Summary

• The Dune film series led by Villeneuve has been a box office and critical success, unlike Lynch's 1984 adaptation.
• There are 23 books in the Dune Chronicles, with Frank Herbert contributing six original novels before his son carried on his legacy.
• Reading the Dune books chronologically offers the best experience due to the series' complex timeline.

Frank Herbert published Denis Villeneuve's popular Dune series, and several more books set in this sci-fi dystopian world followed the first novel in the years since. David Lynch directed the first movie adaptation of Herbert's book, which was released in late 1984 and was a critical and commercial failure. However, almost 40 years later, Villeneuve attempted to revive the onscreen franchise with his two-part epic science fiction series and was substantially more successful than Lynch.

Dune premiered in 2021 and was an all-around triumph. The film grossed over $430 million at the box office, and critics praised it for its cinematography, faithfulness to its source material, Villeneuve's direction, and the cast's performances. A few years later, Dune: Part Two's Rotten Tomatoes score broke records, and many critics lauded it as one of the greatest sci-fi movies ever made. Now, those who weren't aware of the world of Dune before 2021 are mega fans of the franchise, and thankfully, if they are craving more content, they can read the various novels in the Dune Chronicles.

How Many Dune Books There Are (& Which Ones Were Written By Frank Herbert)

Herbert found some of his father's notes detailing future Dune stories and was inspired by them to continue the series.

As of the writing of this article, there are 23 published books in the Dune Chronicles, and Frank Herbert wrote six of them while his son, Brian Herbert, co-wrote the other 17 novels in the series with science fiction author Kevin J. Anderson. Herbert (the elder) penned Dune, Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, God Emperor of Dune, Heretics of Dune, and Chapterhouse: Dune before he died in 1986, one year after his final published Dune book. Fourteen years later, the younger Herbert decided to pick up where his father left off and began writing novels set in the Dune universe alongside Anderson.

Years after his father's death, Herbert found some of his notes detailing future Dune stories and was inspired by them to continue the series. Herbert and Anderson have mainly published prequels, but some of their novels serve as sequels to Herbert's original collection of books. Of course, the first six Dune books hold a special place in many fans' hearts, though, and it's difficult to continue a series without the original author. However, Herbert and Anderson have done a marvelous job continuing Herbert's legacy.

How To Read The Dune Books In Release Order

Following the critical and financial success of Frank Herbert's first Dune novel, the author began working on sequels. Herbert dedicated most of his time to crafting more stories set in the sci-fi universe and published the second book four years following the first. Ultimately, Herbert wrote and released six Dune novels, with his last one published in 1984, one year before his death. Although he only contributed six installments to the 23-part series, the author's influence is unmatched. Herbert's Dune inspired countless movies and led to his son carrying on his father's legacy by writing 17 more Dune books.

How To Read The Dune Books In Chronological Order

Although Frank Herbert released his six Dune novels several years before Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson continued the series, most of Herbert's (the younger) and Anderson's books take place before the original author's stories. Meanwhile, a handful of Herbert's and Anderson's novels are set following Herbert's (the elder) books. As a result, the chronological order of the Dune Chronicles is a bit confusing, especially given how many installments are in the series — even the timeline of Denis Villeneuve's Dune is convoluted. Thankfully, guides exist to help readers out.

Which Order You Should Read The Dune Books In

Given that Frank Herbert's, Brian Herbert's, and Kevin J. Anderson's book series often jumps around regarding its timeline, consuming the Dune novels in chronological order rather than release order would make more sense to provide the best reading experience. Of course, readers can choose whichever course of action they prefer. However, given the science fiction franchise's complex timeline, it would probably be confusing if one reads the Dune Chronicles in release order. So, it would probably be best to go in chronological order to avoid getting lost while taking in all 23 Dune novels.

Which Dune Books Are Essential To Read?

Reading 23 books is a tall order for the average person (while some consume more than 50 novels per year), so it wouldn't be surprising if someone wanted to only read the most important Dune books. The best place to start would be Frank Herbert's six contributions to the series. Herbert is the original author and creator of this dystopian universe. So, his interpretation of the world is unmatched, even though his son and Kevin J. Anderson have crafted some excellent stories. However, all installments in the Dune series are worth checking out if anyone has the time.