8 science fiction book series to read if you love Dune

Sun Eater by Christopher Ruocchio

One of the core ideas of Dune is that Paul Atriedes has to wrangle with the weight of being held up as a messiah, and what that means personally as well as on the galactic scale. If that's a theme you enjoy wrapping your head around, Sun Eater by Christopher Ruocchio treads similar waters...except its main character, Hadrian Marlowe, is far more of an antihero than Paul ever was.

Beginning with Empire of Silence, the series details Hadrian's rise from a gladiator to becoming one of the most feared names in the galaxy, merging elements of science fiction and epic fantasy in ways that few books pull off. From leading the war effort against the alien Cielcin to committing acts so horrific they will haunt humanity for centuries, Hadrian is far from your traditional sci-fi hero.

In fact, there are parallels to be drawn between this series and another fantasy giant, The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. Similar to how Kvothe is relaying his tale, there is a framing narrative in Sun Eater where we know right from the start that Hadrian will go on to be a renowned figure, even as we see his humble and horrific beginnings. At the same time, the clashing of empires and powerful space factions recalls the struggles of Herbert's work, and at least in the first book of the series, there is a large focus on singular planets rather than a galaxy-spanning quest.

The culmination of all this is that Sun Eater is a series which can appeal to both science fiction and fantasy fans in equal measure. As of this writing, Ruocchio has released five books in the Sun Eater series, with two more on the way to finish out the tale of Hadrian Marlowe.