Dune
Frank Herbert
A young nobleman's family takes charge of the desert planet Arrakis, the only source of a spice the whole empire relies on.
Book 1 of 6, published 1965.
All reading orders
Dune reading order
Frank Herbert wrote six Dune novels between 1965 and 1985, and each is set later than the one before. The books build on each other, so the order is simple: the order they were published.
Where to start
Start with Dune. It reads as a complete novel, and it is the book the Dune films begin with.
Dune is long and dense, so give it some patience. The sequels change character as they go, becoming more philosophical, and readers disagree about which ones they like best.
Publication order
Publication order is also story order, so there is only one way through. Frank Herbert's son Brian and Kevin J. Anderson have written many more Dune novels since, which are not listed here.
Dune Messiah
Frank Herbert
The first sequel, set years after Dune: shorter and more political, about the price of what Paul Atreides's rise has set in motion.
Book 2 of 6, published 1969.
Children of Dune
Frank Herbert
The third book carries the Atreides story forward by years, with the future of Arrakis itself in question.
Book 3 of 6, published 1976.
God Emperor of Dune
Frank Herbert
Set thousands of years later, and a slower, more philosophical book than the ones before it.
Book 4 of 6, published 1981.
Heretics of Dune
Frank Herbert
Another leap forward in time, with new factions and old orders competing over what comes next.
Book 5 of 6, published 1984.
Chapterhouse: Dune
Frank Herbert
The last Dune novel Herbert wrote, which picks up right where Heretics ends.
Book 6 of 6, published 1985.
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Keep reading
Want more reads in the same spirit? Books like Dune.
Watching the film? Read it before you watch it: Dune: Part Three.
More reading orders
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