Dune

Book 1. An awesome story with small awesome ideas, but the big ideas aren't complete yet. Worth reading if you want a good story set in a universe that hasn't been duplicated. Yet is highly realistic.

Dune Messiah and Children of Dune

Books 2 and 3. Should be one book, as it's the same story. Finishes a longer story arc started in book 1. It's a good story arc. Not many new small ideas, but some of the big ideas are now complete. At this point it becomes awesome sci-fi in that make you think philosophical sort of way.

God Emperor of Dune

Book 4. zomg what a slog. I get its place in the series, and it needs to be there, but it could have been 50 pages not 400.

Actually this one is possibly my favorite. Only the 'B' story is a slog for me (the Siona story). I also think this is much more strongly linked to Children of Dune than you think it is; I can hardly imagine seeing Leto's transformation in book 3 and not want to see what it results in during book 4.

Heretics of Dune

This one I could take or leave, honestly, but book six is more comprehensible if you've read it.

Book 5. Back to being a great story in and of its self, without having to delve into philosophy and sociology in order to make it worth it. Yet, you start to realize that Herbert is playing with giant sociology ideas over thousands upon thousands of years. It gets interesting again in a big way, but also makes for a good story read.

Chapterhouse Dune

Book 6. Just came in the mail today. I remember none of this book from when I was young. I'm not positive I made it through.

Overall, I think the stopping points are the following:

• Book one, full stop. It's a complete story that you can walk away from.
  
• Book three, full stop. Also a complete story that you can walk away from.
  
• Book six? I might have to get back to people on this :)

Given a persons commitment to sci-fi, and how much they enjoyed the ideas presented in books 1-3, I'd suggest they keep going. My wife for example I told to read book 1 so that she understood me better, but wouldn't recommend she personally read the rest. My brother on the other hand shall be tar and feathered if he doesn't finish the series with me :)

Also worth noting you can stop after the books actually authored by Frank Herbert and skip those written by his son. No offense to him, but they are not nearly as good.

Halo doesn't have the same utopian and sexual revolution politics, but at the core they are both giant space romps.

All hail the space romp!

-- Steve'll probably be refuelling his Duna expedition's mothership (above) in Ike orbit tonight.

I don't think it's much like Kerbel Space Program other than being about spaceships, but I've put quite a few hours into it over the last year. Pretty fun!

Ha... that's the other game at the top of my "must buy" list!

FYI, it definitely doesn't need a good PC -- its on lots of best iPad strategy games lists. I play it on my PC when work is slow... turn-based games are great for work.

I don't think it's much like Kerbel Space Program other than being about spaceships, but I've put quite a few hours into it over the last year. Pretty fun!

Ha... that's the other game at the top of my "must buy" list!

PS: my greatest game time-suck right now is Kerbal Space Program, and I think it was HBOers enthusing over it that got me to give it a try come to think of it.

You too? KSP has become my 2nd addiction (Destiny, of course, is my current first).

I've been thinking about buying a few games now that I finally have a PC capable of running them (yay surface pro 3!), and KSP is at the top of my list. Might have to take the plunge :)

PS: my greatest game time-suck right now is Kerbal Space Program, and I think it was HBOers enthusing over it that got me to give it a try come to think of it.

You too? KSP has become my 2nd addiction (Destiny, of course, is my current first).

Do you all have examples of DBO doing this to you?

Earendil convinced me to read Dune. Now I'm on the 2nd book…

I'm in the middle of the 5th book. And if there is one thing I've learned from Dune is that compared to Frank Herbert, I'm dumb as shit.

PS: my greatest game time-suck right now is Kerbal Space Program, and I think it was HBOers enthusing over it that got me to give it a try come to think of it.

I really want to try this one out. Although I also have to play Deus Ex after hearing so many things about it from one individual.

-- Steve has more games than time right now.

PS: my greatest game time-suck right now is Kerbal Space Program, and I think it was HBOers enthusing over it that got me to give it a try come to think of it.

Do you all have examples of DBO doing this to you?

This morning, the local radio station mentioned a video of a guy recreating every dunk from Space Jam in his office, then getting fired.

I almost drove off the road laughing, convinced that it had to be Paddy

Book 1. An awesome story with small awesome ideas, but the big ideas aren't complete yet. Worth reading if you want a good story set in a universe that hasn't been duplicated. Yet is highly realistic.

Books 2 and 3. Should be one book, as it's the same story. Finishes a longer story arc started in book 1. It's a good story arc. Not many new small ideas, but some of the big ideas are now complete. At this point it becomes awesome sci-fi in that make you think philosophical sort of way.

Book 4. zomg what a slog. I get its place in the series, and it needs to be there, but it could have been 50 pages not 400.

Book 5. Back to being a great story in and of its self, without having to delve into philosophy and sociology in order to make it worth it. Yet, you start to realize that Herbert is playing with giant sociology ideas over thousands upon thousands of years. It gets interesting again in a big way, but also makes for a good story read.

Book 6. Just came in the mail today. I remember none of this book from when I was young. I'm not positive I made it through.

Overall, I think the stopping points are the following:

• Book one, full stop. It's a complete story that you can walk away from.
  
• Book three, full stop. Also a complete story that you can walk away from.
  
• Book six? I might have to get back to people on this :)

Given a persons commitment to sci-fi, and how much they enjoyed the ideas presented in books 1-3, I'd suggest they keep going. My wife for example I told to read book 1 so that she understood me better, but wouldn't recommend she personally read the rest. My brother on the other hand shall be tar and feathered if he doesn't finish the series with me :)

Do you all have examples of DBO doing this to you?

Earendil convinced me to read Dune. Now I'm on the 2nd book…

They are pretty darn good, IMHO, at least up to #5, which I think is Chapterhouse.