Pod Emperor of Dune

At long last, we get out act together and record our thoughts on the whole main Dune series, discussing the overarching plot, comparing our respective rankings, and considering how the series fits into the greater sci-fi canon. We hope to be back for future Dune content and, just maybe, some other nerdy podcasts about sci-fi. In the meantime, thank you for listening and watch out for sandworms!

In this episode, we take a look back at all of Sandworms of Dune, discussing our thoughts on the this novel, its plots, and its characters, on its own merits, as the second half of the non-Frank-Herbert mainline Dune lineup, and as the conclusion to the Dune series as a whole.

In this episode, we take a look at the final third or so of Sandworms of Dune, in which the thinking machines orchestrate a duel between competing Paul gholas only for Duncan to turn out to be the Kwisatz Haderach they were looking for, the Oracle of Time shows up and finds both saving the human fleet and destroying Omnius to be barely an inconvenience, the Face Dancers are summarily dispatched before they can actually execute any of their plan to turn on the machines, and we see the final state of the Dune universe - complete with a surprising number of happy endings for characters from throughout the series.

In this episode, we take a look at the second third or so of Sandworms of Dune, in which the Bene Gesserit of the Ithaca are met with a hostile reception on the world of Qelso, Edrik brings a dying Tylwyth to Rakis before falling prey to a fatal ambush at the hands of the Face Dancers, Murbella desperately works to prepare for the machine invasion in the face of plague and betrayal and the loss of another daughter, and the Face Dancer saboteurs aboard the Ithaca are finally revealed…but not before succeeding in leading the no-ship directly into the hands of the thinking machines.

In this episode, we take a look at the first third or so of Sandworms of Dune, in which the Ithaca crew traumatically awakens several gholas while the ship is attacked by one or more elusive saboteurs, the Baron and Paolo are summoned to Synchrony as the machine fleet makes its bizarrely slow way to destroy humanity, and Khrone continues to manipulate the factions of the Old Empire to surreptitiously undermine Murbella's attempts to mount a resistance to the oncoming danger, and tragic consequences ensue when Edrik and Tylwyth use the oceans of Buzzell as a testing ground for genetically-engineered sand…er, seaworms.

In this episode, we take a look at the final third of Hunters of Dune, in which several members of the Ithaca crew narrowly escape a deadly trap on the planet of the Handlers, Murbella finally defeats the rogue Honored Matres after they strike a devastating blow against her nascent fleet at Richese, Uxtal achieves some success in his Tylwyth ghola project but shortly thereafter receives some karmic comeuppance, and a war fleet is launched by Marty and Daniel…aka Erasmus and Omnius, aka the exact same thinking machines who were apparently at the center of the Butlerian Jihad, somehow. We also discuss the book as a whole, including our feelings on the novel in relation to the previous Dune entries, the reliance on characters and plot elements introduced in various intervening prequels, and our likes and dislikes of the story so far before the story is tied up in Sandworms of Dune.

In this episode, we take a look at the second third or so of Hunter of Dune, in which Murbella continues conquering the remaining Honored Matres in her attempts to unify the old Empire before the Outside Enemy attacks, Uxtal continues making gholas to make himself useful to both the Face Dancers and the Honored Matres, Khrone chafes under the watchful eyes of emissaries from Marty and Daniel while secretly working for his own purposes, and discord continues on the no-ship regarding their goals and gholas - one of which appears to have mystical sandworm abilities, for…reasons.

In this episode, we (finally) take a look at the first third or so of Hunters of Dune, in which the Chapterhouse escapees jump dimensions and start up a ghola factory, Murbella attempts to wrangle her combined New Sisterhood to be united against the coming enemy, the Scattering Face Dancers are revealed to have their own plans and motivations, and one of the last surviving Tleilaxu is pressed into service churning out even more gholas - including a most unwelcome face from the past.

In this episode, we take a look back at all of Chapterhouse: Dune, discussing our thoughts on the characters, plotlines, and how we thought about this novel in relation to the previous entries in the Dune saga, as we look ahead to examining the controversial posthumous conclusion to the series in Hunters and Sandworms of Dune.

In this episode, we take a look at chapters forty-six through forty-eight of Chapterhouse: Dune, in which Sheeana recruits some other dissatisfied Reverend Mothers to the plan to escape from Chapterhouse by stealing the no-ship, Duncan makes a desperate play to keep the no-ship out of the hands of the mysterious old couple and their net, new Reverend Mother Superior slash Great Honored Matre Murbella confers with Odrade about the future now that Sheeana and Duncan have abandoned her and the Order, and we get a fascinating glimpse into the perspective of the mysterious and powerful Marty and Daniel…who appear, with no one else observing them, to just be puttering about gardening, revealing clues about their possible Face Dancer origins through their conversation.

In this episode, we take a look at chapters forty-three through forty-five of Chapterhouse: Dune, in which Sheeana makes a decision about her future with the Bene Gesserit, Odrade is killed but her memory witnesses her plans coming to fruition, Murbella becomes both the Reverend Mother Superior and the Great Honored Matre in the span of a few murderous seconds, and the new joint leader begins to figure out how to secretly convert the Honored Matres into Bene Gesserit as she had been converted - without losing too many of her true Sisters to the violent instincts of the Honored Matres.

In this episode, we take a look at chapters forty-one and forty-two, in which Odrade finally meets the infamous Spider Queen, this is quickly made pointless as Logno finally makes her play against her hated superior and becomes the new Great Honored Matre, the attack on Junction appears to go surprisingly well for the forces of the Bene Gesserit, and Miles and Odrade come to realize that all may not be as it seems - and that the Matres may have another card up their sleeves.

In this episode, we take a look at chapters thirty-nine through forty of Chapterhouse: Dune, in which Odrade makes what she expects to be her final farewells to Chapterhouse and the Sisterhood as she journeys to her meeting with the Honored Matres, the Mother Superior's favorite pilot Clairby makes an unexpected appearance as the cyborg pilot for the trip to Junction, Miles oversees a devastatingly effective attack on Gammu, and Murbella intervenes in order to ensure that the Bene Gesserit's forces honor ancient agreements and take in the refugees from Rebecca's group - finally giving the wild Reverend Mother the chance to return the millions of memories from Lampadas that Lucilla had entrusted to her.

In this episode, we take a look at chapters thirty-six through thirty-eight of Chapterhouse: Dune, in which Duncan has several revelations as he tries to adjust to the changes in his relationship with Murbella after her Spice Agony, Rebecca continues to spar with an increasingly frustrating and distrustful Rabbi, the Reverend Mother Superior calls a Convocation to announce her bold plans to mount an attack on Junction while she is distracting the Honored Matres with her faux surrender, and Odrade acknowledges that she will likely not survive the encounter and announces her somewhat surprising choices for the two chosen inheritors of her memories - the still-secretive youngest-ever Reverend Mother Sheeana and the newly-minted Reverend Mother Murbella.

In this episode, we take a look at chapters thirty-four and thirty-five of Chapterhouse: Dune, in which Odrade must make decisions about who to take to near-certain death on Junction, Bellonda figures out Odrade's plan but keeps quiet about it for now, Tamalane Shares her memories and seems to judge the things Sheeana is hiding not to be a threat, and Murbella undergoes her Spice Agony - which, from her experience, definitely deserves the title.

In this episode, we take a look at chapters thirty-two and thirty-three of Chapterhouse: Dune, in which we cringe our way through Duncan's plan to awaken the memories of the old Bashar in the young ghola Miles, Odrade must deal with the aftermath of that decision as the awakened ghola exerts his simultaneous loyalty and independence, Dortujla returns from Junction with news of a successful at the cost of her health and several Sisters' lives, and Odrade calls the Bashar to prepare for an attack on the Matres - hinging on intelligence she will have to risk her own life to gather on Junction.

In this episode, we take a look at chapters thirty and thirty-one of Chapterhouse: Dune, in which Odrade continues working on getting what the Sisterhood needs out of Scytale, Sheeana arrives with long-awaited news about a new generation of sandworms, the Mother Superior must make a difficult choice about saving the life of her driver Clairby, and Murbella stands firm against any demands that she give up Duncan to become a Reverend Mother - which, it turns out, is exactly what Odrade wants.

In this episode, we take a look at chapters twenty-eight and twenty-nine of Chapterhouse: Dune, in which the Mother Superior's party finally makes it out to the desert, Sheeana manages to hide her most important secrets from Odrade while being surprised with a proposed promotion, Duncan helps Murbella to work through some bizarre and unsettling dreams, and Odrade receives some welcome promising news on the sandworm front - though not before getting an unexpected eyeful when trying to look at the desert through Sheeana's window.

In this episode, we take a look at chapters twenty-five through twenty-seven of Chapterhouse: Dune, in which Odrade gets at least halfway to see Sheeana out in the desert, Spider Queen exults in her ascendancy but seems to start to fall into the Sisterhood's Dortujla trap, Duncan makes the case for his life to a murderous Bellonda, and Odrade decides to sacrifice one of Chapterhouse's remaining seas - after going skinny dipping in it, as one does in front of all of one's underlings on a work trip.

In this episode, we take a look at chapters twenty-two through twenty-four of Chapterhouse: Dune, in which Odrade procrastinates on her responsibilities as she prepares to finally head to the desert to speak with Sheeana, Rebecca's people on Gammu are scattered and both she and the Rabbi are forced into hiding by agents of the Honored Matres, Murbella struggles to reconcile her desire to be a Reverend Mother of the Bene Gesserit with the love for Duncan that she will be expected to give up, and Duncan strives to construct a Mentat revelation from various conversations with Murbella and Odrade - including an odd encounter where Odrade burst into his room late at night to wax philosophical about the van Gogh painting she's weirdly obsessed with and convinced says something profound about humanity.