Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert
1969 / 338 pgs. ( ~ 70,000 words) Science Fiction

Dune Messiah is a starkly different experience from the original. While it lacks the fast-paced “page-turner” energy of the first book, it serves as a fascinating bridge to Children of Dune.

In the introduction, Brian Herbert notes that many readers disliked this sequel because of Paul’s trajectory. I suspect Frank Herbert realized he had created a character so powerful that Paul had essentially become a narrative dead end. How do you challenge a man who has the power of prescience, the abilities of a Reverend Mother, and a loyal following conducting a bloody Jihad in his name?

The heart of the book is the conspiracy to take Paul down. Even though the Emperor knows it’s coming, he is trapped by his own foresight. The most striking moment for me was Paul’s conversation with Stilgar, where he compares his “statistics” to the dictators of Ancient Earth:

“I’ve killed sixty-one billion… I’ve wiped out the followers of forty religions… We’ll be a hundred generations recovering from Muad’Dib’s Jihad.”

This quote perfectly captures the “darkness” Paul has brought to the universe. While the ending for Paul and Chani might be polarizing, I found it satisfying. It felt like a necessary way for Herbert to move the story forward, removing an all-powerful lead so we can explore the Dune universe without Paul seeing every outcome before it happens.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. It’s a really good book. If you are in love with the first book and don’t want anything to change in the world of Dune. I would recommend not reading Dune Messiah.

Lopaka