Submitted by Katie 
(Feb 16, 2005)A nice short book by Frank Herbert to add to your collection. It obviously has neither the metaphysical and philosophical depth of the Dune series, nor its breadth of characters, events, and worlds, but it's an interesting little tale that makes for a good Saturday read.
In the Heaven Makers, an immortal race of super-intelligent aliens have been using Earth as a vacation resort, charmed by the humans inhabiting the planet, while also changing the course of human history for fun and entertainment. Things change, however, when a government rep begins investigating the legality of the alien actions on Earth, and finds out a very interesting secret. Ultimately, as the two races interact, the plot revolves around issues of free will (a favorite of Herbert's) and the mystery of death.
I have to say that I quite enjoy reading the lesser known works of the fantasy/sci-fi bigwigs, because their overlooked fiction is often wonderful (George RR Martin is the prime example). Frank Herbert has written a nice little gem for those who haven't the time or the inclination to read something as dense (and utterly fantastic) as the Dune series. Check it out if you can find it at the used bookstore.
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