Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
324th out of 841 books
—
695 voters
Dune: The Machine Crusade (Legends of Dune #2)
The breathtaking vision and incomparable storytelling of Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson's Dune: The Butlerian Jihad, a prequel to Frank Herbert's classic Dune, propelled it to the ranks of speculative fiction's classics in its own right. Now, with all the color, scope, and fascination of the prior novel, comes Dune: The Machine Crusade.
.
More than two decades have passed...more
.
More than two decades have passed...more
Paperback, 800 pages
Published
August 1st 2004
by Tor Books
(first published January 1st 2003)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
This book makes me want to scrub my brain with a brillo pad to get it out.
Having established that Herbert & Anderson are just PLOT VOMITTING things out by now instead of telling a good story, this volume of the Butlerian Jihad trilogy features all your favorite hints of amateur writing. We have random skips through time, checking in on characters whenever the authors get too lazy to finish their stories. We have random character deaths after pointless circumstances in which you've invested s...more
Having established that Herbert & Anderson are just PLOT VOMITTING things out by now instead of telling a good story, this volume of the Butlerian Jihad trilogy features all your favorite hints of amateur writing. We have random skips through time, checking in on characters whenever the authors get too lazy to finish their stories. We have random character deaths after pointless circumstances in which you've invested s...more
Out of all the McDune books that Brian and Kevin wrote, I found the Butlerian Jihad trilogy to be the most enjoyable out of them all. However, the same writing problems abound in all of the books, regardless of what it's about - useless detail, flat characters, and clunky writing in some places. This story would have been better if it was an entirely original creation by Brian and Kevin instead of a non-canon, fanfiction-esque extension of the Dune universe.
This book is heavy on filler. There ar...more
This book is heavy on filler. There ar...more
Jun 14, 2011
Jimmy
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Dune Fans & Science Fiction Fans
Shelves:
science-fiction
It does take some time for this book to get going and by the second half it becomes just as interesting a read as its predecessor. Don’t discourage and stick with it because it gets so much better and more is revealed about the Dune universe. ‘The Machine Crusade’ jumps ahead from the end of ‘The Butlerian Jihad’ to the years at the middle of the war against the thinking machines.
Erasmus struggles to maintain his individuality and places a bet with Omnius that’ll lead to the first Mentat. Omniu...more
Erasmus struggles to maintain his individuality and places a bet with Omnius that’ll lead to the first Mentat. Omniu...more
As much as I dislike “epic” fiction where the cast of characters is longer than the credited cameo appearances in “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World,” I seem to keep coming back to the enthralled, mummified forms of Frank Herbert’s Dune as they are commanded by the necromantic chroniclers of the latest Dune novels (more accurately, prequels), Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert. The experience isn’t the same, the ecological gospel not as clear and the novelty long since displaced, but there is som...more
*Same review for the Dune Universe*
GREAT books! VERY time consuming! Worth the time!
Ok here is the deal. If your not sure about starting a series this big, here is what I would do.
1. -- Read the 1st one by Frank Herbert "Dune" if you like it...
2. -- Read the "Legends Of Dune" series. Its 3 books written by Frank's son Brian and a author I really like by the name of Keven J. Anderson. Its a prequel that is so far in the past that it doesn't spoil the Original Dune series in any way, and you could...more
GREAT books! VERY time consuming! Worth the time!
Ok here is the deal. If your not sure about starting a series this big, here is what I would do.
1. -- Read the 1st one by Frank Herbert "Dune" if you like it...
2. -- Read the "Legends Of Dune" series. Its 3 books written by Frank's son Brian and a author I really like by the name of Keven J. Anderson. Its a prequel that is so far in the past that it doesn't spoil the Original Dune series in any way, and you could...more
3 out of 5 Stars
Dune: The Machine Crusade is very much a “space opera” as opposed to the science fiction feel of the original dune books. Brian Herbert II tries very hard to fit a lot of plotline and action into this novel but falls short in most departments. The storyline is atypical- buildup, climax, twist, buildup climax, twist; but doesn’t fail to keep you entertained you entranced with the story.
However Brian Herbert II doesn’t go into depth with any one part of the plot. The chapters are v...more
Dune: The Machine Crusade is very much a “space opera” as opposed to the science fiction feel of the original dune books. Brian Herbert II tries very hard to fit a lot of plotline and action into this novel but falls short in most departments. The storyline is atypical- buildup, climax, twist, buildup climax, twist; but doesn’t fail to keep you entertained you entranced with the story.
However Brian Herbert II doesn’t go into depth with any one part of the plot. The chapters are v...more
AARRGH! I am stuck in a series. I usually despise a series where knowing beforehand that there WILL be loose ends to be tied up ONLY by progressing from book to book. Same in this case, and it seems that unless I go on and finish reading (SIC) Battle for Corrin, I will be stuck. To be totally honest, I have been listening to this as an audio book, and I DO find it entertaining. I am still able to follow both the story line(s) as well as what character development as there is.Beef 1 - Character d...more
The book is not that good. I read it for the sake of understanding the events that happened before Dune.
I really had a hard time convincing myself that the political events in the book happened as they have without scrutiny from the society. Had these events happened in reality, a large deal of scrutiny would ensue. Another problem is that, the setting of the story is the universe so it is hard for me to fathom how events in the story had become critical points (How large was the Thinking Machi...more
I really had a hard time convincing myself that the political events in the book happened as they have without scrutiny from the society. Had these events happened in reality, a large deal of scrutiny would ensue. Another problem is that, the setting of the story is the universe so it is hard for me to fathom how events in the story had become critical points (How large was the Thinking Machi...more
I started to read this book immediately after finishing the first in the series, The Butlerian Jihad.
The book starts off about 30 years after the first one, and moves forward pretty rapidly from there. Many of the characters are carried over from the first novel, but adapted and changed by the events that have occurred. Some characters become more sympathetic, one character in particular goes from being a likable hero into an absolute monster. The events in this book are interesting, and it read...more
The book starts off about 30 years after the first one, and moves forward pretty rapidly from there. Many of the characters are carried over from the first novel, but adapted and changed by the events that have occurred. Some characters become more sympathetic, one character in particular goes from being a likable hero into an absolute monster. The events in this book are interesting, and it read...more
Jun 14, 2011
Jimmy
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Dune Fans & Science Fiction Fans
Shelves:
ebook,
science-fiction
It does take some time for this book to get going and by the second half it becomes just as interesting a read as its predecessor. Don’t discourage and stick with it because it gets so much better and more is revealed about the Dune universe. ‘The Machine Crusade’ jumps ahead from the end of ‘The Butlerian Jihad’ to the years at the middle of the war against the thinking machines.
Erasmus struggles to maintain his individuality and places a bet with Omnius that’ll lead to the first Mentat. Omniu...more
Erasmus struggles to maintain his individuality and places a bet with Omnius that’ll lead to the first Mentat. Omniu...more
This trilogy takes place a thousand years before Frank Herbert's original Dune novel. To set the stage, a thousand years before this novel opens, thinking machines (with the help of machines with human brains called cymeks) conquer several planets and enslaved humanity. Now, the humans are finally ready to fight back.
Unlike the Dune House Trilogy in which all characters are either purely good or purely bad, the Legends of Dune Trilogy introduces moral ambiguity. The humans aren't all heroes. Mil...more
Unlike the Dune House Trilogy in which all characters are either purely good or purely bad, the Legends of Dune Trilogy introduces moral ambiguity. The humans aren't all heroes. Mil...more
I just couldn't do it. I enjoyed the Butlerian Jihad so naturally I wanted to read the sequel. I got about 1/6 of my way through the book before I just couldn't read another page. I kept thinking to myself, "maybe it'll get better. Just one more chapter." And the more I read, I realized I'd discovered the perfect replacement for sleeping pills. This book was so dry and dull and flat, with too much over-characterization and excessive exposition. I didn't know science fiction could be so dull it w...more
I've read this just for not losing the main plot of last dune books but remember:
books of "legends of dune" are ordinary books! (not like frank Herbert's works)
dark sides:
1-the story is told for lazy people with no imagination.
2-anyone can write books like these. (any serious sci-fi reader)
3-the characters are one-dimension. (except Vorian)
4-why these books are weaker than "Prelude to Dune"! they wrote them before this series.
bright sides:
1-you will have a background for main dune.(although not...more
books of "legends of dune" are ordinary books! (not like frank Herbert's works)
dark sides:
1-the story is told for lazy people with no imagination.
2-anyone can write books like these. (any serious sci-fi reader)
3-the characters are one-dimension. (except Vorian)
4-why these books are weaker than "Prelude to Dune"! they wrote them before this series.
bright sides:
1-you will have a background for main dune.(although not...more
I honestly didn't expect the Dune prequels to be much good, but I figured I should still sample one to give them a chance. This one is part of a subseries fleshing out the details of the Butlerian Jihad, the episode of Dune series history when computers were destroyed, and hinting at the origins of a lot of other things too. It does have a complex plot (it isn't 700 pages long for nothing), and does try to keep the same themes as Frank Herbert's original books, but it's packed with cliches and i...more
Rarely can I sustain interest in a story for as long as I have with this Dune trilogy. Close to 700 pages in this book after 600 in the previous book. What to say? The Jihad continues. Iblis, having escaped the Mechanized Worlds, proves to be in it only for himself. Serena is clueless too. Seems realistic, actually. Once again, so much happening that some things seem to get short shrift. The Titans break from Omnius, 2 more Titans get destroyed but, to make up for it, maybe, Serena, Xavier, Ibli...more
How would you feel if you were being hunted down and slaughtered by machines? Killed or enslaved for your lack of efficiency. Only to know that we were the ones who created them. The Machine Crusade by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson is a kind of science fiction book that shows what can happen when a race is faced with extinction, and the sacrifices that have to be made to keep it going.
Ominus, the evermind of the synchronized worlds wants to exterminate or enslave the entire human race, bu...more
I enjoyed this more than the first book, it has that good middle volume stride going.
I will say that just like in the first book there were a lot of things that just didn't make sense plot wise. The spare titan that appears, does a little bit, and then kind of dies in an unimportant way was a good example of the sub par story telling.
Criticism aside, it is an enjoyable listen (on audiobook, I don't know if I could manage this in print) and this is my second go through it so its good enough to ha...more
I will say that just like in the first book there were a lot of things that just didn't make sense plot wise. The spare titan that appears, does a little bit, and then kind of dies in an unimportant way was a good example of the sub par story telling.
Criticism aside, it is an enjoyable listen (on audiobook, I don't know if I could manage this in print) and this is my second go through it so its good enough to ha...more
I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first, though there's not too much difference in the writing style. There were way more 'clunkers' in this one, just bad baaad sentences that fell flat on the page, but by the middle of the book either things got better, or I was just too caught up in the plot to notice anymore.
I was also put off by how much some of the characters seemed to have changed into caricatures of themselves, especially Iblis and Serena. By the end though, I think Serena regains so...more
I was also put off by how much some of the characters seemed to have changed into caricatures of themselves, especially Iblis and Serena. By the end though, I think Serena regains so...more
As I said before I am a huge fan of the universe of Dune and The Machine Crusade is a another great prequel to Dune. It follows along several years after The Butlerian Jihad and introduces to some new characters and new places and seamlessly carries the story forward. There are many stories intertwined here and sometimes I felt like I needed to take notes to keep things straight, but that is how I like my sci-fi, wonderful and complex.
Read these prequels in order and you will really get a lot ou...more
Read these prequels in order and you will really get a lot ou...more
This book was sadly awful. It takes what promise there was for the shaky first book and tosses it all out to create a mess of innuendos to today’s world. The Christian Jihad is the best for humanity. The Christian leaders are corrupt. Muslims are nothing more than slaves to the Christians. The Sunni ones are peaceful and non-violent, the Shia are violent and will fight back if pushed.
It’s like the author took the U.S. Governments stance on who they support in the Middle East and pasted it into t...more
It’s like the author took the U.S. Governments stance on who they support in the Middle East and pasted it into t...more
Jun 14, 2011
Jimmy
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Dune Fans & Science Fiction Fans
Shelves:
science-fiction,
audiobooks-cd
It does take some time for this book to get going and by the second half it becomes just as interesting a read as its predecessor. Don’t discourage and stick with it because it gets so much better and more is revealed about the Dune universe. ‘The Machine Crusade’ jumps ahead from the end of ‘The Butlerian Jihad’ to the years at the middle of the war against the thinking machines.
Erasmus struggles to maintain his individuality and places a bet with Omnius that’ll lead to the first Mentat. Omniu...more
Erasmus struggles to maintain his individuality and places a bet with Omnius that’ll lead to the first Mentat. Omniu...more
Pretty good. I felt this one did a better job than The Butlerian Jihad with developing things and not just letting them happen(except for one totally random kidnapping in the middle to create a big, previously completely undeveloped story arc).
The authors need to figure out a new way to write romances in this series. All the main characters who fall in love follow the exact same pattern. They love someone, they lose them, then they start loving someone else, but will never forget their previous...more
The authors need to figure out a new way to write romances in this series. All the main characters who fall in love follow the exact same pattern. They love someone, they lose them, then they start loving someone else, but will never forget their previous...more
This turned out to be a quite satisfying read. One learns the origins of the Bene Gesserit and gets some clues to the origins of the Navigators.
A primary (and on-going quibble) is the authors' treatment of women. The strongest women serve mostly as figureheads, excuses for plot-points and/or are generally unable to have happy relationships. The male characters all find biddable, sacrificing women to balance their lives and soothe their souls. Gah.
The main benefit is learning more about the histo...more
A primary (and on-going quibble) is the authors' treatment of women. The strongest women serve mostly as figureheads, excuses for plot-points and/or are generally unable to have happy relationships. The male characters all find biddable, sacrificing women to balance their lives and soothe their souls. Gah.
The main benefit is learning more about the histo...more
I picked this book up in an attempt to continue with the Dune series and found that it took me much longer to finish than previous books from Frank Herbert and even the Butlerian Jihad before this. I felt there was a lot of jumping around and really unnecessary background story arcs/-lines that were not necessary to build characters or move the plot along. However, once I slogged through this swamp of extraneousness, and got to the midpoint of the book, the action and pace really took off and th...more
"The Machine Crusade", the second book in the Dune Butlerian Jihad series, plods along at a snail's pace in some parts. There are so many tangential stories, major and minor characters, that it seems like a sci-fi soap opera at times. Actually, with some of the most atrocious melodramatic dialogue I have read in years, this book really IS a sci-fi soap opera. I expected so much better from the writing team of Herbert and Anderson.
Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson continue their tale of the Butlerian Jihad in this second enormous installment of a trilogy. They continue to plant the seeds which will grow into the world of Frank Herbert’s Dune. Some of the characters have become a little repetitive, but overall, it makes for interesting reading if you’ve read the Dune novels.
Published in hardcover by Tor.
Published in hardcover by Tor.
The good
Fast paced, entertaining
The bad
Uninteresting characters, unoriginal plot.
The ugly
The elder Herbert created a rich universe of powerful mythology and truly alien cultures and beings. That richnesses collapses with Anderson's clumsy prose and stock plot devices. It was truly sad to read along as the mystique of the Tleilaxu was reduced to a shock scene; the jihad of legend became a mashup of plots from scifi blockbusters of the 90's; humanity melodramatically struggles to free itself from...more
Fast paced, entertaining
The bad
Uninteresting characters, unoriginal plot.
The ugly
The elder Herbert created a rich universe of powerful mythology and truly alien cultures and beings. That richnesses collapses with Anderson's clumsy prose and stock plot devices. It was truly sad to read along as the mystique of the Tleilaxu was reduced to a shock scene; the jihad of legend became a mashup of plots from scifi blockbusters of the 90's; humanity melodramatically struggles to free itself from...more
Re Machine Crusade and the Butlerian Jihad series....well they are a bit cruder and less subtle than the Frank Herbert versions, Dune especially which is a standard setter, but they are still very readable, a bit gratuitous in violence at times, but the idea, the concept, the story that has already been laid is too good not to follow.
I'm caught between saying this was bad because it can't stand alone, and saying that it's good because I knew ahead of time that it would just be a continuation of a story I like. I suppose with series like this, this sort of ho-hum-ery will happen, but there were a few times I almost wasn't excited to keep reading.
Enough to interest any fan of the Dune series. The saga continues, but it can be read without previous knowledge. Exceptional perhaps in the way that it can actually cause the reader to sympathize (occasionally) with the Thinking Machines in the continuing struggle against the both heroic and dastardly humans.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Brian Patrick Herbert is a best selling American author who lives in Washington state. He is the elder son of famed science fiction author Frank Herbert.
Brian and his wife, Jan Herbert, have been happily married for forty years (as of 2007). They have three daughters, Julie, Kim, and Margaux Beverly. Brian also has an elder half-sister, Penny; their younger brother, gay activist Bruce Calvin Herbe...more
More about Brian Herbert...
Brian and his wife, Jan Herbert, have been happily married for forty years (as of 2007). They have three daughters, Julie, Kim, and Margaux Beverly. Brian also has an elder half-sister, Penny; their younger brother, gay activist Bruce Calvin Herbe...more
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
Mar 09, 2009 08:04pm