Questions tagged [dune]
For questions about "Dune", a science fiction franchise which originated with the 1965 novel Dune by Frank Herbert. Use this tag for the franchise, universe and/or the novel.
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What was the official story of the Harkonnen invasion of Dune?
During the first book, the house Atreides gains control over Arrakis from the Harkonnen by the emperor's command. Afterwards, the Harkonnen take Arrakis back with the help of the Sardukar.
What was ...
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How is it that the Bene Gesserit are trusted when doctors are not?
The Bene Gesserit are a secret and mysterious school of mental and physical training for women. Those who complete the training possess almost superhuman powers of psychological manipulation, as well ...
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Why did the Lady Jessica harbour antipathy towards the Old Duke?
Early in the first book, the Atreides family take up residence on Arrakis. While unpacking and settling in, Jessica has been discussing where to hang a portrait of Leto's father:
Jessica turned away, ...
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Cranks-Effing-Turners?
One of the appendixes to the Dune trilogy describes the compilation of the Orange Catholic Bible by delegates from all major Earth religions, who were known as the Commission of Ecumenical Translators....
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How can a worm digest a harvester?
In the Dune films a well as the book (IIRC), there is a situation where a worm swallows a spice harvester. E.g. in the film of Villeneuve:
To the extend of my ...
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Children of Dune - chapter 5 question - killed/arrested for not kneeling?
When Jessica arrives on Arrakis, almost everyone kneels. The people who don't are arrested or killed by Gurney Hallrck and Stilgar's men.
What's happening here? Are people being punished for not being ...
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Why doesn't Paul Atreides give an order to stop the jihad?
In Dune Messiah, why doesn't Paul just give orders to stop the Jihad? "Stop killing in my name," or punish those who do kill in his name?
Would the Fremen just disobey him? Is it not ...
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Why is there a water tube in the staff?
Here is a quote from Dune (book 1):
The man carried Paul’s banner on its staff – the green and black banner with a water tube in the staff – that already was a legend in the land. Half pridefully, ...
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What is the process by which humanity gains its prescience-immunity in the Dune series?
I've always had this mental block about the timelines of the Scattering and the prescience-immunity conferred by the Siona genes.
If the Scattering happens at the end of Leto's rule and the Honored ...
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In Children of Dune, was Leto ever actually in danger from the assassination attempt with the cats?
The cats sent by the Corinnos to assassinate the twins were used to further Leto's plans, and those plans revolved around Ghanima believing that Leto was killed by the cats. But this seems to imply ...
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What "strongest leads" is Jamis referring to?
In Dune (2021), Jamis didn't approve Paul and Lady Jessica joining with Stilgar's group:
Jamis: I will not have them.
Stilgar: Jamis, I have spoken. Be still.
Jamis: You talk like a leader. But the ...
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Passage from the Dune novel where a certain conversation takes place
I'm trying to remember where in the book a certain conversation takes place--maybe someone here can help me?
Here's what I remember: Either Paul or Leto is walking along, talking with Gurney (?) and ...
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1
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What "designs" is Dr Yueh referring to?
In Dune (2021), Dr. Yueh checks vitals on Paul before Paul meets Bene Gesserit:
Dr. Yueh: The Bene Gesserit say they serve the greater good...
But, meaning no disrespect to your lady mother...
they ...
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What does "it" in "it be" refer to?
In Dune (2021), Paul and Gurney had sword fight with a shield devices.
Paul believes that he defeated Gurney in the fight but Gurney says:
Gurney: But look down, my lord. You'd have joined me in ...
- 91
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Did the original Star Trek borrow from Dune?
In the past I claimed that Dune heavily influenced Star Trek but a friend pointed out that Dune and Star Trek were both made public in a similar time frame (less than one year apart). So maybe Star ...
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What does "dignity of exile" mean?
After hunter seeker failed to kill Paul in Dune (2021), Mohiam speaks to Vladimir in a vacuum-covered space:
Vladimir: There's no satellites over Arrakis. The Atreides will die in
the dark.
Mohiam: ...
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Why didn't Dr. Liet-Kynes answer Paul's question?
At the old ecological testing station in Dune (2021), Paul asks the female planetologist and imperial judge, Dr. Liet-Kynes:
Paul: Who are you to the Fremen?
But she laughs and doesn't respond to ...
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1
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What "transition" is Paul referring to?
In Dune (2021), Thufir showed Paul silos which are used to hold spice:
Thufir: These are spice silos. We're meant to fill every crate.
Paul: All of them?
Thufir: Every 25 standard days. Harkonnen ...
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What was the Emperor's 'official' reason for removing the Harkonnens?
When Emperor Shaddam ordered the Harkonnens leave Arrakis and the Atreides to replace them, did he give an 'official' reason for doing so? By official, I mean a reason that would satisfy people so ...
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How did human society revert to feudalism?
In the Dune series, human society seems to have regressed from democratic to feudal, and is ruled by a caste of 'nobility' - did any of the writers give much thought to how this happened, and if so ...
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Does Spice have nutritional value to humans?
Even if perhaps one would develop vitamin deficiencies, etc. if one ate only Spice for a long period, would Spice be something that one could eat which would prevent starvation and provide calories ...
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Why do the Atreides spice harvesters differ from the Harkonnen?
In the title sequence, Chani tells us "At night the spice harvesters land". We see some of them: they look like giant insects.
Later, after House Atreides takes over management of Arrakis ...
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Why didn't the Atreides or Harkonnen launch their own satellites?
Prior to the invasion, Baron Harkonnen says:
There are no satellites over Arrakis. The Atreides will die in the
dark.
In the novel, we're given to understand that the Fremen bribe the Spacing Guild ...
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Access to house atomics in Dune
Prompted by this question:
Are 'atomics' atomic bombs?
I have begun to wonder about how Paul had access to the atomics in the first place.
As this question potentially reveals spoilers for ...
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Are 'atomics' atomic bombs?
When Paul and the Fremen use something called Atomics to breach the shield wall- were they using atomic/nuclear weapons as we understand them?
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Why do the worms produce spice, and what ecological role does it play?
In the novel, Liet Kynes tells Leto and Paul that the worms defend the spice. From this, Paul infers a likely relationship which turns out to be correct. The worms make it. But why do they do so? Is ...
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In what sense do the Harkonnens ravage the Fremen lands?
Chani's narration at the start of Dune 2021 states:
At night fall, the spice harvesters land. The outsiders race against time to avoid the heat of the day. They ravage our land in front of our eyes. ...
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Why does House Atreides harvest during the day?
In the beginning of Dune 2021, Chani tells us:
At nightfall, the spice harvesters land. The outsiders race against time to avoid the heat of the day.
Later after having taken over management of ...
- 3,301
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1
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How does Alia have the ability to communicate with male ancestors?
Reverend Mothers are connected with their female ancestors. Paul and Leto have access to both male and female ancestors. What’s the explanation for Alia’s communication with Agamemnon and Vladimir ...
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How is it possible to have a Liet Kynes Ghola in "Hunters of Dune," based on his death in the original book?
In reading Hunters of Dune, I realized that the Liet Kynes Ghola's cells should have been very hard to come by. Kynes dies in the desert in the first book, and I can't imagine there were any Tleilaxu ...
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How did the Bene Gesserit know there could exist a Kwisatz Haderach?
The Bene Gesserit spent thousands of years breeding selected humans from important bloodlines with the specific goal of reaching a Kwisatz Haderach, a prophesied male messiah and superbeing, a super-...
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How did the Tleilaxu in Dune master the "Language of God"?
The Tleilaxu are arguably the most strange and intricate race in Dune's books. Bene Tleilax masters manage to build Axlotl tanks, face dancers, and even to genetically modify themselves into weird ...
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How much of the book does the movie Dune (2021) cover?
I've read like... 100 pages of the book. How much more should I read before watching Dune (2021), so that the movie does not spoil anything from the book for me?
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In Dune, how much did spice cost for a non-Arrakis citizen? [duplicate]
I'm taking about the original book, before the Atreides took over. Was spice only for the mega rich? Could a middle class Caladan citizen for example buy it?
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What was Duncan Idaho's Fremen name?
I know Duncan Idaho spent time with the Fremen but I can't find the name the Fremen called him by. I think it translated to He who fights with many blades.
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In the 2000 miniseries, "Dune", what does Gurney say during the sparring scene on Caladan?
This has been bothering me for 20 years. I even owned the DVD and watched it a lot. During the sparring scene on Caladan, Paul says that he's not in the mood for the fight. Gurney says:
"Not ...
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Why did it take so long for people to be able to start the spice-cycle on other planets?
In the beginning, only Arrakis has worms. Already in Dune Messiah somebody captures a worm and by Children of Dune it seems pretty common knowledge, that worms evolve from sandtrouts. In the last two ...
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How did Leto II conquer the Other Memories?
In Children of Dune, unlike Alia, Leto II is able to command his Other Memories. What did he do differently or how did he do it?
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Dune sand tent underground - why wouldn't digging and just being in a tent attract a worm?
Seems like being inside a sand tent down inside a dune would act like a vibration amplifying chamber -- even the vibration of simply breathing, snoring. etc - much less any movements would be ...
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Dune universe - For the preborn, why would any new individual personality form?
Noticed this sentence in Children of Dune, and it got me thinking about Alia:
".... experienced the womb as prison to an awakened consciousness—a living awareness from the second month of ...
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During the duel with Jamis, why did the Reverend Mother suggest Paul to get killed?
During the duel we hear the voice of the RM telling / showing Paul to be killed by Jamis. It is not clear to me: Why did she suggest that to him, and why of course did he refuse follow her suggestion? ...
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Who would have been the optimal partner of Alia according to the Bene Gesserit?
In Dune Messiah, Chapter 11, the Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam is negotiating with Paul. Near the end of the Chapter she looks at Alia and thinks:
And again she looked at the sister. The optimum ...
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When and why did the Tleilaxu begin to worship the God Emperor?
The Matres also killed the elder Tleilaxu Master, Tylwyth Waff, as he
was on Rakis when they attacked the planet with ultra-destructive
Obliterator weapons. This caused widespread revulsion amongst ...
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What was the affiliation of the "Reverend Mother" who assisted with Jessica's spice agony?
I have never fully understood this. There is a reverend mother with the Fremen, and she seems to be able to talk with Jessica as though she is Bene Gesserit. However, it is also implied that she is ...
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What is the endgame of the Bene Gesserit?
As in: what did they want to achieve with their breeding programs and "learning how to learn"? Assuming that the Kwisatz Haderach was as they intended, what was next?
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Use compact protective field generator to attract sandworms instead of bulky tam-tam device
Why should one carry bulky device to attract a sandworm?
It is much easier to carry several (very compact and very basic, simple) shield generators.
Set one and wait for the sandworm.
Edit:
https://en....
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Where did people think the Spice came from before they knew about the Sandworm life cycle?
From memory, the Fremen knew that the sandworms were the source of the spice melange but until the arrival of planetogist Pardot Kynes nobody else knew and this knowledge did not become widespread ...
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Did the Bene Gesserit try to follow the Golden path after the death of the god-emperor?
Only the Bene Gesserit perceive the Golden Path and are therefore faced with a choice: keep to their traditional role of hidden manipulators who quietly ease tensions and guide human progress while ...
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Where was the Shield Wall brought down?
At the end of the first Dune book, the Paul Atreides and the Fremen attack Arrakeen. They bring down part of the Shield Wall using Atomics in order to be able to ride worms to the city. I tried to ...
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