1968
The Heaven Makers is a science fiction story written by legendary
Dune scribe,
Frank Herbert. Like much of his writing, it was originally serialized in a sci-fi magazine and later sold as a novel. Although written around the same time as Dune, it lacks the depth and scope of his masterpiece saga, and comes across much more like a satirical send-up of Hollywood. I was thoroughly unimpressed by the book on almost every level, and was not surprised to find other online reviewers sharing my opinion.
The story, while hardly worth going into, is about aliens hiding in our oceans and using their advanced technology to film humans while they subtly manipulate our lives to make for entertaining footage. These films are edited and used as mass media entertainment back on the home world. The story rotates both around a human who catches on to the alien presence, as well as an alien investigator sent to sniff out the abuse of power by the Earth-based crazed director and leader.
The criticism that this is one of Herbert's worst books is accurate, but there are glimpses of talent and even genius in this otherwise silly and unfleshed short novel. The premise is a dead-on prediction of modern reality TV and commentary that only a deranged alien mind would use human beings as playthings for mindless entertainment. But it is interesting to contrast the broad and cartoonish perspective on the immortality of the Chem against the prolonged life and immortality of the God Emperor of Herbert's much more famous Dune, which took an entire series to develop.
It was also a very interesting comparison to read this at the same time as
previously reviewed Black Easter by
James Blish. In both cases my previous view of the author was upended, but in dramatically opposite directions.
I recommend this book to sci-fi fans who still watch cartoons and won't be insulted by the lack of effort Frank Herbert puts out in what has to be considered one of his worst pieces of literature.
The Heaven Makers is a science fiction story written by legendary Dune scribe, Frank Herbert. Like much of his writing, it was originally serialized in a sci-fi magazine and later sold as a novel. Although written around the same time as Dune, it lacks the depth and scope of his masterpiece saga, and comes across much more like a satirical send-up of Hollywood. I was thoroughly unimpressed by the book on almost every level, and was not surprised to find other online reviewers sharing my opinion.
The story, while hardly worth going into, is about aliens hiding in our oceans and using their advanced technology to film humans while they subtly manipulate our lives to make for entertaining footage. These films are edited and used as mass media entertainment back on the home world. The story rotates both around a human who catches on to the alien presence, as well as an alien investigator sent to sniff out the abuse of power by the Earth-based crazed director and leader.
The criticism that this is one of Herbert's worst books is accurate, but there are glimpses of talent and even genius in this otherwise silly and unfleshed short novel. The premise is a dead-on prediction of modern reality TV and commentary that only a deranged alien mind would use human beings as playthings for mindless entertainment. But it is interesting to contrast the broad and cartoonish perspective on the immortality of the Chem against the prolonged life and immortality of the God Emperor of Herbert's much more famous Dune, which took an entire series to develop.
It was also a very interesting comparison to read this at the same time as previously reviewed Black Easter by James Blish. In both cases my previous view of the author was upended, but in dramatically opposite directions.
I recommend this book to sci-fi fans who still watch cartoons and won't be insulted by the lack of effort Frank Herbert puts out in what has to be considered one of his worst pieces of literature.
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