{"product_id":"dune-house-atreides-isbn-9780593159606","title":"Dune: House Atreides","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook One of the Epic Prequel to the Classic Novel \u003ci\u003eDune\u003c\/i\u003e—Soon to Be a Major Motion Picture\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eStep into the universe of Frank Herbert’s \u003ci\u003eDune,\u003c\/i\u003e one of the greatest science fiction novels of all time.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eBefore Paul Atreides became Muad’Dib, the dynamic leader who unified the wild Fremen on the desert planet known as Dune . . .\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eBefore the evil Baron Harkonnen overthrew House Atreides and sent Paul and his mother Jessica fleeing into the deadly wasteland of sand . . .\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eBefore the secrets of the spice and the sandworms were discovered . . .\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eThere was another story . . .\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eThe tale of young Leto Atreides learning to become a ruler in the shadow of his great father.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eThe tale of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, ruthless tyrant who becomes a pawn of Bene Gesserit breeding schemes.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eThe tale of Pardot Kynes, ambitious planetologist dispatched to the sands of Arrakis to understand the origins of the spice melange, the most valuable substance in the known universe.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eAnd the tale of Crown Prince Shaddam Corrino, whose lust for power leads him to plot the assassination of his own father and to create a plan that will replace the spice and disrupt the Imperium forever . . .\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eDune: House Atreides \u003c\/i\u003ebegins the epic worldwide bestselling trilogy that tells of the generation before \u003ci\u003eDune\u003c\/i\u003e and sows the seeds for great heroes, vile enemies, and terrible tyrants.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLook for the entire prequel series\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eDUNE: HOUSE ATREIDES • DUNE: HOUSE HARKONNEN • DUNE: HOUSE CORRINO\u003c\/b\u003e“\u003ci\u003eDune: House Atreides\u003c\/i\u003e is a terrific prequel, but it’s also a first-rate adventure on its own. Frank Herbert would surely be delighted and proud of this continuation of his vision.”\u003cb\u003e—Dean Koontz\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Every bit as complex as the original Dune novels.”\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eSt. Petersburg Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eBrian Herbert \u003c\/b\u003eis the son of legendary science fiction author Frank Herbert and has written the definitive biography of him, \u003ci\u003eDreamer of Dune\u003c\/i\u003e, a finalist for the Hugo Award. He has also written many highly imaginative novels, including The Timeweb Chronicles, the ecological fantasy \u003ci\u003eOcean \u003c\/i\u003e(with his wife, Jan), \u003ci\u003eThe Little Green Book of Chairman Rahma, The Unborn, \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eThe Assassination of Billy Jeeling. \u003c\/i\u003eHis earlier acclaimed novels include \u003ci\u003eThe Stolen Gospels, Sudanna, Sudanna, \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eSidney’s Comet\u003c\/i\u003e, as well as \u003ci\u003eMan of Two Worlds \u003c\/i\u003e(written with his father). Brian Herbert also co-manages the legacy of Frank Herbert and is an executive producer of the new motion picture \u003ci\u003eDune \u003c\/i\u003eand the forthcoming TV series \u003ci\u003eDune: The Sisterhood\u003c\/i\u003e. He and his wife live in Seattle, Washington.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eKevin J. Anderson\u003c\/b\u003e has written in many genres: science fiction, epic fantasy, suspense\/thriller, and humor. He is best known for his work in the \u003ci\u003eStar Wars, X-Files, \u003c\/i\u003eBatman, and Superman universes, as well as the space opera The Saga of Seven Suns; the epic fantasy \u003ci\u003eSpine of the Dragon;\u003c\/i\u003e his humorous Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series; and two steampunk fantasy adventures, \u003ci\u003eClockwork Angels\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eClockwork Lives\u003c\/i\u003e, written with legendary Rush drummer and lyricist Neil Peart. Anderson is creative consultant on the new Legendary motion picture of \u003ci\u003eDune\u003c\/i\u003e and is co-producer of the forthcoming TV series \u003ci\u003eDune: The Sisterhood\u003c\/i\u003e. He is the publisher of WordFire Press and also professor and director of the publishing MA program at Western Colorado University.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eTogether, Herbert and Anderson have written numerous international bestselling novels set in the universe of Frank Herbert’s \u003ci\u003eDune\u003c\/i\u003e, as well as the definitive graphic novel adaptation of the classic \u003ci\u003eDune\u003c\/i\u003e. They are the authors of an original epic science fiction trilogy, \u003ci\u003eHellhole\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eHellhole Awakening\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eHellhole Inferno\u003c\/i\u003e.Lean and muscular, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen hunched forward next to the ornithopter pilot. He peered with spider-black eyes through the pitted windowplaz, smelling the ever-present grit and sand.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs the armored 'thopter flew high overhead, the white sun of Arrakis dazzled against unrelenting sands. The sweeping vista of dunes sizzling in the day's heat made his retinas burn. The landscape and sky were bleached of color. Nothing soothed the human eye.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHellish place.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Baron wished he could be back in the industrialized warmth and civilized complexity of Giedi Prime, the central world of House Harkonnen. Even stuck here, he had better things to do back at the local family headquarters in the city of Carthag, other diversions to suit his demanding tastes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut the spice harvesting must take precedence. Always. Especially a huge strike such as the one his spotters had reported.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the cramped cockpit, the Baron lounged with well-postured confidence, ignoring the buffet and sway of air currents. The 'thopter's mechanical wings beat rhythmically like a wasp's. The dark leather of his chestpiece fit tightly over well-toned pectorals. In his mid-forties, he had rakish good looks; his reddish gold hair had been cut and styled to exacting specifications, enhancing his distinctive widow's peak. The Baron's skin was smooth, his cheekbones high and well sculpted. Sinewy muscles stood out along his neck and jaw, ready to contort his face into a scowl or a hard smile, depending on circumstances.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"How much farther?\" He looked sideways at the pilot, who had been showing signs of nervousness.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The site is in the deep desert, m'Lord Baron. All indications are that this is one of the richest concentrations of spice ever excavated.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe flying craft shuddered on thermals as they passed over an outcropping of black lava rock. The pilot swallowed hard, focusing on the ornithopter's controls.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Baron relaxed into his seat and quelled his impatience. He was glad the new hoard was far from prying eyes, away from Imperial or CHOAM corporate officials who might keep troublesome records. Doddering old Emperor Elrood IX didn't need to know every damned thing about Harkonnen spice production on Arrakis. Through carefully edited reports and doctored accounting journals, not to mention bribes, the Baron told the off-planet overseers only what he wanted them to know.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe swiped a strong hand across the sheen of sweat on his upper lip, then adjusted the 'thopter's environment controls to make the cockpit cooler, the air more moist.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe pilot, uncomfortable at having such an important and volatile passenger in his care, nudged the engines to increase speed. He checked the console's map projection again, studied outlines of the desert terrain that spread as far as they could see.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHaving examined the cartographic projections himself, the Baron had been displeased by their lack of detail. How could anyone expect to find his way across this desert scab of a world? How could a planet so vital to the economic stability of the Imperium remain basically uncharted? Yet another failing of his weak younger demibrother, Abulurd.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut Abulurd was gone, and the Baron was in charge. Now that Arrakis is mine, I'll put everything in order. Upon returning to Carthag, he would set people to work drawing up new surveys and maps, if the damned Fremen didn't kill the explorers again or ruin the cartography points.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor forty years, this desert world had been the quasi-fief of House Harkonnen, a political appointment granted by the Emperor, with the blessing of the commercial powerhouse CHOAM—the Combine Honnete Ober Advancer Mercantiles. Though grim and unpleasant, Arrakis was one of the most important jewels in the Imperial crown because of the precious substance it provided.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHowever, upon the death of the Baron's father, Dmitri Harkonnen, the old Emperor had, through some mental deficiency, granted the seat of power to the softhearted Abulurd, who had managed to decimate spice production in a mere seven years. Profits plunged, and he lost control to smugglers and sabotage. In disgrace, the fool had been yanked from his position and sent off without official title to Lankiveil, where even he could do little damage to the self-sustaining whale-fur activities there.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eImmediately upon being granted the governorship, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen had set out to turn Arrakis around. He would make his own mark, erase the legacy of mistakes and bad judgment.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn all the Imperium, Arrakis—a hellhole that some might consider a punishment rather than a reward—was the only known source of the spice melange, a substance worth far more than any precious metal. Here on this parched world, it was worth even more than its weight in water.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWithout spice, efficient space travel would be impossible . . . and without space travel, the Imperium itself would fall. Spice prolonged life, protected health, and added a vigor to existence. The Baron, a moderate user himself, greatly appreciated the way it made him feel. Of course, the spice melange was also ferociously addictive, which kept the price high . . . \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe armored 'thopter flew over a seared mountain range that looked like a broken jawbone filled with rotted teeth. Up ahead the Baron could see a dust cloud extending like an anvil into the sky.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Those are the harvesting operations, m'Lord Baron.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHawklike attack 'thopters grew from black dots in the monochrome sky and swooped toward them. The communicator pinged, and the pilot sent back an identification signal. The paid defenders—mercenaries with orders to keep out unwelcome observers—circled away and took up protective positions in the sky.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSo long as House Harkonnen maintained the illusion of progress and profits, the Spacing Guild didn't need to know about every particular spice find. Nor did the Emperor, nor CHOAM. The Baron would keep the melange for himself and add it to his huge stockpiles.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAfter Abulurd's years of bumbling, if the Baron accomplished even half of what he was capable of, CHOAM and the Imperium would see a vast improvement. If he kept them happy, they wouldn't notice his substantial skim, would never suspect his secret spice stashes. A dangerous stratagem if discovered . . . but the Baron had ways of dealing with prying eyes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs they approached the plume of dust, he took out a pair of binoculars and focused the oil lenses. The magnification permitted him to see the spice factory at work. With its giant treads and enormous cargo capacity, the mechanical monstrosity was incredibly expensive—and worth every solari expended to maintain it. Its excavators kicked up cinnamon-red dust, gray sand, and flint chips as they dug down, scooping up the surface of the desert, sifting for aromatic spice.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMobile ground units ranged across the open sand in the vicinity of the factory, dipping probes beneath the surface, scraping samples, mapping the extent of the buried spice vein. Overhead, heavier machinery borne by jumbo ornithopters circled, waiting. Peripherally, spotter craft cruised up and down the sands with alert watchers searching for the telltale ripples of wormsign. One of the great sandworms of Arrakis could swallow their entire operation whole.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"M'Lord Baron,\" the pilot said and handed the communicator wand over to him, \"the captain of the work crew wishes to speak with you.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"This is your Baron.\" He touched his ear to listen to the pickup. \"Give me an update. How much have you found?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBelow on the sands, the crew captain answered, his voice gruff, his manner annoyingly unimpressed with the importance of the man to whom he was speaking. \"Ten years working spice crews, and this deposit's beyond anything I've ever seen. Trouble is, it's buried deep. Normally, you know, we find the spice exposed by the elements. This time it's densely concentrated, but . . . \"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Baron waited for only a moment. \"Yes, what is it?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Something strange going on here, sir. Chemically, I mean. We've got carbon dioxide leaking from below, some sort of a bubble beneath us. The harvester's digging through outer layers of sand to get at the spice, but there's also water vapor.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Water vapor!\" Such a thing was unheard-of on Arrakis, where the moisture content of the air was nearly unmeasurable, even on the best of days.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Could have stumbled on an ancient aquifer, sir. Maybe buried under a cap of rock.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Baron had never imagined finding running water beneath the surface of Arrakis. Quickly he considered the possibilities of exploiting a free-flowing water resource by selling it to the populace. That was sure to upset the existing water merchants, who had grown too swollen with self-importance anyway.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis basso voice rumbled. \"Do you think it's contaminating the spice somehow?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Not able to say, sir,\" said the crew captain. \"Spice is strange stuff, but I've never seen a pocket like this before. It doesn't seem . . . right somehow.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Baron looked over at the 'thopter pilot. \"Contact the spotters. See if they've picked up any wormsign yet.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"No wormsign, m'Lord,\" the pilot said, scanning the reply. The Baron noticed sparkles of sweat on the man's forehead.The epic prequel to the classic novel","brand":"Del Rey","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46302034690277,"sku":"NP9780593159606","price":11.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780593159606.jpg?v=1767725758","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/dune-house-atreides-isbn-9780593159606","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}