The novel that began the entire Dune series tells the story of Paul Atreides as House Atreides takes control of desert planet Arrakis.
In the Dune sequel, Dune Messiah, Paul is now Muad’Dib and the emperor of the known universe. It reveals the dark side of power.
Set nine years after Dune: Messiah, Children of Dune follows Paul’s twin children Leto and Ghanima Atreides as they navigate the schemes of their aunt Alia, who rules the empire on behalf of House Atreides.
Fast forward 3,500 years after Children of Dune, and Arrakis is a whole new world—no longer a desert planet, it is lush and full of life. Leto Atreides, Paul’s son, is still alive; he is immortal and has been God Emperor for centuries.
The God Emperor, Leto Atreides, is dead, and it’s been 1,500 years. The Empire is in ruin, and Arrakis is back to being a desert. A young girl named Sheena seems to fulfill a prophecy… can she restore the empire?
In Herbet’s sixth and final Dune book, Chapterhouse: Dune, takes places right after the events of Herectices of Dune: Arrakis is no more, and the Bene Gesserit controls the Empire.
After the Butlerian Jihad trilogy, Brian Herbert and Anderson returned to the original Dune series, using Frank Herbet’s notes for his planned seventh Dune novel to write two more books. Hunters of Dune continues the story from where Chapturehouse: Dune left off.
And then the core Dune series is concludes in Sandworms of Dune, wrapping up all the loose ends.
After concluding the core Dune series, the authors turned their attention to filling in gaps in the story. Paul of Dune is set between the events of Dune and Dune Messiah, aiming to answer how Paul went from adored to hated.
Then, The Winds of Dune bridges the gap between Dune Messiah and Children of Dune, following Lady Jessica on Ararrakis after Paul’s disappearance. (The original title for the book was Jessica of Dune.)
After filling in the gaps in the Dune series, Brian Herbert and Anderson again went back in time, and the Great Schools of Dune trilogy picks up where the Legends of Dune prequel ended, following the beginnings of key organizations in the franchise. The first follows the origins of the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood.
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram.
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