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Lampoon Parodies
National Lampoon's Doon
National Lampoon's Doon brings the hottest science fiction phenomenon ever to a new, hysterical foaming head.
In a very distant galaxy, far, far away, a plot is brewing as vast and elaborate as the Empire itself... to bottle the wild pools of beer that grow only on Doon, take control of the native pretzel population, and turn the plucky little orb into the lounge-bar planet of the universe!
And only one man, the slender-shouldered Pall, can stop the galaxy-wide web of intrigue that is fermenting on the savage, sugar-swept landscape of Doon>.
(Includes a glossary of terms of the Imperium.)
In a very distant galaxy, far, far away, a plot is brewing as vast and elaborate as the Empire itself... to bottle the wild pools of beer that grow only on Doon, take control of the native pretzel population, and turn the plucky little orb into the lounge-bar planet of the universe!
And only one man, the slender-shouldered Pall, can stop the galaxy-wide web of intrigue that is fermenting on the savage, sugar-swept landscape of Doon>.
(Includes a glossary of terms of the Imperium.)
176 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1984
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
September 6, 2019
Hilarious and clever. The Pahdedbrah Emperor, House Hardchargin, and the Revved-Up Mother George Cynthia Mohairem, Boni Maroni truth-consequencer and tester of potential humans via the kareem abdul'jabbar, the long-legged high-handed enemy. The fact that the messiah they're all waiting for is the Kumquat Haagen-Daaz just kills me everytime.
They also do a great job mimicking Herbert's style, including the "scholarly quotes" at the beginning of each chapter. My favorite is this one, which made me giggle just copy/pasting it:
What sort of man was Duke Lotto Agamemnides? We may say he was a brave man, yet a man who knew the value of caution. We may say he was possessed of a highly refined sense of honor -- yet, like all leaders, was he no less capable of acts duplicitous and sleazy. We may say this, we may say that -- indeed, we may say anything we want. We may say, for example, that he was not a man at all, but rather a highly evolved bicycle. See? We may say just about anything.
--from "House Agamemnides: Historical Perspectives and Worthless Digressions," by the Princess Serutan
They also do a great job mimicking Herbert's style, including the "scholarly quotes" at the beginning of each chapter. My favorite is this one, which made me giggle just copy/pasting it:
What sort of man was Duke Lotto Agamemnides? We may say he was a brave man, yet a man who knew the value of caution. We may say he was possessed of a highly refined sense of honor -- yet, like all leaders, was he no less capable of acts duplicitous and sleazy. We may say this, we may say that -- indeed, we may say anything we want. We may say, for example, that he was not a man at all, but rather a highly evolved bicycle. See? We may say just about anything.
--from "House Agamemnides: Historical Perspectives and Worthless Digressions," by the Princess Serutan
February 10, 2009
A brilliant parody of Frank Herbert's Dune. Weiner's mimicry of Herbert's style is dead-on accurate. How he managed to successfully parody a huge tome in such a relatively slender book is beyond me.
I'd tried to read Dune at the age of ten, and I simply wasn't ready; I cried and threw the book across the room (not something I had ever done before or since). I bore a grudge against Frank Herbert for years. When I read Doon, I was delighted at the skewering of Herbert's style and plotting.
And yet...somehow, it led me back to Dune again. I was much older by then, and now I was ready for it; the humor of Doon added a leaven of humor to Herbert's extremely complex and dense masterpiece.
Doon lampooned Dune, literally, but not by tearing it apart. I'm not quite sure how to explain it, but Doon actually enhanced Dune, at least for me. Needless to say, you should read Dune (or at least a good chunk of it, as I did) before reading Doon!
I can't help but wonder if Herbert read Doon...and if so, what he thought of it. He's not considered one of science fiction's great humorists, but I've caught a few in-jokes in his works (read the appendices to Dune carefully and you'll catch one or two). I'd like to think he'd have enjoyed Doon.
I'd tried to read Dune at the age of ten, and I simply wasn't ready; I cried and threw the book across the room (not something I had ever done before or since). I bore a grudge against Frank Herbert for years. When I read Doon, I was delighted at the skewering of Herbert's style and plotting.
And yet...somehow, it led me back to Dune again. I was much older by then, and now I was ready for it; the humor of Doon added a leaven of humor to Herbert's extremely complex and dense masterpiece.
Doon lampooned Dune, literally, but not by tearing it apart. I'm not quite sure how to explain it, but Doon actually enhanced Dune, at least for me. Needless to say, you should read Dune (or at least a good chunk of it, as I did) before reading Doon!
I can't help but wonder if Herbert read Doon...and if so, what he thought of it. He's not considered one of science fiction's great humorists, but I've caught a few in-jokes in his works (read the appendices to Dune carefully and you'll catch one or two). I'd like to think he'd have enjoyed Doon.
November 11, 2021
Thought of this the past week when I read the not-very-funny parody of Twilight . This actually was funny, with some great lines and eerily accurate mimicry of Herbert's prose style. No longer have the book but remember howling over the scene where the freemenmen and Poll are discussing whether to call him man, boy, or what, and they do finally come to an agreement which I fear I am going to misquote. "You shall be called man-teen and there be an end t'it."
Edit, 2021. Also vividly remember the screeching holy women, whose special nag voice drives men mad. "Get out of the kitchen! It'll be ready when it's ready!" lmfao.
What is the relationship between the beer and the pretzels?
If you can remember jokes for almost 40 years, they must've been damned funny jokes.
Edit, 2021. Also vividly remember the screeching holy women, whose special nag voice drives men mad. "Get out of the kitchen! It'll be ready when it's ready!" lmfao.
What is the relationship between the beer and the pretzels?
If you can remember jokes for almost 40 years, they must've been damned funny jokes.
January 1, 2020
A parody of "Dune", very much in the style of "Bored of the Rings."
As with that parody, it's *much* shorter, doesn't take itself very seriously, and is in some ways more readable than the original.
As with that parody, it's *much* shorter, doesn't take itself very seriously, and is in some ways more readable than the original.
August 18, 2025
An entertaining read for fans of Dune (the book, not the films). The humour didn't always work for me - just renaming something to another similar-sounding, sillier thing is not the height of humour - but when it works, it really works. Significant glances and gestures that no one involved can really follow, circular thinking, growing egos of certain characters, and some characters confirming in their thoughts that, yes, they are having thoughts; all of these moments are a fun pastiche of Frank Herbert's writing style and the Dune experience.
Overall, if you've spent any amount of time with Frank Herbert's writing and find Dune a good time, this is a fun pastiche.
Overall, if you've spent any amount of time with Frank Herbert's writing and find Dune a good time, this is a fun pastiche.
January 2, 2019
Parody, I think, works best in the short form. I remember reading a story years ago that parodied Stephen King's works, and thinking it was pretty funny. I'm not sure if I would have thought as much of it if it had been a parody of an entire book, but the writer captured the specifics of King's style well enough to make me chuckle.
Doon made me chuckle, too, but only toward the beginning of the book. The first time I encountered the puns of the names -- Boni Moroni for Bene Gesserit; Kumquat Haagendasz for Kwisatz Haderach -- were funny, but the more I saw them, the less amusing they were. In fact, once the humor of the puns fade, I was left having to judge the book on plot alone, and there it was so similar to Dune as to not stand out. Plus, replacing the political machinations with a cooking competition, and making the religion also food-based, was so silly as to be stupid. Plus, there were some references I straight-up didn't get, likely because this was published in 1984, and the references have become dated.
On the bright side, the book reminded me enough of the main plot of Dune as to make me feel like I had re-read it. In fact, reading Doon made me want to read Dune again, so even if I won't get around to it soon, it's back on the list, so I have to give the book some credit for that, at least.
Doon made me chuckle, too, but only toward the beginning of the book. The first time I encountered the puns of the names -- Boni Moroni for Bene Gesserit; Kumquat Haagendasz for Kwisatz Haderach -- were funny, but the more I saw them, the less amusing they were. In fact, once the humor of the puns fade, I was left having to judge the book on plot alone, and there it was so similar to Dune as to not stand out. Plus, replacing the political machinations with a cooking competition, and making the religion also food-based, was so silly as to be stupid. Plus, there were some references I straight-up didn't get, likely because this was published in 1984, and the references have become dated.
On the bright side, the book reminded me enough of the main plot of Dune as to make me feel like I had re-read it. In fact, reading Doon made me want to read Dune again, so even if I won't get around to it soon, it's back on the list, so I have to give the book some credit for that, at least.
March 21, 2018
One of the funniest things I've read in a long while. This is a great parody, and manages to make fun of Herbert's writing style. I'd recommend it to anyone that's read Dune. If you haven't read the original, you probably wouldn't find this very funny, or at least not understand it.
My one complaint is that the sequels advertised in the back of the book do not exist. Of course, while I lament their fictitiousness, my wallet does not, as I'd feel compelled to buy them if they're even 1/10th as good as Doon.
My one complaint is that the sequels advertised in the back of the book do not exist. Of course, while I lament their fictitiousness, my wallet does not, as I'd feel compelled to buy them if they're even 1/10th as good as Doon.
July 19, 2024
A very funny parody that had me laughing out loud dozens of times. I'm so glad I read Dune recently - it really enhanced my enjoyment of Doon.
"Pall then revelated that, merely by proclaiming himself a thing - Mahdl-T, Laserium al-Dilah, Kumkwat Haagendasz, King off the Potato People - he would in fact become it. The desire of the Freedmenmen for a saviour was such that, by now, it would be difficult for him to prove that he was not the one they sought. He was the right man-child at the right place-location at the right time-moment - to become for these people, their Messiah."
While I admired the world building in Herbert's Dune, there was a lot that grated: almost every character having an inner voice, the portentous writing style, the chapter intros by Princess Irulan, the excess of made-up words.
All of this is sent up in Doon. It's concise and quick witted. The book is also faithful to the story (albeit a dessert planet, with roaming giant pretzels and Freedmenmen that dream of one day eating meat) and lacks snark - it's very silly, but also affectionate about the source material.
My only criticism is that the laughs tail off in the second half.
"Pall then revelated that, merely by proclaiming himself a thing - Mahdl-T, Laserium al-Dilah, Kumkwat Haagendasz, King off the Potato People - he would in fact become it. The desire of the Freedmenmen for a saviour was such that, by now, it would be difficult for him to prove that he was not the one they sought. He was the right man-child at the right place-location at the right time-moment - to become for these people, their Messiah."
While I admired the world building in Herbert's Dune, there was a lot that grated: almost every character having an inner voice, the portentous writing style, the chapter intros by Princess Irulan, the excess of made-up words.
All of this is sent up in Doon. It's concise and quick witted. The book is also faithful to the story (albeit a dessert planet, with roaming giant pretzels and Freedmenmen that dream of one day eating meat) and lacks snark - it's very silly, but also affectionate about the source material.
My only criticism is that the laughs tail off in the second half.
September 22, 2025
This parody did something almost nothing has the power to make me do anymore: laugh. Not to sound overwhelmingly tragic, but I've been dealing with major depression for most of my adult life and since I quit being an alcoholic I have also quit laughing. Weiner's silly book made me laugh, OUT LOUD, at least 3 times. For someone who laughs on a regular basis this may sound like nothing but for me it is a lot and I'll take it in whatever form it comes.
October 19, 2017
It's kind of funny, but nothing so hilarious. Maybe these National Lampoon guys' sense of humor is just out-dated, or maybe it's just because I'm not actually that big a fan of Dune in the first place.
August 6, 2025
The way this makes fun of the way the characters think and speak and Herbert's writing style is hilarious, even if the slapstick and puns get tedious.
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October 21, 2007http://nhw.livejournal.com/991806.html[return][return]This is the story of Pall Agamemnides, the Kumkwat Haagendazs, known to his followers as Mauve'Bib, and how he used the Freedmenmen of the planet Arruckus to take over the galactic empire by controlling the planet's vital export: beer.[return][return]Anyone familiar with both Bored of the Rings and Dune will be pretty unsurprised by this book, which takes deadly aim at the pretensions of Herbert's epic masterpiece. No need to go into details, but here's one lovely piss-take of the inspirational quotations that start each of the chapters in the original:[return][return]What sort of man was Duke Lotto Agamemnides? We may say he was a brave man, yet a man who knew the value of caution. We may say he was possessed of a highly refined sense of honour - yet, like all leaders, was he no less capable of acts duplicitous and sleazy. We may say this, we may say that - indeed, we may say anything we want. We may say, for example, that he was not a man at all, but a highly evolved bicycle. See? We may say just about anything.[return][return] - from "House Agamemnides: Historical Perspectives and Worthless Digressions", by the Princess Serutan.[return][return]Not quite as laugh-out-loud hilarious as Bored of the Rings but a damn good effort.
October 15, 2013
The way the author apes the writing style of Dune is immediately obvious and what I read of that was quite clever, but the constant ridiculous clever puns and the almost mirror-like comparisons to the series were not dynamic enough for me to enjoy the book.
February 17, 2009
Like most parody books, I felt it fell apart fairly early on. But there were some choice laugh-out-loud (LOL before there was LOL!) moments at the beginning of the book that were pure brilliance. At least when I was younger.
November 9, 2013
Hilarious if you have read or are a fan of Frank Herbert's Dune. Not so much if you haven't read the book or seen the movies. Enjoy!
February 14, 2021
As funny as a road traffic accident. Doon? Is that how Americans pronounce Dune (what a witty play on words (sarcasm, so you'll know I was being ironic)...why not Poon? (Comanche-Indian) or Soon? or Toon or any other word that has 'oon in it?).
The humour in this book, like all of the National Lampoon's back catalogue is horrifically turgidly dated...I used to live my life according to Animal House, I was Bluto. I really agonised for those guys when their dates were 'stolen'. Now, I only watch it for John Vernon's Dean Wormer. Every scene in the movie is cringing to watch (and I am not in any way 'woke').
I am ashamed that I would think looking in a window as a peeping tom was humourous in any way (okay the noises the ladder made as Bluto repositioned himself WAS funny...I can't even open the fridge door to misappropriate a biscuit (yes, they are called biscuits...I won't tell what I got when I ordered biscuits on a recent (pre-Covid) trip to the USA (jaysus), because my wife can hear all the way upstairs...
...but, I digress.
I have never understood the need to parody literature of any kind (think Spaceballs (Barf! and I'm not talking about the character from that movie either (more sarcasm)...or even (dare I say it)...Scary Movie (all of them) (whimper)
...anyhoo
So, writing characters whose names have been slightly changes to funny sounding (to people from many years ago) words does not good comedy make.
If you like the kind of comedy that involves a load of young people who seem to live beyond their means (and look like move stars) above a cafe, would will guffaw at this book...
OMG, give me a break.
If, however your humour is a bit more sophisticated (think, last episode of Blackadder...poetry, or any episode of Stella Street...HOO HAR!), then avoid this book like the bad parody it is. I am sorry to all those reviewers who found the book funny, as long as it made you happy!
If that's how easy it it to make money...I am in the wrong business.
Now...you have to decide if this review is a parody of a good review or not?
DROP MICROPHONE ON FLOOR AND EXIT (STAGE LEFT) TO ADULATION AND MUCH APPLAUSE...
I HAVE LEFT THE BUILDING.
The humour in this book, like all of the National Lampoon's back catalogue is horrifically turgidly dated...I used to live my life according to Animal House, I was Bluto. I really agonised for those guys when their dates were 'stolen'. Now, I only watch it for John Vernon's Dean Wormer. Every scene in the movie is cringing to watch (and I am not in any way 'woke').
I am ashamed that I would think looking in a window as a peeping tom was humourous in any way (okay the noises the ladder made as Bluto repositioned himself WAS funny...I can't even open the fridge door to misappropriate a biscuit (yes, they are called biscuits...I won't tell what I got when I ordered biscuits on a recent (pre-Covid) trip to the USA (jaysus), because my wife can hear all the way upstairs...
...but, I digress.
I have never understood the need to parody literature of any kind (think Spaceballs (Barf! and I'm not talking about the character from that movie either (more sarcasm)...or even (dare I say it)...Scary Movie (all of them) (whimper)
...anyhoo
So, writing characters whose names have been slightly changes to funny sounding (to people from many years ago) words does not good comedy make.
If you like the kind of comedy that involves a load of young people who seem to live beyond their means (and look like move stars) above a cafe, would will guffaw at this book...
OMG, give me a break.
If, however your humour is a bit more sophisticated (think, last episode of Blackadder...poetry, or any episode of Stella Street...HOO HAR!), then avoid this book like the bad parody it is. I am sorry to all those reviewers who found the book funny, as long as it made you happy!
If that's how easy it it to make money...I am in the wrong business.
Now...you have to decide if this review is a parody of a good review or not?
DROP MICROPHONE ON FLOOR AND EXIT (STAGE LEFT) TO ADULATION AND MUCH APPLAUSE...
I HAVE LEFT THE BUILDING.
December 10, 2023
This is a parody of Dune and I feel we don't get these kind of parodies anymore. There is this one and Bored of the Rings to my knowledge. For these parodies to work you need to base them on a classic millions have read or they won't work. The humour comes from using the story structure of the novel and then finding a way to use it for satire. So the reason they are so scarce is these classics are so rare.
I had reread the original Dune before reading this parody and you have to applaud how closely it mirrors the plot of the original but also is smart enough to change a few things to keep the story moving. A lot of the side characters fall away and we focus on Paul (Pall) and his mother and his journey to be a Messiah.
The parody comes from the idea that instead of spice we have beer, instead of an ancient cult of mystical women we have a cult of culinary chefs, and instead of a desert planet devoid of water we have a dessert planet devoid of entrees. Like any parody you don't want to worry too much about logic and focus on "is it funny". And yes this one is very funny. They take the existing plot and do some great twists. Instead of knife fights we have insult fights, instead of worms we have giant pretzels, and we have Pall inventing peanut butter and beer liquor to prove his Messiah-ness.
I will admit I laughed a lot more as a teenager (I would have given it 5 stars then) when I read this than as an adult but it still holds up. I think creating a humour book that creates laugh out loud moments is a near impossible task. You lose visual gags, comedic timing, tone inflection...all things that give stand up of comedy movies/animation an edge in producing laughs. But I admire this book for doing such a great job and while the humour is a little puerile at times there are a lot of moments of clever, unexpected humour. I do wonder if Ellis Weiner wrote it all by himself or had some National Lampoon writers help but either way this book stands as a classic in the small genre of parody novels.
Probably hard to get a physical copy of it - but if you are a fan of Dune you should try to track down an illegal pdf :).
I had reread the original Dune before reading this parody and you have to applaud how closely it mirrors the plot of the original but also is smart enough to change a few things to keep the story moving. A lot of the side characters fall away and we focus on Paul (Pall) and his mother and his journey to be a Messiah.
The parody comes from the idea that instead of spice we have beer, instead of an ancient cult of mystical women we have a cult of culinary chefs, and instead of a desert planet devoid of water we have a dessert planet devoid of entrees. Like any parody you don't want to worry too much about logic and focus on "is it funny". And yes this one is very funny. They take the existing plot and do some great twists. Instead of knife fights we have insult fights, instead of worms we have giant pretzels, and we have Pall inventing peanut butter and beer liquor to prove his Messiah-ness.
I will admit I laughed a lot more as a teenager (I would have given it 5 stars then) when I read this than as an adult but it still holds up. I think creating a humour book that creates laugh out loud moments is a near impossible task. You lose visual gags, comedic timing, tone inflection...all things that give stand up of comedy movies/animation an edge in producing laughs. But I admire this book for doing such a great job and while the humour is a little puerile at times there are a lot of moments of clever, unexpected humour. I do wonder if Ellis Weiner wrote it all by himself or had some National Lampoon writers help but either way this book stands as a classic in the small genre of parody novels.
Probably hard to get a physical copy of it - but if you are a fan of Dune you should try to track down an illegal pdf :).
June 16, 2022
Doon is loony, as any National Lampoon parody is expected to be. The target here if Frank Herbert's extended tale, Dune, which appeared in 1964 to be followed by five more titles over the years. It portrayed a desert planet far in the future which is saved by a messianic outsider. This comic 1984 NL take is gloriously overwritten, abounds in puns, and pokes at institutions and individuals of all varieties. Nothing redeeming, but rewarding in laughs for those that can still find a high school sense of humor that needs feeding.
January 5, 2021
Definitely not for readers that didn't vastly appreciate Dune. There were some clever bits and the author was pretty creative and funny. The type of humor reminded me of the Hitchhiker's Guide books at times.
September 11, 2024
The National Lampoon parody of "Dune" has some funny moments, but most of it is junior high humor. I read it when it was first published in 1984, which is when I was in junior high. I thought it was much funnier then than now.
January 22, 2019
SO good! Required reading for any connoisseur of Frank Herbert’s masterpiece. The author so cleverly finds Herbert’s voice and parodies it in such a fun way.
March 16, 2020
It was entertaining and well thought out. Sorta a Cliff Notes for Dune put to satire. I sorta seemed to me that it tried too hard to be funny.
April 2, 2020
Absolutely amazing
April 6, 2020
some brilliant wisecracks in the Harvard Lampoon/Mad Magazine/Simpsons style
June 21, 2020
The beginning of the epic tale of Paul the Kumquat Haagendasz and his mission to control restaurant interests in the galaxy using giant pretzels, beer and peanut butter on the dessert planet Doon.
Want to read
October 14, 2021La parodia de Dunas, pero pastelera
Poco conocida creo
Poco conocida creo
April 15, 2022
Funny in places but nowhere near as good as Bored of the Rings
February 18, 2023
Absolutely brilliant parody. I read Dune every few years and always follow it up with this book. Almost as much as classic as the original.
September 1, 2023
Did this impair his effectiveness as a ruler? History has already answered. Who asked you, History? we might respond.
May 17, 2024
Blow-milk-out-your-nose funny on just about every page. Absolutely pitch-perfect satire.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews