History Literature / PreludeToDune

* Dune: House Atreides (1999)
* Dune: House Harkonnen (2000)
* Dune: House Corrino (2001)

->''Like many culinary delicacies, revenge is a dish best savored slowly, after long and delicate preparation.''

!!The Prelude to Dune trilogy contains examples of:

--> ''Like many culinary delicacies, revenge is a dish best savored slowly, after long and delicate preparation.''

* MutuallyAssuredDestruction: [[spoiler: The stalemate House Harkonnen and the Bene Gesserit end up in during the second novel. Each faction has blackmail they can use to destroy the other, but doing so will bring down the other side's leverage and destroy both groups.]]

* HundredPercentAdorationRating: House Atreides is portrayed as having this on their native Caladan, and have for generations. This more or less contradicts the original series.

* YouHaveFailedMe: [[spoiler:For killing the Richese scientist who developed the no-technology that they couldn't replicate on their own, along with losing the only no-ship they had in a reckless attack, the Baron exiles Rabban]].

* HaveYouToldAnyoneElse: [[spoiler: [[TooDumbToLive Chobin]] when the Harkonnens ask if anyone else has knows about his development of the No-Ship technology. Also gets deconstructed afterwards as Piter De Vries points out that perhaps they should have tested and ensured the technology actually works ''before'' employing this Trope -- a concern that is borne out in the next novel when they're not only unable to replicate the No-Ship technology, but also lose it after Rabban goes LeeroyJenkens with the Bene Gesserit.]]

* FatBastard: Initially subverted with Baron Harkonnen, who at this point in the ''Dune'' timeline is a fit aristocrat in the prime of his health and physique. How he [[ForegoneConclusion becomes]] the familiar obese oligarch of the original novel is a subplot running through the Trilogy. [[spoiler: His Fat Bastard status is also retconned to be a performance of intentional overindulgence meant to conceal the debilitating disease Mohiam infected him with during ''House Atreides''. If his condition gets out, it'll weaken his standing in the Landsraad and could get him ousted as head of House Harkonnen.]]

[[caption-width-right:345:These are not the inconsistencies you're looking for...]]

Note: While Brian will later claim that the latter two books were informed by Frank Herbert's notes, ''Dune: House Atreides'' was written before Frank's notes were supposedly found and most of the plot threads for the whole story of the trilogy were setup in the first book. The series also contains many inconsistencies with Frank Herbert's original works, including but not limited to Paul not being born on Caladan when it's stated he was in the original books.(Herbert and Anderson ret-conned this as Princess Irulan being an {{UnreliableNarrator}}.
----

* {{Foreshadowing}}: The vision of the future Enemy that Navigator D'murr Pilru has during ''House Corrino''. [[spoiler: The Navigator specifically calls them an ''ancient'' Enemy. This is the first clue for the reveal of ''Hunters of Dune'': That the Enemy is actually a reborn Thinking Machine Empire.]]

* PragmaticVillainy: Hasimir Fenring. While in House Atreides he acts like the kind of assassin who kills people [[ForTheEvulz for fun]][[note]]he justifies it with "keeping in practice"[[/note]], in the later books he becomes much more benign. He tries to keep the emperor as reasonable as possible, at least until the Amal plan is completed.
** [[spoiler: This Trope also saves Wellington Yueh from Baron Harkonnen's wrath (at least until the original ''Dune''). Despite the risk of news of his condition getting out (along with the humiliation of Yueh's examination), even the Baron knows better to kill a Suk Medical Doctor and risk making an enemy of the Great School. Besides, his ultimate target of revenge now is the Bene Gesserit for infecting him.]]

* SavedByCanon: Cleverly subverted with [[spoiler: Piter De Vries. Given his role in the original novel, the reader expects he'll survive the events of the Trilogy (and the bloody climax of ''House Corrino'')...only for Piter be killed during his attempted abduction of the infant Paul. The reveal thus is that the Piter of ''Duine'' is actually a Tlielaxu Ghola commissioned by the Baron to replace his Mentat. This reveal also explains why Piter discovers Jessica's true parentage earlier in ''House Corrino'', but doesn't know it in the original novel).]]

* SavedByCanon: Cleverly subverted with [[spoiler: Piter De Vries. Given his role in the original novel, the reader expects he'll survive the events of the Trilogy...only for Piter be killed during his attempted abduction of the infant Paul. The reveal thus is that the Piter of ''Duine'' is actually a Tlielaxu Ghola commissioned by the Baron (which also explains why Piter discovers Jessica's true parentage in this novel, but doesn't know it in the original novel).]]

* ProductionForeshadowing: Since ''Legends of Dune'' was in pre-development during ''Prelude'', Herbert and Anderson plant seeds for key players and events that would explore in that Trilogy.

* ProductionForeshadowing: Since the ''Legends of Dune'' Trilogy was in pre-development during ''Prelude'', Herbert and Anderson planted seeds for key players and events to come.

* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil:

* HaveYouToldAnyoneElse: [[spoiler: [[TooDumbToLive Chobin]] when the Harkonnens ask if anyone else has knows about his development of the No-Ship technology. Also gets deconstructed afterwards as Piter De Vries points out that perhaps they should have tested and ensured the technology actually works ''before'' employing this Trope -- a concern that is borne out in the next novel when it's noted they've been unable to replicate the No-Ship technology.]]

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: The aftermath of Leo's trial after the attack on the Tleilaxu delegation in the first novel. While he's legally acquitted the clear thanks to Shaddam's influence, he's never ''technically'' cleared for the actual crime. So even decades later, a decent chunk of the Landsraad still thinks he did it (much to Leo's chagrin as it impugns his personal honor). The Tleilaxu certainty still think he did it and refuse to forget or forgive (or even consider he ''was'' telling the truth and it ''was'' a frame-up).

* FatBastard: Initially subverted with Baron Harkonnen, who at this point in the ''Dune'' timeline is a fit aristocrat in the prime of his health and physique. How he [[ForegoneConclusion becomes]] the familiar obese oligarch of the original novel is a subplot running through the Trilogy.

** The Harkonnen attempt to [[spoiler: frame Leto in the first novel for an attack on a Teilaxu delegation on the eve of Shaddam's coronation. They hope to cripple their ancestral enemies and the Teilaxu before Project Amal can be completed (and ruin the financial income from Arrakis). It fails due to unanticipated intervention from the the Bene Gesserit and not only does Project Amal remain intact, but the exoneration begins Leto's familiar reputation, integrity, and popularity.]]

* NiceJobFixingItVillain: [[spoiler: Rabban's [[LeeroyJenkins impulsive]] and disastrous attack on Wallach IX during ''Dune: House Harkonnen''. He loses the House's only No-Ship and its technology to the Bene Gesserit and undermines the Baron's bargaining position. Worse, it also gives the witches the evidence to confirm their longstanding suspicions about who really attacked the Teilaxu delegation and framed Leto in ''Dune: House Atreides''. This gives them enough blackmail leverage to trump the Baron's own blackmail leverage. Scant wonder the Baron beats the ever-living crap out of his nephew and banishes him from Geidi Prime once Rabban's returned.]]

* DepravedHomosexual: The Baron, just as in the original novel. [[spoiler: This ironically ends up being a plot point in ''House Harkonnen'' after Wellington Yueh examines the Baron and diagnoses his disease as an STD originating from a ''female'' sexual partner. The Baron is obviously confused and doesn't understand how that's possible...then instantly realizes it could only have been the Bene Gesserit over a decade earlier during the events of ''House Atreides'']].
* DramaticIrony: [[spoiler: After treating the Baron's deteriorating condition in the second novel, Wellington Yueh hopes he never has to deal with the Harkonnens ever again.]]

* NiceJobFixingItVillain: [[spoiler: Rabban's [[LeeroyJenkins impulsive]] and disastrous attack on Wallach IX during ''Dune: House Harkonnen''. He loses the House's only No-Ship and its technology to the Bene Gesserit and undermines the Baron's bargaining position. Worse, it also gives the witches the evidence to confirm their longstanding suspicious about who really attacked the Teilaxu delegation and framed Leto in ''Dune: House Atreides''. This gives them enough blackmail leverage to trump the Baron's own blackmail leverage. Scant wonder the Baron beats the ever-living crap out of his nephew and banishes him from Geidi Prime once Rabban's returned.]]

* NiceJobFixingItVillain:: [[spoiler: Rabban's [[LeeroyJenkins impulsive]] and disastrous attack on Wallach IX during ''House Harkonnen''. He loses the House's only No-Ship and its technology to the Bene Gesserit and undermines the Baron's bargaining position. Worse, it also gives the Witches the evidence to confirm their longstanding suspicious about who really attacked the Teilaxu delegation and framed Leto in ''Dune: House Atreides''. Scant wonder the Baron beats the ever-living crap out of his nephew and banishes him from Geidi Prime once he gets him back.]]

* NiceJobFixingItVillian:: [[spoiler: Rabban's [[LeeroyJenkins impulsive]] and disastrous attack on Wallach IX during ''House Harkonnen''. He loses the House's only No-Ship and its technology to the Bene Gesserit and undermines the Baron's bargaining position. Worse, it also gives the Witches the evidence to confirm their longstanding suspicious about who really attacked the Teilaxu delegation and framed Leto in ''Dune: House Atreides''. Scant wonder the Baron beats the ever-living crap out of his nephew and banishes him from Geidi Prime once he gets him back.]]