Sandworm (Dune)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

A sandworm is a fictional extraterrestrial creature that appears in the ''Dune'' novels written by
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 ...
, first introduced 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). Sandworms are colossal, worm-like creatures that live 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 sandworms' larvae produce a drug called
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 ...
(known colloquially as "the spice"), the most essential and valuable commodity in the universe because it makes safe and accurate interstellar travel possible. Melange deposits are found in the sand seas of Arrakis, where the sandworms live and hunt, and harvesting the spice from the sand is a dangerous activity because sandworms are aggressive and territorial. Harvesting vehicles must be airlifted in and out of the sand sea in order to evade sandworm attacks. The struggle over the production and supply of melange is a central theme of the ''Dune'' saga.


Conception

The sandworms in ''Dune'' were inspired by the dragons of European mythology that guard some sort of treasure. Favorites of Frank Herbert included the dragon in ''Beowulf'' that guarded a hoard of gold in a cave, and the dragon of Colchis that guarded the
Golden Fleece In Greek mythology, the Golden Fleece ( el, Χρυσόμαλλον δέρας, ''Chrysómallon déras'') is the fleece of the golden-woolled,, ''Khrusómallos''. winged ram, Chrysomallos, that rescued Phrixus and brought him to Colchis, where P ...
from
Jason Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Medea. He w ...
. Like these dragons, the sandworms of Arrakis will attack anyone who attempts to take the treasure that is spice from the desert sands, as if they were guarding it (the sandworms actually do not care for the spice as it is waste matter). 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 serialize ...
'' (1976), a character even refers to sandworms as "the dragon on the floor of the desert." In the plot of Frank Herbert's novel ''Dune'', Herbert used the sandworms (along with the spice they produce) as a plot device to provide
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) ...
with the trials through which he ascends to a superhuman state of being. Herbert believed that a memorable myth must have something profoundly moving that could either empower the hero or overwhelm him completely. The force in question must be dangerous and terrifying, yet somehow essential. In ''Dune'', the sandworms serve this function. To earn the spice, humans must cope with sandworm attacks on their harvesting expeditions. To earn an even greater prize (his apotheosis into the all-seeing Kwisatz Haderach), Paul undergoes even more dangerous and transformative trials in which he risks madness and death, one of which involves the ritual sacrifice of a juvenile sandworm, and another in which he must learn to ride a sandworm. Sandworms are attracted to rhythmic vibrations in the sand, which they mistake for prey (smaller sandworms). To escape the notice of the sandworms, a traveller in the desert must learn to "walk without rhythm" in a manner that simulates the natural sounds of the desert. This element comes from Frank Herbert's experiences as a hunter and fisherman. He knew how to mask his presence from prey by techniques such as approaching from downwind and treading lightly. Frank Herbert's son
Brian Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan in English) is a male given name of Irish and Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world. It is possible that the name is derived from an Old Celtic word me ...
explained that "In ''Children of Dune'', Leto II allowed sandtrout to attach themselves to his body, and this was based in part upon my father’s own experiences as a boy growing up in
Washington state Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...
, when he rolled up his trousers and waded into a stream or lake, permitting
leech Leeches are segmented parasitic or predatory worms that comprise the subclass Hirudinea within the phylum Annelida. They are closely related to the oligochaetes, which include the earthworm, and like them have soft, muscular segmented bodie ...
es to attach themselves to his legs."
John Schoenherr John Carl Schoenherr (July 5, 1935 – April 8, 2010) was an American illustrator. He won the 1988 Caldecott Medal for U.S. children's book illustration, recognizing '' Owl Moon'' by Jane Yolen, which recounts the story of the first time a father ...
provided the earliest artwork for the ''Dune'' series, including the illustrations in the initial pulp magazine serial and the cover of the first hardcover edition. Frank Herbert was very pleased with Schoenherr's art, and remarked that he was "the only man who has ever visited Dune". Schoenherr gave the sandworm three triangular lobes that form the lips of its mouth. This design was referenced for the sandworm puppets that appeared in the 1984 movie adaptation of ''Dune''.


Description

Sandworms are giant creatures found only 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 ...
. They are worshipped as agents of God by 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 ...
, who consider their actions a form of divine intervention. The Fremen also refer to the sandworms as "Makers" or "Shai-Hulud".


Physiology

Herbert describes sandworms as colossal terrestrial
annelids The annelids (Annelida , from Latin ', "little ring"), also known as the segmented worms, are a large phylum, with over 22,000 extant species including ragworms, earthworms, and leeches. The species exist in and have adapted to various ecolo ...
with features of the
lamprey Lampreys (sometimes inaccurately called lamprey eels) are an ancient extant lineage of jawless fish of the order Petromyzontiformes , placed in the superclass Cyclostomata. The adult lamprey may be characterized by a toothed, funnel-like s ...
. They have an array of
crystalline A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macrosc ...
teeth which are used primarily for rasping rocks and sand. During his first close encounter with a sandworm in ''Dune'', Paul notes, "Its mouth was some eighty meters in diameter... crystal teeth with the curved shape of crysknives glinting around the rim... the bellows breath of
cinnamon Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus ''Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, breakfa ...
, subtle
aldehyde In organic chemistry, an aldehyde () is an organic compound containing a functional group with the structure . The functional group itself (without the "R" side chain) can be referred to as an aldehyde but can also be classified as a formyl grou ...
s...
acid In computer science, ACID ( atomicity, consistency, isolation, durability) is a set of properties of database transactions intended to guarantee data validity despite errors, power failures, and other mishaps. In the context of databases, a sequ ...
s..." Sandworms grow to hundreds of meters in length, with specimens observed over long and in diameter, although Paul becomes a sandrider by summoning a worm that "appeared to be" around half a
league League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football Sports * Sports league * Rugby league, full contact footba ...
() or more in length. These gigantic worms burrow deep in the ground and travel swiftly; "most of the sand on Arrakis is credited to sandworm action". Sandworms are described as "incredibly tough" by Liet-Kynes, who further notes that "high-voltage electrical shock applied separately to each ring segment" is the only known way to kill and preserve them; atomics are the only explosive powerful enough to kill an entire worm, with conventional explosives being unfeasible as "each ring segment has a life of its own". Water is poisonous to the worms, but it is in too short supply on Arrakis to be of use against any but the smallest of them.


Life cycle

Herbert notes in ''Dune'' that microscopic creatures called sand plankton feed upon traces 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 ...
scattered by sandworms on the Arrakeen sands. The sand plankton are food for the giant sandworms, but also grow and burrow to become what the Fremen call Little Makers, "the half-plant-half-animal deep-sand vector of the Arrakis sandworm". Their leathery remains previously having "been ascribed to a fictional sandtrout in Fremen folk stories", Imperial Planetologist
Pardot Kynes 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 ...
had discovered the Little Makers during his ecological investigations of the planet, deducing their existence before he actually found one. Kynes determines that these "sandtrout" block off water "into fertile pockets within the porous lower strata below the 280° (
absolute Absolute may refer to: Companies * Absolute Entertainment, a video game publisher * Absolute Radio, (formerly Virgin Radio), independent national radio station in the UK * Absolute Software Corporation, specializes in security and data risk manage ...
) line", and
Alia Atreides Alia Atreides is a fictional character in the Dune (franchise), ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. Introduced in the first novel of the series, 1965's ''Dune (novel), Dune'', the character was originally killed in Herbert's first versi ...
notes 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 serialize ...
'' that the "sandtrout, when linked edge to edge against the planet's bedrock, formed living cisterns".. The Fremen themselves protect their water supplies with "predator fish" that attack invading sandtrout. Sandtrout can be lured by small traces of water, and Fremen children catch and play with them; smoothing one over the hand forms a "living glove" until the creature is repelled by something in the "blood's water" and falls off. Leto II says in ''Children of Dune'': The sandtrout are described as "flat and leathery" in ''Children of Dune'', with Leto II noting that they are "roughly diamond-shaped" with "no head, no extremities, no eyes" and "coarse interlacings of extruded
cilia The cilium, plural cilia (), is a membrane-bound organelle found on most types of eukaryotic cell, and certain microorganisms known as ciliates. Cilia are absent in bacteria and archaea. The cilium has the shape of a slender threadlike projecti ...
". They can find water unerringly, and squeezing the sandtrout yields a "sweet green syrup". When water is flooded into the sandtrout's excretions, a pre-spice mass is formed; at this "stage of fungusoid wild growth", gases are produced which result in "a characteristic 'blow', exchanging the material from deep underground for the matter on the surface above it". After exposure to sun and air, this mass becomes melange. Kynes' "water stealers" die "by the millions in each
spice blow 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 ...
" and may be killed by even a "five-degree change in temperature". He notes that "the few survivors entered a semidormant cyst-hibernation to emerge in six years as small (about three meters long) sandworms". A small number of these then emerge into maturity as giant sandworms, to whom water is poisonous. A "stunted worm" is a "primitive form... that reaches a length of only about nine meters". Their drowning by the Fremen makes them expel the awareness-spectrum narcotic known as the Water of Life. While sandworms are capable of eating humans, the latter do contain a level of water beyond the preferred tolerances of the worms. They routinely devour melange-harvesting equipment—mistaking the mechanical rhythm for prey—but they seem to derive actual nutrition only from sand plankton and smaller sandworms, and have no actual interest in the spice. Sandworms will also not attack sandtrout.


Behavior and function

In ''Dune'', the desert of Arrakis is the only known source of the spice melange, the most essential and valuable commodity in the universe. Melange is a
geriatric Geriatrics, or geriatric medicine, is a medical specialty focused on providing care for the unique health needs of older adults. The term ''geriatrics'' originates from the Greek language, Greek γέρων ''geron'' meaning "old man", and ιατ ...
drug that gives the user a longer life span, greater vitality, and heightened awareness. It can also unlock
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, ...
in some subjects, which makes safe and accurate interstellar travel possible. The harvesting of melange is therefore essential, but is also a highly dangerous undertaking due to the presence of sandworms. Rhythmic activity as minimal as normal walking on the desert surface of Arrakis attracts the
territorial A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or a ...
worms, which are capable of swallowing even the largest mining equipment whole. They are an accepted obstacle to spice mining, as any attempt to exterminate them would be prohibitively expensive, if not entirely futile. Harvesting is done by a gigantic machine called a Harvester, which is carried to and from a spice blow by a larger craft called a
Carryall The term ''carryall'' refers to several types of vehicles, including: historical carriages, automobiles, sleighs, and tractors. Horse-drawn carriage Historically, a carryall was a type of carriage used in the United States in the 19th century. ...
. The Harvester on the ground has four scouting ornithopters patrolling around it watching for wormsign, the motions of sand which indicate that a worm is coming. Melange is collected from the open sand until a worm is close, at which time the Carryall lifts the Harvester to safety. The Fremen, who base their entire industry around the sale of spice and the manufacture of materials out of spice, have learned to co-exist with the sandworms in the desert and harvest the spice manually for their own use and for
smuggling Smuggling is the illegal transportation of objects, substances, information or people, such as out of a house or buildings, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations. There are various ...
off-planet. Due to their size and territorial nature, sandworms can be extremely dangerous, even to Fremen. The worms are attracted to—and maddened by—the presence of Holtzman force fields used as personal defense shields, and as a result these shields are of little use on Arrakis. In ''Children of Dune'' it is noted that a weapon has been developed on Arrakis called a "pseudo-shield". This device will attract and enrage any nearby sandworm, which will destroy anything in its vicinity. The Fremen manage to develop a unique relationship with the sandworms. They learn to avoid most worm attacks by mimicking the motions of desert animals, moving with the natural sounds of the desert rather than rhythmic vibrations. However, they also develop a device known as a thumper with the express purpose of generating a rhythmic
vibration Vibration is a mechanical phenomenon whereby oscillations occur about an equilibrium point. The word comes from Latin ''vibrationem'' ("shaking, brandishing"). The oscillations may be periodic function, periodic, such as the motion of a pendulum ...
to attract a sandworm. This can be used either as a diversion or to summon a worm to ride. The Fremen have secretly mastered a way to ride sandworms across the desert. First, a worm is lured by the vibrations of a thumper device. When it surfaces, the lead worm-rider runs alongside it and snares one of its ring-segments with a special "maker hook". The hook is used to pry open the segment, exposing the soft inner tissue to the abrasive sand. To avoid irritation, the worm will rotate its body so the exposed flesh faces upwards, lifting the rider with it. Other Fremen may then plant additional hooks for steering, or act as " beaters", hitting the worm's tail to make it increase speed. A worm can be ridden for several hundred kilometers and for about half a day, at which point it will become exhausted and sit on the open desert until the hooks are released, whereupon it will burrow back down to rest. Worm-riding is used as a coming-of-age ritual among the Fremen, and Paul's riding and controlling a giant sandworm cements him as a Fremen leader. Paul also uses worms for troop transport into the city during the Battle of
Arrakeen Arrakis ()—informally known as Dune and later called Rakis—is a fictional desert planet featured in the ''Dune'' series of novels by Frank Herbert. Herbert's first novel in the series, 1965's ''Dune'', is considered one of the greatest scien ...
after using
atomic weapons A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions ( thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bom ...
to blow a hole in the Shield Wall. After the reign of Leto II, sandworms become un-rideable. The one exception is a young girl named
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 ...
, an Atreides descendant who possesses a unique ability to control the worms and safely move around them. Fremen also use the sharp teeth of dead sandworms to produce the sacred knives they call crysknives. Approximately long, these hand-to-hand weapons are either "fixed" or "unfixed". An unfixed knife requires proximity to a human body's electrical field to prevent its eventual disintegration, while fixed knives are treated for storage.Herbert, Frank. ''Dune'', ''Terminology of the Imperium'' (Crysknife). Fremen tradition dictates that once a crysknife is drawn, it must not be sheathed until it has drawn blood.


Storylines


Original series

By the time of the events of ''
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), humans have been harvesting melange from Arrakis for several thousand years. The indigenous Fremen regard the sandworms as divine, but to everyone else, they are just deadly pests. Few people understand the sandworms' connection to the spice. This is no longer the case by the time 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 serialize ...
'' (1976), and numerous groups attempt to smuggle sandworms off Arrakis and transplant them to other planets so as to break the Atreides' monopoly on spice production. In ''Children of Dune'', Leto II consumes massive amounts of spice and allows many sandtrout to cover his body, the concentration of spice in his blood fooling them. This layer gives Leto tremendous strength, speed, and protection from mature sandworms, which mistake his sandtrout-covered body for a lethal mass of water. He calls it a "living, self-repairing
stillsuit 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 ...
of a sandtrout membrane", and soon notes that he is "no longer human". Gradually over the next 3,500 years, Leto not only survives, but also is transformed into a
hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...
of human and giant sandworm. By the time of '' God Emperor of Dune'' (1981), he has exterminated all other sandworms, and his own transformation has modified his component sandtrout. When Leto allows himself to be assassinated, the sandtrout release themselves to begin the sandworm lifecycle anew; subsequent offspring are tougher and more adaptable than their predecessors, allowing them to ultimately be more easily settled on other worlds, thus ensuring the survival of the sandworm species. Each one, according to Leto, carries in it a tiny pearl of his consciousness, trapped forever in an unending prescient dream.Herbert, Frank (1981). '' God Emperor of Dune''. . Over the next 1500 years, Arrakis (now called Rakis) is returned to a desert by the thriving sandworm cycle.
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 ...
Mother Superior Taraza becomes aware 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) that humanity is being limited by the prescient dream of Leto, and controlled by him through his worm remnants. She engineers the destruction of Rakis by the
Honored Matre 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 ...
s to free humanity, leaving one remaining worm to start the cycle anew. Taraza is killed; her successor
Darwi Odrade 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 co ...
takes the worm to Chapterhouse. She submerges it in a spice bath to generate sandtrout, with the goal of
terraforming Terraforming or terraformation ("Earth-shaping") is the hypothetical process of deliberately modifying the atmosphere, temperature, surface topography or ecology of a planet, moon, or other body to be similar to the environment of Earth to make ...
their own planet Chapterhouse into another Dune, and later doing the same on other planets, with new worms and infinite potential for gathering spice.


Prequels and sequels

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 ...
''
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 ...
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 ...
(1999–2004), the Tleilaxu initiate
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 ...
, an early attempt to create synthetic melange to eliminate dependence upon Arrakis. They are fundamentally unaware, however, that melange production is part of the sandworm lifecycle, and the project is an abysmal failure. In ''
Sandworms of Dune ''Sandworms of Dune'' is a science fiction novel by American writers Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, the second of two books they wrote to conclude Frank Herbert's original ''Dune'' series. It is based on notes left behind by Frank Herber ...
'', Brian Herbert and Anderson's 2007 conclusion to the original series, 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 ...
is manipulated into replacing its
Navigators A navigator is the person on board a ship or aircraft responsible for its navigation.Grierson, MikeAviation History—Demise of the Flight Navigator FrancoFlyers.org website, October 14, 2008. Retrieved August 31, 2014. The navigator's primar ...
with Ixian navigation devices and cutting off the Navigators' supply of melange. Sure to die should they be without the spice, a group of Navigators commissions Waff, an imperfectly awakened Tleilaxu
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 ...
, to create "advanced" sandworms able to produce the melange they so desperately require. He accomplishes this by altering the DNA of the sandtrout stage and creating an aquatic form of the worms, which are then released into the oceans of Buzzell. Adapting to their new environment, these seaworms quickly flourish, eventually producing a highly concentrated form of spice, dubbed "
ultraspice Melange (), often referred to as "the spice", is the fictional psychedelic drug central to the ''Dune'' series of science fiction novels by Frank Herbert and derivative works. In the series, the most essential and valuable commodity in the unive ...
". Meanwhile, sandworms are revealed to have survived the devastation of Rakis after all, by burrowing deep under the surface.


In adaptations


''Dune'' (1984)

In the 1984
David Lynch David Keith Lynch (born January 20, 1946) is an American filmmaker, visual artist and actor. A recipient of an Academy Honorary Award in 2019, Lynch has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, and the César Award for Be ...
film ''
Dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...
'', the sandworms were designed by special effects modeler
Carlo Rambaldi Carlo Rambaldi (September 15, 1925 – August 10, 2012) was an Italian special effects artist, winner of three Oscars: one Special Achievement Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in 1977 for the 1976 version of ''King Kong'' and two Acade ...
for a budgeted $2 million. Rambaldi had previously created the titular alien for the 1982 film '' E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial''. The blue screen constructed for ''Dune'' special effects was thirty-five feet (11 m) high and 108 feet (33 m) wide, the largest at that time. The sandworms were achieved using
practical effect A practical effect is a special effect produced physically, without computer-generated imagery or other post-production techniques. In some contexts, "special effect" is used as a synonym of "practical effect", in contrast to "visual effects" ...
models, miniature sets and blue screens. Several scales of sandworm models were created, operated by "worm wranglers" and pulled with cables to simulate motion. The largest models, which were approximately 20 feet (7 m) long, allowed for wranglers to open the worms' mouths and crane their bodies up and down and from side to side. The smaller versions were used for other movements, and for background action. Critics were generally not impressed with the film's effects.
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
called Lynch's sandworms "striking", but noted, "the movie's special effects don't stand up to scrutiny. The heads of the sand worms begin to look more and more as if they came out of the same factory that produced Kermit the Frog (they have the same mouths)." ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' Sandra P. Angulo called the sandworms "embarrassingly phallic looking". Daniel D. Snyder of ''
The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...
'' was impressed by the "gargantuan" appearance of the sandworms thanks to the "staggering sense of scale" achieved by the miniature sets created by
Emilio Ruiz del Río Emilio Ruiz del Río (1923 – September 14, 2007) was a Spanish film set decorator and special effects and visual effects artist. Ruiz del Rio's career spanned over 60 years. Career Ruiz del Río's filmography includes work on over 450 fil ...
. Though panning the film overall,
Janet Maslin Janet R. Maslin (born August 12, 1949) is an American journalist, best known as a film and literary critic for ''The New York Times''. She served as a ''Times'' film critic from 1977 to 1999 and as a book critic from 2000 to 2015. In 2000 Maslin ...
of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' noted the "nice worm-fight at the end of the story." Hoai-Tran Bui of ''
/Film ''/Film'', also spelled ''Slashfilm'', is a blog that covers movie news, reviews, interviews, and trailers. It was founded by Peter Sciretta in August 2005. Podcasts Six podcasts have run on the site. ''The /Filmcast'', hosted by David Chen, De ...
'' noted that "the popular image of the sandworm comes from David Lynch's 1984 film, which depicted the massive creatures as fleshy, phallic-looking monsters."


''Dune'' (2000) and ''Children of Dune'' (2003)

The 2000
Sci Fi Channel Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Lau ...
miniseries ''
Frank Herbert's Dune ''Frank Herbert's Dune'' is a three-part science fiction television miniseries based on the 1965 novel by Frank Herbert. It was written and directed by John Harrison. The cast includes Alec Newman as Paul Atreides, William Hurt as Duke Leto ...
'', and the 2003 sequel miniseries ''
Frank Herbert's Children of Dune ''Frank Herbert's Children of Dune'' is a three-part science fiction miniseries written by John Harrison and directed by Greg Yaitanes, based on Frank Herbert's novels ''Dune Messiah'' (1969) and ''Children of Dune'' (1976). First broadcast in t ...
'', employed computer-generated visual effects to create sandworms onscreen, under the guidance of special effects supervisor Ernest Farino. Critics praised the visual effects in both miniseries, each of which won a
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special. Deborah D. McAdams of ''
Broadcasting & Cable ''Broadcasting & Cable'' (or ''Broadcasting+Cable'') is a weekly telecommunications industry trade magazine published by Future US. Previous names included ''Broadcasting-Telecasting'', ''Broadcasting and Broadcast Advertising'', and ''Broadcast ...
'' suggested that the images of "gigantic computer-generated sandworms munching down huge machines and people like popcorn" contributed to the 2000 miniseries' record-breaking ratings.


''Dune'' (2021)

Regarding his 2021 film ''
Dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...
'', director
Denis Villeneuve Denis Villeneuve (; born October 3, 1967) is a Canadian filmmaker. He is a four-time recipient of the Canadian Screen Award (formerly Genie Award) for Best Direction, winning for '' Maelström'' in 2001, '' Polytechnique'' in 2009, ''Incendies ...
said: VFX production supervisor Paul Lambert explained, "We spent more time working out the animation around the worm than the worm itself
ith its large mouth and teeth The Ith () is a ridge in Germany's Central Uplands which is up to 439 m high. It lies about 40 km southwest of Hanover and, at 22 kilometres, is the longest line of crags in North Germany. Geography Location The Ith is immediatel ...
You see the destruction that it creates. We spent time trying to find references of how sand can be displaced so we could copy that."


Video games

Besides film and television adaptations, the ''Dune'' franchise has been adapted into a series of
computer and video games ''Computer and Video Games'' (also known as ''CVG'', ''Computer & Video Games'', ''C&VG'', ''Computer + Video Games'', or ''C+VG'') was a UK-based video game magazine, published in its original form between 1981 and 2004. Its offshoot website ...
in which sandworms play a part. Sandworms are a featured element in the 1992
real-time strategy Real-time strategy (RTS) is a Video game genre, subgenre of strategy video games that do not progress incrementally in turn-based game, turns, but allow all players to play simultaneously, in "real time". By contrast, in Turn-based strategy, turn ...
video game '' Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty'', primarily as destroyers of the player's spice Harvesters, assault tanks, and other equipment. In the game, sandworms are computer-controlled forces that lie dormant under the sand until either player- or computer-controlled units come within range, and they will attack indiscriminately. The sandworms can be damaged or destroyed by sonic blasts, a Death Hand explosion, a detonated Spice Bloom, or a self-destructing Devastator, and will disappear when they have been destroyed, reduced to half damage, or have eaten three units. Sandworms do not appear until the third missions, and there may be two or three in play at once. Sandworms also appear in ''
Dune 2000 ''Dune 2000'' is a real-time strategy video game, developed by Intelligent Games and released by Westwood Studios in 1998 for Microsoft Windows. It was later ported to the PlayStation in 1999. It is a partial remake of ''Dune II'', which is lo ...
'' (1998). They behave somewhat differently than in the previous game, and are present from the first mission. Sandworms will disappear temporarily after devouring five vehicles, but eventually return. '' Emperor: Battle for Dune'' (2001) features gameplay on four planets, and sandworms are a hazard on Arrakis. Players must also destroy a genetically engineered "Emperor Worm" to complete the game.


Merchandising

A line of ''Dune'' action figures from 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 ...
was released to lackluster sales in 1984. Styled after David Lynch's film, the collection included a poseable sandworm.
Revell Revell GmbH is an American-origin manufacturer of plastic scale models, currently based in Bünde. The original Revell company merged with Monogram in 1986, becoming "Revell-Monogram". The business operated until 2007, when American Revell was ...
also produced a model kit of a sandworm complete with figures representing Fremen riders.


Impact and analysis

The sandworms have been called "iconic" to the franchise, and "synonymous with the ''Dune'' series", having appeared in nearly every novel, on several book covers, and in all of the television, film, and video game adaptations. Hoai-Tran Bui of ''/Film'' noted that they are an "essential to the narrative of the story", and Lindsey Romain of ''
Nerdist Nerdist Industries, LLC is part of the digital division of Legendary Entertainment. Nerdist Industries was founded as a sole podcast (The Nerdist Podcast) created by Chris Hardwick but later spread to include a network of podcasts, a premium conte ...
'' deemed the creatures "extremely important to the plot and the very fiber of the ''Dune'' universe." Bella Ross of ''
Screen Rant ''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and film theories. ''Screen Rant'' was launched by Vic Holtreman in 2003, and originally had its primary office in Ogden, Utah. ''Scr ...
'' called the sandworms "the embodiment of the perils of colonization." William Touponce suggests that Herbert's depiction of larval sandworms (or sandtrout), which hold back water in the desert to maintain the arid conditions their sandworm vector requires to thrive, is "an analogy for a stage of consciousness aul's 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 ...
can feel. Some of the ancestral voices within her mind hold back dangerous forces that could destroy her." Touponce also describes "the archetypal terrors of confronting Shai-Hulud, the giant sandworm guarding the treasure". Sibylle Hechtel analyzes the concept of sandworms in the essay "The Biology of the Sandworm" in ''
The Science of Dune BenBella Books is an independent publishing house based in Dallas, Texas. BenBella was founded by Glenn Yeffeth in 2001. It specializes in nonfiction books on popular culture, business, health, and nutrition, along with books on science, politics, ...
'' (2008). A
hacker group Hacker groups are informal communities that began to flourish in the early 1980s, with the advent of the home computer. Overview Prior to that time, the term ''hacker'' was simply a referral to any computer hobbyist. The hacker groups were out ...
responsible for several major
cyberattack A cyberattack is any offensive maneuver that targets computer information systems, computer networks, infrastructures, or personal computer devices. An attacker is a person or process that attempts to access data, functions, or other restricted ...
s in the 2010s named itself Sandworm, in reference to the fictional organism.


See also

*
Graboid ''Tremors'' is a 1990 American monster horror comedy film directed by Ron Underwood, produced by Brent Maddock and S. S. Wilson, written by Maddock, Wilson, and Underwood and starring Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, Finn Carter, Michael Gross, and ...
*
Mongolian death worm The Mongolian death worm ( mn, олгой-хорхой, ''olgoi-khorkhoi'', "large intestine-worm") is a creature alleged to exist in the Gobi Desert. The creature first came to Western attention as a result of Roy Chapman Andrews's 1926 boo ...


Citations


General and cited references

* *


External links

* Systematic Schema
Ecological Cycle(s): Sandworm-Sandtrout, Spice, Water
{{Dune franchise Dune (franchise) species and races Fictional dragons Fictional worms Fictional extraterrestrial life forms Fictional monsters Fictional elements introduced in 1965