How to Read the Dune Series

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How to Read The Dune Series

Frank Herbert’s Dune is one of the greatest science fiction novels. But the book we have all heard of is actually just the first entry in a series of novels. Today we are going to beak down the reading order of the Dune series, and provide some clarity to some of the more complex aspects of the series.

Reading the Dune series is actually a very simple order. The series was intended by Frank Herbert to be a series of 7 books. But unfortunately, Frank Herbert passed away before being able to complete the series. So the main series is actually only 6 books.

The order to read the Frank Herbert Dune series:

  • Dune

  • Dune Messiah

  • Children of Dune

  • God Emperor of Dune

  • Heretics of Dune

  • Chapterhouse Dune

That’s it. If you read those 6 books, most fans of the series would tell you that you have read all that is worth reading in the series. But this is where things take a turn. Enter, Brian Herbert, the son of Frank Herbert. In fact these books all come in a neat box set that my wife and I have been reading through together! Check it out!

The universe of Dune exploded with new content that many say contradicts the series of Dune as a whole. But for those starving for more Dune content, this is the way to get it. Worse still, the final book in the Frank Herbert left of with a cliffhanger as a 7th book was intended to close out the story.

Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson wrote 2 additional books to end the series:

  • Hunters of Dune

  • Sandworms of Dune

These two books finish the main story of the Dune series.

The Dune series also has prequels which cover the events leading up to the main Dune series. These three books are:

  • Dune House Atreides

  • Dune House Harkonnen

  • Dune House Corrino

Before these events still is another prequel series called the Legends of Dune. These books paint a picture of the events that lead up to the Dune Series and shape the current political landscape for the main series.

  • The Butlerian Jihadi

  • The Machine Crusade

  • The battle of Corrin

Following the legends of Dune is another trilogy of books called the Schools of Dune

  • Sisterhood of Dune

  • Mentats of Dune

  • Navigators of Dune

Finally, a new trilogy is in the works called the Caladan trilogy that are the events immediately before the book.

  • Dune: Duke of Caladan

  • Dune: Lady of Caladan

  • Dune: Heir of Caladan

Pump the brakes though there are two additional novels that fit between the main Dune series.

  • Paul of Dune

  • Winds of Dune

These books take place between the events of Dune and Dune Messiah, and Dune Messiah and Children of Dune.

Timeline Order to Read the Dune Series

So if you are looking to read all the Dune books in timeline order you would read them in the following order (This order is not a recommended method to read as some books larter in the timeline make reading prequels later make more sense):

  1. The Butlerian Jihadi

  2. The Machine Crusade

  3. The battle of Corrin

  4. Sisterhood of Dune

  5. Mentats of Dune

  6. Navigators of Dune

  7. Dune House Atreides

  8. Dune House Harkonnen

  9. Dune House Corrino

  10. Dune

  11. Paul of Dune

  12. Dune Messiah

  13. Winds of Dune

  14. Children of Dune

  15. God Emperor of Dune

  16. Heretics of Dune

  17. Chapterhouse Dune

  18. Hunters of Dune

  19. Sandworms of Dune

Recommended Reading Order for the Dune Series

Finally, our recommendation for the order to read the series in. This order is much more palatable and makes sense as readers will gain the understanding of the universe that by release offers, but have a cohesive story along the way,

  1. Dune

  2. Paul of Dune

  3. Dune Messiah

  4. Winds of Dune

  5. Children of Dune

  6. God Emperor of Dune

  7. Heretics of Dune

  8. Chapterhouse Dune

  9. Hunters of Dune

  10. Sandworms of Dune

  11. Dune House Atreides

  12. Dune House Harkonnen

  13. Dune House Corrino

  14. The Butlerian Jihadi

  15. The Machine Crusade

  16. The battle of Corrin

  17. Sisterhood of Dune

  18. Mentats of Dune

  19. Navigators of Dune

This order leaves out the Caladan trilogy as we feel that the House books will more than cover the desired amount for Atreides. We start with the original series with the Heroes of Dune books baked into the original order.

We then move into the closeout of the series with the Hunters of Dune and Sandworms of Dune.

After all of this we end the reading experience with the prequels to the original series starting with the houses directly from the main series before taking a larger step back to fully appreciate the events in the many years prior to the main series.

Conclusion

Part of digging deeper into the Dune universe is unlocking the complexities of what is accepted as the story of dune, and what can be considered not part of the Dune series. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions of if they consider anything outside of the core Dune series by Frank Herbert to be cannon.

Do you have a different preference for reading the Dune series? Comment below and let us know!