George R. R. Martin says the later Dune books failed to impress him

It should come as no surprise that George R. R. Martin is a voracious reader who takes particular pleasure in the genre of fantasy. He is a Tolkien Nerd and also enjoys the work of many other authors like Robert A. Heinlein and Roger Zelazny.

Recently, George R. R. Martin lauded fellow author Frank Herbert’s “magnum opus,” Dune. Martin’s admiration for these authors showcases his discerning taste and avid reading habits.

George R. R. Martin on Dune

In a recent interview with Dominic Noble, George R. R. Martin was asked to pick a book to discuss prior to the interview. After a  thorough analysis, he landed on “Nine Princes in Amber” by Roger Zelazny. He had this to say regarding the choice he was tasked with:

“It was a very difficult choice when you asked me to pick a book because I like a lot of books and a lot of authors.”

Then Martin mentioned other prominent authors whose books he had enjoyed, like Jack Vance and finally, Frank Herbert and Dune:

“You know, there were authors like Frank Herbert, Dune. Herbert wrote a number of books, but the only thing anybody remembers is doing Dune (it) was clearly his magnum opus, his Masterpiece.”

Martin compared Frank Herbert to other authors

Martin then drew a comparison between Herbert and other writers like Jack Vance and Rose Leslie:

“He wrote several Dune books, and then he wrote some other books that nobody really remembers. If you’re going to do Frank Herbert, you’re going to do Dune. Writers like Jack Vance and Rose Leslie are more difficult because they wrote a lot of great books, and it’s hard to pick just one.”

It’s no secret that the novel Dune has been turned into a film series, with the sequel due out later this year.

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George R. R. Martin says Dune books weren’t one of his favourites

On his website Not A Blog, Martin mentioned in a comment that the Dune books weren’t his favourite. Martin said that the first book in the Dune series was the best one by far, and that the sequel Dune Messiah was good as well. However, he says that he did not enjoy the books that followed it. Martin commented:

“DUNE is a classic work, but I obviously like it much more than you do… but I can’t say it was ever one of my favorites. Not even the first volume, which is far and away the best. DUNE MESSIAH, the first sequel, was pretty good as well… but after that, not so much. Whether by Herbert himself or by other hands, the later DUNEs failed to impress me.”

J.R.R. Tolkien disliked Dune

J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of The Lord of the Rings series, was not particularly fond of Dune either. Evidence of this is reflected in an unpublished letter by Tolkien to John Bush in 1966. In the letter, Tolkien wrote:

“Thank you for sending me a copy of Dune. I received one last year from Lanier and so already know something about the book. It is impossible for an author still writing to be fair to another author working along the same lines. At least I find it so. In fact I dislike DUNE with some intensity, and in that unfortunate case it is much the best and fairest to another author to keep silent and refuse to comment. Would you like me to return the book as I already have one, or to hand it on?”