Multiple organizations of the ''Dune'' universe dominate the political, religious, and social arena of the setting of
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
''Dune'' series of
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 ...
novels, and derivative works. Set tens of thousands of years in the future, the saga chronicles a civilization which has banned computers but has also developed advanced technology and mental and physical abilities through physical training,
eugenics
Eugenics ( ; ) is a fringe set of beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population. Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter human gene pools by excluding people and groups judged to be inferior or ...
and the use of 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 structur ...
. Specialized groups of individuals have aligned themselves in organizations focusing on specific abilities, technology and goals. Herbert's concepts of human evolution and technology have been analyzed and deconstructed in at least one book, ''
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).
His originating 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 ...
'' is popularly considered one of the greatest science fiction novels of all time,
[Touponce, William F. (1988), ''Frank Herbert'', ]Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, : Twayne Publishers imprint, G. K. Hall & Co, pg. 119, . "''Locus
Locus (plural loci) is Latin for "place". It may refer to:
Entertainment
* Locus (comics), a Marvel Comics mutant villainess, a member of the Mutant Liberation Front
* ''Locus'' (magazine), science fiction and fantasy magazine
** ''Locus Award' ...
'' ran a poll of readers on April 15, 1975, in which ''Dune'' 'was voted the all-time best science-fiction novel...It has sold over ten million copies in numerous editions.'" and is frequently cited as the best-selling science fiction novel in history.
''Dune'' and its five
sequel
A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
s by Herbert explore the complex and multilayered interactions of politics, religion, ecology and technology, among other themes.
As Frank Herbert's ''Dune'' (1965) begins, the known universe is ruled by
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 ...
, the 81st
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, ...
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 ...
, whose power is secured by his control of the
Sardaukar
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, ...
, his brutally efficient military force. Imperial power is balanced by the assembly of noble houses called 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 ...
, which enforces the
Great Convention
This is a list of terminology used in the fictional ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert, the primary source being "Terminology of the Imperium", the glossary contained in the novel ''Dune'' (1965).
''Dune'' word construction could be clas ...
's ban on the use of
atomics against human targets. Though the power of House Corrino is unrivaled by any other individual House, they are in constant competition with each other for political power and stakes in the omnipresent
CHOAM company, a directorship which controls the wealth of the entire Empire. The third primary power in the universe is the
Spacing Guild
The Spacing Guild is an organization in Frank Herbert's science fiction ''Dune'' universe which possesses a monopoly on interstellar travel and banking. Guild Navigators (alternately Guildsmen or Steersmen) use the drug melange (also called "the ...
, which monopolizes
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 through its proprietary use of melange-mutated
Guild Navigator
The Spacing Guild is an organization in Frank Herbert's science fiction ''Dune'' universe which possesses a monopoly on interstellar travel and banking. Guild Navigators (alternately Guildsmen or Steersmen) use the drug melange (also called "the ...
s who perform the necessary computations to safely 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 ...
".
The
matriarchal
Matriarchy is a social system in which women hold the primary power positions in roles of authority. In a broader sense it can also extend to moral authority, social privilege and control of property.
While those definitions apply in general E ...
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 ...
possess almost
superhuman
The term superhuman refers to humans or human-like beings with enhanced qualities and abilities that exceed those naturally found in humans. These qualities may be acquired through natural ability, self-actualization or technological aids. Th ...
physical, sensory, and deductive powers developed through years of physical and
mental conditioning
Classical conditioning (also known as Pavlovian or respondent conditioning) is a behavioral procedure in which a biologically potent stimulus (e.g. food) is paired with a previously neutral stimulus (e.g. a triangle). It also refers to the learni ...
. While positioning themselves to serve mankind, the Bene Gesserit pursue their goal to better the human race by subtly and secretly guiding and manipulating human bloodlines and the affairs of others to serve their own purposes. "Human computers" known as
Mentat
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 ...
s have been developed and perfected to replace the capacity for logical analysis lost through the prohibition of computers. The
Bene Tleilax
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 ...
are amoral merchants who traffic in biological and
genetically engineered
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation, is the modification and manipulation of an organism's genes using technology. It is a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, including t ...
products such as artificial eyes, "twisted" Mentats and a type of
clone called a
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 ...
. Finally, the
Ixians
''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 b ...
produce
cutting-edge technology that seemingly complies with (but sometimes pushes the boundaries of) the prohibitions against computers,
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 ...
and
conscious robots put in place 10,000 years before as a result of 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 ...
. The doctors of the
Suk School
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 ...
are the universe's most competent and trusted; those who have received the "Suk Imperial Conditioning" are incapable of inflicting harm. The
Swordmasters of Ginaz
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 ...
are an elite group of master swordsmen whose fighting skills are prized and unmatched. Equally fierce in battle are the native
Fremen
The Fremen are a group of people in the fictional ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. First appearing in the 1965 novel ''Dune'', the Fremen inhabit the desert planet Arrakis (also known as Dune), which is the sole known source in the ...
of the
desert planet
A desert planet, also known as a dry planet, an arid planet, or a dune planet, is a theoretical type of terrestrial planet with a surface consistency similar to Earth's hot desert
A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipit ...
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 ...
, known as Dune. Naturally honed to excellence in harsh conditions rivaling the planet on which the Imperial Sardaukar are trained, the Fremen are misunderstood and underestimated by the other powers in the universe.
Arrakis is the only natural source of the all-important spice melange, and by leading the Fremen to seize control of the planet in ''Dune'',
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) ...
is able to depose Shaddam and become ruler of the known universe.
With a bloody
jihad
Jihad (; ar, جهاد, jihād ) is an Arabic word which literally means "striving" or "struggling", especially with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it can refer to almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with Go ...
subsequently unleashed across the universe in Paul's name but out of his control, the Bene Gesserit, Tleilaxu, Spacing Guild and House Corrino plot to dethrone him 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).
Seeing the eventual extinction of mankind through
prescient
Melange (), often referred to as "the spice", is the fictional psychedelic drug central to the Dune (franchise), ''Dune'' series of science fiction novels by Frank Herbert and derivative works.
In the series, the most essential and valuable commo ...
vision, in ''
Children of Dune
''Children of Dune'' is a 1976 science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, the third in his ''Dune'' series of six novels. It was originally serialized in '' Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' in 1976, and was the last ''Dune'' novel to be seriali ...
'' (1976) Paul's son
Leto II devises a plan to save humanity but becomes a
symbiote with the
sandworm of Arrakis to gain the extended lifespan needed to see this plan to its end.
Thirty-five hundred years later in ''
God Emperor of Dune'' (1981), Leto still rules the universe as a benevolent tyrant, with the help of his all-female army, the
Fish Speakers. He denies any spiritual outlets other than his own compulsory religion, and maintains a tight monopoly on melange and space travel. Through his own selective breeding program among the descendants of his twin sister
Ghanima, Leto finally achieves
Siona, whose actions are hidden from prescient vision. He engineers his own assassination, knowing it will result in rebellion and revolt but also in an explosion in travel and colonization.
The resultant chaos and severe famine on many worlds cause trillions of humans to set off into the freedom of unknown space and spread out across the universe in a
diaspora
A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of origin. Historically, the word was used first in reference to the dispersion of Greeks in the Hellenic world, and later Jews after ...
later called
the Scattering
''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 ...
.
Fifteen hundred years later, as ''
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) begins, the balance of power in the Empire rests among the Ixians, the Bene Gesserit and the Tleilaxu. The Spacing Guild has been forever weakened by the development of Ixian machines capable of navigation in
foldspace
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 ...
, practically replacing Guild Navigators. Ixians are at their apex with their alliance with the Fish Speakers; but Bene Gesserit analysts see them as a failing power, because Ixian society has become a bureaucracy and no great inventions have come out of the workshops of Ix for centuries. The Bene Gesserit control the sandworms and their planet, now called Rakis, through their influence over the
Rakian Priesthood that worships the sandworms as the Divided God, Leto II, and now actively participate on interstellar politics and even have their own standing armies. But the Tleilaxu have also discovered how to synthetically produce melange, and they are preparing to subjugate the rest of humanity. As a large influx of people begin to return from the Scattering, the Bene Gesserit find their match in a violent and corrupt matriarchal society known as 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 ...
.
A bitter and bloody war erupts between the orders, but in ''
Chapterhouse: Dune'' (1985) it ultimately becomes clear that joining the two organizations into a single
New Sisterhood
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 ...
with shared abilities is their best chance at survival against the approaching enemy who had driven the Honored Matres into the Old Empire.
Bene Gesserit
The Bene Gesserit are a key social, religious, and political force in Frank Herbert's science fiction ''Dune'' universe. The
matriarchal
Matriarchy is a social system in which women hold the primary power positions in roles of authority. In a broader sense it can also extend to moral authority, social privilege and control of property.
While those definitions apply in general E ...
group is described as a secretive and exclusive sisterhood whose members train their bodies and minds through years of physical and
mental conditioning
Classical conditioning (also known as Pavlovian or respondent conditioning) is a behavioral procedure in which a biologically potent stimulus (e.g. food) is paired with a previously neutral stimulus (e.g. a triangle). It also refers to the learni ...
to obtain
superhuman
The term superhuman refers to humans or human-like beings with enhanced qualities and abilities that exceed those naturally found in humans. These qualities may be acquired through natural ability, self-actualization or technological aids. Th ...
powers and abilities that can seem magical to outsiders. Under the guise of humbly "serving" the Empire, the Sisterhood is in fact a major power in the universe, using its many areas of influence to subtly guide mankind along the path of their own plan for humanity's future. The Bene Gesserit also have a secret, millennia-long selective
breeding program
A breeding program is the planned breeding of a group of animals or plants, usually involving at least several individuals and extending over several generations. There are a couple of breeding methods, such as artificial (which is man made) and ...
to bolster and preserve valuable skills and bloodlines as well as to produce a theoretical superhuman male they call the
Kwisatz Haderach
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 ...
.
Bene Tleilax
The Bene Tleilax (or Tleilaxu) are an extremely
xenophobic
Xenophobia () is the fear or dislike of anything which is perceived as being foreign or strange. It is an expression of perceived conflict between an in-group and out-group and may manifest in suspicion by the one of the other's activities, a ...
and
isolationist
Isolationism is a political philosophy advocating a national foreign policy that opposes involvement in the political affairs, and especially the wars, of other countries. Thus, isolationism fundamentally advocates neutrality and opposes entangl ...
society in the ''Dune'' universe. Genetic manipulators who traffic in biological products such as artificial eyes,
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, and "twisted"
Mentat
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 ...
s, the Tleilaxu are a major power in the Imperium. The race is ruled by a small council of Tleilaxu Masters, whose genetically-engineered
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 ...
servants have the ability to mimic any human. The Masters themselves possess a bland and diminutive appearance intended to compel other races to underestimate them. In ''Heretics of Dune'' (1984) it is revealed that they are a secret
totalitarian
Totalitarianism is a form of government and a political system that prohibits all opposition parties, outlaws individual and group opposition to the state and its claims, and exercises an extremely high if not complete degree of control and regul ...
theocracy
Theocracy is a form of government in which one or more deity, deities are recognized as supreme ruling authorities, giving divine guidance to human intermediaries who manage the government's daily affairs.
Etymology
The word theocracy origina ...
ultimately seeking domination of the known universe. Despite their influence, the Bene Tleilax are universally distrusted and inspire disgust because their products, though desirable, push the limits of the moral proscriptions established by the ancient
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 ...
.
CHOAM
The Combine Honnete Ober Advancer Mercantiles (CHOAM) is a universal development corporation 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, first mentioned in the 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 ...
''. CHOAM controls all economic affairs across the cosmos, though it is still at the mercy of the
Spacing Guild
The Spacing Guild is an organization in Frank Herbert's science fiction ''Dune'' universe which possesses a monopoly on interstellar travel and banking. Guild Navigators (alternately Guildsmen or Steersmen) use the drug melange (also called "the ...
's monopoly 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 ...
. In a 1980 article, Herbert equated CHOAM with
OPEC
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC, ) is a cartel of countries. Founded on 14 September 1960 in Baghdad by the first five members (Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela), it has, since 1965, been headquart ...
, the real-world intergovernmental organization which is a major power in the
petroleum industry
The petroleum industry, also known as the oil industry or the oil patch, includes the global processes of exploration, extraction, refining, transportation (often by oil tankers and pipelines), and marketing of petroleum products. The larges ...
.
He writes in ''Dune'':
CHOAM's management and
board of directors
A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organiz ...
are controlled by 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
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 ...
, the assembly of noble Houses, with the Spacing Guild and 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 ...
as
silent partners. Because of its control of interplanetary commerce, CHOAM is the largest single source of wealth in the Empire; as such, influence in CHOAM is a central goal of political maneuvering. In ''Dune'', Herbert notes:
Before the climactic battle in ''Dune'',
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) ...
and the
Fremen
The Fremen are a group of people in the fictional ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. First appearing in the 1965 novel ''Dune'', the Fremen inhabit the desert planet Arrakis (also known as Dune), which is the sole known source in the ...
watch the Padishah Emperor's encampment to see whether he will raise the
Atreides flag, indicating a recognition of Paul's claims, or the banner of Paul's
Harkonnen enemies. Instead, the Emperor raises the flag of CHOAM, as a reminder to all of the combatant parties that economics trump political considerations.
In 2011, ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'' ranked CHOAM as the largest fictional corporation.
;Prequels
In the ''Great Schools of Dune'' novels that take place eight decades after the end of the Butlerian Jihad, Josef Venport, the director of Venport Holdings (Venhold), the largest foldspace transportation company in the universe and the only company utilizing Navigators, forms Combined Mercantiles to mine spice on Arrakis. While ostensibly an independent company, it's an open secret that Combined Mercantiles works for Venhold. Presumably, the company eventually evolves into CHOAM.
Fish Speakers
The Fish Speakers are the all-female army of the God Emperor
Leto II Atreides
Leto II Atreides ()Archived aGhostarchiveand thWayback Machine is a fictional character from the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. Born at the end of ''Dune Messiah'' (1969), Leto is a central character in ''Children of Dune'' (1976) ...
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, appearing primarily in ''
God Emperor of Dune'' (1981). Named so because "the first priestesses spoke to fish in their dreams," the organization is founded by Leto after the events of ''
Children of Dune
''Children of Dune'' is a 1976 science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, the third in his ''Dune'' series of six novels. It was originally serialized in '' Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' in 1976, and was the last ''Dune'' novel to be seriali ...
'' (1976).
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), Leto II's father
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) ...
overthrows
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 ...
when Paul's fierce
Fremen
The Fremen are a group of people in the fictional ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. First appearing in the 1965 novel ''Dune'', the Fremen inhabit the desert planet Arrakis (also known as Dune), which is the sole known source in the ...
army manages to defeat Shaddam's previously-unstoppable
Sardaukar
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, ...
forces. Though the religiously loyal Fremen and the remnants of the Sardaukar are later at Leto's disposal, Leto (possessing the life experiences of his ancestors over millennia through
Other Memory
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 ...
) has come to believe that male-dominated military organizations are essentially predatory and will turn on the civilian population in the absence of an external enemy. Ruling for 3,500 years as a human-
sandworm symbiote, Leto molds his Fish Speaker army into both a military and religious force that also functions as the
bureaucracy
The term bureaucracy () refers to a body of non-elected governing officials as well as to an administrative policy-making group. Historically, a bureaucracy was a government administration managed by departments staffed with non-elected offi ...
for his tyrannical empire. As Leto sees his
Golden Path for humanity's survival from extinction coming to fruition, he allows himself to be assassinated at the end of ''God Emperor of Dune'' (1981). Control of the Fish Speakers passes to
Duncan Idaho
Duncan Idaho is a fictional character in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. Introduced in the first novel of the series, 1965's ''Dune'', he became a breakout character and was revived in 1969's ''Dune Messiah''. He is the only ch ...
and
Siona Atreides.
By the time of ''
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), the influence of the Fish Speakers has significantly waned in comparison to 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 ...
,
Bene Tleilax
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 ...
, and
Ixians
''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 b ...
, the latter two now having great control over the Fish Speakers. By then, the Fish Speakers have also incorporated men into their ranks, and have little in common with the force maintained by Leto II in terms of philosophy or practices. Also by this time, many of the leaders of the Fish Speakers have been replaced with Tleilaxu Face Dancers, essentially making the Fish Speakers, and the realms under their domain, puppets of the Tleilaxu.
In ''
Chapterhouse: Dune'' (1985), the unlocking of
Murbella
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 ...
's Other Memory confirms the Bene Gesserit's suspicions that the violent
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 ...
are descendants of Fish Speakers who had fled into
The Scattering
''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 ...
following Leto's death.
Fremen
The Fremen are a secretive and misunderstood tribe of humans in the ''Dune'' universe. As the resident population of the
desert planet
A desert planet, also known as a dry planet, an arid planet, or a dune planet, is a theoretical type of terrestrial planet with a surface consistency similar to Earth's hot desert
A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipit ...
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 ...
– who came there after thousands of years of wandering the universe – when ''Dune'' (1965) begins they have been long overlooked by the rest of the Imperium and are considered backward savages; in reality they are an extremely hardy people and exist in large numbers, their culture built around the commodity of water, which is extremely scarce on Arrakis.
Honored Matres
The Honored Matres are a
matriarchal
Matriarchy is a social system in which women hold the primary power positions in roles of authority. In a broader sense it can also extend to moral authority, social privilege and control of property.
While those definitions apply in general E ...
organization in the ''Dune'' universe, described as an aggressive cult obsessed with power, violence, and sexual domination. They are introduced in Frank Herbert's ''
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) as new and bitter enemies of 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 ...
.
Ixians
The Ixians are a technological culture 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. They provide both simple and sophisticated mechanical devices to the rest of the Imperium. Though Ixian technology is commonplace and considered essential, it sometimes tests the limits of the anti-technology proscriptions established in the aftermath of 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 ...
, humanity's crusade against computers,
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 ...
, and
conscious robots. Among the Ixians' inventions later in the series are the
no-chamber
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, ''Th ...
, a construct that hides anything inside from
prescient
Melange (), often referred to as "the spice", is the fictional psychedelic drug central to the Dune (franchise), ''Dune'' series of science fiction novels by Frank Herbert and derivative works.
In the series, the most essential and valuable commo ...
vision and long-range instruments, and the
no-ship
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 ...
, a no-chamber in
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 ...
form that does not require a
Guild Navigator
The Spacing Guild is an organization in Frank Herbert's science fiction ''Dune'' universe which possesses a monopoly on interstellar travel and banking. Guild Navigators (alternately Guildsmen or Steersmen) use the drug melange (also called "the ...
to
fold space
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 ...
.
By the time of the events described in the 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 ...
'', Ix is the leader in providing technology to the Imperium. Ixian devices are ever-present, but the society itself is unseen until later in the series. The sequel to ''Dune'', ''
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), refers to the "Ixian Confederacy".
In ''
God Emperor of Dune'' (1981),
Leto II Atreides
Leto II Atreides ()Archived aGhostarchiveand thWayback Machine is a fictional character from the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. Born at the end of ''Dune Messiah'' (1969), Leto is a central character in ''Children of Dune'' (1976) ...
's precognition shows him that his
Golden Path has prevented a future in which the Ixians released, and ultimately lost control of, self improving
hunter-seeker
This is a list of terminology used in the fictional Dune (franchise), ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert, the primary source being "Terminology of the Imperium", the glossary contained in the novel ''Dune (novel), Dune'' (1965).
''Dune'' ...
s that would eventually consume all organic life in the known universe. Leto talks about his relationship with the former Ixian ambassador Malky, who had been specially raised and trained by the Ixians to be a "tempter", the "Devil to Leto's God." The Ixians had intended for Malky to manipulate Leto into doubting his own purpose; the plan had ultimately failed. They had later created
Hwi Noree, a female designed specifically to attract, seduce, and hold influence over Leto. In the novel, Leto meets Hwi and sees this intent, but cannot dismiss his attraction to her. The Ixian embassy on
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 ...
is infiltrated by
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 ...
s, who kill and replace everyone there—except for Hwi—as part of an assassination attempt on Leto. The attempt fails, but Leto later allows himself and Hwi to be killed by
Siona Atreides as part of his own plan for the universe.
The Ixians had kept Hwi's development a secret through the use of their new invention, the no-room (later called a
no-chamber
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, ''Th ...
), a construct which is able to hide the people within from prescience, as Guild Navigators can.
The Ixians had also created the Navigation Device which would eventually take the place of Guild Navigators and help fuel the
diaspora
A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of origin. Historically, the word was used first in reference to the dispersion of Greeks in the Hellenic world, and later Jews after ...
known as
the Scattering
''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 ...
. Combining these two technologies later results in the no-ship, a starship that can remain unseen and does not require a Navigator to fold space.
By the time of the events described 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 ...
'' (1984), the power of the Ixians seems at its apex with their alliance with the Fish Speakers; however, Bene Gesserit analysts see them as a failing power, because Ixian society had become a bureaucracy and no great inventions had come out of the workshops of Ix for centuries. As the Honored Matres conquer the Old Empire, the Ixians are reduced to a barely tolerated technological combine.
In ''
Chapterhouse: Dune'' (1985), the latest
Duncan Idaho
Duncan Idaho is a fictional character in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. Introduced in the first novel of the series, 1965's ''Dune'', he became a breakout character and was revived in 1969's ''Dune Messiah''. He is the only ch ...
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 ...
suggests that Leto had never "suppressed" Ix because "he was fascinated by the idea of human and machine inextricably bound to each other, each testing the limits of the other."
;Prequels
In 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 ...
'' (1999–2001) prequel trilogy, Ix is a beautiful, untouched planet that remains so by having no development on the surface. The industry of Ix is subterranean, mainly consisting of labs and factories. The Ixians are the galaxy leader in technological production and have the monopoly on producing the starships known as
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.
House Vernius
The ''Dune'' prequel series is a sequence of novel trilogy, trilogies written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Set in the Dune (franchise), ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert, the novels take place in various time periods before a ...
rules the planet, but 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, ...
Elrood IX Corrino
''Dune: House Atreides'' is a 1999 science fiction novel by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, set in the fictional Dune (franchise), ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. It is the first book in the ''Prelude to Dune'' prequel trilogy, w ...
holds a grudge against Earl
Dominic Vernius for two reasons: Dominic had married Elrood's former
concubine
Concubinage is an interpersonal and sexual relationship between a man and a woman in which the couple does not want, or cannot enter into a full marriage. Concubinage and marriage are often regarded as similar but mutually exclusive.
Concubi ...
,
Shando Balut
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 ...
, and Ix's new, larger heighliners negatively impact Imperial tax revenue on cargo. Elrood secretly grants 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 ...
the right to occupy Ix by force (with the help of his
Sardaukar
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, ...
army) and remake it into a laboratory station for
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 ...
. This secret project seeks to produce a synthetic version of
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 structur ...
which the Tleilaxu Master
Ajidica
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 uni ...
calls ''ajidamal'', or ''amal''. The Emperor wants to take over the spice monopoly by making sure that he has the only access to spice, thus controlling the
Spacing Guild
The Spacing Guild is an organization in Frank Herbert's science fiction ''Dune'' universe which possesses a monopoly on interstellar travel and banking. Guild Navigators (alternately Guildsmen or Steersmen) use the drug melange (also called "the ...
. The Tleilaxu seize control of Ix and rename it "Xuttuh" after their founder, and House Vernius is forced to go rogue. Although Ajidica manages to create an artificial melange that seems to have the original's properties, but it is proven to have adverse effects when two Guild Navigators unknowingly testing the substance cause the destruction of their heighliners. When Duke
Leto Atreides invades Xuttuh and reestablishes
Rhombur Vernius
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 ...
as the ruler of Ix, all the records of Project Amal are destroyed.
Landsraad
The Landsraad is a political body 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. As established in Herbert's 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 ...
'', it is the assembly of all noble Houses in the Imperium, and plays a very important role in the political and economic power balance of the Empire, which is shared among the Landsraad, 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
Spacing Guild
The Spacing Guild is an organization in Frank Herbert's science fiction ''Dune'' universe which possesses a monopoly on interstellar travel and banking. Guild Navigators (alternately Guildsmen or Steersmen) use the drug melange (also called "the ...
(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 ...
prefer clandestine manipulation to overt action and therefore remain a "silent" fourth power in the Empire until the fall of
Leto II Atreides
Leto II Atreides ()Archived aGhostarchiveand thWayback Machine is a fictional character from the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. Born at the end of ''Dune Messiah'' (1969), Leto is a central character in ''Children of Dune'' (1976) ...
). The Emperor's power derives from Imperial control of the seemingly invincible military forces of the
Sardaukar
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 of the planet
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 ...
and its priceless
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 structur ...
, a source of endless wealth. The Landsraad represents the unification of all the other ruling families, known as Houses, to create a check against the individual power of the Emperor, a theoretically comparable force. Both the combined Houses and the Emperor are in turn dependent on the Guild for interstellar travel. This delicate balance of power initially serves to prevent any particularly ambitious or destructive faction or individual from upsetting the stability of society.
In "Terminology of the Imperium," the glossary of ''Dune'' (1965), Herbert specifies a House as a "Ruling Clan of a planet or planetary system," with major Houses holding planetary
fief
A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an Lord, overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a for ...
s and being interplanetary entrepreneurs, and minor Houses being planet-bound. Individual Houses are in constant competition for fiefdoms, financial and political power, and Imperial favor. The High Council is the inner circle of the Landsraad during the time of the
Faufreluches, "the rigid rule of class distinction enforced by the Imperium." The council is "empowered to act as supreme tribunal in House to House disputes." A grievance is brought before the High Council in a Bill of Particulars. Shortly after the assassination of his father
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 ...
and the
Harkonnen/
Corrino invasion of the planet Arrakis in ''Dune'',
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) ...
expresses a desire to put forward a Bill of Particulars to the Landsraad High Council to express his grievance and point out the laws that had been broken by this invasion. Paul believes that his grievance would be supported because the Great Houses would never endorse the Sardaukar eliminating them one-by-one (which is, of course, one of the principal reasons why the Landsraad exists to begin with). The Judge of the Change is "an official appointed by the Landsraad High Council and the Emperor to monitor a change of fief, a
kanly
This is a list of terminology used in the fictional ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert, the primary source being "Terminology of the Imperium", the glossary contained in the novel ''Dune'' (1965).
''Dune'' word construction could be clas ...
negotiation, or a formal battle in a
War of Assassins
This is a list of terminology used in the fictional ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert, the primary source being "Terminology of the Imperium", the glossary contained in the novel ''Dune'' (1965).
''Dune'' word construction could be clas ...
. The Judge's arbitral authority may be challenged only before the High Council with the Emperor present." As a political body, the Landsraad predates the end of 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 ...
(itself 10,000 years before the events of the novel) by approximately 2000 years. It was at some point referred to as the Landsraad League, and held influence over more than 13,300 worlds immediately after the Jihad.
The word ''Landsraad'' is a compound word meaning "council of the land" (the 's' indicates possessive case). The word exists in several
Germanic languages
The Germanic languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family spoken natively by a population of about 515 million people mainly in Europe, North America, Oceania and Southern Africa. The most widely spoken Germanic language, Engli ...
. It was still written as ''landsraad'' in
Danish
Danish may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark
People
* A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark
* Culture of Denmark
* Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...
until the spelling reform of 1948 saw it changed to ''landsråd''. Herbert borrowed the word from a Scandinavian language. When asked, he defined the Landsraad thus:
;Prequels
It is established 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
A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work.
The term " ...
trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games, and are less common in other art forms. Three-part wor ...
(2002-2004) by
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
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 ...
that the predecessor to the Landsraad is the
League of Nobles
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 ...
. The League is the system of government employed by the remaining free humans before and during 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 ...
; it is
feudal
Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was the combination of the legal, economic, military, cultural and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a wa ...
at its core but slightly more democratic than the Landsraad, as the League members vote for which Viceroy they prefer to govern them. After the Jihad and the accession of
Faykan Corrino
''Dune: The Battle of Corrin'' is a 2004 science fiction novel by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, set in the fictional ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. It is the third book in the ''Legends of Dune'' prequel trilogy, which takes ...
to the new Imperial throne, the Landsraad is formed by the League in order to keep the power of the Corrinos in check.
Mentats
A Mentat is a type of human, presented 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. In an interstellar society that fears a resurgence of
artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech re ...
and thus prohibits computers, Mentats are specially trained to mimic the cognitive and analytical ability of computers.
In Herbert's ''Dune'' universe, a historical movement known as 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 ...
results in the strict prohibition of all
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 ...
, including computers,
robot
A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the control may be embedded within. Robots may be c ...
s and artificial intelligence of any kind.
This is a key influence on the setting of Herbert's ''Dune'' series. More than simply calculators, Mentats possess exceptional cognitive abilities of memory and perception that enable them to sift large volumes of data and devise concise analyses.
They can accurately assess people and situations by interpreting minor changes in body language or intonation.
Early training occurs without the subject's knowledge, and at a certain age they are made aware, and given the choice to continue.
Though human nature brings an ethical component to a Mentat's logic and reasoning, 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 ...
can create "twisted Mentats", who are
sociopaths
Psychopathy, sometimes considered synonymous with sociopathy, is characterized by persistent antisocial behavior, impaired empathy and remorse, and bold, disinhibited, and egotistical traits. Different conceptions of psychopathy have been u ...
free from the usual constraints of human morality and ethical boundaries.
Mentat capabilities can be greatly increased by taking
sapho juice
This is a list of terminology used in the fictional ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert, the primary source being "Terminology of the Imperium", the glossary contained in the novel ''Dune'' (1965).
''Dune'' word construction could be clas ...
, an addictive drug extracted from roots found on
Ecaz
This is a list of terminology used in the fictional ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert, the primary source being "Terminology of the Imperium", the glossary contained in the novel ''Dune'' (1965).
''Dune'' word construction could be clas ...
. Repeated use leaves a permanent "cranberry-colored stain" on the user's lips.
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),
House Atreides
''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 ...
Mentat
Thufir Hawat
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 to ...
is considered to be one of the finest Mentats of his time, and his protégé,
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) ...
, is trained as a Mentat.
Twisted Mentat
Piter De Vries
Piter De Vries is a fictional character from the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. He is primarily featured in the 1965 novel ''Dune'', but also appears in the ''Prelude to Dune'' prequel trilogy (1999–2001) by Brian Herbert and K ...
serves as advisor and strategist to the Baron
Vladimir Harkonnen
Baron Vladimir Harkonnen () is a fictional character in the ''Dune'' franchise created by Frank Herbert. He is primarily featured in the 1965 novel ''Dune'' and is also a prominent character in the ''Prelude to Dune'' prequel trilogy (1999–2001 ...
in ''Dune''.
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), the Tleilaxu restore renowned Atreides swordsman
Duncan Idaho
Duncan Idaho is a fictional character in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. Introduced in the first novel of the series, 1965's ''Dune'', he became a breakout character and was revived in 1969's ''Dune Messiah''. He is the only ch ...
to life as a
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 ...
,
Hayt (Dune)
Duncan Idaho is a fictional character in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. Introduced in the first novel of the series, 1965's '' Dune'', he became a breakout character and was revived in 1969's ''Dune Messiah''. He is the only ...
, imbued with the powers of both a Mentat and
Zensunni
''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 ...
philosopher. 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 ...
'' (1984) and ''
Chapterhouse: Dune'' (1985),
Miles Teg
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 to ...
has an illustrious career as a combined Mentat and high-ranking leader of the Bene Gesserit military forces. In ''
God Emperor of Dune'' (1981),
Leto II outlaws the Mentat order and crushes any renegade training schools he finds. The Bene Gesserit preserve the Mentat discipline, assuming that Leto knows of this through his
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, ...
, and approves. Later, in ''Chapterhouse Dune'', the Bene Gesserit
Reverend Mother
An abbess (Latin: ''abbatissa''), also known as a mother superior, is the female superior of a community of Catholic nuns in an abbey.
Description
In the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic), Eastern Orthodox, Coptic ...
Bellonda
The Bene Gesserit are a key social, religious, and political force in Frank Herbert's fictional ''Dune'' universe. The group is described as an exclusive sisterhood whose members train their bodies and minds through years of physical and mental c ...
learns from
Other Memory
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 ...
that the Order of Mentats was founded by Gilbertus Albans.
;Prequels
The origin of the first Mentat is later explored 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 ...
'' (2002–2004)
prequel
A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work.
The term " ...
s written by
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 ...
and
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' ...
. During the Butlerian Jihad, thinking machine leader
Omnius
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, ...
sees humans as animals, but the independent robot
Erasmus
Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (; ; English: Erasmus of Rotterdam or Erasmus;''Erasmus'' was his baptismal name, given after St. Erasmus of Formiae. ''Desiderius'' was an adopted additional name, which he used from 1496. The ''Roterodamus'' wa ...
argues that any human can become brilliant. Omnius picks a nine-year-old, blond-haired boy who appears to be the wildest and most unkempt of all, and challenges Erasmus to prove his theory. Erasmus calls the boy Gilbertus Albans, thinking that this sounds like a smart human's name. After initially failing to make progress by using a system of benevolence and rewards, he switches to a system of strict supervision and punishment, and the method works. By emulating Erasmus, whom he has come to consider his father, Albans becomes the first human to display computer-like cognitive and calculation capacity on the level of thinking machines. Because of Gilbertus' remarkable memory, organizational ability and capacity for logical thinking, Erasmus nicknames him "Mentat", created from the words "mentor", "mentee", and "mentation".
Padishah Emperors
The Padishah Emperors
Padishah
Padishah ( fa, پادشاه; ; from Persian: r Old Persian: *">Old_Persian.html" ;"title="r Old Persian">r Old Persian: * 'master', and ''shāh'', 'king'), sometimes Romanization of Persian, romanised as padeshah or padshah ( fa, پادشاه; ...
(پادشاه) is a Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
title meaning "great king" or "king of kings", which was historically given to Persian emperors and kings. are the hereditary rulers of the
Old Empire 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. In Herbert's originating 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 ...
'' (1965), it is established that while the Padishah Emperor is supreme
sovereign
''Sovereign'' is a title which can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word is borrowed from Old French , which is ultimately derived from the Latin , meaning 'above'.
The roles of a sovereign vary from monarch, ruler or ...
ruler of the known universe, power is shared, in a
quasi-feudal arrangement, with the 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 ...
and with the
Spacing Guild
The Spacing Guild is an organization in Frank Herbert's science fiction ''Dune'' universe which possesses a monopoly on interstellar travel and banking. Guild Navigators (alternately Guildsmen or Steersmen) use the drug melange (also called "the ...
, which possesses a monopoly over
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 ...
.
Members 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 ...
sit on the Golden Lion throne as Padishah Emperors from the time of the ancient
Battle of Corrin
''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 b ...
until the events of ''Dune'' some 10,000 years later.
''Dune'' establishes that
Salusa Secundus
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 ...
had been the homeworld of House Corrino, and at some point the Imperial Court had moved to the planet
Kaitain.
As ''Dune'' begins, the 81st Padishah Emperor is
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 ...
, but by the end of the novel he is deposed by Duke
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) ...
in 10,193 A.G. (After
Guild
A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometimes ...
)
after Paul seizes control of the
desert planet
A desert planet, also known as a dry planet, an arid planet, or a dune planet, is a theoretical type of terrestrial planet with a surface consistency similar to Earth's hot desert
A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipit ...
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 spice
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 structur ...
.
Though Paul subsequently rules as Emperor, the term "Padishah" is dropped, and the Imperium as it has previously been known essentially ceases to exist since absolute control of the spice gives Paul unprecedented power over the Landsraad, Spacing Guild and all other factions. As detailed 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), Paul's apparent death 13 years later puts his sister
Alia Alia or ALIA may refer to:
People
*Alia (name), a list of people with the surname or given name
Places
*Alia, Sicily, Italy, a comune
* Alia (Phrygia), a town of ancient Phrygia which remains a Roman Catholic titular bishopric
*Alía, Spain, a mu ...
in place as Imperial Regent for his children,
Leto II and
Ghanima.
Young Leto ascends the throne in 1976's ''
Children of Dune
''Children of Dune'' is a 1976 science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, the third in his ''Dune'' series of six novels. It was originally serialized in '' Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' in 1976, and was the last ''Dune'' novel to be seriali ...
'', becoming a human-
sandworm hybrid to achieve superhuman physical abilities and longevity.
Leto rules as God Emperor for over 3,500 years; his assassination in ''
God Emperor of Dune'' (1981) effectively abolishes the Imperial throne.
;Prequels
Several
prequel
A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work.
The term " ...
novels by
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
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 ...
further explore the
back-story
A backstory, background story, back-story, or background is a set of events invented for a plot, presented as preceding and leading up to that plot. It is a literary device of a narrative history all chronologically earlier than the narrative of p ...
of the ''Dune'' universe. According to their ''
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
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games, and are less common in other art forms. Three-part wor ...
(2002–2004), the Empire had been founded on Salusa Secundus. Following the human victory over the
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 ...
in the
Battle of Corrin
''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 b ...
, Viceroy
Faykan Butler
''Dune: The Battle of Corrin'' is a 2004 science fiction novel by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, set in the fictional ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. It is the third book in the ''Legends of Dune'' prequel trilogy, which tak ...
takes the last name Corrino in commemoration. He ultimately names himself the first Padishah Emperor, Faykan I.
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) chronicles the last years of the reign of Shaddam's father,
Elrood IX
''Dune: House Atreides'' is a 1999 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 ''Prelude to Dune'' prequel trilogy, which takes pla ...
, as well as Shaddam's accession and reign until the events of ''Dune''. The series also reveals that, after centuries as the capital of the Corrino Padishah Empire, Salusa had been devastated by
atomics. The Imperial throne had been relocated to the planet Kaitain, where it remains for millennia.
Rakian Priesthood
The Rakian Priesthood is a priestly body that worships the Divided God,
Leto II Atreides
Leto II Atreides ()Archived aGhostarchiveand thWayback Machine is a fictional character from the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. Born at the end of ''Dune Messiah'' (1969), Leto is a central character in ''Children of Dune'' (1976) ...
. They rule
Rakis during the time the Lost Ones are returning from
the Scattering
''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 ...
, approximately 1500 years after Leto II's death. They are presumably descendants of the Fish Speakers priestesses. The Rakian Priesthood maintain that both
Muad'Dib
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) ...
and his son Leto II were hallowed, and that Leto was God Himself. Their canon details how, after his death, Leto divided into the
sandworms and became Shai-Hulud, hence the term "Divided God". The Priesthood is largely populated with individuals who lack insight, but possess ambition. After Leto's death, they maintain a brutal rule over Rakis, marked by random executions. Other powers from the Old Imperium, including 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 ...
, the Fish Speakers, and the
Bene Tleilax
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 ...
, have come to find them a troublesome, ignorant group. The Bene Gesserit, however, enjoy a particularly great influence over the priesthood.
At the time of the discovery of
Sheeana
The Bene Gesserit are a key social, religious, and political force in Frank Herbert's fictional Dune (franchise), ''Dune'' universe. The group is described as an exclusive sisterhood whose members train their bodies and minds through years of physi ...
, the Priesthood is led by the High Priest Hedley Tuek, a descendant of Esmar Tuek. Tuek is eventually killed by the Tleilaxu and replaced with a
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 ...
, with the approval of the Bene Gesserit. However, the Face Dancer eventually comes to believe that he is Tuek. The entire Rakian Priesthood is later annihilated, along with the planet's population, when the surface of Rakis is sterilized 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 ...
.
Sardaukar
The Sardaukar are a military force from
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
''Dune'' universe, primarily appearing in the 1965
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 ...
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 ...
'', as well as
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
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 ...
's ''
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). They are soldier-fanatics loyal to 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, ...
s 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 ...
, who have ruled the known universe for over 10,000 years at the time of the events of ''Dune''. The key to House Corrino's hold on the Imperial throne, the Sardaukar troops are the most formidable professional military in the universe in that time. They are secretly trained on the inhospitable Imperial prison planet Salusa Secundus, and the harsh conditions there ensure that only the strongest and most "ferocious" men survive. Sardaukar training emphasizes ruthlessness, near-suicidal disregard for personal safety, and the use of cruelty as a standard weapon in order to
weaken opponents with terror. Their uniforms are described as gray with silver and gold trim.
As ''Dune'' begins, the 81st Padishah 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 ...
sends Sardaukar to join the forces of the
Baron Harkonnen
Baron Vladimir Harkonnen () is a fictional character in the Dune (franchise), ''Dune'' franchise created by Frank Herbert. He is primarily featured in the 1965 novel ''Dune (novel), Dune'' and is also a prominent character in the ''Prelude to Dune ...
in their attack on the stronghold of Duke
Leto Atreides on the
desert planet
A desert planet, also known as a dry planet, an arid planet, or a dune planet, is a theoretical type of terrestrial planet with a surface consistency similar to Earth's hot desert
A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipit ...
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 Atreides forces are crushed and the Duke killed, but Leto's
concubine
Concubinage is an interpersonal and sexual relationship between a man and a woman in which the couple does not want, or cannot enter into a full marriage. Concubinage and marriage are often regarded as similar but mutually exclusive.
Concubi ...
,
Lady Jessica
Lady Jessica is a fictional character in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. A main character in the 1965 novel ''Dune'', Jessica also plays an important role in the later installment ''Children of Dune'' (1976). The events surroun ...
, and 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 ...
, escape and find refuge with the native
Fremen
The Fremen are a group of people in the fictional ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. First appearing in the 1965 novel ''Dune'', the Fremen inhabit the desert planet Arrakis (also known as Dune), which is the sole known source in the ...
of Arrakis, a fierce people with secretly large numbers and fierce fighting skills. Paul's training in
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 ...
martial arts
Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...
and galvanization of their rebellion under his command make the newly allied Fremen forces unstoppable, superior even to the Emperor's Sardaukar. Using the Bene Gesserit compulsion technique called
the Voice
The Voice may refer to:
Fictional entities
* The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics
* The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe
* The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...
, Paul himself manages to compel the Sardaukar Captain Aramsham to humiliate himself by surrendering. However, Aramsham's Sardaukar stoicism is so great that he will not even give his name until Paul uses the Voice again. The defeat of the Sardaukar and Paul's stranglehold on the supply of the all-important
spice melange allows him to depose Shaddam, marry his eldest daughter
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). ...
, and ascend the throne.
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), Shaddam retains a single legion of Sardaukar in his exile on Salusa Secundus. Paul's concubine
Chani later recognizes Sardaukar spies hidden among a visiting
Spacing Guild
The Spacing Guild is an organization in Frank Herbert's science fiction ''Dune'' universe which possesses a monopoly on interstellar travel and banking. Guild Navigators (alternately Guildsmen or Steersmen) use the drug melange (also called "the ...
entourage, and they are killed. It is also revealed that a "wise Sardaukar commander" had retrieved the corpse of the slain Atreides
Swordmaster Duncan Idaho
Duncan Idaho is a fictional character in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. Introduced in the first novel of the series, 1965's ''Dune'', he became a breakout character and was revived in 1969's ''Dune Messiah''. He is the only ch ...
, which had been entrusted to 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 ...
and used to create a
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 ...
duplicate.
During the events of ''
Children of Dune
''Children of Dune'' is a 1976 science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, the third in his ''Dune'' series of six novels. It was originally serialized in '' Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' in 1976, and was the last ''Dune'' novel to be seriali ...
'' (1976),
Princess Wensicia, younger daughter of Shaddam IV, initiates a plot for her family and the Sardaukar to return to power. By this time, Paul has improved conditions on Salusa under the guise of making the planet more hospitable for the exiled Corrinos, but with the intent of rendering it an ineffective training ground for more soldiers. Though Wensicia's son
Farad'n has tried to maintain the strict discipline that keeps the Sardaukar at their best, when Wensicia's efforts fail Farad'n voluntarily surrenders the army to the new Emperor, Paul's son
Leto II Atreides
Leto II Atreides ()Archived aGhostarchiveand thWayback Machine is a fictional character from the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. Born at the end of ''Dune Messiah'' (1969), Leto is a central character in ''Children of Dune'' (1976) ...
.
The text of ''
God Emperor of Dune'' notes that, during the 3,500-year reign of Leto II after the events of ''Children of Dune'', one of Leto II's many Duncan Idaho gholas had led the remnants of the Sardaukar in an unsuccessful revolt. Leto II finally abolishes the Sardaukar corps, replacing them with the all-female
Fish Speakers. Leto believes that male-dominated military organizations are essentially predatory and will turn on the civilian population in the absence of an external enemy.
A line of ''Dune'' action figures released by toy company
LJN
LJN Toys Ltd. was an American toy company and video game publisher based in New York City. Founded in 1970 by Jack Friedman, the company was acquired by MCA Inc. in 1985, sold to Acclaim Entertainment in 1990, and dissolved in 1994. The toy d ...
in 1984, styled after David Lynch's film, included a figure of a Sardaukar warrior.
Spacing Guild
The Spacing Guild is an organization in the ''Dune'' universe whose
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 makes it 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 ...
.
Mutated
Guild Navigator
The Spacing Guild is an organization in Frank Herbert's science fiction ''Dune'' universe which possesses a monopoly on interstellar travel and banking. Guild Navigators (alternately Guildsmen or Steersmen) use the drug melange (also called "the ...
s use the spice 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 structur ...
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
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 ...
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 from planet to planet instantaneously. Essentially apolitical, the Guild is primarily concerned with the flow of commerce and preservation of the economy that supports them; though 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.
Suk School
The Suk School is a prominent
medical school
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, M ...
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. Suk doctors are the universe's most competent and trusted physicians. Those who have received the "Suk Imperial Conditioning" are incapable of inflicting harm upon their charges. These individuals bear a black diamond tattoo on their foreheads, and wear their hair in a special silver ring.
The fallibility of Suk training is proven 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), in a situation involving Dr.
Wellington Yueh
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 to ...
.
The
Harkonnen twisted Mentat Piter De Vries
Piter De Vries is a fictional character from the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. He is primarily featured in the 1965 novel ''Dune'', but also appears in the ''Prelude to Dune'' prequel trilogy (1999–2001) by Brian Herbert and K ...
notes:
To gain such leverage against Yueh, Baron
Vladimir Harkonnen
Baron Vladimir Harkonnen () is a fictional character in the ''Dune'' franchise created by Frank Herbert. He is primarily featured in the 1965 novel ''Dune'' and is also a prominent character in the ''Prelude to Dune'' prequel trilogy (1999–2001 ...
had abducted and tortured Yueh's wife
Wanna. The doctor is thus compelled to betray
House Atreides
''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 ...
in exchange for her release. Even so, Yueh allows
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) ...
and
Lady Jessica
Lady Jessica is a fictional character in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. A main character in the 1965 novel ''Dune'', Jessica also plays an important role in the later installment ''Children of Dune'' (1976). The events surroun ...
to escape the attack and gives Duke
Leto Atreides the means to kill the Baron (though Leto fails to do so).
Later in the series, 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 ...
'' (1984) and ''
Chapterhouse: Dune'' (1985), many Bene Gesserits are trained by Suk Schools to become doctors for the Sisterhood.
;Prequels
The origins of the school are explored 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
A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work.
The term " ...
trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games, and are less common in other art forms. Three-part wor ...
(2002-2004) by
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
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 ...
. It gets its name from Dr. Mohandas Suk, a physician instrumental in fighting a catastrophic
thinking machine-created plague among humans during 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 ...
. After the war he sets out to establish a medical institution which will assure "that no threat of machine, war, or plague can ever harm us again."
Swordmasters of Ginaz
The ''Swordmasters of Ginaz'' are a school of martial artists 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. They are mentioned briefly in 1965's ''
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 ...
'' and its 1969
sequel
A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
''
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 ...
''. "Terminology of the Imperium" in the Appendix of ''Dune'' notes that House Ginaz are "one-time allies of
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 ...
" and are "defeated in the
War of Assassins
This is a list of terminology used in the fictional ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert, the primary source being "Terminology of the Imperium", the glossary contained in the novel ''Dune'' (1965).
''Dune'' word construction could be clas ...
with
Grumman
The Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, later Grumman Aerospace Corporation, was a 20th century American producer of military and civilian aircraft. Founded on December 6, 1929, by Leroy Grumman and his business partners, it merged in 1994 ...
."
Duncan Idaho
Duncan Idaho is a fictional character in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. Introduced in the first novel of the series, 1965's ''Dune'', he became a breakout character and was revived in 1969's ''Dune Messiah''. He is the only ch ...
is noted to be a "Swordmaster of the Ginaz,"
which leads to his body later being sold to 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 ...
as "a master swordsman, an adept of the Ginaz School."
;Prequels
The school's origins are detailed 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
A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work.
The term " ...
trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games, and are less common in other art forms. Three-part wor ...
(2002-2004) by
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
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 ...
. Jool Noret of the ocean-covered planet
Ginaz uses personal tragedy to make himself a fierce and innovative warrior, distinguishing himself in the ongoing war against the machine forces of
Omnius
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, ...
in 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 ...
. Despite his reluctance to bask in fame or accept students, young warriors flock to Ginaz for training; he concedes, and eventually his unique fighting style becomes an art in its own right. Ultimately, the mercenaries of Ginaz are considered the most elite warriors available outside the Imperial
Sardaukar
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, ...
.
Thinking machines
Thinking machines is a collective term for
artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech re ...
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. 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 ...
a human crusade against thinking machines is an epic turning point in the
back-story
A backstory, background story, back-story, or background is a set of events invented for a plot, presented as preceding and leading up to that plot. It is a literary device of a narrative history all chronologically earlier than the narrative of p ...
of the ''Dune'' universe.
The thinking machines are first mentioned in 1965's ''
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 glossary of which includes the following:
JIHAD, BUTLERIAN: (see also Great Revolt) — the crusade against computers, thinking machines, and conscious robots begun in 201 B.G. and concluded in 108 B.G. Its chief commandment remains in the O.C. Bible as "Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a human mind."
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), 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 ...
notes that "From the days of the Butlerian Jihad when 'thinking machines' had been wiped from most of the universe, computers had inspired distrust."
Herbert refers to thinking machines and the Jihad several times in his later works in the ''Dune'' series, but does not give much detail on how he imagined either.
In ''
God Emperor of Dune'' (1981),
Leto II Atreides
Leto II Atreides ()Archived aGhostarchiveand thWayback Machine is a fictional character from the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. Born at the end of ''Dune Messiah'' (1969), Leto is a central character in ''Children of Dune'' (1976) ...
indicates that the Jihad had been a semi-religious social upheaval initiated by humans who felt repulsed by how guided and controlled they had become by machines:
"The target of the Jihad was a machine-attitude as much as the machines," Leto said. "Humans had set those machines to usurp our sense of beauty, our necessary selfdom out of which we make living judgments. Naturally, the machines were destroyed."
Later in the same novel, Leto tests
Siona Atreides, who experiences a vision of the future Leto is trying to prevent with his
Golden Path mankind's extinction at the hands of "seeking machines":
He knew this experience, but could not change the smallest part of it. No ancestral presences would remain in her consciousness, but she would carry with her forever afterward the clear sights and sounds and smells. The seeking machines would be there, the smell of blood and entrails, the cowering humans in their burrows aware only that they could not escape . . . while all the time the mechanical movement approached, nearer and nearer and nearer ...louder...louder! Everywhere she searched, it would be the same. No escape anywhere.
Herbert's death in 1986 left this topic unexplored and open to speculation.
;Prequels
Chronicling the Butlerian Jihad, 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
A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work.
The term " ...
trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games, and are less common in other art forms. Three-part wor ...
(2002–2004) by
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
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 ...
establishes that the thinking machines are a host of destructive robots led by Omnius, a sentient computer network. A thousand years before the Jihad, a group of twenty dissident humans had used thinking machines to enslave the rest of mankind, and then converted themselves into weaponized human-machine hybrids called
cymek
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. Essentially immortal and unstoppable, they had become known as the
Titans
In Greek mythology, the Titans ( grc, οἱ Τῑτᾶνες, ''hoi Tītânes'', , ''ho Tītân'') were the pre-Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (Sky) and Ga ...
, but after a century had been overthrown themselves by Omnius and made his servants. Much of mankind suffers under thinking machine oppression for another 900 years, before the murder of young
Manion 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 tak ...
at the hands of the independent robot Erasmus incites the Butlerian Jihad. The last remaining free humans fight for a century before finally defeating the machines in the
Battle of Corrin
''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 b ...
.
;Sequels
In ''
Hunters of Dune'' (2006), Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's first of a two-part finale to Frank Herbert's original series, the antagonists
Daniel and Marty (introduced in Frank Herbert's 1985 ''
Chapterhouse: Dune'') are revealed to be incarnations of Omnius and Erasmus. In the third ''Legends'' novel ''
Dune: The Battle of Corrin'' (2004), Omnius had sent out a last burst of information before being destroyed in the Battle of Corrin; it is explained in ''Hunters'' that this signal had eventually connected with one of the probes disseminated from
Giedi Prime
''Dune'' is a 1965 Epic (genre), epic science fiction novel by American author Frank Herbert, originally published as two separate serials in ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Analog'' magazine. It tied with Roger Zelazny's ''This Immortal'' f ...
several decades earlier, uploading versions of Erasmus and Omnius.
Titans
The Titans are a group of warlike
cyborg
A cyborg ()—a portmanteau of ''cybernetic'' and ''organism''—is a being with both organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline. s 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 ...
'' (2002–2004)
trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games, and are less common in other art forms. Three-part wor ...
of
prequel
A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work.
The term " ...
novels, written by
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
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 ...
and set 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.
Over 11,000 years before the events of Frank Herbert's Dune (1965), a group of 20 ambitious humans see the stagnation of the Old Empire and realize that their small band can take control of it with the aid of
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 ...
. Calling themselves the Titans, they rule humanity for a hundred years and rename themselves after famous historical and mythological figures, most notably Agamemnon, Ajax, Barbarossa, Dante, Hecate, Juno, Tlaloc and Xerxes. Eventually the group separates to each rule their own worlds in the galaxy, utilizing the thinking machines that had originally brought them to power as the means to control entire planets. Realizing that their human bodies are fragile and their lifespans limited, the Titans find a way to extend their lives indefinitely: installing their brains with the help of specialized interfaces into large, walking machine bodies. Calling themselves
cymek
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, the Titans become virtually unstoppable in these new fearsome, weaponized bodies. Having pushed to the very farthest limits of
artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech re ...
, their own machines run their empire for them for a century. Then, having mistakenly given one attendant AI program too much autonomy, the Titans suddenly find themselves overthrown and enslaved by an AI consciousness calling itself
Omnius
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, ...
that seizes control of the entire known universe through the interconnected machine network. For over 900 years the Titans live in perpetual servitude to Omnius, cruelly subjugating humanity, quelling human insurrections and secretly plotting their own return to power. The murder of young
Manion 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 tak ...
at the hands of the independent robot
Erasmus
Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (; ; English: Erasmus of Rotterdam or Erasmus;''Erasmus'' was his baptismal name, given after St. Erasmus of Formiae. ''Desiderius'' was an adopted additional name, which he used from 1496. The ''Roterodamus'' wa ...
finally incites 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 ...
; the last remaining free humans fight for a century before finally destroying both Omnius' forces and the remaining Titans in the
Battle of Corrin
''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 b ...
.
References
{{Dune franchise