The Pandora Sequence

After Dune these are my three favourite Herbert books in one.There is a prequel but it has aged unlike these three. The opus is difficult to understand completely on the first read but subsequent reads reveal more detail hidden there. Also the "poetic" side of it starts to mesh and make it the great work that it is.Don't be put off by any religious preconceptions, it's not about religion as such.

Good story but some of the terms used set the era - would have been better to use some generic words.

I was afraid that 3 books merged into a single volume might prove to be a disaster - from the "sturdiness" point of view -, and that this volume might not survive a reading and fall apart. I am glad to say that I was wrong. It's a well designed volume, and totally worth the money. Needless to add anything about the author or the plot :)

it's a blessing that all 3 books are in one, great idea and amazing price for a timeless piece!

Frank Herbert is probably the greatest serious Sci-Fi writer of them all. These books don't let him down.

With Herbet's work, I feel he dumps me in a completely alien environment and then expects me to catch up as it goes along. Ran out of patience very quickly.

Very dated

Difficult to follow. Seemed self indulgent, poor entertainment and slow plot line. Not reccommended.

It was a pleasure to read, I liked it as much as Dune

Somehow I ended up reading the second book of this set(The Lazarus Effect) by itself when I was in high school, and it was one of my favorites as a standalone sci-fi adventure. Aftwerwards I moved on to the Dune series and loved each entry, and now I have the benefit of seeing the scope of Herbert's ideas and the context of that one adventure set in its proper order.I recommend picking up Destination: Void, as it sets up the Pandora Sequence with some of the characters and plotlines carrying over or being referenced. It's also a damn good read that makes you think about what constitutes sentience. Going into The Jesus Incident(first in this set), it's very clear what kind of havoc the characters of Destination: Void have unleashed, and it's a harrowing story about how humanity destroys the one planet that can support them out of ignorance, greed, and defiance of their deity. Moving forward to The Lazarus Effect, it has been generations since, and the world of Pandora has evolved in a way that divides humanity. It tackles issues of race, class, and the misinterpretation of scripture (notably in one chapter that I found hilarious and ironic if the situation were applied to real religions here). It also has an action-filled plotline that sells the stakes on a personal level as the characters muse on what the situations mean to them.I've seen other reviews of the last book, The Ascension Factor, and I have to agree that it doesn't quite live up to the rest of the series, particularly since it was finished after Frank Herbert's death. It goes in a direction that I feel wasn't quite right for the preceding stories, and I'm personally disappointed at how it handles references to the previous books' characters. Nonetheless, it is still decent sci-fi that inhabits that same incredibly fleshed-out world and continues the trend of telling the story from the perspective of a later generation.Overall as a collection, The Pandora Sequence is a fantastic read, though I do caution that it is hefty in word count and the ideas presented on the pages. I honestly wish that it garners a following much like the Dune series.

The first two novels are fantastic, great ideas, imagery, insights. Had it ended with the end h in the second book it would be a solid five stars from me. The third novel is flawed and a slog to read but there is Some great psychedelic events that might make it worth your time

A wonderfully intricate, literate trilogy that imagines an alternative planet for humanity and an expanded appreciation for what is human being, as well as what is sentient life and the connections between the two. Even now, 30 years after I first read it, the Pandora sequence inspires hope for struggling humanity and the difference that each person can make.

So far it seems like a great read ( book one)