Dune: House Atreides

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.

As 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.

Hellish place.

The 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.

But the spice harvesting must take precedence. Always. Especially a huge strike such as the one his spotters had reported.

In 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.

"How much farther?" He looked sideways at the pilot, who had been showing signs of nervousness.

"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."

The 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.

The Baron relaxed into his seat and quelled his impatience. He was

Brian Herbert is the son of legendary science fiction author Frank Herbert and has written the definitive biography of him, Dreamer of Dune, a finalist for the Hugo Award. He has also written many highly imaginative novels, including The Timeweb Chronicles, the ecological fantasy Ocean (with his wife, Jan), The Little Green Book of Chairman Rahma, The Unborn, and The Assassination of Billy Jeeling. His earlier acclaimed novels include The Stolen Gospels, Sudanna, Sudanna, and Sidney s Comet, as well as Man of Two Worlds (written with his father). Brian Herbert also co-manages the legacy of Frank Herbert and is an executive producer of the new motion picture Dune and the forthcoming TV series Dune: The Sisterhood. He and his wife live in Seattle, Washington.
 
Kevin J. Anderson has written in many genres: science fiction, epic fantasy, suspense/thriller, and humor. He is best known for his work in the Star Wars, X-Files, Batman, and Superman universes, as well as the space opera The Saga of Seven Suns; the epic fantasy Spine of the Dragon; his humorous Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series; and two steampunk fantasy adventures, Clockwork Angels and Clockwork Lives, written with legendary Rush drummer and lyricist Neil Peart. Anderson is creative consultant on the new Legendary motion picture of Dune and is co-producer of the forthcoming TV series Dune: The Sisterhood. He is the publisher of WordFire Press and also professor and director of the publishing MA program at Western Colorado University.
 
Together, Herbert and Anderson have written numerous international bestselling novels set in the universe of Frank Herbert s Dune, as well as the definitive graphic novel adaptation of the classic Dune. They are the authors of an original epic science fiction trilogy, Hellhole, Hellhole Awakening,

Dune: House Atreides 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. Dean Koontz

Every bit as complex as the original Dune novels. St. Petersburg Times