are completely at ease with the enthralling material as they achieve the grandeur and profound depth of Frank Herbert's captivating and far-reaching epic saga. Audacious, labyrinthine, and wonderfully readable in its own right, Dune: House Harkonnen will garner a vast readership for this prequel trilogy. Fans of the original Frank Herbert novels will welcome their return to planet Arrakis, and new readers will enthusiastically enter into the mysterious sands of Dune.

--Tom Piccirilli

Tom Piccirilli is the author of eight novels, including Hexes and Shards, and his Felicity Grove mystery series, consisting of The Dead Past and Sorrow's Crown. He has sold more than 100 stories to the anthologies Future Crimes, Bad News, The Conspiracy Files, and Best of the American West II. An omnibus collection of 40 stories titled Deep into That Darkness Peering has just been released by Terminal Fright Press. Tom divides his time between New York City and Estes Park, Colorado.

ANNOTATION

Dune: House Harkonnen continues the unforgettable saga begun in Dune: House Atreides, as a vast array of rich and complex figures strives to shape a sprawling universe of mystery and vivid universe revealed in the thrilling pages of Frank Herbert's Dune.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

October 2000

House Harkonnen

The unforgettable saga of life before Dune -- introduced in Dune: House Atreides -- continues in the thrilling pages of Dune: House Harkonnen. Revisit the thrilling world created by the late visionary Frank Herbert in his legendary Dune series, amid a sprawling universe of magic, mystery, and wonder.

At last, Shaddam sits on the Golden Lion Throne, his precarious position as ruler of the Known Universe contingent on only one thing: production of a male heir. His leadership is further threatened by the ambitious Baron Vladimir, who targets House Atreides and the mysterious Bene Gesserit Sisterhood as he inches toward unparalleled dominance. The Sisterhood is unaware of this threat, working assiduously to culminate the work of centuries in the creation of a god-child. Is he a savior or an icon who will sweep away emperors, houses, and history itself in a manifestation of religious tyranny?

Under numbing slavery, the desert world Dune, the machine world Ix, and countless other conquered planets toil under exploitative new masters who hunger most notably for the addictive spice mixture found only on the planet of Dune. As small bands of renegades begin to battle back, they light the spark of freedom, introducing fresh and unexpected heroes to a defeated land.

For Leto Atreides, complacent and comfortable as ruler of his house, it is a time of momentous choices: between love and honor, friendship and duty, safety and destiny. In Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's thrilling addition to the Dune saga, these choices pave the way for a quest for greatness, or an unending spiral of destruction.

SYNOPSIS

Dune: House Harkonnen continues the unforgettable saga begun in Dune: House Atreides, as a vast array of rich and complex figures strives to shape a sprawling universe of mystery and vivid universe revealed in the thrilling pages of Frank Herbert's Dune.

Dune: House Harkonnen At last Shaddam sits on the Golden Lion Throne, his precarious position as ruler of the Known Universe dependent on producing a male heir. But his leadership is further threatened by the ambitious Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, whose insatiable thirst for dominance leads him to plot against some of t he most powerful forced in the Imperium, hoping to elevate his own ruthless House to unprecedented heights of power. His primary targets: House Atreides and the mysterious Bene Gasserit Sisterhood. The Sisterhood are unaware of this threat as they prepare to culminate the work of centuries in the creation of a god-child who will sweep away emperors, houses, and history itself in a terrifying new order of religious tyranny.

The desert world Dune, the machine world IX, and countless other conquered planets groan under the numbing slavery of cruel new masters determined to exploit their resources - most notably the addictive spice melange found only on Dune. But small bands of renegades begin to fight back, lighting the spark of freedom against overwhelming odds. New, unexpected heroes arise: young and resourceful Liet-Kynes on Dune, wily and patient C'tair on IX, and the unyielding Gurney Halleck in Giedi Prime, driven to vengeance against his Harkonnen overlords.

For Leto Atreides, grown complacent and comfortable as ruler of his House, it is time of momentous choice: between love and honor, friendship and duty, safety and destiny. Leto has finally produced an heir to House Atreides, Victor, and will make whatever choices necessary to protect the young boy and ensure his legacy as Duke. Ultimately, however, for House Atreides there is just one choice - strive for greatness or crushed.

FROM THE CRITICS

KLIATT

To quote KLIATT's March 2001 review of the Bantam Doubleday Dell audiobook: Even if the Sci Fi Channel had not recently produced the Dune mini-series, Dune: House Harkonnen would still command high interest. 1999's Dune: House Atreides only whet the appetite. Though these prequels can be considered revisionist history, since we already know what will happen, Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson segue into Frank Herbert's dreams without missing a beat. The title implies a focus around House Harkonnen. We do learn how much evil lurks in the hearts of men and how deeply hate and greed run. But we also watch, with pleasure and anticipation, as Leto Atreides grows into manhood in both body and mind. We watch as his retinue expands to include Dune's familiar characters.... The only frustration is that the series is not yet concluded. Highly recommended. KLIATT Codes: SA*—Exceptional book, recommended for senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2000, Bantam, Spectra, 736p. maps., $6.99. Ages 16 to adult. Reviewer: Jodi L. Israel; MLS, Jamaica Plain, MA , November 2001 (Vol. 35, No. 6)

Library Journal

As the young Duke Leto Atreides seeks to live up to his late father's expectations, his rivals plot to bring about the downfall of House Atreides. Plots and counterplots involving the debauched Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, his Bene Gesserit enemies, and the treacherous schemers of the enigmatic Bene Tleilax escalate the tension among factions of a fragile galactic empire. Though power seems to reside in the hands of the emperor and his elite armies, the fate of many worlds hinges on the destiny of a single planet--the desert world known as Arrakis, or Dune. Continuing the story begun in Dune: House Atreides (LJ 10/15/99), coauthors Herbert and Anderson reveal the prehistory of the late Frank Herbert's classic Dune novels. Strong characterizations, consistent plotting, and rich detail provide this second of a trilogy of prequels with the same evocative power of the original novels. Libraries should anticipate a demand from old series fans as well as newcomers to the world of Dune. Highly recommended. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 6/1/00.] Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\

AudioFile

Tim Curry's narration moves smoothly between a wide range of characters and detached observatory style. He adopts an air of condescension for the characters of the ruling classes, highlighting class distinctions and imbalances of power that breed contempt and foment revolution. His characterization is superb, and he delivers the dialogue to good advantage in setting mood and showing the depth of depravity and corruption of the Baron Harkonnen and his inner circle. Special effects, presented judiciously, serve as a nice complement and do not overtake the narration. This abridgment is smooth, with no obvious gaps or loss of important detail. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine

Internet Book Watch

Herbert's son pairs with author Anderson to write the second book in the trilogy prequel, this exploring Leto Atreides, Jessica and Duncan Idaho on their individual and collective journeys through their Dune world. This expands wonderfully and logically the prior Dune novels created by Herbert and adds new dimension and adventures. Dune fans will find this involving and engrossing.

Kirkus Reviews

Second installment of the authors' prequel (Dune: House Atreides, 1999) to Frank Herbert's mighty Dune series. In the farfuture galactic empire ruled by House Corrino's Shaddam IV, the geneticwhiz, pariah Tleilaxu continue their occupation of the machine planet Ix. The exiled Ixian leader Dominic Vernius smuggles melange, the miraculous spice produced by Dune's giant sandworms; unaware of Dominic's fate, his children, Rhombur and Kailea, are guests of Duke Leto Atreides on Caladan, where they plot revenge. Against his better judgment, Leto takes Kailea as his mistress; she bears him a son, Victor, but soon the relationship sours. Warriortroubadour Gurney Halleck, first a slave on the Harkonnen home world Giedi Prime, escapes and joins Dominic. Duncan Idaho studies the art of swordplay on Ginaz. The evil Baron Vladimir Harkonnen learns that the Bene Gesserit witches are to blame for his debilitating and disfiguring illness. The baron's nephew, Beast Rabban, murders his gentle, wellmeaning parents. Shaddam's assassinconfidante, Hasimir Fenring, conspires with the Tleilaxu to develop an artificial source of melange. And Leto takes Jessica, a Bene Gesserit, as his concubine, unaware that Jessica's secret orders are to bear him a daughter who eventually will mate with FeydRautha Harkonnen to produce the Kwisatz Haderach, the superman who can see both past and future.