Frank Herbert may be long gone, but that doesn’t mean the
Dune universe is going to stop expanding anytime soon. Since
1999, Herbert’s son Brian, along with writing partner Kevin J. Anderson have
been churning out Dune books of their own, actually
eclipsing Frank’s output in number. Their, latest, Mentats of Dune,
hit bookshelves today from the fine folks at Tor. A sequel to
Sisterhood of Dune, Mentats is the second
in the proposed Great Schools trilogy.
Set after the great jihad against the thinking machines, but
before still before the events of the original novel, a new wave an
anti-technology fervor is sweeping across the Imperium. Within this framework,
Herbert and Anderson weave together more than half a dozen storylines,
including Gilbertus Alban’s school where he teaches students to become “human
computers,” the banished relics of the Rossack Sisterhood, the aged war hero
Vorian Atreides’ attempts to make amends for his past and reconnect with his
scattered family, and a Harkonen’s quest for vengeance, among others. There’s a
lot going on here. And of course it wouldn’t be a real Dune
book without spending some time on Arrakis with a sandworm or two. The various
arcs span the galaxy, and delve into key pieces of Dune
lore.
