God Emperor of Dune is most notable for how radically different it is from every other book in the Dune saga. Simply put, it is extremely strange; to some, it is offputting and too great of a departure from what came before, but, to me and many others, it is one of the best books in the series and could even rival the first for the title of the greatest entry overall. It focuses on philosophy to an even greater extent than Children of Dune and holds essentially none of the dynamism and action of every previous entry, but what God Emperor of Dune offers is a visceral exploration of the personality and thoughts of Leto II, one of the most fascinating characters in science fiction, and a thoughtful reflection on how many horrible acts can be committed in service of the greater good before all morals are shattered. God Emperor of Dune takes many risks, as it centers around Leto II even more than Dune centers around Paul while also sacrificing the prominence of many of the series' most memorable factions, but it achieves something truly special as a result and makes readers contemplative and immersed in a way that practically no other Dune book, or piece of literature in general, can. ( )

Oh Dune, you can never fail me.
Frank Herbert is a true genius, the way he was able to capture the God Emperor, who has all of his ancestors living in him and knows what the future holds, is simply perfect. And the book is so dense with knowledgable insights, Herbert must have had a wonderful mind. ( )

I enjoyed this almost as much as Dune, but I can see why others may not like it. It's a lot of talking and there isn't really much action to speak of--which I think is the point. This enforced peace across the universe at the hands of a pseudo-human-worm Leto. At times, it can be wordy and pretentious, which is why I think it fails to live up to the original Dune. ( )

Best book ever ( )

Help! I’m obsessed with a worm-man-god!

This is easily my favorite of the Dune books so far. ( )

non c'è mai stata sociologia più solitaria di questa
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“When the myth dies, the government dies.”

So this one had a huge time jump and a new cast of characters... other than Leto II, but he's so different at this point he feels new. I have to say that this one might be my second favorite. I think it was incredibly different than the first three in the writing style and tone. It's less focused on the ecology and politics of Arrakis. It just all feels like a different type of book. I loved that it was more of like a history/mythology type thing in a way. I think that the writing style of this one is much easier to follow than the first three. I also enjoy that it shifts focus on the topics it finds important. I liked the gender dynamic in this one a lot. I really feel like this one was harder to put down than some of the others and I honestly am dying to see what comes next in the series because of this one.

In this one Leto pretty much is a tyrant, but is determined to follow his Golden Path, that will prove him one day to be a savior. Everyone sees Leto as a God and he helps to cultivate this image. What I found incredibly interesting was how much Leto actually hated his role. It was interesting to watch how much he loathed the way he was worshipped. Leto's plan has involved him taking over the Bene Gesserit breeding plan and he seems to have created an array of citizens who have the characteristics he deems most important.

The Atreides line continues on and it appears a lot of them have been rebels who he has one over to his side over the years. I also love that Leto's military is made up of women because he sees them as more able to protect society than destroy it. Siona is an amazing new character. I love her rebel spirit and that despite her connections to the God Emperor she never seems to waiver from her goal to destroy him at all costs. She is probably one of the best female characters I've seen in this series. ( )

Like many others, I have changed my mind about this book from the first time reading it in the late 1980s to over three decades later reading it a second time. In the 1980s I finished God Emperor of Dune and went … huh? what a weird book. This second read decades later I have a better appreciation of Leto as a tyrant ruler who thinks himself benevolent while morphing into something inhuman. This book is worth a close read. ( )

Increíble ( )

Challenging book. Both its narrative and thematic elements are difficult and often times simply not compelling. Yet streaks of Frank Herberts brilliance consistently discuss Dune's best aspect: its politics, philosophy, religion and more; expanding upon the 3 great novels. Poignant, horrifying and simply baffling. Some criticisms but ultimately, the best entry thus far. ( )

This one is really wearing the Jungian BS on its sleeve. ( )

Messiah and Children feel like mostly preparatory reading for this one; their setup pays off and we're given the weirdest and most out there book in the series so far. Leto II's fusion with the worm and genetic memory, trying to steer the future through seemingly random manipulations makes a good fit for the mystical fusion of science and religion Herbert has been developing. The stilted dialogue and awkward characters now fit the mould he's created.
Ultimately as enjoyable and creative as this is I don't think it justifies the 1200 pages of reading beyond Dune itself. Proceed only if enthralled by the universe. ( )

Great follow on ( )

Well that was a book. And I say this as someone who grew up with the 1984 film, both miniseries, and who read "Dune" three times. That was... a book.

I've read so many of the prequels, and the first three "Dune" novels, and honestly this was one of the most unforgivably grueling entries in the series.

For the record, a jaded immortal rambling is right up my alley, but jeez is this the most boring version of it, in part because of what he's rambling ABOUT. A ton of homophobia, sexism, sexual objectification...This book's got it all! A compelling cast, though, it unfortunately does not have. Until we get to Malky, who is actually a fun character. His relationship with Leto II is actually one of the few book highlights, and honestly one I read as canonically queer. Moneo and Anteac were basically the only other two fun characters, and Moneo is increasingly more sympathetic as the story moves on. Duncan Idaho as a raging homophobe, and Leto II (and Moneo) seemingly using homophobia as a way to manipulate him, is... Well. As miserable as it sounds. That being said, there is a moment where Moneo mentions that queer folks have been some of the finest examples of humanity, in what seems to be a rather honest moment. So it's kind of hard to parse at times where this story's stance on any particular thing is. But the story itself isn't actually worth trying to parse it out, anyway. A white cis het man in the 80s writing that "actually queer people can be valuable to society sometimes" at one point in an overly long book that largely consisted of other terrible stuff is not a fun time. And quite frankly if you ever liked Duncan, you will probably hate half this book, because woof, he is pretty terrible in it.

I could go on how this book writes female POVs or about women generally. It's... quite frankly just gross at the best of times, focusing on their value as sexual objects, their focus on having sex and procreation... The worst of the male gaze. The premise that women can't be rapists. Which is seemingly disproved at the beginning of the sequel? It's bad. It's uncomfortable.

The plot is pretty depressing, and reads, typically, like a Republican trying to write a left-leaning centrist. Which, to be fair, is sort of what Leto II is supposed to be: a despot who thinks he knows better than everyone else (of course he's also supposed to be a character who DOES know better on most things, which makes his both sides rhetoric that leans rightwing rather pathetic). On so many different topics, Herbert's progressive side seems to get so close to actual progressivism, e.g., the stance on what prisons are ACTUALLY for, how police work, but I think it got mired down in either Leto II's arrogance or his own. And so much of it reads like someone trying to write a smart character who is smarter than they are... and unfortunately failing, because mostly, with smart characters, you want to hide your hand, because impossibly smart characters will always be smarter than the people writing them. And when a reader can spot that, it makes the character look stupid and then, well... believing they're somehow brilliant just doesn't work. In short, most of the book is Leto II implying he's intelligent, and spouting a lot of babble about how he thinks power structures work, and how he thinks sex differences work, and not much time is spent on anything actually happening outside the background. Leto II will talk for a chapter, and someone will say "yes I did x like you asked" and then go somewhere else.

The style of the book itself is also incredibly difficult to parse. It's not just the constant switches from different ancient documents back to Leto II's perspective or the timeskips, but also the way perspective shifts occur WITHIN chapters. There will be POV switches from paragraph to paragraph without proper introduction, and you'll only realize there's a change at the end of the paragraph you're reading, when it notes who was talking. It's incredibly confusing and off-putting. I don't know if it's meant to somehow represent Leto II's Other Memory or something, and the chaos of it, but even if it is, it's not comfortable to read, and quite frankly just ANNOYING.

And then we get to Hwi Noree. Well, we get to Leto II and Duncan looking at Hwi. For some unexplained reason, Leto II is deeply in love with Hwi on first sight, and becomes increasingly creepy in his descriptions of her almost immediately. Most of their relationship is him talking at her about how sweet she is, when she's barely done more than stand in place and cry a little, or gasp. Duncan is similarly set up towards Hwi, but at least part of his relationship with her can be explained through them being in lust with each other. Unfortunately, Herbert seems to be writing this as them also being in love with each other, which... is quite frankly one of the most uncomfortable storylines to read since I last read a "Wheel of Time" book.

There are rare moments where you can tell Herbert was onto something about how immortality works (particularly when you're the only one), with how empire works... Leto II's test of Siona was actually oddly sweet in some ways. And I think Leto II's ultimate meeting with Malky (and Moneo) is quite poignant, and a really great ex-lover's spat, and it's honestly almost hard to remember how homophobic this book is during that section (though it's also quite easy, as it's heavily implied Malky raped Hwi, confirming that even when someone like Moneo applauds queer folk, queer folk confirm Duncan's bigotry). I also think the scene where Moneo easily avoids Duncan's attack is excellent.. But overall it's stuck in this morass of sexism, homophobia (whether as satire, characterization, or not, it's frankly boring), and Leto II talking at people and pretending to be smart and interesting while basically nothing happens. Brian Herbert opens the sequel noting that the books improved with each sequel... and I respectfully disagree, at least in the case of "God Emperor of Dune". ( )

Started this book years ago and for some reason I never had a chance to finish it. I do remember feeling a slight bit of pity for the main character and the torment he has willingly put himself through in order to achieve what he believes is the next step in an evolutionary ladder.

While arguably necessary - something had to be said about that long interval when Leta ruled, and various concepts (the Duncan Idaho gholas; a modified sandworm) presumably had to be carried over, this weakest entry in Herbert's "Dune Chronicles" does seem to be considerably longer, and more self-indulgent, than necessary. Apologists sometimes try to explain the homophobia on display here (along with apparent mysogyny, of course) as understandable for a work of this time but it is really, really, not. It is unnecessary and threw me, and other readers, out of the story. As one other more prominent reviewer has observed, this book was badly in need of a more forceful editor who might have demanded a leaner, meaner and less offensive novel than the one that we now have. ( )

Explains a few things about decisions in Dune, but slightly impenetrable for me - a feeling that it was beyond my comprehension. ( )

Centrado nos planos do Deus imperador e alternando entre a história e seus jornais, desenvolve o final dos 3 mil anos e pouco de reinado, a preparar um renascimento da espécie humana. ( )

Okay, that was a bit of a slog. I still loved it, but it was intensely boring. There were long passages in which I wish everyone would just STFU, but skimming it or skipping it wouldn't do. This is not an action hero story. It's a story about ruthless political power in the face of the ultimate destruction. If you think that's going to make a Marvel movie, think again.

I think I'm going to give the series a bit of a break here and start up again in November or December. ( )

Audio version of this book (August-Sept. 2012)

It's been many many years since the last time I read this particular Dune book. To be honest, it's actually one of my least favorite books in the series other than Dune Messiah. Still, it amazed me just how much the book, its characters and story, had settled into my memory, so as the narrators moved through the text, it was more like a trip down memory lane than rereading.

I think one of the reasons I don't really care for this book is that as a story it's extremely sedate both in theme and tone. Other that the chase/escape scene in the opening chapter and the destruction of the bridge on the Royal Road in the last chapter, there really is no action.

We don't see the God Emperor's Fish Speakers in action, we only hear about it in reports. When there is fighting in the streets of Leto's Citadel, all we know of it is the destruction of Face Dancers and the death of other, more innocent people. The Duncan Idaho ghola is forced out of an active role for pretty much throughout the book.

I do think there is a purpose to this particular madness, of course, Leto II is not only bored, he knows (both in practice as well as in prescience) what he does to his people will force the major change - part of his "Golden Path". Enforcing the sedate life on people used to action, who expect action is something akin to torture and Duncan is also angry at losing his lady love to Leto also. These are just two of the reasons the characters act the way they do in the end.

Still, it makes for a good read and sets up the last of Frank Herbert's original series: Heretics and Chapterhouse in which we begin to see how Leto's plans come to fruition and meet one of my favorite characters in the series: Darwi Odrade.
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Taking place thousands of years after Dune Messiah Leto II is still alive and is now considered Emperor/God of the empire. He physically looks much different now as he excepts the bodily changes of turning into a sandworm. His body and mind still hold on to some human things. For one he keeps bringing Duncan Idaho back to serve him, Duncan keeps the unhuman part of Leto at bay. Most people under Leto do not agree with the way he runs things. Many want to overthrow him.

I find all the characters in the Dune Universe are so different and interesting in their own way. My favorite character in this one was and is Duncan Idaho. I wonder how many times Leto had cloned him or how many of Duncan’s children or grandchildren ran about Arrakis.

Not much is explained as to why the golden path leads Leto to become a sandworm or why all the worlds will go downhill when he is gone. There are many questions left unanswered but I can let some go because real-life leaves questions unanswered.

I will continue to read the rest of the Dune series. I think fans of Science Fiction, and Family Sagas will enjoy this series. I say this as a fan of lite Science Fiction, I don’t like SciFi books too heavy and all science jargon. ( )

I consider this the bookend to the Atreides Saga. The first book was and is a classic but the next two weren't as good. This book gets closest to the quality of the first book but manages to stand out on it's own as a great work. The reference that have been made because of this book are many but its influence is far more subtle. I look at the God Emperor as a character that is truly original. I haven't read anything that has a lead character that is both all powerful and extremely flawed but is at peace with knowing all of this. This book shows that you can write a character that is very powerful but sympathetic to the audience. ( )

The 4th book in the Dune series was my 2nd favorite so far. The 3rd book build on House Atreides in an unexpected way, veering away from Maud Dib to another darker path. This book takes that darker path and runs with it. ( )

This is the 4th post in a series on my reread of the Dune books, and it became yet another lengthy text of about 8,720 words. I’ve also written long analyses of Dune, Dune Messiah and Children of Dune.

My text on Dune itself focuses on the issue of Paul as a tragic hero, without free will, and has some notes on the book as a literary construction. The one on Messiah compares it with the first book, and also deals with its relationship to the concept of eternal recurrence – a strong Nietzschean undercurrent that ties into Paul not being an Übermensch – and with the relationship between prescience and the absence of free will. The article on Children is over 10,000 words long and deals with the tragedy of Alia, change as a key concept in the series, a Nietzschean morality beyond good & evil, and Amor Fati, among other things.

I’ve tried to keep overlap between this text and the previous ones to a minimum, so if you’re interested in a deep desert dive, please read those first.

Before I’ll zoom in on Leto’s conceptual character, and questions about prescience, the nature of the Golden Path and the question whether the world portrayed in this book is mystic or mechanical, I’ll try to write a proper review of sorts. If you’re also interested in the more philosophical matters, or in the various inconsistencies introduced in this novel, read on afterwards.

How to assess God Emperor of Dune in the series? In my recollection I thought Dune was by far superior to the 2nd and the 3rd book, but when I finished the series, I thought book 5 and 6 were the best. God Emperor is the only book I don’t have specific memories about anymore.

So far, my rereads have more or less confirmed my feelings: Messiah is dumbed down to the point it became bothersome – even though the emotions saved it in the end; the intrigues and Alia’s character make Children an above average read, even though conceptually it is a bit of a mess, and Herbert didn’t achieve the same purity of message as he did with Dune itself.

Similarly, after rereading God Emperor, I simply don’t have very outspoken feelings about it. It was an okay read, and by any standards Leto is a remarkable character – maybe the strangest character I have ever encountered in fiction. That by itself is an achievement.

The novel is often portrayed as heavy on philosophy, and I can understand what people mean by that, but I’d rather say it is sprinkled with tidbits that make you think, instead of calling this a philosophical book. Often these passages are mildly intellectually stimulating, but at the same time, taken at face value, generally taken the form of sweeping generalizations about humanity. Because they often lack nuance they more than once made me shrug – Herbert’s attempt at Nietzschean aphorisms do succeed once in a while, but they don’t fully compensate for the main structural weakness of this book.

(...)

Full text on Weighing A Pig Doesn't Fatten It ( )

I suppose if I had to spend thousands of years becoming a human/sandworm hybrid, any book I wrote would be pretty trippy too. Also, I think I'm pretty much Dune-ed out at this point. *looks listlessly at the pile of four remaining books*

"It has occurred to me more than once that holy boredom is a good and sufficient reason for the invention of free will" (35). ( )