The trailers have excited us, Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya’s red carpet looks have dazzled us, and now the long-awaited adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune is finally upon us. If you just watched the movie and have fallen head-over-heels for Herbert’s sci-fi epic, you’re not alone (when is the sequel coming out?!). Don’t fret, though! Your journey into the world of Dune has just begun.
For those unfamiliar, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune is adapted from the first half of Frank Herbert’s seminal novel of the same name. Not only is there a whole other half of the book for you to dive into, but there are also five remaining novels in the original series by Herbert, and 15 accompanying novels by his son Brian Herbert and author Kevin J. Anderson that span some 15,000 of Dune history. Yeah.
There’s a lot of material out there, so we’ve put together a recommended reading order and guide to the saga so you can enjoy Herbert’s sci-fi epic without getting lost.
The original series by Frank Herbert
You’ll want to start with the six original novels actually written by Frank Herbert. Published from 1965 to 1985, these novels span several thousand years and sit tidily in the middle of the Dune saga. The first three books, Dune, Dune Messiah, and Children of Dune introduce and follow the arc of Paul Atreides. Casual fans may very well leave off there, but for those who are a little more invested, you can continue through the remaining three novels, which span about 5000 years of Dune history. Unfortunately, Chapterhouse: Dune ends on a cliffhanger as Frank Herbert didn’t get a chance to finish the series before his death in 1986.
•Dune
• Dune Messiah
• Children of Dune
• God Emperor of Dune
• Heretics of Dune
• Chapterhouse: Dune
Conclusion of the original series
Fret not, for a finale to the original series does exist. Hunters of Dune and Sandworms of Dune, written based on Frank Herbert’s notes by his son, Brian Herbert, and author Kevin J. Anderson completes the saga that Frank Herbert began.
• Hunters of Dune
• Sandworms of Dune
From there, you can choose how to proceed with the remaining books (of which there are many!). Here they are listed in chronological order:
BEFORE THE ORIGINALS
Legends of Dune
The Legends of Dune trilogy takes place over 10,000 years before the events of Dune and establishes the culture, families, and war against thinking machines.
• The Butlerian Jihad
• The Machine Crusade
• The Battle of Corrin
Schools of Dune
The Great Schools of Dune trilogy takes place about a century after the events of The Battle of Corrin and chronicles the early years of the Imperium’s Great Schools.
• Sisterhood of Dune
• Mentats of Dune
• Navigators of Dune
Prelude to Dune
The Prelude to Dune trilogy is a direct prequel to Dune and takes place in the decades leading up to the events in the original book, setting up the relationships and politics that set the stage for the battle of Arrakis.
• Dune: House Atreides
• Dune: House Harkonnen
• Dune: House Corrino
The Caladan Trilogy
The Caldan Trilogy, which was announced in 2020, focuses on Duke Leto, Lady Jessica, and Paul, and leads directly into Dune.
• Dune: The Duke of Caladan
• Dune: The Lady of Caladan
• Dune: The Heir of Caladan (forthcoming)
DURING THE ORIGINALS
Heroes of Dune
The Heroes of Dune is a duology that takes place during the Corrino Empire and fills in the gaps between Frank Herbert’s original novels.
• Looking to share your love of books? Our handy Book Clubbin’ questions make it super easy to start a book club. Or, Netflix n’ buddy-read with this year’s book-to-screen adaptations (just be prepared for the perennial debate: is the book better than the movie/show?).
• If you’re looking for something extra, we’ve got author and narrator interviews to give you a gleam inside their worlds.
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Fret not, bookworms, 2020 is shaping up to be a fantastic year for book to screen adaptations. From beloved classics to contemporary bestsellers, there will be no shortage of movies and TV shows to bask in as our favorite characters and worlds are brought to life.
If you’ve devoured the Lincoln Rhyme series by Jeffrey Deaver, then you’ll definitely want to take note of the new television series based on the nine books in the series! This new series follows NYPD officer Amelia Sachs (Arielle Kebbel) as she joins forces with disabled forensic criminalist Lincoln Rhyme (Russell Hornsby) to solve cases surrounding infamous serial killer, the Bone Collector.
The first episode just premiered on NBC on January 10, so you can catch the next episode this Friday, January 17.
Let’s be honest, Stephen King has a knack for penning tales that are just too good not to be adapted into movies and television shows. The Outsider is no exception there. HBO just released the first episode of this 10-episode miniseries with the same title, based onThe Outsider, on January 12. Starring Ben Mendelsohn and Jason Bateman, The Outsider features a police investigation in a small town following the murder of a young boy. Detective Ralph Anderson is on the case, but his suspect is a beloved father, husband, and friend with an alibi. Anderson’s case seems ironclad, but as his investigation unfolds, new and terrifying secrets are unearthed.
Doctor Dolittle, a classic favorite, is getting a 2020 remake! The original novel by Hugh Lofting was released in 1920 and has since had countless adaptations to the big screen, television, and even on stage!
This star-studded version will feature Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Dolittle, the physician who discovers that he can talk to animals (and they talk back), Antonio Banderas, Michael Sheen, and boasts a voice cast of Emma Thompson, John Cena, Kumail Nanjiani, Octavia Spencer, Tom Holland, Craig Robinson, Ralph Fiennes, and Selena Gomez. Get your popcorn ready, this flick hits theaters on January 17!
Since Henry James’ novella,The Turn of the Screw, was released in 1898, it has inspired countless adaptations in film, television, literature, and theater productions. The staying power of this spooky tale is proven again in the 2020 remake titled The Turning. The story follows Kate who is hired as a nanny by a man who becomes the guardian of his niece and nephew after the deaths of their parents. As Kate’s employment progresses and she uncovers the dark secrets of both the house and the children, she realizes that things may not be what they seem. Starring Mackenzie Davis and Finn Wolfhard, this creepy film will make its debut on January 24.
The Rhythm Section has everything you could want in an action drama: tragedy, deceit, revenge, assassins. Not to mention the fact that the film adaptation is produced by EOS Productions, known for producing the James Bond movies. Blake Lively plays Stephanie Patrick, whose life takes a devastating turn after a plane crash kills her family. When the crash is revealed to be an act of terrorism and not an accident, Stephanie vows to stop at nothing until she can seek her revenge on the people to blame.
Can’t get enough of Lara Jean? Luckily this isn’t the end! You can follow Lara Jean through senior year in the third audiobook in the series, Always and Forever, Lara Jean.
The Call of the Wild was originally published in 1903 and has since had multiple film adaptations. This time around, the flick stars Karen Gillan, Harrison Ford, and Cara Gee. Although, the real star is Buck, the St. Bernard/Scotch Collie mix that makes CGI look real-life adorable. When Buck is taken from his home in California and sold into the Alaskan sled dog trade, Buck’s struggle to survive tells a story of resilience that has been cherished for over a century.
All the Bright Placespremieres on Netflix on February 28. The film, starring Elle Fanning and Justice Smith, is based on Jennifer Niven’s best-selling book of the same name. Fanning and Smith play the pair Violet and Theodore, respectively, whose story of love and strength is a hit with romantic-drama fans and will surely have you sobbing into your popcorn.
Celeste Ng’s bestselling novel about an enigmatic mother and daughter who upend the lives of one picture-perfect family during their stay in Shaker Heights, Ohio, is finally making its small screen debut on Hulu. Reese Witherspoon, who bought the rights to Litte Fires Everywhere after selecting it as her book club pick in September 2017, is co-producing and co-starring alongside Kerry Washington as Elena Richardson and Mia Warren, respectively.
Another beloved classic is getting a big-screen remake — this time it’s Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden, which was last adapted into a movie in 1993. Starring Dixie Ederickx as Mary Lennox, The Secret Garden follows the spunky 10-year-old as she moves in with her reclusive uncle, Archibald Craven (Colin Firth), following her parents’ deaths and discovers a hidden magical garden on the grounds of her new home.
After languishing in development hell for the better part of two decades, Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl series is finally seeing the light of day. The movie, which was slated for release on August 9, 2019, was pushed back to May 29, 2020. Based on the first two books in Colfer’s bestselling series, Artemis Fowl follows 12-year-old genius Artemis Fowl (Ferdia Shaw) who uncovers an ancient underground world of fairies while searching for his missing father.
Tom Clancy fans certainly can’t complain about a lack of adaptations of the author’s works. Following the success of Amazon Prime’s Jack Ryan series, Paramount Pictures is adapting Clancy’s John Clark duology in a two-part film series starring Michael B. Jordan as the title character. The first movie, Without Remorse, will be the first time fans will see John Clark, who until now has only been a supporting character in various Jack Ryan adaptations, center stage in his own story.
Fans of Hercule Poirot can rejoice, the famed detective is returning to the big screen after the success of 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express! With Kenneth Branagh back at the helm as director and once again starring as Hercule Poirot, Death on the Nileis bringing to life another one of Agatha Christie‘s famous mysteries, this time set aboard a luxury steamer cruising down the Nile River.
Frank Herbert’s Dune is being resurrected for the big screen, although fans of the classic 1965 science fiction novel will have to wait a little bit longer to see it after Warner Bros. bumped its release date from November 20 to December 18. This new iteration will be helmed by Denis Villeneuve, who already has Arrival and Blade Runner 2048 under his belt. Villeneuve envisions Duneas a two-part film, and although no news has been confirmed about the potential second movie, fans already have lots to look forward to with the incredible cast assembled for Dune which stars Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Stellan Skarsgård, Zendaya, and Josh Brolin, just to name a few.
Daisy Ridley, Tom Holland, and Nick Jonas are joining forces to bring to life Patrick Ness’ bestselling Young Adult series. Based on the first novel in the Chaos Walking trilogy, The Knife of Never Letting Go, the story will set in a dystopian town called Prentisstown where everyone can hear everyone else’s thoughts. When the only boy in town, Todd (Holland), discovers an awful secret, he’s forced to run for his life.
New to Audiobooks.com? Get your first book free, PLUS a bonus book from our VIP selection when you sign up for our one-month free trial. Digital audiobooks make audible stories come to life when you’re commuting, working out, cleaning, cooking, and more! Listening is easy with our top-rated free audiobook apps for iOS and Android, which let you download & listen to bestselling audiobooks on the go, wherever you are. Click here to get your free audiobooks!