Although the trappings of Dune were those of science fiction, in substance and form the book resembled fantasy, and the Tolkien books of Middle Earth more than the standard classics of sf. The society of Arrakis represented feudalism on a grandiose scale; science and technology, while not quite nonexistent, were totally secondary to the metaphysical aspects of this desert planet and its vaguely Arabic culture.

Like Tolkien, Herbert showed himself to be a master world builder. He used a strong narrative—a struggle for political control of Arrakis—almost solely as framework for presenting the marvelous details of his creation (most memorably the giant sandworms, the mysterious Bene Gesserit sisterhood, and the Fremen, a desert people who use moisture suits to conserve their perspiration). His characters were not really memorable as individuals, but were vital components of the fascinating, waterless world in which they lived.

In the sequels Dune Messiah (1969) and through most of Children of Dune (1976), Herbert neglected the enrichment of his world in favor of lengthy enigmatic conversations, often about religion, human evolution or psionic abilities, all themes of the series. Only in the last few chapters of Children of Dune did the story again pick up in interest, as Leto Atreides, having discovered his inner powers, fights to gain control of an empire and makes his irreversible decision to start his slow transformation into something not quite human….

Though God Emperor of Dune does not suffer from the authorial indulgences of the two previous books, readers hoping once again to experience a vision of the complex power and richness of Dune will be disappointed.

In God Emperor Herbert has a new, later Dune to create, one ruled by the virtually immortal, part-sandworm, part-human Leto. Although this novel is a pale reflection when compared to Dune, Lord Leto himself is one of the more original and awe-inspiring creations in science fiction….

Perhaps Herbert may again write a book of the power and scope of Dune. But in the meantime his admirers will have to make do with books like God Emperor of Dune in which an occasional spark of the old brilliance shines through.