synopsis
Fasten your stillsuits for a return trip to the land of Shai-hulud and MuadŐDib. Through the fever dream that is Frank HerbertŐs Dune Messiah, the second novel in his illustrious and expansive Dune saga.
ItŐs been twelve years since the teenage Paul Atreides filled the void left by his slain father, the Duke Leto, and seized his own destiny, leading the people of Arrakis to victory over the vile Harkonnens. But now, Paul is no longer the boy wonder fated to rid the desert planet of foreign invaders and restore peace and prosperity. For heŐs the emperor. A God among men. The ordained messiah of the Fremen. And heŐs on a collision course for galactic dominationÉwhether he wants it or not.
After usurping the role once held by Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV, Paul unwittingly initiated a war on the universe. His religious clout serves as the driving force behind the FremenŐs jihad. And his monarchy is ruled with the same callous authority once demonstrated by his adversaries. The ŇspiceÓ mlange is now his, and his alone to monopolize. Gone are the days of fighting deceit in the name of righteousness and morality. For his name has become just as villainous. Now, he must fight just to keep the Atreides reign alive.
Scorned and marginalized by PaulŐs political aspirations, the Spacing Guild, Bene Gesserit, and Tleilaxu conspire to overthrow the emperor, hitting him where they know heŐs at his most vulnerable: the heir to his throne. Without one, he risks losing consolidation. But he also knows an heir may also risk more than just his name, for his worries run deeper than simply preserving his empire, and his apocalyptic visions hold all the proof he needs to take drastic action.
Always standing in the shadow of its older sibling, Dune Messiah is the underrated sequel to the wildly popular and influential Dune, transitioning from grandiose space opera to cunning and cutthroat melodrama. Herbert takes a leap of faith and deviates from the formula that once brought him critical and commercial success. His goal: pursue the questions and ideas that the original, even with its broad scope, could only muster in hints and inklings.
Are the corrupt drawn to positions of power or does absolute power corrupt absolutely? Despite readersŐ ambivalence over HerbertŐs sharp turn, the novel has grown in stature for its unadulterated portrayal of humanity in the face of limitless power. ItŐs a conundrum Herbert knew all too well: no leader should ever be blindly followed. But that hasnŐt stopped similar events from playing out even in todayŐs world. It may have been long overdue, but vindication has finally come to pass for Herbert and his messiah.
This edition of Dune Messiah features a new introduction by Gregory Benford, eight interior new color illustrations, with new illustrated endpapers, dustjacket, frontispiece, and eleven character portraits (23 total new artworks) by Marc Simonetti, including a gallery of character portraits, illustrated endpapers, Mylar-wrapped double-sided dustjacket, Japanese black cloth, ribbon marker, top-edge stain, head and tail bands, and an inset image on the front board, all of it enclosed in a custom capped slipcase.
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