The long awaited final book in Frank Herbert's much celebrated Dune series, Sandworms of Dune, written by the author's son Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson has been released and soared to the best seller lists. Since the first 6 books of the series have been some of my favorite books, Mad Professah has looked forward to the completion of the "Dune 7 project" since Frank Herbert died in 1986 soon after the publication of the masterpiece Chapterhouse: Dune. The 7th Dune 7 book project ended up being split into two books, Hunters of Dune which was published last August and Sandworms of Dune which came out this August.Sandworms is one of much awaited novels published this summer in the science fiction/fantasy genre. Of course, J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (see review) was the mostly highly anticipated and best-selling book of the year. The Children of Húrin based on notes left by J.R.R. Tolkien (The Lord of the Rings), but written by his son Christopher Tolkien and illustrated by Alan Lee is another book which seeks to leverage the popularity and success of their father's landmark works with publication of updated works.
I must say that is incredibly sad to report that a complex, intricately written series of books like the six Dune novels written by Frank Herbert (Dune, Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, God Emperor of Dune, Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse: Dune) have come to such a pedestrian denouement in Sandworms of Dune. I had read the first half of the final "Dune 7" book, titled Hunters of Dune earlier in the year but somehow I had convinced myself that somehow when it came to end the series Anderson and Herbert would rise above their previously barely competent approach to the material so evident in the Prelude to Dune and Legends of Dune series. Surely, they wouldn't end the series shoveling the schlock they had previously delivered?
Sadly, Sandworms of Dune gives the reader more of the same. Incredibly shallow characterizations. A thumbnail sketch of a plot. Appearances by beloved, familar characters acting unrecognizably. Simplistic, sodden prose.
I can understand why the estate of Frank Herbert has authorized these explorations into the Dune universe, but my recommendation for anyone who has not yet read Dune is to reject these counterfeit imitations of the master's works and to only read the Dune books written by Frank Herbert.
GRADE: D.
