Throughout the Dune novels, Frank Herbert frequently referred to the war in which humans wrested their freedom from “thinking machines.”
In DUNE: THE BUTLERIAN JIHAD, Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson bring to life the story of that war, a tale previously seen only in tantalizing hints and clues. Finally, we see how Serena Butler’s passionate grief ignites the struggle that will liberate humans from their machine masters; here is the amazing tale of the Zensunni Wanderers, who escape bondage to flee to the desert world where they will declare themselves the Free Men of Dune. And here is the backward, nearly forgotten planet of Arrakis, where traders have discovered the remarkable properties of the spice melange…
Picked by Publishers Weekly as one the two bestselling Science Fiction novels of 2002, DUNE: THE BUTLERIAN JIHAD reached the top ten bestseller lists across the country and became a nationwide bestseller.
Macmillan Audio released an unabridged CD on September 24, 2002. Narrator Scott Brick won the coveted “Audie” award for best recorded book in the science fiction category. Brian and Jan Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta all attended the awards ceremony, and Brian and Kevin also presented an Audie to Neil Gaiman in another category.