The Spacing Guild is an organization in
Frank Herbert
Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. (October 8, 1920February 11, 1986) was an American science fiction author best known for the 1965 novel '' Dune'' and its five sequels. Though he became famous for his novels, he also wrote short stories and worked a ...
's
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
''Dune'' universe which possesses a
monopoly
A monopoly (from Greek language, Greek el, μόνος, mónos, single, alone, label=none and el, πωλεῖν, pōleîn, to sell, label=none), as described by Irving Fisher, is a market with the "absence of competition", creating a situati ...
on
interstellar travel
Interstellar travel is the hypothetical travel of spacecraft from one star system, solitary star, or planetary system to another. Interstellar travel is expected to prove much more difficult than interplanetary spaceflight due to the vast dif ...
and banking. Guild Navigators (alternately Guildsmen or Steersmen) use the drug
melange
Melange comes from the French meaning of a "mixture" or "medley". It may also refer to:
*Melange (fictional drug), in Frank Herbert's ''Dune'' series novels
*Mélange (rocket fuel component)
*Mélange, a type of rock with block-in-matrix structure ...
(also called "the spice") to achieve limited
prescience
Foreknowledge is knowledge regarding future events. It may also refer to:
* Foresight (disambiguation)
* Precognition - prior viewing of some future event
* Knowledge of predestination
* Prediction
A prediction (Latin ''præ-'', "before, ...
, allowing them to successfully navigate "
folded space
Technology is a key aspect of the fictional setting of the ''Dune (franchise), Dune series'' of science fiction novels written by Frank Herbert, and derivative works. Herbert's concepts and inventions have been analyzed and deconstructed in at lea ...
" and safely guide enormous
starship
A starship, starcraft, or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for interstellar travel, traveling between planetary systems.
The term is mostly found in science fiction. Reference to a "star-ship" appears as early as 188 ...
s called
heighliner
Technology is a key aspect of the fictional setting of the '' Dune series'' of science fiction novels written by Frank Herbert, and derivative works. Herbert's concepts and inventions have been analyzed and deconstructed in at least one book, ''T ...
s across interstellar space instantaneously.
The power of the Guild is balanced against that of the
Padishah Emperor
Multiple organizations of the ''Dune'' universe dominate the political, religious, and social arena of the setting of Frank Herbert's ''Dune'' series of science fiction novels, and derivative works. Set tens of thousands of years in the future, ...
as well as of the assembled noble Houses of the
Landsraad
Multiple organizations of the ''Dune'' universe dominate the political, religious, and social arena of the setting of Frank Herbert's Dune (franchise), ''Dune'' series of science fiction novels, and derivative works. Set tens of thousands of year ...
. Essentially apolitical, the Guild is primarily concerned with the flow of commerce and preservation of the economy that supports them. Although their ability to dictate the terms of and fees for all transport gives them influence in the political arena, they do not pursue political goals beyond their economic ones.
John C. Smith analyzes the concept of the Guild in the essay "Navigators and the Spacing Guild" in ''
The Science of Dune
BenBella Books is an independent publishing house based in Dallas, Texas. BenBella was founded by Glenn Yeffeth in 2001. It specializes in nonfiction books on popular culture, business, health, and nutrition, along with books on science, politics, ...
'' (2008).
Navigators
In the ''Dune'' series, enormous starships called heighliners employ a scientific phenomenon known as the
Holtzman effect
Technology is a key aspect of the fictional setting of the ''Dune (franchise), Dune series'' of science fiction novels written by Frank Herbert, and derivative works. Herbert's concepts and inventions have been analyzed and deconstructed in at lea ...
to "fold space" and thereby travel great distances across the universe instantaneously.
Navigators are able to use a limited form of
prescience
Foreknowledge is knowledge regarding future events. It may also refer to:
* Foresight (disambiguation)
* Precognition - prior viewing of some future event
* Knowledge of predestination
* Prediction
A prediction (Latin ''præ-'', "before, ...
to safely navigate interstellar space.
Navigators are humans who mutated through the consumption of and exposure to massive amounts of the spice melange.
Control of these Navigators gives the Spacing Guild its monopoly on interstellar travel and banking, making the organization a balance of power against the
Padishah Emperor
Multiple organizations of the ''Dune'' universe dominate the political, religious, and social arena of the setting of Frank Herbert's ''Dune'' series of science fiction novels, and derivative works. Set tens of thousands of years in the future, ...
and the assembled noble Houses of the
Landsraad
Multiple organizations of the ''Dune'' universe dominate the political, religious, and social arena of the setting of Frank Herbert's Dune (franchise), ''Dune'' series of science fiction novels, and derivative works. Set tens of thousands of year ...
.
Description
To enable their prescience, Guild Navigators not only consume large quantities of the spice, but are also continuously immersed in highly concentrated amounts of orange spice gas.
This level of extreme and extended exposure causes their bodies to atrophy and mutate over time, their heads and extremities elongating, and causing them to become vaguely aquatic in appearance.
The first external sign of melange-induced metabolic change is visible in the eyes, as the drug tints the
sclera
The sclera, also known as the white of the eye or, in older literature, as the tunica albuginea oculi, is the opaque, fibrous, protective, outer layer of the human eye containing mainly collagen and some crucial elastic fiber. In humans, and som ...
and
iris
Iris most often refers to:
*Iris (anatomy), part of the eye
*Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess
* ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants
*Iris (color), an ambiguous color term
Iris or IRIS may also refer to:
Arts and media
Fictional enti ...
to a dark shade of blue, called "blue-in-blue" or "the Eyes of Ibad,"
"a total blue so dark as to be almost black."
This is a common side effect in all spice addicts.
In the original 1965 novel ''
Dune
A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...
'',
Duke Leto Atreides
The following is a list of secondary fictional characters from the science fiction media franchise '' Dune'' created by Frank Herbert. The characters listed originate in Herbert's novel series (1965–1985), but some also appear in the ''Prelude ...
notes that the Guild is "as jealous of its privacy as it is of its monopoly," and that not even their own agents ever see Navigators.
Leto's son
Paul
Paul may refer to:
*Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name)
*Paul (surname), a list of people
People
Christianity
*Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chris ...
wonders if they are mutated to the point of no longer appearing human.
At the end of the novel, two self-identified Guild Navigators accompanying Emperor
Shaddam IV
Shaddam IV of House Corrino is a fictional character in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. He is Padishah Emperor of the Known Universe in Herbert's 1965 novel ''Dune''. Shaddam's accession to the throne is chronicled in the ''Prel ...
are described as "fat" but not otherwise non-human.
The Guild Navigator Edric, introduced in the first chapter of ''
Dune Messiah
''Dune Messiah'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Frank Herbert, the second in his ''Dune'' series of six novels. A sequel to ''Dune'' (1965), it was originally serialized in ''Galaxy'' magazine in 1969, and then published by Putnam ...
'' (1969), is called a "humanoid fish," and described in his tank of spice gas as "an elongated figure, vaguely humanoid with finned feet and hugely fanned membranous hands—a fish in a strange sea."
The Navigators' "elongated and repositioned limbs and organs" are noted in ''
Heretics of Dune
''Heretics of Dune'' is a 1984 science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, the fifth in his ''Dune'' series of six novels. It was ranked as the No. 13 hardcover fiction best seller of 1984 by ''The New York Times''.
Fifteen hundred years have pa ...
''.
In 1985's ''
Chapterhouse: Dune'',
Lucilla
Annia Aurelia Galeria Lucilla or Lucilla (7 March 148 or 150 – 182) was the second daughter of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius and Roman Empress Faustina the Younger. She was the wife of her father's co-ruler and adoptive brother Lucius Verus ...
notes that "Navigators were forever bathed in the orange gas of melange, their features often fogged by the vapors," that they possess a "tiny v of a mouth" and "ugly flap of nose" and that "Mouth and nose appeared small on a Navigator's gigantic face with its pulsing temples."
She also notes that their mutated voices require translation devices, describing "the singsong
ululation
Ululation (), , is a long, wavering, high-pitched vocal sound resembling a howl with a trilling quality. It is produced by emitting a high pitched loud voice accompanied with a rapid back and forth movement of the tongue and the uvula
The palati ...
s of the Navigator's voice with its simultaneous mechtranslation into impersonal
Galach."
In an unused passage by Frank Herbert from ''Dune Messiah'' published in ''
The Road to Dune
''The Road to Dune'' is a collection of science fiction works and related material by American writers Frank Herbert, Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. A companion book to the ''Dune'' novels, the book was released in September 2005.
Conten ...
'' (2005), Edric is described as surviving without spice gas once a hole is opened in his tank, though his prescient abilities are practically useless in this state.
Plotlines
Original series
''Dune''
In ''
Dune
A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...
'' (1965), the Spacing Guild enjoys a profitable monopoly on interstellar travel and commerce. Though powerful, the Spacing Guild has never actively tried to openly seize power over all of humanity and rule directly, instead sharing power with the Emperor and the Great Houses, and influencing events from the shadows.
Paul Atreides
Paul Atreides (; later known as Paul Muad'Dib, and later still as The Preacher) is a fictional character in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. Paul is the primary protagonist in the first two novels in the series, ''Dune'' (1965) ...
concludes that the Guild does this out of a belief that any political empire is finite, ending sooner or later. The only way to guarantee their continual existence is to be a "parasite", propping up one imperial dynasty until it collapses, then simply switching to support the next one. At the end of the novel, Paul deposes
Padishah Emperor
Multiple organizations of the ''Dune'' universe dominate the political, religious, and social arena of the setting of Frank Herbert's ''Dune'' series of science fiction novels, and derivative works. Set tens of thousands of years in the future, ...
Shaddam IV
Shaddam IV of House Corrino is a fictional character in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. He is Padishah Emperor of the Known Universe in Herbert's 1965 novel ''Dune''. Shaddam's accession to the throne is chronicled in the ''Prel ...
by seizing control of
Arrakis
Arrakis ()—informally known as Dune and later called Rakis—is a fictional desert planet featured in the Dune (franchise), ''Dune'' series of novels by Frank Herbert. Herbert's first novel in the series, 1965's ''Dune (novel), Dune'', is consi ...
, the only source of the all-important drug
melange
Melange comes from the French meaning of a "mixture" or "medley". It may also refer to:
*Melange (fictional drug), in Frank Herbert's ''Dune'' series novels
*Mélange (rocket fuel component)
*Mélange, a type of rock with block-in-matrix structure ...
. Paul has learned the extent of the Guild's dependence on spice, and that without it they are "blind" and unable to navigate interstellar travel. The Guild is forced to side with Paul, threatening to strand the Emperor and his troops on Arrakis if he does not relinquish the throne.
In 'Appendix A' of ''Dune'', Herbert wrote that the Guild, along with the Bene Gesserit order, had been responsible for the standardization of religion in the universe by promoting the adoption of the
Orange Catholic Bible
''Dune'', also known as the ''Dune Chronicles'', is an American science fiction media franchise that originated with the 1965 novel ''Dune'' by Frank Herbert and has continued to add new publications. ''Dune'' is frequently described as the best ...
and offering protection to the dissenting theologians who created this book. Nonetheless, in the same appendix, Herbert held that the Guild members themselves were atheists, and only promoted this move to promote a stable societal order from which they could profit.
Houses of the Imperium may contract with the Guild to be removed "to a place of safety outside the System". Some Houses in danger of ruin or defeat have "become renegade Houses, taking family atomics and shields and fleeing beyond the Imperium".
The Guild controls a "sanctuary planet" (or planets) known as Tupile, intended for such "defeated Houses of the Imperium ... Location(s) known only to the Guild and maintained inviolate under the Guild Peace".
''Dune Messiah''
In ''
Dune Messiah
''Dune Messiah'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Frank Herbert, the second in his ''Dune'' series of six novels. A sequel to ''Dune'' (1965), it was originally serialized in ''Galaxy'' magazine in 1969, and then published by Putnam ...
'' (1969), a Navigator named Edric takes part in a plot to assassinate Paul, the other conspirators being the
Bene Gesserit
The Bene Gesserit () refers to a key social, religious, and political force in Frank Herbert's fictional ''Dune'' universe. The group is an exclusive sisterhood whose members train their bodies and minds through years of physical and mental ...
Reverend Mother
Gaius Helen Mohiam
Gaius Helen Mohiam is a fictional character in the Dune (franchise), ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. She is a Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother, and initially appears in the 1965 novel ''Dune (novel), Dune'' and its 1969 sequel, ''Dune Mes ...
, the
Tleilaxu
The Bene Tleilax, also called Tleilaxu , are an extremely xenophobic and isolationist society in Frank Herbert's science fiction ''Dune'' universe. Genetic manipulators who traffic in biological products such as artificial eyes, gholas, and "t ...
Face Dancer
The Bene Tleilax, also called Tleilaxu , are an extremely xenophobic and isolationist society in Frank Herbert's science fiction ''Dune'' universe. Genetic manipulators who traffic in biological products such as artificial eyes, gholas, and "t ...
Scytale
In cryptography, a scytale (; also transliterated skytale, grc, σκυτάλη ''skutálē'' "baton, cylinder", also ''skútalon'') is a tool used to perform a transposition cipher, consisting of a cylinder with a strip of parchment wound aro ...
, and Paul's embittered consort,
Princess Irulan
Princess Irulan is a fictional character in the Dune (franchise), ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. She first appears in ''Dune (novel), Dune'' (1965), and is later featured in ''Dune Messiah'' (1969) and ''Children of Dune'' (1976). ...
of
House Corrino
''Dune'', also known as the ''Dune Chronicles'', is an American science fiction media franchise that originated with the 1965 novel ''Dune'' by Frank Herbert and has continued to add new publications. ''Dune'' is frequently described as the best ...
.
The Spacing Guild has a vested interest in Paul losing control of the melange supply, Edric's involvement also protects the conspirators from discovery, as his prescience hides the activities of himself and those around him from other prescients, like Paul. After the plot fails, Edric and Mohiam are executed by
Fremen Naib Stilgar
The following is a list of secondary fictional characters from the science fiction media franchise ''Dune (franchise), Dune'' created by Frank Herbert. The characters listed originate in Herbert's novel series (1965–1985), but some also appear i ...
on orders from Paul's sister
Alia Atreides
Alia Atreides is a fictional character in the Dune (franchise), ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. Introduced in the first novel of the series, 1965's ''Dune (novel), Dune'', the character was originally killed in Herbert's first versi ...
.
In ''
Chapterhouse Dune
''Chapterhouse: Dune'' is a 1985 science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, the last in his ''Dune'' series of six novels. It rose to No. 2 on ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list.
A direct follow-up to '' Heretics of Dune'', the novel chroni ...
'' (1985), a "very powerful" Navigator is described as "one of the Edrics", suggesting a possible breeding plan or use of
ghola
Technology is a key aspect of the fictional setting of the ''Dune (franchise), Dune series'' of science fiction novels written by Frank Herbert, and derivative works. Herbert's concepts and inventions have been analyzed and deconstructed in at lea ...
s.
''God Emperor of Dune''
In ''
God Emperor of Dune'' (1981),
God Emperor Leto II has secured complete control over of the scarce melange reserves through
hydraulic despotism
A hydraulic empire, also known as a hydraulic despotism, hydraulic society, hydraulic civilization, or water monopoly empire, is a social or government structure which maintains power and control through exclusive control over right to water, acc ...
, making the Guild completely dependent on him. He also notes in the novel that though history has attributed the design of the first Guild ship to
Aurelius Venport
''Dune'' is a science fiction media franchise that originated with the 1965 novel of the same name by American author Frank Herbert. ''Dune'' is frequently cited as the best-selling science fiction novel in history, and won the 1966 Hugo Award a ...
, it was actually Venport's mistress
Norma Cenva
''Dune: The Butlerian Jihad'' is a 2002 science fiction novel by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, set in the fictional ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. It is the first book in the ''Legends of Dune'' prequel trilogy, which takes ...
who designed it.
''Heretics of Dune'' and ''Chapterhouse: Dune''
The fifth and sixth novels of the series, ''
Heretics of Dune
''Heretics of Dune'' is a 1984 science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, the fifth in his ''Dune'' series of six novels. It was ranked as the No. 13 hardcover fiction best seller of 1984 by ''The New York Times''.
Fifteen hundred years have pa ...
'' (1984) and ''Chapterhouse: Dune'' (1985), are set 5,000 years after the reign of Paul Atreides, a period that includes 3,500 years of Leto II's reign and 1,500 years following his death. The warlike
Honored Matres
The Honored Matres are a fictional matriarchal organization in Frank Herbert's science fiction ''Dune'' universe. They are described as an aggressive cult obsessed with power, violence, and sexual domination. For this reason they are often desc ...
have seized control of Junction, the old Spacing Guild complex above
Gammu
''Dune'' is a 1965 epic science fiction novel by American author Frank Herbert, originally published as two separate serials in ''Analog'' magazine. It tied with Roger Zelazny's '' This Immortal'' for the Hugo Award in 1966 and it won the inau ...
. The technocrats of
Ix develop technology that the Ixians and the Administrative faction of the Spacing Guild refer to as "compilers". These compilers perform calculations very similar to computers, nearly violating the prohibitions against "
thinking machines
Thinking Machines Corporation was a supercomputer manufacturer and artificial intelligence (AI) company, founded in Waltham, Massachusetts, in 1983 by Sheryl Handler and W. Daniel "Danny" Hillis to turn Hillis's doctoral work at the Massachuset ...
" that were imposed following the
Butlerian Jihad
''Dune'', also known as the ''Dune Chronicles'', is an American science fiction media franchise that originated with the 1965 novel ''Dune'' by Frank Herbert and has continued to add new publications. ''Dune'' is frequently described as the best ...
several millennia before. These compilers eliminate the need for the Navigators, and the strategic disadvantage that this aspect of melange dependency has become, because the Navigators' abilities are slowly being compromised by the severe reductions in the availability of spice resulting from the destruction of Dune and the sandworms on that planet, and the strict control by the Bene Gesserit, who maintain a monopoly over the largest stockpiles of melange. The prescient rule of Leto II that lasted 3,500 years has shown the universe the perils of prescience, namely that the entire universe can be locked into the vision of a single entity, giving that entity absolute power. The Guild, facing obsolescence and suspicion, couples itself with Ix in decline; Navigators continue to exist, but their importance in the universe is severely diminished.
As Paul Atreides notes in ''Dune'', it was the Spacing Guild's obsession with the "safe path" that led them "ever into stagnation", and brought on their eventual obsolescence.
Sequels
After publishing six
''Dune'' prequel novels, Frank Herbert's son
Brian Herbert
Brian Patrick Herbert (born June 29, 1947) is an American author who lives in Washington (state), Washington state. He is the elder son of science fiction author Frank Herbert (who died in 1986).
Brian Herbert's novels include ''Sidney's Comet' ...
and author
Kevin J. Anderson
Kevin James Anderson (born March 27, 1962) is an American science fiction author. He has written spin-off novels for ''Star Wars'', ''StarCraft'', ''Titan A.E.'' and ''The X-Files literature#Novels, The X-Files'', and with Brian Herbert is the ...
released two sequel novels, ''
Hunters of Dune'' (2006) and ''
Sandworms of Dune
''Sandworms of Dune'' is a science fiction novel by American writers Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, the second of two books they wrote to conclude Frank Herbert's original ''Dune'' series. It is based on notes left behind by Frank Herber ...
'' (2007), which complete the original series and wrap up storylines that began with Frank Herbert's ''Heretics of Dune''. The works were based on a 30-page outline by Frank Herbert for a sequel to ''Chapterhouse Dune'' he dubbed ''Dune 7''.
In ''Hunters of Dune'', the Navigator Edrik fears his kind's obsolescence when the Spacing Guild itself (pressured by a shortage of melange) begins funding the development of superior
Ixian
''Dune'', also known as the ''Dune Chronicles'', is an American science fiction media franchise that originated with the 1965 novel ''Dune'' by Frank Herbert and has continued to add new publications. ''Dune'' is frequently described as the best ...
navigation technology that would not require Navigators. Seeking an alternative source of spice to break the Bene Gesserit monopoly, Edrik meets with
Uxtal
The Bene Tleilax, also called Tleilaxu , are an extremely xenophobic and isolationist society in Frank Herbert's science fiction ''Dune'' universe. Genetic manipulators who traffic in biological products such as artificial eyes, gholas, and "t ...
, the last of the
Lost Tleilaxu
The Bene Tleilax, also called Tleilaxu , are an extremely xenophobic and isolationist society in Frank Herbert's science fiction ''Dune'' universe. Genetic manipulators who traffic in biological products such as artificial eyes, gholas, and "t ...
, hoping that he can rediscover the method of producing melange in
axlotl tank
Technology is a key aspect of the fictional setting of the ''Dune (franchise), Dune series'' of science fiction novels written by Frank Herbert, and derivative works. Herbert's concepts and inventions have been analyzed and deconstructed in at lea ...
s (a secret believed lost when the Bene Tleilax were destroyed by the
Honored Matres
The Honored Matres are a fictional matriarchal organization in Frank Herbert's science fiction ''Dune'' universe. They are described as an aggressive cult obsessed with power, violence, and sexual domination. For this reason they are often desc ...
). However, Uxtal is in the forced service of the
Matre Superior Hellica
The Honored Matres are a fictional matriarchal organization in Frank Herbert's science fiction ''Dune'' universe. They are described as an aggressive cult obsessed with power, violence, and sexual domination. For this reason they are often desc ...
, and her price for his expertise is Edrik's help transporting a certain cargo. He agrees, delivering by heighliner the
Obliterators that destroy the planet
Richese
The ''Dune'' prequel series is a sequence of novel trilogies written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Set in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert, the novels take place in various time periods before and in between Herbert's or ...
, where the Bene Gesserit are mass-producing weapons and armed battleships. Uxtal is ultimately unsuccessful, but the
ghola
Technology is a key aspect of the fictional setting of the ''Dune (franchise), Dune series'' of science fiction novels written by Frank Herbert, and derivative works. Herbert's concepts and inventions have been analyzed and deconstructed in at lea ...
he creates of deceased Tleilaxu Master
Waff later offers Edrik something better in exchange for sanctuary—the genetic knowledge for the Guild to create their own, optimized
sandworms to produce melange.
In ''Sandworms of Dune'' (2007), the sequel to ''Hunters'' and finale of the original ''Dune'' series, the Spacing Guild has begun replacing its Navigators with the more cost-effective Ixian navigation devices and cutting off the Navigators' supply of melange. More and more Navigators are dying from withdrawal of the spice—including Ardrae, "one of the oldest remaining Navigators"
—and many defect and disappear into space rather than allow the devices on their ships. All are unaware that
Face Dancer
The Bene Tleilax, also called Tleilaxu , are an extremely xenophobic and isolationist society in Frank Herbert's science fiction ''Dune'' universe. Genetic manipulators who traffic in biological products such as artificial eyes, gholas, and "t ...
infiltrators are behind the plan, plotting their own takeover of the universe.
Waff works in secret, hidden on Edrik's own heighliner, on genetically engineering his "advanced" sandworms. He accomplishes this by altering the
DNA of the
sandtrout
A sandworm is a fictional Extraterrestrial life, extraterrestrial creature that appears in the Dune (franchise), ''Dune'' novels written by Frank Herbert, first introduced in ''Dune (novel), Dune'' (1965).
Sandworms are colossal, worm-like cre ...
stage and creating an aquatic form of the worms, which are then released into the oceans of
Buzzell. Adapting to their new environment, these "seaworms" quickly flourish, eventually producing a highly concentrated form of spice, dubbed "
ultraspice
Melange (), often referred to as "the spice", is the fictional psychedelic drug central to the ''Dune'' series of science fiction novels by Frank Herbert and derivative works.
In the series, the most essential and valuable commodity in the unive ...
."
Edrik and the ultraspice are later intercepted by Face Dancer leader
Khrone
The Bene Tleilax, also called Tleilaxu , are an extremely xenophobic and isolationist society in Frank Herbert's science fiction ''Dune'' universe. Genetic manipulators who traffic in biological products such as artificial eyes, gholas, and " ...
, who seizes the valuable optimized melange. He incapacitates Edrik by damaging his tank and releasing its spice gas, soon destroying the entire heighliner to rid himself of the Navigator altogether.
Prequels
The ''
Prelude to Dune
The ''Dune'' prequel series is a sequence of novel trilogies written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Set in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert, the novels take place in various time periods before and in between Herbert's ...
'' prequel trilogy (1999–2001) by Brian Herbert and Anderson, set immediately before the events of ''Dune'', explores the previously-unexplained process of becoming a Navigator through the story of D'murr Pilru. D'murr, a human native of the technology-producing planet
Ix, goes through the training process and physical transformation to become a full Navigator.
In ''
House Corrino
''Dune'', also known as the ''Dune Chronicles'', is an American science fiction media franchise that originated with the 1965 novel ''Dune'' by Frank Herbert and has continued to add new publications. ''Dune'' is frequently described as the best ...
'' (2001), D'murr is piloting one of two heighliners which
Count Fenring
Count Hasimir Fenring is a fictional character in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. He is featured in the 1965 science fiction novel ''Dune'' by Frank Herbert, and is also a key character in the ''Prelude to Dune'' trilogy by Brian ...
uses to secretly test the synthetic melange created by the
Tleilaxu
The Bene Tleilax, also called Tleilaxu , are an extremely xenophobic and isolationist society in Frank Herbert's science fiction ''Dune'' universe. Genetic manipulators who traffic in biological products such as artificial eyes, gholas, and "t ...
in their
Project Amal
Melange (), often referred to as "the spice", is the fictional psychedelic drug central to the ''Dune'' series of science fiction novels by Frank Herbert and derivative works.
In the series, the most essential and valuable commodity in the unive ...
. The flawed spice disrupts and confuses D'murr's thoughts, feelings and prescience. Disastrously, the first heighliner emerges from foldspace at the wrong point, striking the defensive shields of
Wallach IX
The Bene Gesserit () refers to a key social, religious, and political force in Frank Herbert's fictional ''Dune'' universe. The group is an exclusive sisterhood whose members train their bodies and minds through years of physical and mental c ...
and plummeting into the atmosphere to its destruction. Affected by the tainted melange, D'murr misguides his ship out of the known universe and collapses. As his spice supply is replaced with genuine melange, D'murr uses the last of his strength to return the ship safely to Junction, home of the Guild headquarters, before dying.
In the ''
Legends of Dune
The ''Dune'' prequel series is a sequence of novel trilogies written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Set in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert, the novels take place in various time periods before and in between Herbert's o ...
'' prequel trilogy (2002–2004) by Brian Herbert and Anderson, unappreciated scientist Norma Cenva creates the
Holtzman engine Holtzman, Haltzman, and Holzman may refer to:
People
*Bob Holtzman (b. 1972), US television personality
*Elizabeth Holtzman (b. 1941), US lawyer, NYC Comptroller, and political figure
*Glenn Holtzman (1930-1980), US football player
*Harry Holtzman ...
, which allows a ship to fold space, traveling great distances instantaneously. Her future husband, entrepreneur Aurelius Venport, begins mass-producing the ships which are eventually known as heighliners. The technique proves to be unsafe, however, as one in ten flights ends in the ship's destruction due to navigational difficulties. Desperate for a solution, Norma consumes increasing amounts of melange to improve her thinking and concentration. Full immersion in a tank of spice gas deforms her body, but ultimately bestows on her the prescient ability to plot a safe path for a heighliner through foldspace. As the first Navigator, Norma begins a training program to produce enough Navigators to pilot a fleet of heighliners. Over 80 years later, she puts the creation of the Spacing Guild in motion through her descendant, Josef Venport.
After consolidating its hold on the space travel industry during the events of ''
Sisterhood of Dune
''Sisterhood of Dune'' is a 2012 science fiction novel by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, set in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. It is the first book in their ''Great Schools of Dune'' prequel trilogy, which itself is a se ...
'' (2012), this company, now called "Venport Holdings" or even "VenHold", evolves into the Guild of the later novels. VenHold originally has the monopoly on foldspace travel, granted to Aurelius Venport by
Serena Butler
''Dune: The Butlerian Jihad'' is a 2002 science fiction novel by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, set in the fictional ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. It is the first book in the ''Legends of Dune'' prequel trilogy, which takes ...
. However, decades after the end of the Butlerian Jihad, Emperor Jules revokes the monopoly in order to curry political favor, resulting in several rival foldspace companies springing up, such as Celestial Transport and EsconTran. These new companies, however, are unable to provide 100% safe transportation due to their lack of Navigators, the creation process of whom is a proprietary secret tightly held by VenHold. Director Josef Venport ruthlessly crushes the competition and even executes a rival CEO. Josef Venport's desire for restoring his family's monopoly and thirst for knowledge put him in conflict with the Butlerians, a radical religious sect that follows the teachings of the late Rayna Butler under the leadership of Manford Torondo. Realizing that the weak Emperor Salvador Corrino is unwilling to crush the Butlerians, Venport lures him out to Arrakis and has him eaten by a sandworm. Unfortunately for him, Salvador's sabotaged ship manages to return to Salusa Secundus and report the truth to the newly-crowned Emperor Roderick, Salvador's brother. Roderick swears vengeance on Venport. Just then, Torondo gets his hands on a cache of atomics, which he uses to obliterate VenHold's main planet. Eventually, imperial forces track down Venport's secret laboratory and invade. Norma offers Josef a chance to survive by becoming a Navigator. She then folds space to the bridge of the imperial flagship and strikes a deal with the Emperor, agreeing to dissolve VenHold in exchange for Roderick sparing her and all her Navigators, and also establishing the Spacing Guild.
Depictions
Film and television
In
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch (born January 20, 1946) is an American filmmaker, visual artist and actor. A recipient of an Academy Honorary Award in 2019, Lynch has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, and the César Award for Be ...
's 1984 film ''
Dune
A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...
'', the Navigator's mutation affects his entire body, and he resembles a giant newt or worm with a heavily deformed head, V-shaped mouth and vestigial limbs. The Navigator is not shown to have the blue-in-blue eyes of a spice addict. The 2000 miniseries
Frank Herbert's ''Dune'' portrays the Navigator as a withered figure with a humanoid head, blue-in-blue eyes and arms which have mutated into wings with elongated webbed fingers. The 2003 sequel miniseries
Frank Herbert's ''Children of Dune'' presents Edric as a sleek, golden humanoid with an elongated head and limbs, and feathery appendages.
Though Navigators are not present in
Denis Villeneuve
Denis Villeneuve (; born October 3, 1967) is a Canadian filmmaker. He is a four-time recipient of the Canadian Screen Award (formerly Genie Award) for Best Direction, winning for '' Maelström'' in 2001, '' Polytechnique'' in 2009, ''Incendies ...
's 2021 film ''
Dune
A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...
'', Guild representatives are depicted as humanoids in white, cloaked space suits with opaque helmet visors.
Villeneuve explained:
Writing for ''
Screen Rant
''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and film theories. ''Screen Rant'' was launched by Vic Holtreman in 2003, and originally had its primary office in Ogden, Utah. ''Scr ...
'', Adam Felman explained that the limited inclusion of the Guild in Villeneuve's film helped prevent the story from becoming convoluted.
Games
The Spacing Guild is a sub-faction in the
real-time strategy
Real-time strategy (RTS) is a Video game genre, subgenre of strategy video games that do not progress incrementally in turn-based game, turns, but allow all players to play simultaneously, in "real time". By contrast, in Turn-based strategy, turn ...
video game ''
Emperor: Battle for Dune'' (2001). It has its own private army with which it can back up its demands. The Guild uses its heighliners to transport troops of the three player Houses (
Atreides,
Harkonnen and
Ordos Ordos may refer to:
Inner Mongolia
*Ordos City, Inner Mongolia, China
** Ordos Ejin Horo Airport
* Ordos Loop of the Yellow River, a region of China
**Ordos Plateau or "the Ordos", land enclosed by Ordos Loop
*Ordos Desert, in Inner Mongolia
*Ordos ...
) from their homeworlds to Arrakis. The Guild also uses its Navigators to pilot their NIAB ("Navigator in a Boat") Tanks, a hover tank that projects a single electrical bolt, and NIAP ("Navigators in a Plane") Flyers, an aerial version of the NIAB Tank, although without any weapons of its own. The NIAB Tank also has the ability to fold-space for short distances on the battlefield. One mission in the game involves the three House attacking each other on a Guild heighliner. The Guild forces in the game can also deploy a unit called the Maker, an infantry unit somewhat resembling both a Navigator and a small sandworm, armed with an electrical weapon. Later in the game, the Spacing Guild attempts to seize control of the universe by building an "Emperor Worm".
Analysis
John C. Smith analyzes the concept of the Guild in the essay "Navigators and the Spacing Guild" in ''
The Science of Dune
BenBella Books is an independent publishing house based in Dallas, Texas. BenBella was founded by Glenn Yeffeth in 2001. It specializes in nonfiction books on popular culture, business, health, and nutrition, along with books on science, politics, ...
'' (2008).
Notes
References
{{Dune franchise
Dune (franchise) organizations
Fictional elements introduced in 1965
Fictional guilds