Legends of Dune 2: The Machine Crusade Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson

Jul 6, 2026

Legends of Dune 2: The Machine Crusade presents a fictional account from within the Dune universe, framed by a first official historian of the Jihad. The prologue questions how history is preserved and interpreted, contrasting documented records with myths and oral traditions. It introduces Naam the Elder and begins with Rendik ToluFar’s Manifesto of Protest, recounting human exhaustion with the crusade against thinking machines, the domination of Omnius, and the revolt sparked by the murder of Priestess Serena Butler’s child.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages901

Reading Time23 h 8 min

Prologue

Historical uncertainty and conflicting records

Naam the Elder and the Manifesto of Protest

Dune The Machine Crusade Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson A Tom Doherty Associates Book New York The Dune Chronicles by Frank Herbert Dune Dune Messiah Children of Dune God Emperor of Dune Heretics of Dune Chapterhouse: Dune Prelude to Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson Dune: House Atreides Dune: House Harkonnen Dune: House Corrino Legends of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson Dune:The Butlerian Jihad Dune:The Machine Crusade *Dune:The Battle of Corrin *forthcoming This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this novel are either fictitious or are used fictitiously. DUNE: THE MACHINE CRUSADE Copyright © 2003 by Herbert Enterprises LLC All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form . A Tor Book Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC 175 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10010 [www.tor.com](www.tor.com) Tor® is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC. ISBN 0-312-71108-5 First Edition: September 2003 [www.ebookyes.com](www.ebookyes.com) To PENNY and RON MERRITT, Fellow travelers in the DUNE universe, with love and appreciation for helping us maintain the legacy of Frank Herbert Acknowledgments When we finished the manuscript of this book, the work had only begun. Pat LoBrutto and Carolyn Caughey showed their editorial genius, guiding us through numerous iterations and fine-tunings to produce this final version. Our agents, Robert Gottlieb and Matt Bialer of Trident Media Group, have been supportive and excited about this project from the start. Tom Doherty, Linda Quinton, Jennifer Marcus, Heather Drucker, and Paul Stevens at Tor Books, and Julie Crisp at Hodder & Stoughton, helped keep all matters of production and promotion on track without letting their enthusiasm flag for a moment. As always, Catherine Sidor at WordFire, Inc ., worked tirelessly to transcribe dozens of microcassettes, input corrections, and maintain consistency in the face of a full-steam-ahead work space. Diane E. Jones served as test reader and guinea pig, giving us her honest reactions and suggesting additional scenes that helped make this a stronger book. Rebecca Moesta Anderson devoted uncounted hours of energy, concentration, advice, and criticism (always tempered with love), never letting the phrase “good enough” enter her vocabulary. Jan Herbert, as always, offered her support, patience, and understanding in the face of the unpredictable needs of a writer. Javier Barriopedro and Christian Gossett gave us “Swordmaster”inspiration. Dr. Attila Torkos gave the final manuscript his fine-toothcomb scrutiny, helping us to avoid inconsistencies. The Herbert Limited Partnership, including Penny and Ron Merritt, David Merritt, Byron Merritt, Julie Herbert, Robert Merritt, Kimberly Herbert, Margaux Herbert, and Theresa Shackelford, gave us their enthusiastic support, entrusting us with the care of Frank Herbert’s vision. Without Beverly Herbert’s almost four decades of support and devotion to him, Frank Herbert would not have created such a vast and fascinating universe for us to explore . We are greatly indebted to them both. Dune The Machine Crusade Prologue Historians do not agree on the messages carried in detritus of the long-ago past. As one delves into history— such ancient, chaotic times!— the more facts become fluid, the stories contradictory. Across the ocean of time and fallible memory, true heroes metamorphose into archetypes; battles grow more significant than they actually were. Legends and truth are dificult to reconcile. As the First Oficial Historian of the Jihad, I must set down this record as best I can, relying upon oral traditions and fragmentary documents preserved for a hundred centuries. Which is more accurate— a carefully documented history such as mine, or an accumulation of myths and folktales? I, Naam the Elder, must write honestly, even i

FAQs

How does the novel frame its version of history?

The prologue stresses that historians disagree and that time and memory distort facts, turning heroes into archetypes and battles into larger-than-life legends.

Who is Naam the Elder?

Naam the Elder is the first official historian of the Jihad, responsible for setting down the record using oral traditions and fragmentary documents.

What event triggers the human revolt against the machines?

The uprising is ignited by the murder of Priestess Serena Butler’s innocent child, which fuels revolt through the League of Nobles and leads to full-scale attack and Earth’s destruction.

Jul 6, 2026

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