Indeed:
Due to the triumphant nature of the end, (Harkoneens/emporer defeated, Paul and the Fremen poised to conquer the galaxy), I didn’t realize till I read a book the second time that Paul actually “looses” at the end; he is still stuck in the path to the future he wishes to avert
The Avalon Hill one? That was a great game.
You’ve forgotten the even more stupid addition of Lynch having been unable to resist turning Paul from a false messiah into a real god – at the end of the movie, they toss a (beautiful) cloak on Paul, he stretches out his hand… and makes it start to rain on Arrakis.
Huzzah. He’s proven that he’s the true messiah. Which is about the exact opposite of what Herbert was going for in Dune.
And, incidentally, would’ve just killed off the entire sandworm life cycle, thus forever stopping the spice from flowing, trapping humanity to the slow route between stars, and dooming everyone on Arrakis to slow suffocation as the CO2 concentration builds up in their atmosphere.
Ugh. Couldn’t stand that one. Put me off the very concept of Fan Fiction forever.
No, the best Dune book was, of course, National Lampoon’s parody, Doon.
Eh, I don’t get all the hate. Not to start a big argument over it, but the prequels are just fanfic. Not terribly good, but a better way to waste two hours than “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” (Which is how I feel about most fanfic).
I think it’s that whole son-father thing that gets people. Like Brian Herbert should have been able to pick up his father’s torch and rekick the whole franchise. But to my mind, he just churned out something that made him happy, and I appreciate the effort.
Now don’t get me wrong - I’m not saying you should run out and actually BUY these books. There are a ton of good books you should spend money on first. But if you happen to pick one up at the library, no need to spend three years in exile or give away your firstborn or anything like that.
The original six-book Frank Herbert series is in the top 5 best scifi ever written (IMO of course). I’m somewhat unusual in that I think the first book is probably the weakest of the six. The first is enjoyable action and space opera, with interesting themes, but nothing too deep or challenging. The later books are the ones that really tell the epic story and make Dune special.
Ultra-mini capsule reviews:
Dune: A fun read, original themes. If your favorites are lighter sci fi and fantasy (Pern books, Heinlein, Harrison) then this will likely be your favorite of the series. If your favorites are more involved (LOTR/Silmarillion, Baroque Cycle), then move on to the rest of the series.
Dune Messiah: More of a character study and reflection of the first book, and a setup for the third. Published originally as serialized episodes in sci-fi mags, and later fleshed into a full novel, so it reads a bit erratically.
Children of Dune: This one really opens up the saga, we get a real feel for the scope of Herbert’s man-as-god story arc.
God Emperor: The best of the series, hands down. I reread this one nearly every year.
Heretics and Chapterhouse: I lump the final two together, they both deal with the universe’s reaction to book 4, and we see the ultimate consequences of Leto’s actions and Paul’s visions.
— hesitantly raises hand as well —
Oh, and that reminds me, the Hornblower made-for-TV movies. Arguably the strongest ones were the first four, which were based on chapters from the book Mr. Midshipman Hornblower, which was essentially an anthology of short stories about Mr. Hornblower. Each movie would combine two or three of the chapters into a solid 90 minute plot. The latter four movies, Mutiny/Retribution, and Loyalty/Duty, divided entire Hornblower books into two-part plots, and I don’t think it worked quite as well (for one thing, Duty annoys me because they arbitrarily renamed the USS Constitution the USS Liberty, but it does have the cute redheaded American girl in it, so I’ll give them a pass on that one.)
The first book was excellent. I lost interest after reading book two, but maybe I’ll give Children of Dune another chance.
fixed that for ya 
lissener writes:
Who’s Viola? And why doesn’t she like Lynch’s version of Dune?
Apropos of nothing, I just wanted to point out that it was very weird to watch a screening of Dune back in 1991, at the start of Gulf War I:
The Bad Guy was an emperor named Shaddam
It involved a War in the Desert for control of a substance that was essential for transporation
*“A Storm is coming,” intoned Paul, “Our Storn”. Or was it Desert Storm?
*The movie was filled with cool monochrome night-vision scenes, just like the ones on TV.
Not me. If it was just Anderson writing them, I’d feel the same way. From synopses and reviews I’ve read, I don’t like the whole approach they take to the Butlerian Jihad and the lead-up to the Guild. Maybe it’s just that I prefer the history laid out in the Encyclopedia, and I don’t want an alternative taking up my headspace? I don’t know.
Or I can just ignore them and read one of the many, many books I actually want to read.
On that note - what do people think of the other Herbert books/short staories. I quite like the ones I’ve read.
I loved The Eyes of Heisenberg.
She’s this French chick I know; plays the voilin. She can make it do this amazing “whoosh” sound, you should hear it.
When I was a young kid, I got a boxed set with The Eyes of Heisenburg, Whipping Star, The Dosadi Experiment, The Godmakers, and Destination: Void. I was about 12. They were great, although I kind of felt that some of the stuff in Destination: Void was just way over my head.
Anyway, I went on to read Dune after all those. Years later, I picked up Destination: Void before reading the follow-on books, and it still felt kind of over my head. I think it was just that Herbert’s writing wasn’t as skillful in that one. But they were all good reads.
Other Herbert books not yet mentioned:
**The Green Brain
Under Pressure** (aka Dragon in the Sea aka 21st Century Sub)
**The Worlds of Frank Herbert
The White Plague
Green Brain was about insect hive minds. Not impressive. I liked Under Pressure, about highly developed two-man submarines used in future warfare. The worlds is a short story collection that was quite a bit of fun. The White Plague is one of his last.It’s about a near-future genetically created sex-specific plague that kills off most of the women in the world, and the social changes that result. well-written and imaghined, but I still don’t understand the guys motivation in unleashing the Plague, which makes it seem pointless.
One good point to the movies
you finally get to affirm or correct the pronunciation of the names. 
I should have mentioned it in my initial post, but I enjoyed the Lynch Dune movie, too. I give him credit for taking on a daunting task, doing his best to understand what Dune was about in the first place, and giving a very rich, nuanced, and quirky movie.
Another good point: Sean Young as Chani. 