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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In the Star Wars Universe are there mysterious gaps in their technology? [closed]
I am only vaguely familiar with the huge amount of information now available via movies, cartoons and novels. It is clear that despite the events occurring very long ago, the technology available to ...
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How costly was space travel in the world of Dune?
It is clear that spice was costly and that the Guild Navigators used large quantities of it:
Herbert notes in Children of Dune that the geriatric properties of melange had been "first noted by ...
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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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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 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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What is the ancient language that Leto II and Ghanima use when speaking privately?
In Children of Dune Leto II and Ghanima sometimes use an "ancient language" to converse with each other, a language that only they know of:
Leto reverted to the ancient language they used ...
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How could the Fremen do what they did to the empire in Dune Messiah?
How could, and why would, the Fremen's jihad kill 61 billion people and conquer the known universe?
Their leader Paul was already emperor. What was left to conquer? How could they force this onto ...
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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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Did Serena Butler have living descendents?
I ask because in the first half of Hunters of Dune (p204 paperback ed.) Sheeana is consulting her Other Memory and she's addressed by someone claiming to be Serena Butler. A few chapters later, this ...
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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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Muad'Dib vs. Mahdi
When the Atreides arrive on Arrakis, there are a number of instance where the Fremen call Paul Mahdi. While I realise that Mahdi is Arabic for guided one, I can't help but wonder at its close ...
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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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How Does Duncan Idaho's Ghola Remember Events Beyond the Death of the Original Duncan? [duplicate]
In God Emperor of Dune, the Duncan Idaho ghola references a number of events from the earlier books which occurred after the death of the original Duncan. For example: he mentions having known Leto II ...
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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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How did Paul 'sterilize' ninety planets, and why?
It is mentioned in Dune Messiah that Muad'Dib's jihad resulted in the "sterilization" of a number of planets.
“Very good, Stil.” Paul glanced at the reels in Korba’s hands. Korba
stood with ...
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Who took over the planet Caladan after House Atreides left for Dune?
Does Frank Herbert ever state who took over governorship of the planet Caladan after House Atreides departed for Arrakis? It seems to be implied that they gave Caladan up rather than governing both it ...
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Why was Paul given the test in the beginning?
In Dune, Paul was given the test of the gom jabbar, where tremendous pain is inflicted on his hand by the Reverend Mother. She said the purpose behind this was to know whether Paul is human, to ...
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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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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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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 ...
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What is the cause of Baron Harkonnen's pustules in 'Dune' (1984)?
In David Lynch's 1984 Dune film, the Baron Harkonnen's face is covered with pustules that his private physician attends to frequently. This concept was continued in the game Dune 2000, which based its ...
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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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Why doesn't Paul end all spice production?
(Spoilers for the below are for the first and subsequent books in the Dune series)
In the novel Dune and its first sequel (which is as far as I've read so far), the main objective of Paul-Muad'dib is ...
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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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What was the black spider creature in Villenueve's Dune, Part One?
There is a scene where the Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam meets secretly with Barron Harkonnen and his mentat, Piter de Vries, to demand that Jessica and Paul be left unharmed. At the start of the ...
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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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How many men did Duke Leto have on Arrakis?
The Baron Harkonnen mounted a huge, planet-wide invasion to take down the Atreides. Based on accounts of different characters, there had been more than 2000 ships and tens of battalions of Sardaukar ...
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Do The Fremen Realize Their Plans Will Destroy Sandworms?
On Arrakis the Fremen have a deep spiritual regard for the sandworms (and essentially consider them an embodiment of their view of god), but they are also collecting water and saving it, with the idea ...
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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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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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How deep are the sands on Arrakis?
From reading the novels, the impression is that Dune is like a vast ocean of sand, with the sandworms akin to gigantic sea-monsters, only in sand. I can't remember any specific mention of how deep the ...
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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 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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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 did the emperor send the Atreides to Arrakis, then the Sardaukar to remove them?
I am reading book 1 of the Dune series. I just read the chapter in which the Harkonnen took control over the house of Atreides in Arrakis with the help of Yueh.
I know the Emperor sent a legion of ...
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How do the Dune sandworms move?
The sandworms of Dune are huge and powerful. But how exactly do they move beneath all that sand? They don't necessarily skim above the surface as they apparently only raise smallish (relative to their ...
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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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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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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 ...
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How did the Bene Gesserit reach Jessica and the Fremen unnoticed?
In the 1984 film version of Dune, as the Reverend Mother is dying, the Bene Gesserit finds Jessica with the Fremen and gets her to drink the water of life. How did they reach Arrakis, track her down ...
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How many times throughout the Dune novels is Duncan Idaho ghola'd?
Throughout the Dune novels I would like to know how many times Duncan Idaho is ghola'd (cloned) before he reaches Kwisatz Haderach status?
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In Dune, how is the spice mélange used for space travel?
I've read parts of the book and seen both David Lynch's and Denis Villeneuve's films, but I've not seen a concrete description of how exactly mélange enables space travel.
The David Lynch film ...
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