Sisterhood of Dune

This shallow but fun blend of space opera and dynastic soap opera, the latest wing on the sprawling edifice that Frank Herbert’s son and Anderson have built on the foundation of the original Dune novels, zips along faster than light. Humans have defeated cybernetic tyrants and now are torn between rejection of all technology and using machines to improve their lives. Raquella Berto-Anirul, first Reverend Mother of the Sisterhood that will become the Bene Gesserit, is determined to help women develop their potential, even if that means using forbidden computers to monitor a long-term human breeding program. The narrative is broken into short, jazzy chapters studded with familiar names like Atreides, Harkonnen, and Arrakis that will grab the attention of longtime Dune fans. The authors emphasize that any set of ideals can evolve into fanaticism; later installments will presumably enumerate the consequences. Agent: Trident Media Group. (Jan.)