Doon

The slender-shouldered Pall must fight off the galaxy, take control of the native pretzel population, take control of the source of beer and take over the Empire. All on an all sugar diet. A parody of DUNE, one of the greatest sci-fi novels ever written. Now one of the funniest story of all times. Ellis Weiner does a great job, from giving us the feel of the way the plots flows, to how the language is used and even starting each chapter with a quote such as: And there came a time when all eyes in the known universe did turn and look toward Arruckus, metaphorically speaking. That's pure gold! Fans of DUNE or just people who enjoy a good parody need this book!

I read Dune many years ago, and it stuck in my mind as one of the more original works of SF ever. For that reason, all the jokes in Doon were very funny. Each chapter starts with a journal entry or quote from a book, and those are for the most part extremely funny. The style of Herbert's writing that conveys deeper meaning in the smallest detail is aped here to great effect. When "Paul" survives the test of pain, his mother comes in and thinks, "He lives! My son lives! So does the Reverend Mother! And so do I! We all live!"I found this funnier than Bored of the Rings, but I do recommend both of them for some great parody.

If you've read _Dune_ (and if you have sufficient perspective on its flaws to enjoy watching them skewered in a spot-on parody), then scare up a copy of this delightful little book. Follow the young duke, Pall Agamemnides, as he travels the sugar-frosted wastes of Arruckus, the Dessert Planet -- where the giant pretzel roams and the Freedmenmen brew beer from its wastes, and where the never-ending search for a genuine _entree_ keeps everyone on the alert for the offworlder who is supposed to show up, someday, with recipes. Is Pall the Kumquat Haagendasz? That's what the Boni Maroni want to know. But that's not all: the Boni Maroni's own Missionaria Phonibalonica has seeded Arruckus with tales of a savior, and so the Freedmenmen, too, have some sharp questions about this odd young fellow who has adopted the name Mauve'Bib (after the purple neckerchief worn by the beer-chugging natives). Will their questions be answered? Perhaps, but will their answers be questioned? Perhaps, but will _those_ questions be answered? Perhaps, but . . . (See, it's like a plan within a plan within a plan. Or a feint within a feint within a feint. Or something.) Meanwhile, the Baron Vladimir Hardchargin has a plan to control beer production on Arruckus through his nephew, Filp-Rotha (get it? Think _Portnoy's Complaint_). Will the Pahdedbrah Emperor, Shaddap IV, catch on in time? Or will his crack comedians, the Hardehaurhar, be made to serve the Baron's sinister plan? All in all, a brilliant sendup of Frank Herbert's masterpiece, right down to the glossary -- and, perhaps not incidentally, a delightful translation of his tale from the original quasi-Arabic into Catskill Yiddish. Don't forget to put the kreplock on your chiksoop while you curl up with this one.

It's a shame that this parody is out of print and less well known than its sister parody, "Bored of the Rings." Doon is funnier than BOTR, and its parody is more on the mark. (The jokes aren't _quite_ on the same level as those in BOTR. )If you loved Frank Herbert but got sick of his Dune books after a while, you'll love Doon. This writer knows just how to skewer his style.This book is about the _dessert_ planet, a planet almost entirely covered with sugar. The natives have a myriad of names for the sugar -- brown sugar, granulated sugar, confectioner's sugar... If you're such a staunch Herbert fan that this offends you, stay away.Anne M. Marble -- All About Romance

I'd read the original "Dune", along with most of the sequels, back in college. By the time I got to about the 4th or 5th book, the ponderous mysticism and self absorbed seriousness were starting to get really annoying. This stuff just begged to be satirized, and "Doon" was the perfect antidode! The funny names, the substitute of beer and frat party imagery for the original "spice" were spot on and absolutely hilarious! Best of all was the dramatic fight scene in which Mauve Bib (aka "Assol") defeats his foe in a duel of ever nastier put downs. Like "Bored of the Rings", this is a first rate send up of a Sci-Fi/fantasy classic, and should offend only those who take the original WAY too seriously!