[Davros]

Originally posted by Barry the Sprout: This is probably not really the "worst" book I've ever read, but I can't really think of which of the many quite bad books I've read was the worst. And this one dissapointed me the most, it really did... So, by default more than anything, I'm going with God Emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert. I'm a massive fan of the previous three books, although I haven't read Heretics or any of the preludes yet, so I don't know if the first three are just isolated in their brilliance. But God Emperor was bad in oh so many ways. It seemed to lose all plot for large sections of the novel, simply going on about how worried Moneo was and how mentally torn Idaho was again and again... I like the fact that it is ambigious as to who are the real "good guys" of the novel, yet I'm not entirely sure if thats deliberate or not. I think Herbert may have been writing in favour of Leto, all the signs were there that he wanted us to dislike Leto's opponents - particularly Siona. But then I found Leto written with such an air of overconfidence and patronising self-importance I was rooting for the bad guys throughout. The book fails where all the previous Dune novels most noticeably succeded - it doesn't mix the in-depth description of a phenomenally complicated world with a gripping plot. The plot is slow and moves instead to accomodate the description, not for its own beneifits. Yet still, at the end of all of this, the world is not as brilliantly laid out as before. Mostly through the character Leto's reluctantce to explain anything and instead his disturbing habit of expecting people to believe him because of what he is. If I had a penny for every time some kind of exchange came up along the lines of: Objector: Lord Leto, I have no confidence in your, or your "Golden Path". I think that things should be done a different way. Leto: If only you knew what I knew... which I won't tell you. The Golden Path is the only way forward. You must trust me, for I am Leto. Objector: Now I trust you completely and would risk my life for you. I know the Golden Path is the only way forward because I know I am stupid in comparison to your greatness. And thats how it goes! Thats why I feel frustration with Leto! He's written so badly that he never justifies his own actions. I wouldn't mind this were it not for the fact that every "reasonable" person in the book comes round to agreeing with him due to no more persuasion than being told by him that they should (and without the use of the voice, either...). It just lacks sooo much in the way of believable plot it hurts at times to read it...

I was stuck for an anwer until I read Barry's post, then the same horrors came flooding back - this IS the worst book of all time - no doubt about it.

Davros swivels and looks at the 2nd bottom shelf of his secondary book case - OMG - it's still there (and gathering more dust than the Gor books ).