Dune: The Battle Of Corrin by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
01/10/2007 . Source: Paul Hanley 
pub: TOR. 620 page hardback. Price: $27.95 (US), $38.95 (CAN). ISBN: 0-765-30159-8. Buy Dune: The Battle Of Corrin in the USA - or Buy Dune: The Battle Of Corrin in the UK  check out website: www.tor-forge.com
This is a sequel to 'Dune: The Machine Crusade' and is part of their prequel series to the late Frank Herbert's classic 'Dune'. I think you should read 'Dune: The Machine Crusade' before you read this book. Whilst there are plenty of references to what has occurred earlier in the saga it would be more satisfying to not start with this book.
For those who have not read 'Dune', Arakkis is an inhospitable planet that produces a unique substance, melange or spice, which enables starship navigators to guide them between the stars. It is a situated in a universe ruled by an emperor and a feudal system. One of the noble families, the Atreides, arrive to run this desolate spot unaware of its vital importance. That story had many apparent loose ends and these prequels endeavour to explain them. It takes the story back thousands of years earlier. In essence, long ago mankind succumbed to the control of the over clever machines they had created. They are enslaved under an all powerful computer called Omnius who is supported by some half-machine people, the cymeks. In 'The Machine Crusade', the story is told of an insurrection on Earth which sets in train a human revolt which the machines cannot extinguish. The cymeks also break away establishing their own territories.
More than half a century has passed when this book opens. The various forces are in equilibrium having fought each other to standstill. The malign Omninus determines to wipe our humanity once and for all. A terrible plague is spread to human worlds. One of the few survivors from these opening attacks sets up a religious movement which believes matters will never be right until all machines are destroyed so nothing involving computers is allowed to remain.
In desperation, two of the heroes of the human world use a new space technology to reach the heartworld of the thinking machine empire and there see a vast and overwhelming military armada preparing to attack them. The human supreme commander Atreides settles on a desperate plan to use the space-folding ships he has to attack the machine worlds whose lumbering spacecraft head for their capital. This is a richly detailed story with lots of characters which very cleverly explains many of the passing references and half explained background of the original 'Dune'. Whilst the story is clearly inter-linked, it is nevertheless a good and exciting space opera tale in its own right, but do read 'The Machine Crusade' first and do, of course, read 'Dune' which is a classic.
Paul Hanley
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