Dune (novel)
Dune is a science fiction novel by Frank Herbert. It was awarded the Nebula award in 1965 and tied for the Hugo award in 1966. It was also a huge commercial success and has now sold more than 20 million copies. Dune was followed by five sequels. The Dune saga is considered by many fans of the genre to be the best science fiction epic ever written. It is certainly one of the most popular; Dune is number six in the Internet Top 100 SF/Fantasy list. Dune has been turned into a film made by David Lynch, a mini-series made by the Sci Fi Channel (United States) and a series of computer games.
Warning: Plot details follow.
Herbert dedicated the novel to dry-land ecologists.
The success of Dune ensured several sequels. The consequences of the actions of superheroes form an overall theme in the Dune series.
Frank Herbert says:
Introduction
The novel was originally serialized as two shorter works, Dune World and The Prophet of Dune, in Analog, 1963-1965.Themes
The emphasis on ecological and religious ideas and the use of Middle Eastern cultural themes made the novel a provocative departure from previous science fiction.
This explains the tone of the following three novels: Dune Messiah, Children of Dune and God Emperor of Dune.The Dune Universe
In the Dune universe, advanced computers have long been forbidden due to the Butlerian Jihad, a rebellion against thinking machines, and as a replacement human skills have been developed to an astonishing degree:
When a Bene Gesserit acolyte becomes a full Reverend Mother, she gains her ancestral memories — the complete memories of all of her female ancestors. She cannot recall the memories of her male ancestors, and is terrified by the psychic space within her that the masculine memories inhabit.
The Bene Gesserit are conducting a breeding program to develop a superhuman male who can recall both his male and female ancestral memories, as well as the ability to see (and thus control) the future. They refer to him as the Kwisatz Haderach. This recall is due to an ordeal known as Spice Agony and involves overdosing on melange, which most men don't survive.
Against this background, Dune chronicles the conflict between the aristocratic House Atreides and its enemy the House Harkonnen, behind whom lurk the combined powers of the Emperor Shaddam IV, leader of House Corrino, and the Spacing Guild.
On the fringes of the Galaxy are the shape-shifting Tleilaxu and Ix, a planet whose history is lost in the mists of time and whose society is dominated by technology.
The Fremen are the indigenous population of the planet Arrakis. They are a hardy people, used to the hardship and deprivation of their desert-planet. They await their Messiah because of a legend planted intentionally across the Universe by the Missionaria Protectiva, a division of the Bene Gesserit dedicated to religious manipulation. The Messiah legend is intended to ease the path of the Kwisatz Haderach when they bring him into being.
The Harkonnens are ordered by the Emperor to cede stewardship of the planet Arrakis (known generally as Dune) to the Atreides. The planet Arrakis is extremely arid and inhabited by giant, menacing worms which live under the sand (the Fremen call them Shai-Hulud). The Fremen, adapted to this harsh climate, are obsessed with water and consider the worms holy.
Dune is the sole source of melange, also knowns as "the spice" that gives limited prescience and prolongs the user's lifespan; with it the Guild Navigators see a path through foldspace, and the Bene Gesserit can enhance their abilities. The spice is the most valuable commodity in the universe and it is found only on Dune. Thus, the planet is the political fulcrum of the Universe.
The Dune novels use a different calendar dating system than of present day Earth. Years are not based before or after the birth of Christ (BC and AD), but before and after the formation of the Spacing Guild, measured as "Before Guild" and "After Guild" (BG and AG, respectively).
Using the detaled timeline included in The Dune Encyclopedia (spanning 19000 BG - 15540 AG), it is possible to determine how the dating system used in the novels corresponds to our own. In the history of Terra (Earth), it documents "first atomics demonstrated in an intraprovincial war," in 14255 BG. A later passage in the text confirms that this was when the United States of America dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 during World War II.
From this we can determine that the formation of the Spacing Guild occured in 16200 AD or 14255 years after World War II (since BG years are counted in reverse):
Dune begins in 10191 AG, so we simply add 10191 to 16200 together (The Dune Encyclopedia records that the Spacing Guild was formed in the year 0):
Thus, the year 10191 AG corresponds to the year 26391 AD. That is, of course, assuming that the Dune chronology actually uses Earth years.
The Emperor therefore decides that House Atreides must be destroyed, and so he joins in a devious conspiracy with the Atreides's ancient enemies, House Harkonnen. Baron Vladimir Harkonnen willingly participates in the plot because of his personal hatred toward the Duke and his house.
Realizing that it would be difficult, if not impossible to invade the Atreides home planet Caladan, the Emperor awards the Duke a fiefdom on Arrakis, a desert planet which is the only source of the 'Spice', a drug which increases life expectancy threefold, and increases mental abilities. Indeed the Spacing Guild and the Bene Gesserit cannot function and exert power without spice — the Guild could not 'fold space' to navigate across immense distances in space, and the Bene Gesserit's powers of memory recall would be stunted. Civilization depends on the Spice, making it the most valuable commodity in the universe.
The Atreides agree to take control of Arrakis even though they suspect it is a trap. Unbeknownst to the Duke, the Harkonnen have recruited a traitor in his House who helps bring House Atreides down. The Duke's only son, Paul, and Paul's mother, the Bene Gesserit Jessica, manage to flee into the desert to seek refuge among Arrakis's indigenous Fremen. With help of the Fremen, Paul launches a guerrilla war to retake the planet, avenge the death of his father, assume the Imperial Throne, and become the most powerful man the universe has ever seen.
The dating system of Dune
List of characters
See the list of characters from Dune.Synopsis
On the political level Dune is the tale of a political conflict between three noble houses: House Atreides, House Harkonnen and House Corrino. Shaddam IV of House Corrino, Padishah Emperor of the Known Universe, sees House Atreides as a threat to his throne. Duke Leto Atreides has become very popular — and powerful — among the noble houses of the Imperium. In addition, House Atreides is in a position where it could undermine one of the pillars of Corrino power: their legions of 'Sardaukar' warrior-fanatics.The Duke has created a similar military force in quality, combat prowess and dedication, but on a smaller scale. Still, the Emperor fears that it would be a matter of time before the Atreides forces would equal or surpasses his dreaded Sardaukar.Artistic works in the Dune universe
The original series
First Prequel
There is also a prequel trilogy to Dune, known as the Prelude to Dune. It was written by Brian Herbert (son of Frank) and Kevin J. Anderson and based in part on Frank Herbert's notes, found after his death. This trilogy is set in the years leading up to the events in Dune. Although highly unpopular with fans of the original series, these books have enjoyed commercial success, and have introduced the Dune universe to a new generation of fans. Critics of the Prelude to Dune series cite inconsistencies, plot and character liberties taken by the authors, and lack of comparable depth and quality to Frank Herbert's work.
Second Prequel
Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson followed this with a second prequel trilogy called the Legends of Dune This trilogy is set at an earlier time of the history of the Dune universe when humans and sentient machines battle for supremacy.
Other artistic works based in the Dune universe
ISBN numbers
External links