Books - Dune

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Dune is a science fiction novel written by Frank Herbert and published in 1965. A winner of the Hugo Award and Nebula Award for outstanding science fiction, Dune is popularly considered one of the greatest science fiction novels of all time, and is frequently cited as the best-selling science fiction novel in history. Dune spawned five sequels written by Herbert, and inspired a film adaptation by David Lynch, a mini-series made by the Sci Fi Channel (United States), computer games, and a series of prequels co-written by Brian Herbert, the author's son, and Kevin J. Anderson.

Dune is set far in the future amidst a sprawling feudal intergalactic empire where planetary fiefdoms are controlled by noble Houses that owe allegiance to the Imperial House Corrino. The Imperium is often mistaken as a galactic one, but it seems that the stars have their own nebulas. The novel tells the story of young Paul Atreides, heir apparent to Duke Leto Atreides and scion of House Atreides, as he and his family relocate to the planet Arrakis, the universe's only source of the spice melange. In a story that explores the complex interactions of politics, religion, ecology, technology, and human emotion, the fate of Paul, his family, his new planet and its native inhabitants, as well as the Padishah Emperor, the powerful Spacing Guild, and the secretive female order of the Bene Gesserit, are all drawn together into a confrontation that will change the course of humanity.

The novel was originally serialised in the magazine Analog from 1963 to 1965 as two shorter works, Dune World and The Prophet of Dune. Herbert's dedicatory remarks were, "to the people whose labors go beyond ideas into the realm of 'real materials'- to the dry-land ecologists, wherever they may be, in whatever time they work, this effort at prediction is dedicated in humility and admiration."

Synopsis

A reading of the original novel will indicate that the time of Paul Atreides is at least 22,000 years from the present, perhaps as many as 30,000. By then "Old Earth" is no longer inhabited and much of history has been forgotten, while some historical and religious traditions remain.

The main conflict driving the narrative events of Dune is a political struggle among three noble houses: the Imperial House Corrino, and 2 of the lesser Great Houses: Atreides and Harkonnen.

The Corrino Emperor Shaddam IV has come to see the Atreides as a threat to his throne, due to Duke Leto Atreides' (Shaddam's cousin) charisma and popularity among the noble houses of the Imperium represented in the Landsraad assembly; and because the Duke and his talented lieutenants Duncan Idaho, Gurney Halleck and Mentat-assassin Thufir Hawat are successfully training a fighting force equal in ability to the dreaded Imperial Sardaukar, although considerably smaller in number.

The Emperor decides that House Atreides must be destroyed, but he cannot risk uniting the various Houses against himself by an overt attack on any single House. Instead, Shaddam uses a centuries-old feud between House Atreides and House Harkonnen as cover for his assault, enlisting the brilliant and power-hungry Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in a chance to eliminate his greatest rivals.

Supplanting the Harkonnens, the Atreides are granted stewardship of the forbidding desert planet Arrakis, also known as "Dune," the only source of the nearly priceless spice melange that increases life expectancy threefold. The Spice is also crucial to the functioning of the powerful Spacing Guild, which maintains a monopoly on interstellar travel, and the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood, a secretive all-female order of deadly fighters and dangerous intellects, that has been conducting a centuries-long breeding program intended to produce a male human, the Kwisatz Haderach, who will have the abilities of prescience and access to all his ancestral memories. Complicating the political intrigue is the fact that both Paul Atreides, the Duke's son, and Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, the Baron's heir, are essential parts of the Bene Gesserit's breeding program - the Bene Gesserit had planned to marry an Atreides daughter to a Harkonnen son to unite the bloodlines but were prevented in this by Lady Jessica Atreides, who defied the Sisterhood and conceived for her Duke a son instead of a daughter.

The change in control of Arrakis creates another pretext for conflict between the Harkonnens and Atreides and removes Duke Leto from his power base on the home world of Caladan. While they anticipate a trap, the Atreides are unable to withstand a devastating Harkonnen attack, supported by Imperial Sardaukar dressed as Harkonnen troops and aided by a traitor within House Atreides itself. Duke Leto is assassinated, but Paul and Jessica escape into the deep desert. With Jessica's Bene Gesserit abilities and Paul's developing skills, they join a band of native Fremen, ferocious fighters who worship and ride the giant sandworms that dominate the desert planet. Paul emerges as the Kwisatz Haderach, and Jessica's knowledge of the secret religious myths of the Fremen planted by the Bene Gesserit Missionaria Protectiva enable Paul to become Muad'Dib, a religious and political leader (Mahdi) who unites millions of the Fremen together into an unstoppable military force.

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Books - Dune

Synopsis

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