Frank Herbert can write non-Dune books

[Almo]

So, I got The White Plague for two reasons.

1) I wanted to see what else FH wrote.
2) I love plague books.

On the note of 2, I highly recommend The Great Influenza and Prayer for the Dying. PftD is a plague book in 1800s Wisconsin told in second person.

I just finished it last night, and I really enjoyed it. It was much easier to read than Dune, but it was still very detailed and very political. I found there was a plot hole in it at some point, but I didn't mind. Overall it was a very interesting exploration of what might happen if a plague targeting only women showed up.

I recommend it.

 

[Alferd_Packer]

shouldn't the thread title be: "Frank Herbert could write non-Dune books" ?

 

[Wudang]

I've also enjoyed "Eyes of Heisenberg" and "The Dosadi Experiment"

 

[Almo]

I've also enjoyed "Eyes of Heisenberg" and "The Dosadi Experiment"

I'll probably be trying more of his stuff in the future.

 

[Beanbag]

If you want an absolutely luscious read (though incredibly depressing at times), get a copy of Soul Catcher.

Beanbag

 

[MG1962]

It is a shame Herbert is almost exclusively remembered for the Dune books, he actually was a pretty good writer. I never liked the Dune stories simply because sword and spaceship concepts never appealed to me

When he was closer to science fiction with things like "The Green Brain" He really shone for me as an above average author

 

[DallasDad]

Second the vote for Soul Catcher. It is an exquisitely painful book in places (not the writing, the subject matter and its handling), and joyful elsewhere. When I liked the most was that it refrained from offering pat (or even complicated) answers to complex questions.

The writing is quite unlike Herbert's other works in some ways. It is far more existential than, say, Dune, and goes into psychology and motivation more deeply than Dosadi.

 

[Almo]

Wow. With these recommendations I'll probably go through his whole catalog. Thanks guys. And thanks for no spoilers. I hate that ****.

 

[Leif Roar]

It is a shame Herbert is almost exclusively remembered for the Dune books, he actually was a pretty good writer.

The real shame is that Frank Herbert's non-Dune books are hard to find while perfectly good paper and shelf-space is wasted on those atrocious Dune rip-offs by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.

My personal favorite of his books (and I like Dune -- even the later books in the original series) is "The Santoroga Barrier," and I also have a weak spot for "Whipping Star."

 

[Almo]

Yeah, I won't even touch the Brian Herbert stuff. Don't want to mess up my imagination of the Dune universe.

 

[KDLadage]

I was a big fan of THE JESUS INCIDENT.

 

[rustypouch]

I was a big fan of THE JESUS INCIDENT.

Seconded. Great book.

I also really liked 'Man of Two Worlds.'