There are 26 Dune books in total, according to the most comprehensive sources.
6 books were written by Frank Herbert, the original author, and are considered the core series:
Dune (1965)
Dune Messiah (1969)
Children of Dune (1976)
God Emperor of Dune (1981)
Heretics of Dune (1984)
Chapterhouse: Dune (1985)
The remaining 20 books were written by Brian Herbert (Frank Herbert’s son) and Kevin J. Anderson, continuing and expanding the Dune universe. These include prequels like The Butlerian Jihad trilogy and the Prelude to Dune trilogy, as well as sequels and companion novels.
All 26 books are officially recognized as canon by Herbert Properties LLC, the rights holder.
Here's the confusion: the first book, Dune, has 3 chapters: Dune, Muad'Dib, and The Prophet the first three books: Dune, Dune Messiah, and Children of Dune which are often marketed as a trilogy and were marked as such when the first three came out the next three books: God Emperor of Dune, Dune Heretics, Chapterhouse: Dune, were sold as the second trilogy But, in all, Frank Herbert only wrote 6 [Dune] books total. All the other books are a collaboration with Kevin J. Anderson and Frank Herbert's son, Brian Herbert who wrote a lot of Dune books together. However, based on the various reviews and opinions of this sub, they are significantly lower quality and I personally don't consider them canon. Answer from SsurebreC on reddit.com
Reddit
reddit.com › r/dune › does dune have 3 books or more ?
r/dune on Reddit: Does dune have 3 books or more ?
May 29, 2021 -
Hey I'm new to dune (just finished the first book) and i'm kind of confused , I thought it was a trilogy but there's like 7 of them ? Is it the same author still ?
Top answer 1 of 9
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Here's the confusion: the first book, Dune, has 3 chapters: Dune, Muad'Dib, and The Prophet the first three books: Dune, Dune Messiah, and Children of Dune which are often marketed as a trilogy and were marked as such when the first three came out the next three books: God Emperor of Dune, Dune Heretics, Chapterhouse: Dune, were sold as the second trilogy But, in all, Frank Herbert only wrote 6 [Dune] books total. All the other books are a collaboration with Kevin J. Anderson and Frank Herbert's son, Brian Herbert who wrote a lot of Dune books together. However, based on the various reviews and opinions of this sub, they are significantly lower quality and I personally don't consider them canon.
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Frank Herbert wrote the first 6 and his son wrote the 7th as well as a heck of a lot sub par sequels and prequels. If you are new to Dune I would recommend reading at least the first 4 and holding off on reading the Brian Herbert books if you really enjoy the OG books. Brian Herbert's writing style is vastly different and takes the story and brings them to places that many feel Frank would not.
Esquire
esquire.com › entertainment › books › how to read the dune book series in order
'Dune' Books in Order: How to Read All 26 Novels Chronologically
June 10, 2024 - Read on for a full breakdown of all 26 Dune books, listed here in the order in which they were published.
Wait, how many Dune books are there? | Science Fiction and Fantasy World
I've just finished what I thought was the trilogy omnibus. But not only has the ending not really brought any closure to the story, but now I'm Googling Dune books and finding all kinds of works. I was following the fall of House Atreideis, and Muad-Dib rising to ruler of the Arrakis natives... More on sffworld.com
How many Dune books are there?
6 books written by Frank Herbert, many more written by his son Brian and Kevin J Anderson, but those are quite controversial within the dune fandom for many reasons.
More on reddit.com 22
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May 20, 2019Does dune have 3 books or more ?
Here's the confusion: the first book, Dune, has 3 chapters: Dune, Muad'Dib, and The Prophet the first three books: Dune, Dune Messiah, and Children of Dune which are often marketed as a trilogy and were marked as such when the first three came out the next three books: God Emperor of Dune, Dune Heretics, Chapterhouse: Dune, were sold as the second trilogy But, in all, Frank Herbert only wrote 6 [Dune] books total. All the other books are a collaboration with Kevin J. Anderson and Frank Herbert's son, Brian Herbert who wrote a lot of Dune books together. However, based on the various reviews and opinions of this sub, they are significantly lower quality and I personally don't consider them canon. More on reddit.com
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May 29, 2021How many books should I read of Dune?
Personally, I feel you should try all 6 books, but they are structured in a way that you really can stop at any book. Kinda an open-ended answer, but it really is an open-ended series. Also Books 4 and 6 are among my top 3 sooooooooo More on reddit.com
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September 3, 2020Here's the confusion: the first book, Dune, has 3 chapters: Dune, Muad'Dib, and The Prophet the first three books: Dune, Dune Messiah, and Children of Dune which are often marketed as a trilogy and were marked as such when the first three came out the next three books: God Emperor of Dune, Dune Heretics, Chapterhouse: Dune, were sold as the second trilogy But, in all, Frank Herbert only wrote 6 [Dune] books total. All the other books are a collaboration with Kevin J. Anderson and Frank Herbert's son, Brian Herbert who wrote a lot of Dune books together. However, based on the various reviews and opinions of this sub, they are significantly lower quality and I personally don't consider them canon. Answer from SsurebreC on reddit.com
Videos
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Ultimate Guide to Dune | All Six Books - YouTube
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The Proper Order To Read The Dune Series Books - YouTube
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The Dune Books Reading Order
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Understanding the Many DUNE Books - YouTube
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How To Read Dune Books in The Right Order! - YouTube
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Dune_(franchise)
Dune (franchise) - Wikipedia
5 days ago - Herbert spent the next five years researching, writing, and revising what would eventually become the novel Dune, which was initially serialized in Analog magazine as two shorter works, Dune World (1963) and The Prophet of Dune (1965). The serialized version was expanded and reworked—and rejected by more than 20 publishers—before being published by Chilton Books, a printing house best known for its auto repair manuals, in 1965.
USA Today
usatoday.com › story › entertainment › books › 2024 › 11 › 15 › dune-books-in-order › 76116817007
How many 'Dune' books are there? How to read the Frank Herbert series in order.
April 17, 2025 - The six original “Dune” books are listed in bold:
Amazon
amazon.com › Complete-Messiah-Children-Heretics-Chapterhouse › dp › B07WDM3D5T
Complete Dune Series Set ( 6 Books ) Dune; Dune Messiah; Children of Dune; God Emperor of Dune; Heretics of Dune; Chapterhouse Dune: Frank Herbert: Amazon.com: Books
Complete Dune Series Set ( 6 Books ) Dune; Dune Messiah; Children of Dune; God Emperor of Dune; Heretics of Dune; Chapterhouse Dune [Frank Herbert] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers.
SFF World
sffworld.com › home › forums › books and literature › science fiction
Wait, how many Dune books are there? | Science Fiction and Fantasy World
October 12, 2016 - To answer the original question, there are six and only six Dune novels: Dune, Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, God-Emperor of Dune, Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse Dune. Everything else is grave-robbing fanfiction written for money and in ...
IGN
ign.com › articles › dune-books-in-order
How to Read the Dune Books in Chronological Order - IGN
May 16, 2025 - The Dune series is currently at an astounding 23 novels and counting; spanning 15,000 years. If you're wondering where to start, we're here to help.
Pangobooks
pangobooks.com › blog › dune-reading-order
How to Read the Dune Books in Order
Frank Herbert. Arthur Clark. Robert Heinlein. Explore works by them and more illustrious science fiction writers in this collection, curated by our team · These science fiction and fantasy books have all been adapted into TV shows and movies. Check out these books before you watch the adaptations
Quora
quora.com › How-many-Dune-books-are-there-by-Frank-Herbert
How many Dune books are there by Frank Herbert? - Quora
Answer (1 of 2): Frank Herbert wrote six (6) books in his Dune series. Dune (1965) Dune Messiah (1969) Children Of Dune (1976) God Emperor Of Dune (1981) Heretics Of Dune (1984) Chapterhouse Dune (1985) The Dune novels are creative and imaginative ...
Quora
quora.com › How-many-books-from-The-Dune-franchise-can-be-adapted-to-movies
How many books from The Dune franchise can be adapted to movies? - Quora
Answer (1 of 7): I believe there are currently 23 books in the franchise, including the post-Frank Herbert series, with at least one more in the works. There is also a 3,500-year gap between the end of Children of Dune and the start of God Emperor ...
Town & Country Magazine
townandcountrymag.com › leisure › arts & culture › what is the best order to read all 23 dune books?
How to Read All the Dune Books in Chronological Order
November 15, 2024 - Frank Herbert's OG Dune series has six books; after he died, his son Brian Herbert teamed up with author Kevin J. Anderson to continue the story, and their collaboration has produced 17 more books set within the Dune world—including Sisterhood ...
Quora
quora.com › How-many-books-was-Frank-herbert-supposed-to-write-for-his-saga-DUNE
How many books was Frank herbert supposed to write for his saga 'DUNE'? - Quora
Answer (1 of 2): I recently re-read Frank Herbert’s Dune series in an edition that includes forewords by his son Brian. The forewords are quite eye-opening, about not only their somewhat strained personal relationship, but about the novels themselves. It seems that F.H. had parts of Dune ...
Cbts
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production.cbts.edu - Dune Novels In Order
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Goodreads
goodreads.com › series › 45935-dune
Dune Series by Frank Herbert
Also known as Dune Saga.Dune Universe includes following series:• Legends of Dune• Schools of Dune• Prelude to Dune• The Caladan Trilogy• Dune• He...
Quora
quora.com › Is-the-Dune-series-all-one-long-story-spread-across-the-six-books
Is the Dune series all one long story spread across the six books? - Quora
It’s the story of the Bene Gesserit, the story of how to get humanity to think long-term. The six novels are set in motion by the BG’s breeding program which produce a Kwisatz Haderach, a prescient hero. The first two books are about the ...
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Dune_(novel)
Dune (novel) - Wikipedia
1 week ago - The serialized version was expanded, reworked, and submitted to more than twenty publishers, each of whom rejected it. The novel, Dune, was finally accepted and published in August 1965 by Chilton Books, a printing house better known for publishing auto repair manuals.
Peech
getpeech.com › blog › dune-books-in-order
Dune Books in Order: Comprehensive Guide for Sci-Fi Enthusiasts - Peech
March 27, 2025 - Each author’s contribution to ... the Dune series is both an ambitious and rewarding journey for any sci-fi enthusiast. There are a total of 26 Dune books, including the works by both Frank and Brian Herbert....
Dune Novels
dunenovels.com › chronological-order-of-dune-books
Chronological Order of Dune Books – Dune Novels
Here is the much requested list of Dune novels and short stories in Chronological Order
Hollywood Reporter
hollywoodreporter.com › movies › movie-news › denis-villeneuve-three-dune-films-1235813123
Denis Villeneuve Will Only Make Three ‘Dune’ Films, Despite There Being Six Books
February 2, 2024 - The director will not go beyond three Dune films, he told Time this week, despite there being six books in Frank Herbert’s famed sci-fi series. “Dune Messiah should be the last Dune movie for me,” Villeneuve said.
Facebook
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How many books are in the Dune saga?
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