Prelude to Dune
Prequel trilogy set before Frank Herbert's Dune.
Prelude to Dune is a trilogy of novels by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson that serves as a prequel to Frank Herbert's original Dune universe. The story unfolds in the decades before the 1965 novel *Dune* and delves into the backstories of several key characters. In 1997, Bantam Books secured the rights to three prequel novels from the authors for $3 million, a series that became known as the Prelude to Dune trilogy. These books are based in part on notes that Frank Herbert left behind after his death in 1986. The trilogy consists of *Dune: House Atreides* (1999), *Dune: House Harkonnen* (2000), and *Dune: House Corrino* (2001).
Quick Facts
- Author
- Brian Herbert / Kevin J. Anderson
- Country
- United States
- Genre
- Science fiction
- Publisher
- Spectra (1999–2001) / Tor Books (2002–present)
- Pub Date
- 1999–present
- Media Type
- Print (hardback & paperback) / Audiobook / eBook
- Italic Title
- no
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Prelude to Dune series begins roughly 20-25 years before the events of Dune, with an eager Crown Prince Shaddam plotting to succeed his aging father Elrood IX, young House Atreides heir Leto becoming close with the ruling family of the important technology world Ix, and the Bene Gesserit scheming behind the scenes to create the Kwisatz Haderach. As the series progresses, Leto becomes the new Atreides Duke, Shaddam becomes the emperor and aligns with the Bene Tleilax in their takeover of Ix to develop synthetic spice, and Baron Vladimir Harkonnen contracts a disease that slows his metabolism—a consequence of his own actions and a Tleilaxu-provided treatment that goes wrong, not a punishment from the Bene Gesserit. The Baron then plots his revenge against the Bene Gesserit. The Spacing Guild, having found the Tleilaxu synthetic spice to be unstable, causing mutations and deaths among Navigators, forces Shaddam to capitulate to the Landsraad, with Leto playing a role in forcing Shaddam to sign humiliating peace accords, confirming his status as the emperor's leading rival.
Reader's Guide
The Prelude to Dune trilogy represents a significant expansion of Frank Herbert's original Dune universe, authorized by his estate and based on notes he left behind. The series debuted with Dune: House Atreides in 1999, followed by Dune: House Harkonnen in 2000 and Dune: House Corrino in 2001. All three novels appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list, with House Atreides reaching No. 12, House Harkonnen reaching No. 8, and House Corrino debuting at No. 8. The trilogy was later adapted into comic series by Boom! Studios, beginning with a 12-issue adaptation of House Atreides in 2020. Critic John Snider of SciFi Dimensions described the prequels as 'pulpy' but noted they make Frank Herbert's esoteric and philosophical stories more accessible to general audiences. The trilogy is part of a larger body of 15 Dune prequel novels published by Herbert and Anderson as of the source article's date.
Did You Know?
- The trilogy was commissioned by Bantam Books in 1997 for $3 million.
- The novels draw from notes left behind by Frank Herbert after his death in 1986.
- Dune: House Atreides debuted at No. 13 on the New York Times Best Seller list.
- A 12-issue comic adaptation of Dune: House Atreides ran from 2020 to 2021.
More in Dune novels 1-24
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