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.
387
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Could Paul have prevented the Jihad?
In the chapter where Paul and Stilgar's troop visits the Windtrap and the pool of water into which Jamis' water is poured, there is a line that says:
And Paul, walking behind Chani, felt that a vital ...
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Why would these two Dune characters get married?
At the end of Children of Dune Leto married
Due to his beginning
it is clear that they won't have any joint children. And even if they had those children would never inherit his throne because of
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Why were the Atreides guarded so weakly?
From them moment Shaddam IV ordered him to Arrakis, Duke Leto knew that it was a trap. He was even aware that there was a traitor in their ranks. Nevertheless when the Duke was attacked by
he didn't ...
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Had Frank Herbert planned out the Dune series when he wrote the first book?
One of the great things about Dune is the way it works well as a standalone story with a satisfactory ending that, while leaving room open for more, gives a sense of completion to the story.
When he ...
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Did Leto I know about the Gom Jabbar test given to Paul?
In the beginning of Dune, Paul is threatened with being killed if he fails the test of the Gom Jabbar. Jessica knew about it, but did Leto? If so, why did he allow it?
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Roughly how large is the population of Sandworms on Dune?
I read online that a Sandworm can grow to 450 meters long, and there are legends of worms up to 1000 meters long. The same article also stated that Sandworms are territorial and so will claim an area ...
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Can a human eat the flesh of a sandworm?
If Fremen ride them, couldn't they also eat them?
There some passages from Kynes about the ecology of Dune that dive deep into the biomechanics of worms, but maybe I am missing something.
Someone ...
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What did Leto II mean when he says to Ghanima "it worked?"
In Children of Dune, Leto II and Lady Jessica had a testy conversation, and at the end of the chapter, Leto tells Ghanima "it worked". What did Leto mean by that statement? And what happen ...
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Why do family atomics exist at all in the Dune universe?
In the Dune universe, we learn that there are "family atomics", nuclear weapons passed down from generation to generation in the noble families as weapons of last resort. They're very rare and even ...
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In Dune, does Spice increase intelligence?
It could be argued that Mentats would use it but they use something else (or in addition to) Spice. In a way, prescience would make plain intelligence pale by comparison but maybe the specific type of ...
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Are the Navigators of the 40K universe inspired by the Navigators Guild of Dune?
There seems to be alot of similarity between the Navigator Guilds of both the 40K and Dune universes. Has anyone ever confirmed that one was inspired by the other (my guess would be the 40K version is ...
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Moneo’s sudden realization in God Emperor of Dune?
Please help me figure out what Herbert had in mind in the following passage:
“Wolves in the City, m'Lord?”
“Predators,” Leto said. “Wolves—to me there is no essential difference.”
Moneo gasped.
...
6
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Are the Chiss navigators a Dune reference?
In the Thrawn series, we learn that in order to navigate the hazards of the Unknown Regions, Chiss ships use special navigators that are Force Sensitive.
This sounds very similar to another sci-fi ...
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Why does Irulan have this change of heart at the end of Dune Messiah?
At the end of Dune Messiah, after Paul walks into the desert, Alia and Duncan/Hayt have this exchange, starting with Alia:
"I must save the life of the Princess Irulan. That one! You should hear ...
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How did Duncan Idaho lead the Harkonnen to Paul
When Jessica and Paul have just escaped to the desert, they speculate that Duncan Idaho could be tortured to reveal their location. Duncan later dies defending them from a Sardaukar attack.
However, ...
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What was the source of power/influence which the Bene Gesserit had?
The Ixians have their technology, and the Tleilaxu their genetics. The Imperium has armed forces and planetary resources(and manpower), and the Guild has its space travel.
How really are the Bene ...
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2
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How did Shaddam Corrino IV die?
There's a problem with Shaddam Corrino IV's age upon his death. He's too young, so I have to assume he died unnaturally. Fandom.com has him at only 68, which must be wrong because one of Irulan's ...
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Was the Kwisatz Haderach necessarily able to see the future?
I'm re-reading the original Dune series (for about the hundredth time) and there's a question that I've always had about the kwisatz haderach.
There seems to be a common belief (among questioners and ...
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How does the body cool itself in a stillsuit?
In Dune, Fremen (and anyone else wishing to travel the desert) wear a Stillsuit, an all encompassing body suit which traps and recovers all moisture leaving the body. This includes urine, fecal ...
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How did Fremen produce and carry enough thumpers to use Sandworms as de facto Ubers?
In Dune, Fremen travel regularly on the backs of enormous Sandworms (variously "Shai Hulud" or "the Maker"). They summon them through the use of a device called a "thumper" (presumably Frank Herbert ...
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Why did Leto II destroy water qanats, when he ultimately intended to terraform Arrakis anyway?
After getting his sandtrout skin, he went on a spree to destroy and spill qanats, to supposedly undo the terraforming of Liet Kynes (the Demon of the Desert affair).
But in the Golden Path, he ...
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What if Paul Atreides failed the Gom Jabbar? [closed]
I've wondered about the possibility that Mohiam's test was only the threat of death, that she would not have actually killed Paul for failing. However, Jessica's reaction to his success "My son lives!"...
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Was the Bene Gesserit's plan doomed from the start?
In Dune Paul needs to use the power of spice in order to become Kwisatz Haderach. Was this because he came a generation early, or could the potential Kwisatz Haderach only reach his true potential by ...
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Why did the Bene Gesserit want to breed the Kwisatz Haderach?
It's been a while since I've read the Dune series. Something I was never quite clear on was why did the Bene Gesserit (BG) want to breed the Kwisatz Haderach (KH) at all?
I understand that the BG ...
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How did the Bene Gesserit know how to make a Kwisatz Haderach?
If I remember correctly, there was never a male who could change the water and become the male version of the reverend mother. How did the Bene Gesserit know what they needed to do in order to make a ...
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0
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Was the first Leto II born with prescience? [duplicate]
The first Leto II dies towards the end of book 1 in the Dune series of book and very little is said about him but is it me tines anywhere if he has 'prescience'? He was half Fremen and the son of Muad'...
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Who ruled Arrakis before the Harkonnens?
It's is explained in the first "Dune" book that the Harkonnens have had the stewardship of Arrakis for 80 years before handing it over to the Atreides but who had the 'fief' before them?
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What does it mean to be human to the Bene Gesserit?
The secretive and mysterious cult of the Bene Gesserit from Frank Herbert's Dune have a human breeding program as one of their prime goals (perhaps the prime goal). As a result, they've developed a ...
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What age would an off-worlder start taking the spice Melange?
In the Dune series by Frank Herbert, at what age would people not from Arrakis (eg. Members of a Great House/aristocracy or the rich) start taking Melange? As it has geriatric properties to extend the ...
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Do mentats marry or have children?
In Frank Herbert's Dune universe, do mentats ever have children? As being a mentat is something that can be taught then, I assume, there is no genetic disposition to being a mentat so no great need ...
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Why didn't Paul use the House Atomics?
In Dune, Paul uses his ability to destroy the Spice (with the Water of Death) as leverage to force Shaddam IV to give him the imperium. However, doesn't this unique position give him the power to ...
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Why did the Baron and Piter de Vries fear the Truthsayer?
The Baron does not want to know how
out of fear of the Bene Gesserit Truthsayer; or at least that is what Jessica deduces. The same goes for Piter de Vries.
But it seems obvious that the purpose of ...
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How did Dr. Yueh know Jessica and Paul would be sent to the desert?
Lady Jessica was supposed to be "given" to Piter de Vries once she was captured. It is only once she is in front of the Baron and Piter that the latter renounces to have her and instead chooses to ...
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Did the Atreides family and staff know of Lady Jessica's role in the Bene Gesserit breeding program?
In Dune, the Bene Gesserit breeding scheme is, in theory, to have come to full fruition from the union of an Atreides daughter (planned to be born of the Bene Gesserit Lady Jessica and the Duke Leto ...
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What was Frank Herbert thinking about equality in his books?
In the "Dune Genesis" essay originally published in the July 1980 issue of Omni Magazine* Frank Herbert wrote:
"I now believe that evolution, or deevolution[sic], never ends short
of death, that ...
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2
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Did the Kwisatz Haderach want to die?
At the end of the Children of Dune mini-series Ghanima says:
He runs, and runs, and runs, and when he's exhausted himself he returns to me, puts his head on my lap and asks me to find a way to die.
...
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In the 2000 Dune miniseries, why are two characters bald and eyebrowless?
In the Frank Hebert’s Dune TV miniseries, there are two characters with no hair or eyebrows. One is a Spacing Guild representative, and the other is a non-speaking minor character, a young woman spy/...
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Why could Paul Atreides see further into the future than the Spacing Guild Navigators?
In the classic Dune series, Paul Atreides became a super being with the ability to see the future; something the Bene Geserit called a Kwisatz Haderach. The Spacing Guild Navigators had consumed the ...
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Dune Film Deleted Ending Scene
In the 1984 David Lynch film adaption of Dune, I remember seeing a video clip of Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam saying to Paul, "You cannot loose these people upon the universe!" She said this at ...
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What was Stilgar's 'Sietch name'?
Did Stilgar have a Sietch name? Was the fact he was a Naib mean he didn't need or use one?
I don't recall other character being referred to with their Sietch name other than Muad'dib (Usul).
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Are the events from Frank Herbert's "Destination Void" and "Dune" meant to be in the same universe [duplicate]
It's a bit of a stretch, I know, but there are a few clues.
First, the point of "Destination Void" is to create AI, which turns out to be
AI has been outlawed in the "Dune" universe after the ...
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Are the Fremen cannibals?
I saw a debate recently on Facebook but can't find it now, I've searched in loads of FB forums looking for it since, someone (convincingly) spelled out step by step why the Fremen ate the meat of ...
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Was the pain box from Dune the inspiration for the pain box in Phantasm?
In both Dune and Phantasm, a character must stick their hand into a box where they suffer searing agony which only releases them once they have accepted the pain and faced their fears.
Is there any ...
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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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House Atreides: slave freeing good guys or family with an agenda?
In Dune and subsequent books we learn that Gurney and Duncan had been freed from Harkonnen slave camps etc and pledged loyalty to House Atreides. Did the Atreides see themselves as freedom fighting ...
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How did the Emperor know that Alia was Paul's sister?
In Dune how did the Emperor know that Alia was Paul's sister? No-one knew Jessica was pregnant, let alone had survived the Harkonnen attack on House Atreides. The Surdaukar that were captured and ...
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Why does Duke Leto have a pug?
In the Dune film adaptation, Duke Leto Atreides possesses a pug (a dog) that appears in several scenes. At one point, Gurney Halleck, as portrayed by Patrick Stewart carries it into battle. I don't ...
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Why are Fremen children not all pre-born with prescience?
In the Dune saga (1st three books) why aren't Fremen children born with prescience or pre-born? I get that Chani was put on a high spice diet when pregnant but surely given that all adult Fremen have ...
- 6,726
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Harkonnen-Sardaukar casualty ratio discrepancy against the Fremen
"The Sardaukar are excellent fighting men, no doubt of it," the Baron
said. "But I think my own legions — "
"A pack of holiday excursionists by comparison!" Hawat ...
- 2,858
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What is the energy source for the spice-sandworm cycle? [duplicate]
The lifecycle of the Maker apparently contains stages when it produces spice (actually its precursor), and stage when it feeds on sand plankton, which are said to consume spice.
Where is the source ...
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