Books like Dune
30 fantasy books to read after Dune, by Herbert, Frank, the closest match first.
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Dune Chronicles book 2
1. Dune Messiah
by Herbert, Frank
- Same series
- Same author
Twelve years after the events of Dune, Paul Atreides rules the known universe as Emperor, and his Fremen warriors have carried a holy war across the stars. He sees what...
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Dune Chronicles book 3
2. Children Of Dune
by Herbert, Frank
- Same series
- Same author
Fifteen thousand years after Leto II's death, the remnants of the Bene Gesserit contend with the ruthless leaders of an alien culture to forge a new civilization and preserve the...
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Dune Chronicles book 4
3. God Emperor Of Dune
by Herbert, Frank
- Same series
- Same author
Leto II, God Emperor of Dune, trades his humanity for immortality and becomes the magnificent sandworm of Dune in a desperate attempt to save humankind.
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Dune Chronicles book 5
4. Heretics Of Dune
by Herbert, Frank
- Same series
- Same author
Thousands of years after the death of God Emperor Leto II, the Bene Gesserit and the Bene Tleilax struggle to direct the future of Dune, now called Rakis
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Dune Chronicles book 6
5. Chapterhouse: Dune
by Herbert, Frank
- Same series
- Same author
Fifteen thousand years after Leto II's death, the remnants of the Bene Gesserit contend with the ruthless leaders of an alien culture to forge a new civilization and preserve the...
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Dune Chronicles book 7
6. Hunters Of Dune
by Herbert, Frank
- Same series
- Same author
Fleeing from the monstrous Honored Matres - dark counterparts of the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood - Duncan Idaho, the military genius Bashar Miles Teg, a woman named Sheeana who can talk...
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Dune Chronicles book 8
7. Sandworms Of Dune
by Herbert, Frank
- Same series
- Same author
As the no-ship Ithaca flees through space, the heroes of HUNTERS OF DUNE finally meet the Enemy who followed the violent fanatics, the Honored Matres, back to their universe. The...
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Dune Chronicles book 7
8. Hunters Of Dune
by Herbert, Frank
- Same series
- Same author
Hunters of Dune and the concluding volume, Sandworms of Dune, bring together the great story lines and beloved characters in Frank Herbert's classic Dune universe, ranging from the time of...
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The Ender Quintet book 1 Start here
9. Ender's Game (1986)
by Card, Orson Scott
- On the same lists
The first in a famous series that seems to become more literary as its characters age. Follows a child prodigy and in the process makes the reader think about war, the means to war, and even loneliness.
Earth has survived two invasions by an insect-like alien race, and the International Fleet is training the most gifted children to lead the next defence. Six-year-old Andrew "Ender" Wiggin is...
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Ringworld book 1 Start here
10. Ringworld (1971)
by Niven, Larry
- On the same lists
One of the most famous books of the genre, that follows the pros and cons of living on a spinning ring instead of a round planet. The fact that makes this book so famous is that after the author’s ideas were proven impracticable, he wrote a sequel explaining the inadequacies.
In the year 2850, Louis Wu turns 200 and is bored with life. Then a two-headed alien Puppeteer called Nessus offers him a job: join a small expedition to a...
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11. Foundation
by Asimov, Isaac
- On the same lists
Some softer elements, like FTL and antigrav cars, but otherwise a rational series.
Book Flap Description One of the great masterworks of science fiction, the Foundation novels of Isaac Asimov are unsurpassed for their unique blend of nonstop action, daring ideas, and extensive...
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Takeshi Kovacs book 1 Start here
12. Altered Carbon
by Morgan, Richard K.
- On the same lists
Humans can transfer their conciousness into new bodies. This sets up a detective style story about a murder.
After dying in a particularly gruesome death, ex UN-envoy Takeshi Kovacs wakes up to find himself "re-sleeved" into a fresh body with a job offer: find who killed Laurens Bancroft...
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The Forever War book 1 Start here
13. The Forever War (1976)
by Haldeman, Joe
- On the same lists
In this novel, time travel is a kind of side effect of space travel at near light speeds.
William Mandella is a physics student drafted into an elite force to fight an alien enemy on the far side of the galaxy. Travel between the front lines takes a...
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14. Red Rising (not Magic, But Hunger Games Survival Meets School Setting With Some Fantasy Elements)
by Brown, Pierce
- On the same lists
Books in this sub-genre focus almost entirely on magic, but Red Rising stands in stark contrast to that. Part dystopia, part sci-fi fantasy, Red Risingfocuses on the story of a...
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Oxford Time Travel book 2
15. Blackout/all Clear (2011)
by Willis, Connie
- On the same lists
BLackout / All Clear by Connie Willis won the 2011 Nebula Award for Best Novel.
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16. Annihilation
by Vandermeer, Jeff
- On the same lists
An expedition enters the strange, shifting Area X and does not come back the same, a weird-fiction Nebula winner.
Annihilation won the 2015 Nebula Award for Best Novel. It beat out the following nominees to win:The Goblin Emperor Trial by Fire Ancillary Sword The Three-Body Problem Coming Home
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17. The Book Of Lost Things
by Connolly, John
- On the same lists
This book makes the list for its unique focus on psychology inside of the sub-genre. Connolly tells the story of a child so lost in books and darkness that he...
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18. Starship Troopers
by Heinlein, Robert A.
- On the same lists
The world government in this future Earth is run by veterans and citizens must earn the right to vote and hold public office with federal service.
Book Flap Description A recruit of the future goes through the toughest boot camp in the universe and into battle with the Terran Mobile Infantry against humankind's most frightening enemy. ...
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19. The Last Unicorn
by Beagle, Peter S.
- On the same lists
A beautiful, beautiful tale that will haunt you for the rest of your life. It's a simple story with a hell of a lot of heart. There's a good reason...
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20. American Gods
by Gaiman, Neil
- On the same lists
Neil Gaiman is an ever-popular writer who's branched into cinema, comics, and books. Quite a few people will argue that Neverwhere or Stardust is better than American Gods, but I...
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21. Codex Alera
by Butcher, Jim
- On the same lists
While some of the books on this list offer a fresh take on the classics, Jim Butcher creates something entirely new. It began on a writer's workshop board during an...
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Bloodsounder's Arc book 1 Start here
22. Scourge Of The Betrayer
by Salyards, Jeff
- On the same lists
This novel is dark fantasy down to the core, bringing a refreshing tone and plenty of room for development. It's told not from the eyes of the protagonist but the...
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Shattered Sea book 2
23. Half The World
by Abercrombie, Joe
- On the same lists
Abercrombie kicked off his Shattered Sea series with the award-winning Half a King, but his second novel approaches true mastery. Half the World picks up many years after the first,...
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24. Nation
by Pratchett, Terry
- On the same lists
Pratchett's immensely successful Discworld gets the most attention of his works, but amongst those works lie unrelated novels that deserve even more praise. Nation is one of those, and may...
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Nightrunner book 2
25. Stalking Darkness
by Flewelling, Lynn
- On the same lists
Flewelling's series takes place in the medieval country of Skala and presents a near-perfect sword and sorcery experience. It details the growth of Alec, saved from prison by Seregil, a...
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26. Seventh Son
by Card, Orson Scott
- On the same lists
This series is part Fantasy and part Alternate History and takes place after the American Revolutionary War. Supernatural powers are simply a part of life. The main character has tremendous powers.
Orson Scott Card is best known for his immensely popular Ender's Game series, but he hasn't just tried his hand at the sci-fi genre. Card markets Alvin Maker as a...
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27. The Cycle Of Fire
by Wurts, Janny
- On the same lists
The Cycle of Fire is another one of those classic series. The world is in danger, and three children are its only chance of survival. It's a popular plot line,...
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28. Magician
by Feist, Raymond E.
- On the same lists
It's really hard to go wrong with a good magician's apprentice story, but Raymond Feist manages to push beyond that with an epic scale and several new elements. Magician is...
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29. Song Of The Lioness
by Pierce, Tamora
- On the same lists
Tamora Pierce's Lioness series manages to touch on difficult issues without ever preaching them. Through Alanna, she explores both feminist and gender identity issues while weaving an epic story of...
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30. The Troupe
by Bennett, Robert Jackson
- On the same lists
Vaudeville: mad, mercenary, dreamy, and absurd, a world of clashing cultures and ferocious showmanship and wickedly delightful deceptions. But sixteen-year-old pianist George Carole has joined vaudeville for one reason only:...
Matches come from series and authors, from the lists the books share, and from the books readers open together. They are rebuilt every night. Back to Dune.
The shortlist
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