How to Read Dune Books in Order

Since its release, Dune has always been a hit and a very important body of work in the sci-fi culture. Pretty much anything related to sci-fi that was released after Dune, such as Star Wars, Star Trek, many seasons of Doctor Who, and more, was directly inspired by this fantastic book. However, some people don’t know that Dune is just the first book of a big series of books. And those who know this sometimes get lost about the right order to read it. That is why I’m going to show you how to read Dune books in order correctly.

Dune (1965) is a fundamental novel to anyone who is a fan of the sci-fi world. It was written by Frank Herbert (1920-1986), an author from the United States that also worked as a book reviewer, photographer, newspaper journalist, lecturer, and ecological consultant. Ecology, by the way, is one of the main topics of the whole Dune saga, which also talks about imperialism, colonization, terrorism, and more. This novel is known as the best-selling science fiction novel in history, and it has won many important awards, such as the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1965 and the Hugo Award in 1966. Also, Dune has been transported to other mediums, such as movies, miniseries, and games.

The Movie

The new movie, also named Dune (2021), was directed by Denis Villeneuve and has an incredible cast composed of Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Zendaya, and more. It is a majestic adaption of the first part of the Dune novel and it will have a sequel. If you haven’t watched it yet, you are losing a wonderful experience.

After Frank Herbert's death, his son and a science fiction author called Kevin J. Anderson published prequel novels that are a part of the Dune universe. However, you don’t need to read them to understand anything since the “main books” were written before the idea of these prequel novels even existed. They are a sensitive topic since many people love them, but many people absolutely hate them. You should read if you are interested to learn more about this gigantic fictional universe.

Main Series

The books that are a part of the main series are Dune, Dune Messiah (1969), Children of Dune (1976), God Emperor of Dune (1981), Heretics of Dune (1984), and Chapterhouse: Dune (1985). Therefore, there are six books in the main series.

His son and Kevin J. Anderson wrote sixteen books which are divided into 5 different series. The Prelude to Dune series has 3 books, which are House Atreides (1999), House Harkonnen (2000), and House Corrino (2001). The Legends of Dune series has 5 books, which are The Butlerian Jihad (2002), The Machine Crusade (2003), The Battle of Corrin (2004), Hunters of Dune (2006), and Sandworms of Dune (2007). The Heroes of Dune series has 2 books, which are Paul of Dune (2008) and The Winds of Dune (2009). The Great Schools of Dune series has 3 books, which are Sisterhood of Dune (2012), Mentats of Dune (2014), and Navigators of Dune (2016). Finally, The Caladan Trilogy has 3 books (one to be released), which are Dune: The Duke of Caladan (2020), Dune: The Lady of Caladan (2021), and Dune: The Heir of Caladan (2022). If you enjoyed Dune, you may also like the Shatter Me series in order.