''Dune: The Butlerian Jihad'' is a 2002

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 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 ...

, set in the fictional ''Dune'' universe created 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 ...

. It is the first book 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 ...

, which takes place over 10,000 years before the events of Frank Herbert's celebrated 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 ...

''. The series chronicles the fictional

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 crusade by the last free humans in the universe against 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 ...

, a violent and dominating force led by the sentient computer

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, ...

. ''Dune: The Butlerian Jihad'' rose to #7 on ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list in its second week of publication.

Plot summary

The novel introduces a generation of characters whose families will later become the most significant in the universe: the Atreides, the Corrinos and the Harkonnens.

Serena Butler ''Dune: The Butlerian Jihad'' is a 2002 science fiction novel by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, set in the fictional ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. It is the first book in the ''Legends of Dune'' prequel trilogy, which takes ...

, daughter of the viceroy of 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 ...

, is a strong voice for the human rebellion. Her paramour Xavier Harkonnen leads the military force on the current League capital world of

Salusa Secundus Multiple organizations of the ''Dune'' universe dominate the political, religious, and social arena of the setting of Frank Herbert's ''Dune'' series of science fiction novels, and derivative works. Set tens of thousands of years in the future, ...

. As the story begins, Xavier is repelling an attack on the planet by Omnius' army of

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 cymeks are former humans whose brains have been implanted in preservation canisters, which in turn can be installed into a variety of fearsome mechanical bodies, to extend their lives indefinitely and make them nearly unstoppable. The original twenty cymeks (calling themselves 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 ...

) had conquered the complacent universe by exploiting humanity's reliance and dependency on machines, yet the Titans were later overthrown themselves by Omnius, an artificial intelligence of their design. Seeking to replace human chaos with machine order, Omnius thus ignited the war between machine and humanity.

Vorian Atreides ''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 ...

is the son and subordinate of the leading cymek Titan

Agamemnon In Greek mythology, Agamemnon (; grc-gre, Ἀγαμέμνων ''Agamémnōn'') was a king of Mycenae who commanded the Greeks during the Trojan War. He was the son, or grandson, of King Atreus and Queen Aerope, the brother of Menelaus, the husb ...

(whose last name, Atreides, originates with House Atreus, from the ancient Greek epic the

Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Odysse ...

). Meanwhile, the Sorceresses of Rossak, 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 ...

order, are perfecting their destructive psychic powers for use against the machines, and maintaining a breeding program to create more powerful telepaths. Pharmaceutical magnate Aurelius Venport is about to discover an interesting new substance, the 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 ...

, and the famous inventor

Tio Holtzman The ''Dune'' prequel series is a sequence of novel trilogies written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Set in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert, the novels take place in various time periods before and in between Herbert's or ...

accepts the diminutive genius Norma Cenva into his employ. Serena is captured by the Titan

Barbarossa Barbarossa, a name meaning "red beard" in Italian, primarily refers to: * Frederick Barbarossa (1122–1190), Holy Roman Emperor * Hayreddin Barbarossa (c. 1478–1546), Ottoman admiral * Operation Barbarossa, the Axis invasion of the Soviet Un ...

and put under the watch of

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 ...

, an independent robot who seeks to understand humans completely so that the thinking machines may be truly superior. His methods of study often entail human vivisection and torture in his slave pens. Erasmus takes a liking to Serena, as does the young Vorian Atreides. Serena realizes she is pregnant with Xavier's child, and later gives birth to a baby boy whom she names Manion (after her father). Erasmus finds this distraction inconvenient, and not only removes Serena's

uterus The uterus (from Latin ''uterus'', plural ''uteri'') or womb () is the organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans that accommodates the embryonic and fetal development of one or more embryos until birth. The uter ...

but kills her young son in front of her. This single event incites the entire Jihad, and young Manion is soon labelled the first martyr, Manion the Innocent. Vorian, learning about the murder and realizing the lie he lives as a machine trustee, betrays his machine masters and flees with Serena. They are joined by another trustee,

Iblis Ginjo 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 ...

, a slave leader who masterminds the rebellion on Synchronized Earth. The first human victory of the so-called Butlerian Jihad is the destruction of Earth and the Earth Omnius using atomics. Iblis (now Grand Patriarch of the Holy Jihad) and Serena (Priestess of the Jihad) are the religious leaders of the human rebellion, and Xavier and Vorian its two generals. The brutal Titans are desperate to break free of their machine masters and wage their own techno-misanthropic war, and Omnius and Erasmus are determined to conquer and destroy all of humanity once and for all. A subplot of the novel focuses on the Zensunni slave Ishmael who is captured by slavers and taken to Poitrin. He and a Zenshiite slave named Aliid attempt to sabotage one of Holtzmann’s experiments. The two are influenced by the charismatic slave leader Bel Moulay, who inspires a slave uprising. Lord Nikto Bludd’s Dragoon’s suppress the revolt. While the slaves receive an amnesty due to the pressing war with Omnius, Moulay is mutilated and executed. And on a lonely desert planet known as

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 seeds of legend are sown with Selim Wormrider, an outcast from his tribe, who sees the future of Shai-Hulud and makes it his mission to save his god from those who would wish to take the spice.

Characters

* Serena Butler (221-164 B.G.), an ambitious and intelligent woman from

and a strong voice for the human rebellion. She is the daughter of

Viceroy

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 ...

and is romantically involved with Xavier Harkonnen, the leader of human forces on Salusa Secundus. Captured by the machines, the pregnant Serena is put under the watch of the thinking machine

, who kills Serena's child from Xavier, Manion Butler Jr. This incites the rebellion of human slaves and eventually the Jihad against the machines.Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson, ''Dune: The Butlerian Jihad'',

Tor Books Tor Books is the primary imprint of Tor Publishing Group (previously Tom Doherty Associates), a publishing company based in New York City. It primarily publishes science fiction and fantasy titles, and is the largest publisher of Chinese scien ...

: 2002. Serena, as Priestess of the Jihad, becomes one of the religious leaders of the human rebellion. Upon her father's retirement, she became interim Viceroy, but was later relegated to a figurehead by Patriarch Iblis Ginjo. She eventually travels to

Corrin Corrin is a heterocyclic compound. It is the parent macrocycle related to the substituted derivative that is found in vitamin B12. Its name reflects that it is the "core" of vitamin B12 (cobalamins).Nelson, D. L.; Cox, M. M. "Lehninger, Princ ...

, ostensibly to negotiate a peace but actually to provoke Omnius into martyring her and thus motivating war-weary humans to fight the Jihad until a victorious end.Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson, '' Dune: The Machine Crusade'',

: 2003. In 108 B.G., Serena posthumously becomes the focal point of the fanatically anti-technological Cult of Serena, founded by her great-grandniece, Rayna.Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson, '' Dune: The Battle of Corrin'',

: 2004. * Xavier Harkonnen (223-154 B.G.) is a young military officer leading the defense against the

attack against Salusa Secundus. Xavier courts Serena Butler and fathers her son, Manion, but after she is abducted (and presumed dead), he marries Serena's sister Octa. Through this union, Xavier becomes the ancestor of both

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 ...

and

House 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 (1999–20 ...

. In the Jihad, he serves as a Primero (general) alongside

, who turns from a rival for Serena Butler's love into a good friend. Upon Xavier's suggestion,

's primary stronghold on

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...

is destroyed with a massive nuclear strike. Later on, finding out about Iblis Ginjo's organ raids, Xavier takes control of Ginjo's spacecraft and flies it directly into the Tlulaxa sun Thalim, carrying Iblis Ginjo to his death. In the process, Xavier not only sacrifices his life but also his reputation as the public, ignorant of Ginjo's corruption, regards the latter as a martyr while Xavier is marked as a traitor. Most of Xavier's descendants afterwards shun the name of Harkonnen in favour of Butler. * Vorian Atreides - the human co-pilot of the ''Dream Voyager'' * Iblis Ginjo (234? - 164 B.G.)- a charismatic human work leader on Earth * Erasmus - an independent thinking machine * Agamemnon - the general of the cymeks, one of the Twenty Titans, and Vorian's father * Norma Cenva - a dwarf and mathematical genius from Rossak * Tio Holtzman - a genius inventor on Poritrin * Selim - a young exile on Arrakis * Zufa Cenva - a powerful Sorceress of Rossak and Norma Cenva's mother * Ishmael - a young Zensunni slave taken from Harmonthep * Aurelius Venport - a Rossak businessman and Zufa Cenva's mate * Omnius - the computer evermind that controls all thinking machines * Bel Moulay - a Zenshiite religious leader and slave taken from IV Anbus * Tuk Keedair - a Tlulaxa slaver and flesh merchant * Niko Bludd - the Lord of Poritrin * Brigit Paterson - an engineer on Serena Butler's commando team * Ajax - the most brutal of the Twenty Titans * Juno - a cymek female, one of the Twenty Titans, and Agamemnon's lover * Manion Butler - the Viceroy of the League of Nobles and Serena Butler's father * Heoma - a powerful Sorceress of Rossak and one of Zufa Cenva's trainees * Dhartha - the naib of a Zensunni tribe on Arrakis * Seurat - the thinking machine captain of the ''Dream Voyager'' * Mahmad - Dhartha's son * Xerxes - the Titan responsible for Omnius' takeover * Camio - a Sorceress of Rossak and one of Zufa Cenva's trainees * Aliid - a young Zenshiite slave on Poritrin * Eklo - a Cogitor of Earth * Aquim - one of Eklo's secondaries

Reception

''Dune: The Butlerian Jihad'' rose to #7 on ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list in its second week of publication.

References

External links

* {{Kevin J. Anderson 2002 American novels 2002 science fiction novels Dune (franchise) novels Novels by Kevin J. Anderson Novels by Brian Herbert Tor Books books