Frank Herbert’s Dune series is a hefty one to get into, but one that’s very much worth giving a go if you’re at all into sci-fi. The books tell a very long and sprawling tale that goes beyond most other sci-fi series, but it pays to read it in order to have the best experience.
Regardless of whether you’ve been playing a Dune game, have watched the movies, or just know about the novels and want to give them a try, there’s a reason Frank Herbert told this epic story in a specific order. However, Herbert’s son, Brian Herbert, and Kevin J. Anderson have also contributed to the series with prequels and expansions of the universe. Not all Dune fans enjoy these books, and they definitely impact the reading orders you could use. That’s why I’ve offered a few of them below.
How to read Frank Herbert’s Dune series in order
Frank Herbert carefully crafted the first six books in the Dune series, though many fans know he had a seventh planned based on notes found for it, the conclusion of the sixth, and hints throughout each book. These are the books that started it all, and they’re what I recommend everyone reads if they want to get into the series and read the story that sparked so many people’s imaginations.
- Dune – Frank Herbert (1965)
- Dune Messiah – Frank Herbert (1969)
- Children of Dune – Frank Herbert (1976)
- God Emperor of Dune – Frank Herbert (1981)
- Heretics of Dune – Frank Herbert (1984)
- Chapterhouse: Dune – Frank Herbert (1985)
If you enjoy these books and want to dip into the other novels that have been added to the universe over time, the next two reading lists allow you to do so and show where they fit with these original six.
The entire Dune series in order of publication
This reading order features every Dune book, including those written by authors other than Frank Herbert, in order of publication. Outside of the original six, this is the order in which I’d recommend reading the books because it’s going to be the best way to digest every extra bit of information about the universe.
- Dune – Frank Herbert (1965)
- Dune Messiah – Frank Herbert (1969)
- Children of Dune – Frank Herbert (1976)
- God Emperor of Dune – Frank Herbert (1981)
- Heretics of Dune – Frank Herbert (1984)
- Chapterhouse: Dune – Frank Herbert (1985)
- House Atreides – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (1999)
- House Harkonnen – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2000)
- House Corrino – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2001)
- The Butlerian Jihad – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2002)
- The Machine Crusade – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2003)
- The Battle of Corrin – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2004)
- Hunters of Dune – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2006)
- Sandworms of Dune – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2007)
- Paul of Dune – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2008)
- The Winds of Dune – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2009)
- Sisterhood of Dune – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2012)
- Mentats of Dune – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2014)
- Navigators of Dune – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2016)
- The Duke of Caladan – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2020)
- The Lady of Caladan – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2021)
- The Heir of Caladan – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2022)
- Princess of Dune – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2023)
- Sands of Dune – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2024)
The way I see it, every book released in the Dune series uses the knowledge of what was available before it. So, even if a book is a prequel, it’s based on every book that’s been released so far at the time of publication. I’d say that means you need to know everything the authors did at the time so you don’t miss out on the more subtle elements of the storytelling.
The entire Dune series in chronological order
This last order is a controversial one. Some Dune fans don’t see the books outside of Frank Herbert’s original six as canonical. I don’t think you should let that influence you, though. Instead, you should read them and then decide for yourself. The list below is the chronological order of every Dune book.
- The Butlerian Jihad – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2002)
- The Machine Crusade – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2003)
- The Battle of Corrin – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2004)
- Sisterhood of Dune – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2012)
- Mentats of Dune – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2014)
- Navigators of Dune – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2016)
- House Atreides – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (1999)
- House Harkonnen – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2000)
- House Corrino – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2001)
- Princess of Dune – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2023)
- The Duke of Caladan – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2020)
- The Lady of Caladan – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2021)
- The Heir of Caladan – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2022)
- Dune – Frank Herbert (1965)
- Paul of Dune – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2008)
- Dune Messiah – Frank Herbert (1969)
- The Winds of Dune – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2009)
- Children of Dune – Frank Herbert (1976)
- God Emperor of Dune – Frank Herbert (1981)
- Heretics of Dune – Frank Herbert (1984)
- Chapterhouse: Dune – Frank Herbert (1985)
- Hunters of Dune – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2006)
- Sandworms of Dune – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2007)
- Sands of Dune – Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2024)
The strongest argument I’ve seen against reading in this order is that the writing is much less complex in the prequel novels, making the jump to Frank Herbert’s work feel jarring.
A note on Sands of Dune: I’ve included it at the bottom of this list because it’s a novella and collection of three stories set in underexplored parts of this universe. I think you should read it if you’re trying to read every book, but it’s hard to say exactly where it should fit in the chronological order.
