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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.

Properties within this tag include

The original Frank Herbert novels:

  • Dune (1965)
  • Dune Messiah (1969)
  • Children of Dune (1976)
  • God Emperor of Dune (1981)
  • Heretics of Dune (1984)
  • Chapterhouse: Dune (1985)

Various sequel novels co-written by his son:

  • Prelude to Dune series (House Atreides / House Harkonnen / House Corrino)
  • Legends of Dune series (The Butlerian Jihad / The Machine Crusade / The Battle of Corrin)
  • Hunters of Dune
  • Sandworms of Dune
  • Heroes of Dune series (Paul of Dune / The Winds of Dune)
  • Great Schools of Dune series (Sisterhood of Dune / Mentats of Dune / Navigators of Dune)
  • The Caladan Trilogy series (Dune: The Duke of Caladan)

Feature films:

  • Dune (1985 - Directed by David Lynch, Starring Kyle MacLachlan)
  • Dune (2021 - Directed by Denis Villeneuve, starring Timothée Chalamet)

TV Mini-series:

  • Dune (2000 - Starring Alec Newman)
  • Children of Dune (2003 - Starring Julie Cox and Ian McNeice)

Video Games:

  • Dune (1992)
  • Dune II (1992)
  • Dune 2000 (1998)
  • Emperor: Battle for Dune (2001)
  • Frank Herbert's Dune (2001)
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In Dune, was the Golden Path really necessary?

I am trying to understand the reason why Leto II merged with the sandtrout in Children of Dune and why he was so committed to the Golden Path. I just finished the first four books and I fear that I have missed the point of why prescience is so bad.…
Jorge Castro
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Why doesn't the Emperor control Dune (Arrakis) himself?

I finally decided to read Dune as I have never read a book from that series. I immediately had a question. Why doesn't the Emperor control Dune (Arrakis) himself? Why does he let houses control it? As I understand, melange is the substance without…
Andrey
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How did Paul Atreides Differ From the Intended Kwisatz Haderach?

It's been a while since I've re-read the Dune books, but I remember the Bene Gesserit were upset with Jessica because she was ordered to bear only female children. The long range plan was to breed one of her daughters with Feyd Harkonnen line to…
Tango
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How does Arrakis maintain a breathable atmosphere without vegetation?

Arrakis (also known as "Dune") is an entirely desert planet that has had a sizable population of Fremen who have lived there for generations, in addition to numerous offworlders. Breathing of course converts oxygen to carbon dioxide, and plants are…
Thunderforge
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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 of desert as their own. That got me to thinking,…
Richard C
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What does 'Combine Honnete Ober Advancer Mercantiles' mean?

In Frank Herbert's Dune, the name of a mega-corporation CHOAM stands for Combine Honnete Ober Advancer Mercantiles. However, while I recognize some of the word roots in the full name, I never really knew what this name means. I hope someone can shed…
user8491
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In Dune, what were the benefits of becoming a Guild Navigator?

The Spacing Guild plays a pivotal role in Dune media. Their monopoly on space travel makes them a rich and powerful part of the Known Universe. They use so-called Navigators as pilots for their starships who use prescience to "fold space", an…
The Sardaukar Knight
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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 Sardaukar (disguised as Harkonnen troops) to help…
lamwaiman1988
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Why was Duncan Idaho repeatedly reborn?

Note: this is about out-of-universe reasons Throughout the Dune novels, the character of Duncan Idaho stands out as having the most appearances, but being reborn again and again as a ghola, for various purposes. Bringing back dead, beloved…
congusbongus
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Why didn't House Atreides stay on Caladan?

At the beginning of book 1 of Dune, the Duke Leto is appointed by the Emperor as a fief ruler for the planet of Arrakis. We learn that this is really a trap, and the Emperor is conspiring with Baron Harkonnen - the current fief ruler - to eliminate…
user2723984
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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 Paul when they had no relationship with the Spacing…
Joe C
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What do the dune sandworms eat?

As we know the planet dune is an empty desert, a huge territory with only sand and without any water or humidity. There were no animals mentioned in the first books and I'm sure no plants could survive in the desert so I am wandering what do the…
Menelaos Vergis
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Why is melange called "spice"?

Is it because before it was used as a drug, it was used for flavoring food? Both in- and out- of universe answers are welcome!
congusbongus
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The geography of Arrakis

Does the geography of Arrakis make sense? I'm always a bit confused about how big the planet is, and where everything fits. According to the map, every point of interest is above the 60 degree north latitude, but then everyone says that "the south…
Kerrek SB
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In Dune Messiah, why should blind fremen walk off in the desert?

I really appreaciated the whole rejection of the "hero" ideal of Dune Messiah, and the effort FH put into making the culture and society of the empire even deeper than in the first book. For this reason, this detail immediately bugged me and I can't…
Pronte
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