Background of the Study
Since childhood, Tacoma-born Frank Herbert had been determined to become a published author. For years, he wrote fiction with limited success while working as a journalist. He was hounded by creditors as he struggled alongside his wife Beverly to support a family. But his 1965 science fiction novel Dune, considered by many to be the best science fiction novel ever written, won him the devotion of fans all over the world, launched a franchise that lasted for decades, and earned him millions, which he spent with gusto.
Literature Review
HERBERT, FRANK.
Dune, in Analog Magazine
FIRST APPEARANCE OF DUNE, preceding the first book edition. Complete in 8 issues of “Analog” magazine.
“Much of Herbert’s opus originally appeared in Analog, edited by the legendary John W. Campbell. Despite Campbell’s seal of approval, Dune—longer and far more ambitious than most science fiction of the time—was turned down by some twenty publishers. ‘It is just possible that we may be making the mistake of the decade in declining Dune by Frank Herbert,’ wrote Julian P. Muller, of Harcourt, Brace & World, in a typical response. In the end, an editor at Chilton, known for its line of car-repair manuals, offered to publish it after reading the serialized chapters” (The New Yorker).
“Published to almost immediate critical acclaim, Dune won the two most prestigious science fiction awards, the Nebula Award from the Science Fiction Writers of America in 1965 and the Hugo Award from the World Science Fiction Convention in 1966” (American National Biography). Popular success was soon to follow as Dune “was translated into 14 languages and sold some 12 million copies, more than any other science-fiction book in history” (Britannica).
“Dune World” and “The Prophet of Dune” were combined to form the first book edition, published in August of 1965.
Analog/Astounding is often considered the magazine where science fiction grew up. When editor John W. Campbell took over in 1938, he brought to Astounding an unprecedented insistence on placing equal emphasis on both words of “science fiction.” Gadgets and action were no longer sufficient; writers needed to try to think out how science and technology might really develop in the future – and, most importantly, how those changes would affect the lives of human beings. The new sophistication soon made Astounding the undisputed leader in the field, and the old title began to seem too “sensational” to reflect what the magazine was actually doing. Campbell chose “Analog” in part because he thought of each story as an “analog simulation” of a possible future, and in part because of the close analogy between the imagined science in the stories and the real science being done in laboratories around the world.
Turning to Science Fiction
Herbert’s first science fiction story, “Looking for Something,” appeared in the April 1952 issue of Startling Stories. That year, Herbert was between day jobs, his first wife had just successfully sued him for back child-support payments, and his former employers had discovered they had co-signed a car loan with Herbert on a vehicle which was now wrecked.
It seemed like a good time to leave town. Successful science fiction and fantasy author Jack Vance suggested the two writers and their families take a trip to Mexico for a while and collaborate on projects. The Herberts borrowed money from Beverly’s relatives and headed south. Herbert later said that while in Mexico, he unwittingly partook of both hashish-laden cookies and morning glory-seed tea. Drug experiences would form the basis for the fictional drug spice melange, a key element in the Dune series still to come. But his writing efforts alongside his friend and mentor Vance didn’t result in any literary sales.
been published in the magazine. Analog, however, said it would publish the rest of the three-part saga that was still unwritten. Herbert got to work and delivered the manuscript in November 1963, resigned to the idea that his trilogy would never be published in book form.
But in 1965, an unlikely book publisher contacted Herbert’s agent, and said he wanted to publish the Dune material that he had read in Analog. The Chilton company was known for its car repair manuals, grease-stained copies of which could be found on garage work benches all over the country. Chilton published the first Analog serial, Dune World, and the second one, Prophet of Dune in hardcover as one novel called Dune. Soon afterward, Ace Books bought the paperback rights.
Herbert kept his day job at the San Francisco Examiner and worked on other fiction projects. By 1969, the second Dune book, Dune Messiah, was published. The books were gaining a word-of-mouth following, especially among college students, and became identified with a new field of interest, ecology
Significance of the Study
Real science and technology have always been important in Analog, not only as the foundation of its fiction, but as the subject of articles about real research with big implications for the future. One story published during World War II described an atomic bomb so accurately – before Hiroshima – that FBI agents visited the office to find out where the leak was. (There was no leak – just attentive, forward-thinking writers!)
The pages of Astounding/Analog have been home to many of science fiction’s foremost writers and stories. Isaac Asimov, Poul Anderson, Greg Bear, Ben Bova, David Brin, Lois McMaster Bujold, Michael F. Flynn, Robert A. Heinlein, Geoffrey Landis, George R.R. Martin, Spider Robinson, Robert J. Sawyer, Charles Sheffield, Michael Swanwick, Harry Turtledove, and Timothy Zahn are just a few of the prominent names that have appeared in our pages, and we have a long tradition of discovering and cultivating new talent. Our stories have also won many Hugo and Nebula Awards, and such classics as Asimov’s Foundation, Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game, Frank Herbert’s Dune, and Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonflight first appeared in Analog.
Some people who haven’t read Analog assume it has a much narrower emphasis on “nuts and bolts” than it actually has. It’s true that we care very much about making our speculations plausible, because we think there’s something extra special about stories that are not only fantastic, but might actually happen. But it’s just as true that we’re very concerned about people (Earthly or otherwise) and how future changes will affect the way they live. If you haven’t tried Analog, we hope you will. We think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by each issue’s mix of fascinating stories about real people in potentially real futures (some terrifying, some exhilarating, some both), fact articles and columns about real trends in science and society, reviews of new books, and an ongoing dialog with our readers in the letter column. No matter the era, our underlying philosophy remains the same: solidly entertaining stories exploring solidly thought-out speculative ideas. But the ideas, and consequently the stories, are always new.
Analog/Astounding is often considered the magazine where science fiction grew up. When editor John W. Campbell took over in 1938, he brought to Astounding an unprecedented insistence on placing equal emphasis on both words of “science fiction.” Gadgets and action were no longer sufficient; writers needed to try to think out how science and technology might really develop in the future – and, most importantly, how those changes would affect the lives of human beings. The new sophistication soon made Astounding the undisputed leader in the field, and the old title began to seem too “sensational” to reflect what the magazine was actually doing. Campbell chose “Analog” in part because he thought of each story as an “analog simulation” of a possible future, and in part because of the close analogy between the imagined science in the stories and the real science being done in laboratories around the world.
Real science and technology have always been important in Analog, not only as the foundation of its fiction, but as the subject of articles about real research with big implications for the future. One story published during World War II described an atomic bomb so accurately – before Hiroshima – that FBI agents visited the office to find out where the leak was. (There was no leak – just attentive, forward-thinking writers!)
The pages of Astounding/Analog have been home to many of science fiction’s foremost writers and stories. Isaac Asimov, Poul Anderson, Greg Bear, Ben Bova, David Brin, Lois McMaster Bujold, Michael F. Flynn, Robert A. Heinlein, Geoffrey Landis, George R.R. Martin, Spider Robinson, Robert J. Sawyer, Charles Sheffield, Michael Swanwick, Harry Turtledove, and Timothy Zahn are just a few of the prominent names that have appeared in our pages, and we have a long tradition of discovering and cultivating new talent. Our stories have also won many Hugo and Nebula Awards, and such classics as Asimov’s Foundation, Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game, Frank Herbert’s Dune, and Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonflight first appeared in Analog.
Some people who haven’t read Analog assume it has a much narrower emphasis on “nuts and bolts” than it actually has. It’s true that we care very much about making our speculations plausible, because we think there’s something extra special about stories that are not only fantastic, but might actually happen. But it’s just as true that we’re very concerned about people (Earthly or otherwise) and how future changes will affect the way they live. If you haven’t tried Analog, we hope you will. We think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by each issue’s mix of fascinating stories about real people in potentially real futures (some terrifying, some exhilarating, some both), fact articles and columns about real trends in science and society, reviews of new books, and an ongoing dialog with our readers in the letter column. No matter the era, our underlying philosophy remains the same: solidly entertaining stories exploring solidly thought-out speculative ideas. But the ideas, and consequently the stories, are always new.
Dune Catches On
The popularity of Dune continued to grow. It was featured in Stewart Brand’s countercultural Whole Earth Catalog, and Apollo astronauts named a crater on the moon Dune in Herbert’s honor. Young people were reading it and rereading it. By 1971, Herbert had quit his final newspaper job. He taught a course called “Utopia/Dystopia” at the University of Washington and wrote other novels before starting another Dune book. They included Soul Catcher, about revenge and culture clash featuring Pacific Northwest Indians; The God-Makers, with a human god created by psychic energy; and Whipping Star, about big government, a particular concern of Herbert’s. Eventually, he would publish more than two dozen novels and many short stories.
Chapter 1 Overview
Paul Atreides is the fifteen-year-old heir of House Atreides of Planet Caladan. He is the son of Duke Leto, an honorable man, who has been asked by the Emperor to take over the fief of Arrakis, which had been ruled by House Harkonnen until then. Paul’s mother is the Duke’s concubine, and a Bene Gesserit woman, who has been trained in the mystical ways of that secret order. Jessica takes Paul to meet Reverend Mother Mohiam, a high-ranking Bene Gesserit, who tests Paul’s mind and abilities. Jessica seems to believe that Paul is the Kwistaz Haderach, a messianic figure that the Bene Gesserit have been trying to create by mixing the best bloodlines of the universe. Mother Mohiam warns him that Arrakis will claim his father’s life and that he will have many trials ahead of him. Paul’s power of premonition promises him a meeting with a beautiful woman in Arrakis, and a lot of ill feelings, but nothing else. Paul’s father has ensured that Paul has the very best of teachers in the universe in various important disciplines, while his mother has taught him the way of the Bene Gesserit.
Paul and his family arrive on the desert planet of Arrakis, where water scarcity forces the natives to recycle their own body’s moisture. The natives Fremen have their prophecies about Paul that have been planted in their religion by the Bene Gesserit for several centuries. On Geidi Prime, Baron Harkonnen prepares to launch a secret attack against House Atreides. He intends to sneak in a force of the Emperor’s elite Sardukar using a traitor he has planted in the Duke’s inner circle. The traitor, Dr. Yueh, lowers the Atreides’ defenses and invites the enemy into the city. However, he plants a poisoned tooth in Duke Leto’s mouth, giving him an opportunity for revenge, and Yueh manages to secure some safety for Paul and Jessica. Leto fails to kill the Baron with the poison-filled teeth, even though he kills several other important members of the Baron’s retinue. Paul and Jessica are shielded by the Imperial Ecologist, Keynes, but the Sardukar catch up to them and they only manage to escape by going into one of the feared sandstorms of Arrakis. Paul and Jessica find shelter among the Fremen, and the prophecies of the Bene Gesserit in the Fremen culture aid them in gaining important religious positions.
Paul remains among the Fremen for over two years after his father’s death, and in this time he comes to fully realize his powers of premonition and the potential of the Fremen. Paul remembers his father’s intention of using the hardy troops of the Desert to weather the attacks of even the Imperial Sardukar. He learns the ways of the desert and teaches them the subtleties of modern warfare. Jessica becomes a Reverend Mother for the Fremen and bears the Duke’s daughter, Alia. She is born a full Reverend Mother because Jessica goes through the ritual while she is still pregnant with Alia. Paul marries Chani and has a son with her.
Paul begins to ready his attack against the Harkonnen forces as soon as he discovers a weakness in their defense. Before the attack, Paul decides to test whether he is truly the Kwisatz Haderach. The ritual leaves him comatose for three weeks, but he is ultimately able to prove that he is indeed the same figure that the Bene Gesserit had awaited for several centuries. Paul’s powers allow him to understand the true source of power in the universe, which is spice, and the space travel that it enables. Paul and the Fremen use the sandstorms of Arrakis to catch the formidable forces of the recently arrived Emperor unawares. Paul then wins the support of the Spacing Guild by demonstrating his ability to destroy the spice production on Arrakis. He then unseats the Emperor, bans the Bene Gesserit, and marries the Emperor’s daughter, Princess Irulan, to install himself on the throne. Yet, Paul worries that the fierce Fremen will unleash a bloody religious war across the universe.
1.1
Paul Atreides is the fifteen-year-old son of Duke Leto Atreides, the ruler of Planet Caladan of the Galactica empire under the Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV. Paul’s mother is Jessica, the duke’s concubine, and Bene Gesserit, an influential sisterhood with mysterious and mystical powers. The Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam, the Truthsayer to the Emperor, visits Jessica on Caladan just as House Atreides is preparing to leave the water planet on the order of the emperor to take over the fief of Arrakis from House Harkonnen. Harkonnens have ruled the desert planet for several decades and have a feud with House Atreides. Jessica escorts Paul to the Reverend Mother, who administers a deadly test of pain to ascertain Paul’s ability in the Bene Gesserit ways that his mother has been teaching him. She is surprised by his ability to withstand such severe pain and his correct deduction of the Bene Gesserit purpose. He learns that the Bene Gesserit have been mixing bloodlines for centuries to eventually create a special man, the Kwisatz Haderach, who can lead the universe to great heights through his ability in the Bene Gesserit ways. Jessica had been instructed to bear only daughters to the Duke, just as the Bene Gesserit had done for the Emperor. She had borne the Duke a son because the idea had meant so much to him, and she had now come to believe that Paul was the Kwisatz Haderach. He had oft times dreamed premonitions of the future that had turned out to be true, and he shares the dream of being with a girl in Arrakis. Paul feels terrible purpose taking hold within him as he learns about the Kwisatz Haderach. The Mother Reverend promises Jessica aid on the Planet of Arrakis through the Missionaria Protectiva but she is certain that Duke Leto will die by a Harkonnen plot on Arrakis.
Baron Vladimir Harkonnen counsels with Piter and his nephew, Feyd-Rautha. Piter is a Mentat, a political advisor with supercomputer abilities, while Feyde is the Baron’s heir. The Baron has Piter brief Feyde on their plot to end the House Atreides on the planet of Arrakis. The desert planet is the only source of Spice, an irreproducible substance that is essential for space travel, that gives the Fremen their characteristic blue-on-blue eyes, a trait that Piter shares with the natives of Arrakis due to his addiction to the substance. The Baron entertains the bloodthirsty Mentat who seems to only be motivated by the destruction of House Atreides through his addiction to Spice and his desire for the duke’s wife Jessica. Feyd discovers that his uncle has planted a traitor in the inner circle of the duke, who will lower the shields of the Duke’s garrison on Arrakis. This will allow the Harkonnens to attack the unaware duke with a great force that would be bolstered by the most feared soldiers in the Imperium, the personal force of the Emperor, the feared Sardukar.
Around the final days of departure from Caladan, Paul meets Thufir Hawat, a Mentat and the Duke’s master of Assassins. Paul discusses the challenging conditions on the planet of Arrakis, where the value of water is such that the natives wear suits to recapture the moisture lost from their bodies. Paul worries about the plot that the Mother Reverend had warned him about, but the Mentat believes House Atreides can survive the traps on Arrakis. This meeting is followed by a sparring session with Gurney Halleck, a trusted lieutenant of Duke Leto and a prized warrior. Gurney pushes Paul to the utmost of his skill, as he attempts to prepare him for the dangers that await House Atreides on Arrakis. Paul then confers with Dr. Yueh, the secret traitor planted by the Harkonnens. He gifts Paul a bible, one that had been given to him by his wife, Wanna. He regrets his involvement with the Harkonnens, but betraying the Atreides is the only way of ensuring that the Harkonnens stop torturing his wife and finally kill her. Paul attempts to learn about the giant sandworms of Arrakis, the creatures that make existence in the deserts of Arrakis all the more difficult. Finally, Paul has an audience with his father, who has been consumed with the preparations for their departure. The Duke attempts to be a father for a brief period as Paul expresses concerns about the Harkonnens. He explains to Paul why the move to Arrakis is beneficial for House Atreides, as it allows them to gain access to the ridiculously profitable trade of Spice. He understands that the Baron is conspiring with the Emperor, but he believes that he can overcome the threats with the aid of the Fremen. He believes the natives of Arrakis have been severely underrated, and have the potential to be trained and equipped to outmatch even the Sardukar of the Emperor. He reveals that Paul has been trained in the ways of the Mentat as well, and asks him whether he would like to progress his teaching to the next level. Paul agrees to proceed with his training as a Mentat.
Jessica begins to set the Duke’s home in order on Arrakis just as they arrive, and she interviews a local Fremen woman called Shadout Mapes. Jessica notes how the Bene Gesserit have been at work by invoking old prophecies that had been embedded in the local culture by the Missionaria Protectiva so that it may one day aid a Benne Gesserit in danger. Jessica convinces the servant that Jessica is indeed the woman from the Fremen Prophecies. Afterward, Jessica has a conversation with Yueh, who tries to distract Jessica from seeing the betrayal in him by distracting her with questions about why she had never compelled the duke to marry her with the Voice, a power of the Bene Gesserit. Paul survives an attack by an assassin’s tool and saves the life of Shadout Mapes as well. Jessica finds a partitioned-off room filled with exotic vegetation that contains a letter from a Bene Gesserit that warns her about a traitor among the Duke’s inner circle. She shares this information when Paul arrives and he informs her about the assassination attempt. The Atreides men capture the assassin, who had been cleverly stowed away in a remote part of the building.
1.2
Duke Leto is furious about the assassination attempt on his son’s life, and he struggles to contain his anger as he attempts to raise the morale of his arriving troops. He meets with Paul before the strategic meeting, and Paul allays his father’s anger toward Thufir Hawat, who had been responsible for the security of the Duke’s living quarters. The House officials discuss the operations of Spice mining on Arrakis, and the challenges of the worn-down equipment left to them by the Harkonnens. The House agrees that they need to confer with the Imperial Ecologist of Arrakis, Dr. Keynes, who has been appointed as the Judge of the Change by the Emperor and the Landsraad, the council of the great houses. Their meeting is interrupted by the arrival of Duncan Idaho, who had been dispatched to make contact with the Fremen. He returns with a Fremen leader, called Stilgar, and the Duke reaches an understanding with the Fremen. Duncan Idaho is made the Duke’s ambassador among the Fremen, and Stilgar departs. The Duke discusses the power of the Fremen and tells his officers about his intent of cultivating desert power.
After the meeting, Thuffir Hawat discusses a message from a Harkonen agent that had been intercepted which suggested that Jessica was betraying the Duke. Leto is unconvinced, and Thuffir agrees that it may be a Harkonnen plot aimed at sowing discord among them. They decide to surveil Jessica by using Duncan Idaho, however, Leto later tells Paul that he is certain that Jessica is loyal to him. He asks Paul to convey this to Jessica in the instance he was unable to do so himself. Thufir also informs the duke about the growing talk among the Fremen about Paul, as they are coming to believe that he is the messianic figure that had been foretold in their prophecies.
Paul meets Dr. Keynes with his father and his lieutenants, wearing the Stillsuits of Fremen craftsmanship that had been sent as presents by the Imperial Ecologist. Keynes possesses the blue eyes of the Fremen, and seems to subscribe to their prophecies as well, as he notes the precise manner in which Paul has worn his Stillsuit without guidance. Keynes accompanies Duke Leto into the desert on an Ornithopter to observe the mining of Spice in the desert. Their reconnaissance becomes a rescue mission as the large spice factory becomes the target of a spice attack. Keynes notes the casual attitude with which the Duke sacrifices his precious equipment to rescue the men under his command. Lady Jessica organizes a dinner for the important individuals of Arrakis, and Duke Leto notes the careful manner in which Paul interacts with the rest of the guests. They discuss the sacred place accorded to water on the planet of Arrakis, and Paul gleams as a core motivation of Dr. Keynes as he discusses the ecology of Arrakis. Keynes dreams of an Arrakis that will have a lot more vegetation and water, while other diners mostly seem to disregard that notion. The Duke is called away by an urgent matter, but Paul takes over the dinner and handles himself expertly. Later that night, Jessica discovers a drunken Duncan Idaho, who reveals his secret surveillance of her. Jessica correctly deduces that Thufir is responsible for the matter, and has him summoned. She openly discusses his suspicions of her and tries to redirect his focus toward discovering the real traitor. Her ultimate argument is one of emotion, as she tells Thufir that she loves the Duke and would never betray him. She further displays her ability with the Voice, which compels him to follow her benign orders. Thufir remains unconvinced, but he gains a new respect for her abilities.
Duke Leto receives a message from Jessica, and as he is going to see her, he begins to find the dead bodies of his servants in the hallways. He finds Shadout Mapes close to death, but before she can reveal anything of her fate, the duke is shot with a dart that paralyzes him without making him unconscious. Yueh reveals himself to the duke, and he informs him about how he had also lowered the shields for the arrival of the Harkonnens. Yueh promises the paralyzed duke an opportunity for revenge, both for the Duke himself and Yueh. He replaces one of the Duke’s teeth with a container of poison gas that Leto can use to kill the Baron. In return, Yueh promises to aid Paul and Jessica find safe shelter with the Fremen. Leto’s consciousness fades as Yueh takes the Atreides signet ring off his hand. Jessica regains consciousness in the presence of the Baron and Piter. Her hands are bound along with her mouth, to prevent her use of the Voice. The Baron does not wish to directly be aware of Jessica’s death due to her status as a Bene Gesserit, and he offers Piter control of Arrakis instead of handing him Jessica. Piter agrees, and Jessica uses her Bene Gesserit observation to deduce that the Baron is lying to his Mentat. Both Jessica and Paul had been very precisely drugged by Dr. Yueh, and while Jessica’s mouth was covered, the Harkonnens hadn’t done the same with Paul. The mother and son are put on an Ornithopter by the Harkonnens, who intend to leave them in the desert where they would be killed by thirst or the sandworms. Paul uses the Voice to free his mother’s mouth, and the two of them overpower their guards and escape, they find a package that Yueh had stowed in the Ornithopter secretly for them.
The Baron rewards Yueh with death and begins to gloat over the dazed Duke Leto. Leto remembers the poison in his tooth and releases it just as the Baron comes close to him. The poison kills Piter and several other Harkonen men, but the Baron survives because of his shield. He has a humiliating encounter with a Sardukar officer who disregards his nobility and demands to see the body of Duke Leto.
In the Desert, Paul and Jessica have already made contact with Duncan. They await him in a tent of Fremen make and attempt to process the sudden changes in their lives. Paul realizes that he hasn’t quite begun to mourn for his father, he is far too consumed with plotting the next moves for House Atreides. The presence of Spice in the tent dramatically heightens his powers of computation, and he suddenly has a broader understanding of his situation. He proves this to his mother, by informing her that her unknown father was Baron Harkonnen. He realizes that he may not be the Kwisatz Haderach, and instead may be something more unexpected. He informs her that she is pregnant with Leto’s daughter. Paul foretells his integration into the Fremen people and sees them spending a bloody war across the universe in the name of his father, with Paul at their head. He dreads this future and wishes that he can find a way of preventing the ‘jihad’ as he calls it. He tells his mother that he will be called Muad’Dib by the Fremen, which translates to “The One Who Points the Way.” He finally mourns the loss of his father.
1.3
Paul and Jessica wait for the sun to set. They exit the tent at nightfall using Fremen tools, and they begin to make for the closest rock formations as they watch Harkonnen’s attacking Atreides assets far off in the distance. In another part of the desert, Thufir Hawat encounters the fremen with a small force of Atreides men. The Fremen inform him of the Duke’s death, but they confess that they have little information about Paul. Thufir remains unaware of the true traitor, and instead, he begins to believe that they had been betrayed by Jessica. Thufir is immensely impressed by the ability of the Fremen warriors, as he watches them ambush and kills the Sardukar with seeming ease. However, before they can proceed much further with the Fremen, the Sardukar mount an offensive action of their own that results in Thufir being captured.
Paul and Jessica are picked up by Duncan Idaho, who brings along Dr. Keynes with him. Duncan takes them to an abandoned research facility that is guarded by Fremen, all of whom defer to Keynes and call him Liet. Paul and Jessica have a private audience with Keynes, and Paul begins to elucidate his plan of action. At first, Keynes treats Paul as a teenager, but this soon becomes deference as he comes to appreciate Paul’s ability and character. Paul requests that Keynes help him by collecting evidence that the Emperor had betrayed House Atreides by siding with the Harkonnens and utilizing the Sardukar against them. This evidence would be enough for all the great Houses of the Empire to unite against the emperor, but Paul intends to solve the matter without bloodshed by marrying the Emperor’s daughter. Paul promises Keynes all the resources that would come to his disposal as the future emperor to make Arrakis a more habitable planet. Before they can move any further in the discussion, the building is attacked by the Sardukar. Duncan Idaho sacrifices his life as he attempts to hold the deadly warriors back for a few brief seconds so that Paul can escape. Keynes directs Jessica and Paul to a nearby Ornithopter that the two of them can use to hide in a sandstorm that can be traversed at enough altitude. Paul flies the vehicle into the storm, even as he is chased by enemy crafts, but the pursuers refrain from following him. Paul struggles to control his craft, but he soon realizes that he needs to allow the storm to direct him. The Storm carries the vehicle up to great height, and Paul directs the craft out of danger.
The Baron receives a report that Paul and Jessica are as good as dead since they had been seen entering one of the deadly sandstorms of Arrakis. He also learns that his men have captured Keynes, who had been in the presence of Paul, and Thufir, who seems to believe that Jessica was the betrayer of House Atreides. The Baron decides he is going to use Thufir, who has a formidable reputation as a Mentat, but he intends to keep him poisoned so that if he ever leaves the Baron’s service he would die. He orders the murder of Keynes but asks his men to ensure that it seems like an accident since Keynes is an imperial servant. He then hands over the control of Arrakis to Rabban with a directive to create as much money as possible. He asks Rabban to exploit the fremen population freely and doesn’t truly believe they are a worthy threat.
In the desert, Paul crash lands the severely storm-damaged craft close to some rocks. He escapes to the rocks with his mother moments after the craft, which is just time enough for them to escape the sandworm. The massive beast swallows the giant flying vehicle in one swoop leaving both Jessica and Paul amazed. He makes a dangerous crossing of the desert with his mother, using a special Fremen compass. Jessica is nearly killed by a landslide of sand, but Paul uses the limited resources he has to rescue his mother and the pack of supplies that he loses during her rescue. They continue with their grueling journey, which is made all the more difficult by Paul’s recommended style of walking which seeks to mirror the natural movements of the sand in the desert, allowing them to escape the notice of the Sandworms. Jessica continues Paul’s training as a Bene Gesserit even as they stop to camp in the middle of the desert.
On another side of the desert, Gurney Halleck escapes with a small force of House Atreides and meets up with the head smuggler of the island. Gurney decides to stay in Arrakis even though he believes Duke Leto and his heir have died, because of his deep hatred for the Harkonnens. Gurney and several soldiers of House Atreides join the smugglers.
Paul and Jessica make use of a unique Fremen tool called the “thumper” to distract the nearby Sandworms. They use the distraction to cross the last stretch of the desert to a section of rocks, but the plan fails as Paul accidentally steps on Drum sand that harkens the Sandworms to him. Jessica and Paul run for their lives, and nearly get caught by the sandworm, but it is suddenly distracted by another thumper in the distance just as they reach the rocks. They find green plants growing among the rocks as they climb them, and a voice answers from the darkness when the two of them discuss finding the Fremen.
1.4
Keynes crawls in the Arrakean desert, without water, or still suited and wounded by Harkonnen soldiers. He is left in the desert to die of thirst and heat stroke, but he endeavors to save himself. On the verge of losing consciousness, Keynes hears his father talking about the ecology of Arrakis in his head. His father had been the Imperial ecologist before him, and he had dreamed of making Arrakis more habitable. He had devised the procedures that the Fremen now followed under Keynes’ supervision as they endeavored to bring to fruition the dream of a gentler Arrakis. Keynes smells the strong scent of spice that indicates an imminent explosion of gas, but he cannot bring himself to get away fast enough. Keynes becomes caught in the explosion even as he tries to gain the attention of birds so that the nearby Fremen may discover him, and Keynes dies in the desert. In the rock formations further in the desert, Jessica and Paul are confronted by a hostile group of Fremen led by Stilgar, the fremen leader who had visited Paul’s father. Stilgar recognizes Paul, and he had already received word from Keynes that had indicated Paul as an ally to be helped. He decides to allow Paul to join their number, despite the protests of another Fremen called Jamis. However, Stilgar believes Jessica may not be able to survive in the harsh conditions of the desert and he decides that it would be more merciful to kill her and harvest her water. Jessica and Paul move as one, Jessica subdues Stilgar and places a knife at his throat, while Paul disarms Jamis and climbs out of reach with the projectile weapon. Stilgar is immensely impressed with Jessica’s Bene Gesserit fighting abilities and promises her a place in his Sietch if she would teach them all the secrets of her combat. Jessica readily agrees and asks Paul to return to them, which is when he comes face to face with Chani, the daughter of Liet. Paul immediately recognizes her from the visions he had seen back in Caladan, and he is momentarily dumbstruck.
Paul and Jessica move out with the Fremen once they have all made their peace, and they head towards the cave of ridges. Jessica and Stilgar have a conversation away from the others, and she seeks to understand the Fremen a little better. She is fearful that she had weakened his position as a leader by subduing him in combat. Stilgar reassures her that would not be the case, given her ‘weirding’ powers of the Sayyadina, which he explains is a revered priestess position in Fremen Society. Jessica also learns that the Fremen have an arrangement with the Spacing guild, and the organization prevents the emperor from employing surveillance satellites on the planet in return for spice. This is because the Fremen have secretly been working to change the environment of Arrakis little by little. Jessica invokes the prophecies of the Missionaria Protectiva that she had been taught at school, and marvels as the rest of the Fremen in the group chant with her. This further strengthens her position among the Fremen, who begin to believe that their religious prophecies are now being fulfilled through Paul and Jessica. Paul eats a piece of Fremen food that is heavily laced with spice, which returns him to that state of premonition. He sees the paths of his future close before him, and he sees his death.
Jamis feels dishonored because Paul, an untested youth, had disarmed him, he argues with Stilgar as he wishes to challenge him to single combat. Stilgar attempts to prevent this but the Fremen traditions prevent him from interfering. Jessica considers using the voice to halt the contest but thinks that it may be too dangerous. Paul and Jamis fight with Crysknives. The battle starts poorly for Paul since he is unused to fighting without body shields. He quickly gains the upper hand and attempts to make him yield. The onlookers mistake Paul’s behavior for cruelty, believing that Paul is toying with Jamis. Paul works up himself to kill the first man in his life as he deals Jamis a deadly blow. Paul cries for Jamis as the man dies, and the Fremen carry away the body to conserve the water. The onlookers are deeply moved by Paul shedding water for their comrade and they embrace him as one of their own. Stilgar names him Usul, a private name to be used by the people of his Sietch, and Paul chooses Paul Muad’Dib for his public name. Muad’Dib is also the name of a desert mouse that is deeply admired in Fremen culture. He believes he has changed the future slightly by thus changing his name from the visions he had seen.
According to Fremen culture, Paul is given the water taken from Jamis in the form of water rings that he can carry on his person. He entrusts those rings to Chani, not knowing that it signifies a marriage proposal among her people. The group is then led into a deeper cave, where Paul and Jessica are surprised to find a gigantic lake. The water taken from Jamis is added into the lake, and Stilgar explains that the Fremen have been saving water until the day they have collected enough to change the weather of Arrakis. Paul plays a melancholy song on a Fremen instrument for Chani as he slowly realizes that his mother has become has his enemy, since she may bring about the war that he is trying to prevent. Count Fenring, an imperial official close to the Emperor, visits Geidi Prime with his Bene Gesserit wife, Lady Fenring. The count bears a message from the Emperor who is displeased about the Baron sending away Sardukar from Arrakis. The true motive of their visit is for Lady Fenring to seduce Feyde-Rautha so that she may be pregnant with his child.
On Arrakis, Paul comes to Stilgar’s Sietch, where he learns that he has inherited everything that had once belonged to Jamis including his wife and children. Paul takes Jamis’s widowed wife, Harrah, as his servant and learns about the Fremen people with her. The Sietch is being abandoned because the Sardukar are moving against them. Paul hears rumors about Keynes’ death and he discovers that Chani had been the man’s daughter. On the other hand, Jessica undergoes the test of the Sayyadina in front of the whole Sietch, which is identical to the actual test of a Bene Gesserit who seeks to become a Reverend Mother. Jessica’s consciousness makes contact with those of the previous Reverend Mothers as she inherits their memories through the ritual. She understands that the experience is deeply transformative for her unborn child. The rest of the Sietch drinks the spice-infused water that Jessica creates, and all of them go into a deep trance. Chani takes Paul into a private back room, and he experiences visions of a future war. Chani worries over his tears, and he tells her that he is crying for all who will die in the future. They hold onto one another and confess their love.
1.5
Two years after the Harkonnens’ attack on House Atreides, Feyd-Rautha attempts to assassinate the Baron with the aid of Thufir Hawat, who has replaced the deceased Piter. Thufir betrays Rautha by informing the Baron of the assassination attempt, and the Baron in turn places Thufir in charge of all of Rautha’s actions. He also makes Rautha kill all the women in his harem since he intends for Rautha to remain his heir. the Baron further tempts Rautha to be obedient to him, by promising him an opportunity to ascend to the throne of Emperor. Later, the Baron meets with Thufir and questions him about Salusa Secundus, the prison planet of the Emperor. Thufir hates the Baron, but he wishes to gain revenge against the emperor for betraying the line of Atreides, and the Baron believes this keeps him completely loyal to the Harkonnens. Thufir explains to the Baron the true source of the Emperor’s elite fighting force, the Sardukar. He believes that the Emperor has used the terrible conditions of the prison planet to craft the Sardukar. Thufir informs the clueless Baron that the true reason why the Emperor had moved against Duke Atreides had been the forces of the House. The Emperor had become threatened by the impeccable army that Duke Leto had created with the aid of elite warriors like Gurney Halleck and Duncan Idaho. He cautions the Baron about the situation in Arrakis as the planet’s harsh conditions have led to the creation of elite warriors among the Fremen. This process has been further strengthened by the rule of Rabban, whose oppressive rule has begun to inspire serious offense from the Fremen. Thufir advises the Baron to deprive Arrakis of further reinforcements, which will force him to be crueler to his subjects. In this way, the people of Arrakis will welcome Feyd-Rautha when the Baron sends him to relieve Rabban and be all the more loyal to him. The Baron agrees, and as Thufir leaves the fat man, he thinks about the rumors of Muad’Dib that Gurney Halleck had shared with him.
On Arrakis, Paul struggles to differentiate the future, present, and past. He pulls himself together slowly, realizing that he is preparing for an important ritual of Fremen culture. Chani had been in the south with their son, Leto II, along with his mother Jessica, and his young sister, Alia the strange. Now, Chani had returned to his side to be with him before the ritual ride of Shahi-Hulud. Stilgar gives Paul some last-minute reminders as Paul plants his thumper in the sand to attract a Sandworm.
In the southern latitudes of Arrakis, Jessica resides as the Reverend Mother among the Fremen. She worries about Paul’s test and the future of her daughter. Harrah worries about Alia, even though she understands why Alia has been transformed. She believes that the other Fremen will not be able to understand her and thus be a danger to her. Alia was born with the wisdom of the past Reverend Mothers and has never behaved like a child even though she is barely two years old. Jessica hears rumors from the other Fremen women, the Fremen youth are eager for Paul to challenge Stilgar for the position of leader. They are all confident that Paul can best Stilgar in battle, and lead the Fremen to a new world order. However, Paul can only emerge victorious by killing Stilgar due to the Fremen customs.
Paul passes the test with ease and leads a small group of elite Fremen in riding one of the biggest Sandworms any of them has ever seen. Stilgar criticizes Paul for attempting to mount the Sandworm from a dangerous position without asking for assistance. Paul’s ego is a little hurt but he agrees with Stilgar. Paul decides to head south toward the new Sietch that is being used for the protection of women and children even though most of the Fremen wish to raid the Harkonnens. As they journey South, Paul’s party comes across a set of Ornithopters that belong to the Spice Smugglers. Paul and his Fremen set a trap for the Smugglers, and end up killing most of them with a few exceptions. The smugglers are led by Gurney Halleck, who tells his men to put down their arms just as soon as he sees Paul’s face. Gurney is shocked by Paul’s presence, and the changes the desert has wrought on him. Gurney, Paul, and Stilgar discuss the Harkonnens, who are severely weakened because the Baron has stopped sending Rabban any reinforcements. They believe that there has never been a better time to attack the Harkonnens, but their conversation is interrupted as a few of the smugglers turn out to be Sardukar spies. Paul reveals his identity to them and hopes that one of them will escape and spread the news that the son of Duke Leto Atreides still lives.
Paul decides that the question about Fremen leadership has remained unresolved for too long. He convenes a gathering of the Fremen, along with the council of their elders, and there he declares that nothing would be more wasteful than the death of Stilgar. He tells the Fremen that he is Duke Paul Atreides, ruler of Arrakis, and though the Fremen are his people, he would rather have them be ruled by one of their own. He knights Stilgar with a Crysknife and names him as the leader of the Fremen. Gurney continues to believe that Jessica had been the true betrayer of House Atreides and so plans to kill her when Paul sends for her to attend the gathering of the Fremen. Gurney nearly kills Jessica, but Paul convinces him that the true betrayal had come from Yueh and that his mother had loved his father too much to ever betray him. Gurney apologizes profusely, but Jessica and Paul both forgive him. Paul decides to take the test of the Reverend Mother to prove to himself that he is Kwisatz Haderach.
The potion leaves him near death for three weeks and all the Fremen begin to believe that Paul has been killed, but Jessica believes he is going to survive. She tries everything to resurrect him for three weeks and finally decides to summon Chani from the south. She is very distressed by Paul’s state but rightly understands that Paul had tried to take the test of the Reverend Mothers. She believes that giving him some more of the water of life would help, but Paul recovers with just the smell of the water. He awakens and demonstrates to Jessica that he is indeed the Kwisatz Haderach. His powers of premonition are severely heightened and he discovers that the Baron and the Emperor have arrived in the orbit of Arrakis to take control of it once and for all. However, Paul also learns that the Spacing Guild wouldn’t allow the emperor to take Arrakis if the Fremen threaten to destroy Spice production. He foments a plan of action, but he is unable to see the exact path of the future.
Paul, Gurney, and a few of the Fremen observe the humongous encampment of the Emperor, who has landed with his court in Arrakeen. Paul plans to use atomic weapons to destroy the shield wall that protects Arrakeen from the sandstorms. The coming storm would cause mayhem in the camp, and the fremen would ride in and overwhelm the forces of the Emperor. Paul watches as the atomics hit the shield wall along with the storm. He readies to join the attack as the storm enters the city. He receives a garbled message about an attack on the Southern Sietch, which led to the death of his son, and his sister being captured.
Baron Harkonnen is brought before the Emperor to be interviewed in the Princes of the Reverend Mother Mohiam. The Emperor seeks to learn whether the Baron had been aware of the true potential of the Fremen as deadly troops. He seems to think that the Baron had perhaps intended to shield Paul Atreides along with the Fremen and to use them as a tool to climb to the throne. However, the Emperor becomes certain that the Baron was completely in the dark about the true situation of Arrakis, after the Baron fails to recognize Alia. The Reverend Mother is horrified by Alia and wishes for the Emperor to kill the child. The Emperor wishes to reconsider the situation of Arrakis, so he decides to withdraw to Orbit, and orders the death of Alia. She escapes the Emperor’s grasp and runs toward the Baron. Alia kills the Baron with the Gom Jabbar, and Paul’s attack on the camp begins. The Emperor watches as his forces are overwhelmed, and he orders Mother Reverend to summon Count Fenring.
At the head of the victorious Fremen, Paul walks the corridors of the state building where he had arrived with his father. He receives an envoy from the Emperor and agrees to treat with him. In the meanwhile, he asks to see Jessica and Chani. Upon his mother’s arrival, Paul assures her of Alia’s safety, and she cautions him against marrying anyone but Chani. Paul believes marriage to a daughter of the Emperor will help end the war, while Jessica doesn’t want him to repeat the same mistakes that his father had made. Paul then comforts the mourning Chani, and he assures her that they would have other children together. Gurney brings in the Emperor, with the imperial court which includes Thufir Hawat, Feyd-Rautha, Count Fenring, and Mother Reverend Mohiam. Thufir Hawat had been instructed to kill Paul to receive an antidote to the poison that was killing him. Thufir chooses to die in the arms of Paul, who advances to meet the old man fully aware that Thufir could choose to kill him. Paul defeats Feyd-Rautha in combat and secures the support of the spacing guild by threatening the production of Spice forever. Paul then declares that he will marry Princess Irulan, and become the Emperor, while the old Emperor will be exiled to Salusa Secundus. He disbands the Bene Gesserit and is supported by his mother in this measure. Paul assures Chani that she will forever be his only love, even if he were married to the Princess. Jessica tells Chani that history will remember them as wives, even if they only ever held the title of concubine.
1.6
Dune (1965)
To start at the proper beginning with Dune, we must go back to December 1963, when Frank Herbert serialized the first part of what would, in time, become Dune. This first serialization, in Analog Science Fact & Science Fiction magazine from December ’63 through February ’64 , was published as Dune World.
In 1965, Herbert returned to the Dune world, with the serialization of Prophet of Dune, across 5 issues of Analog, from January through May of that year. Prophet of Dune was the cover story in both the January and March issues of Analog, with famous illustrations by John Schoenherr, which would later be reused in book editions.
The first book edition of Dune was therefore a ‘fix-up’ of the two serials from Analog magazine. The first edition was published by Chilton in December 1965, and reused the Schoenherr artwork from the January 1965 magazine. The true first edition, first printing, had blue cloth boards, and is now extremely valuable – indeed, it’s one of the most expensive SF first editions you’ll ever see advertised.
Prior to the publication of any sequels in the series, there were several further editions published of the original novel, including the first publication in the UK in 1966 (a hardback by Gollancz) and paperback editions on both sides of the Atlantic in ’67 and ’68. The Ace Books paperback featured artwork by John Schoenherr once again, while the British NEL edition sported the now classic artwork of Bruce Pennington.
Dune Messiah (1969)
As with Dune, Herbert’s first sequel to the original story, Dune Messiah, was serialized, this time in Galaxy Magazine, between July and November 1969.
The first hardback edition of Dune Messiah was published by Putnum in 1969, with artwork by Jack Gaughan. The same artwork was reused in the US first paperback (Berkley Medallion, 1970). Dune Messiah was first published in the UK as part of the Gollancz SF series of that time (without artwork), though the 1972 paperback in the UK continued with art from Bruce Pennington. First printings of the Putnum first edition are now very valuable (though not as expensive as Dune). As Chilton did with Dune, Putnum released an early (second printing) book club edition of the first edition hardback, which is also sought after, and easier to acquire. The book club version states it is such on the inside flyleaf.
Children of Dune (1976)
Herbert stuck with the tried-and-tested approach still common in the 1970’s, and serialized Children of Dune before book publication. In this instance, the story was published in Analog magazine, between January and April, 1976.
God Emperor of Dune, first published in 1981, was the first volume in the series not to be serialized, with the first edition published by Putnum in the US, with artwork by Brad Holland, and less than a month later by Gollancz in the UK, with artwork still by Bruce Pennington. The US Putnum edition was also released in first edition without a dust jacket as a plain black volume, signed and numbered by Herbert, and limited to 750 copies.
The next two books make up the final volumes in Frank Herbert’s Dune series. They are considered together here as they were released close together in 1985 and 1986, and also because they comprise two parts of a single cohesive storyline, set 1500 years after God Emperor.
Following publication of Children of Dune, bringing the series to what was then considered a complete trilogy, publishers started to release editions of all three books with consistent artwork. Indeed, the expansion into a trilogy had been expected since about 1975, and as such both Berkley in the US, and NEL in the UK had been publishing the first two volumes Dune and Dune Messiah since 1975 with consistent styles for a few years, and then added the third book to make complete trilogy sets. As Herbert published the fourth, fifth and sixth voluems, these were either added to existing trilogy editions, or formed new editions over the coming years.
New English Library UK Edition (1968-1981)
The NEL paperback of Dune was published in 1968 in the UK and was the first UK paperback of that book, featuring artwork by Bruce Pennington. NEL stuck with the same format for the next three sequels, through to 1981’s God Emperor of Dune, all with the same consistent style and classic Pennington art. NEL switched style and format around 1984, when David Lynch released his film of Dune (they released a film tie-in edition with the film’s poster as the cover in ’84, before moving on to the 1985-86 edition shown below.
Berkley US Paperback Edition (1975-1986)Eventually comprising all six books, Dune was first published by Berkley in 1975, along with Dune Messiah. Children of Dune, and God Emperor of Dune followed in 1976 and 1984 respectively. These first four volumes have artwork by Vincent Di Fate. The final two books were added to the lineup in the same style, as they were released in ’85 and ’86, but with artwork by John Schoenherr.
Gollancz UK Hardback Edition (1984)
This edition released by Gollancz, who published all the UK HB first editions, was released to tie-in with the David Lynch 1984 film, in that year. All four books availabale at that time sport the film’s poster art.
Berkley US Paperback Edition (1985-1986)Berkley revamped their publication of the Duneseries in 1985, though it actually overlapped with the edition presented above. The striking bold artwork was by Frederic Marvin. This was a series where the covers can be placed together to form a single piece of connected artwork.
New English Library UK Paperback Edition (1985-1986)
NEL revamped the UK paperbacks of the Dune novels, starting with the first four books in 1984. These sported artwork by Gerry Grace, and the first five books form a long panel artwork comprised of the the back, spine and front of the books, when placed together (see graphic below), which was rather cool.
Turtleback Books US Hardback Edition (1994); reprinted by Ace Books
A hardback imprint originally by Turtleback Books, and then later reprinted by Ace Books (notably in 2008). These are quite handsome volumes.
Ace Books US Paperbacks (1994)
These were the first Ace editions in the US since their original Dune first edition paperback released in 1967. They re-used artwork from several sources, but mostly from the Berkley paperbacks from of ’75-’86.
New English Library UK Paperback Edition (1999)
Another change in style from NEL in the UK, featuring cropped images from Gerry Grace’s art from the ’85-86 edition.
New English Library UK Paperback Edition (2003)
These book are slightly strangely arranged, as the first three books were provided as a trilogy, though Children of Dune was also offered as a standalone, along with books four to six. Artwork was by Robert Nicholls.
Hodder & Staunton UK Paperback Edition (2008)
This edition by a new UK publisher included only the first two books in the series. The artwork seemed to have little to do with the each book, and they’re not my favourites (though I did own and read this Dune edition for some reason at one time)
Hodder & Staunton UK Paperback Edition (2015)
A graphic artwork set from UK publisher, Hodder Paperbacks, with covers by Francis O’Connell.
Ace Books US Paperback Edition (2019)
Continuing the more graphical approach used by Hodder in the UK, Ace followed suit with this paperback set. They are less to my taste, but have some style. Art by Jim Tierney.
Gollancz UK Hardback Edition (2021-2023)
Only the two books in this hardback set yet, but more may be on their way.
Ace Books US Hardback Edition (2023)
These are beautifully produced hardbacks. Only covering the original trilogy to date, these look quite ‘collectable’ and are superior quality.
In addition to the inclusion of the novel Dune in the various set editions published in the US and the UK, the first and most famous novel has been published on its own many times by many publishers. Some of these are old, some are quite collectable and many recent editions of the standalone novel have been published to very high quality. Here are many of the single volume Dune editions that are not part of a series set.
Dune Trilogy Compendium Editions
Almost all the trilogy compendiums of the books have been published in the UK, largely by Gollancz. 1984 saw two film tie-in editions, and Gollancz also collected the second ‘trilogy’ in 1987.
More recent trilogy compendiums (also from the UK) have been quite nicely produced – all by Gollancz again.
https://www.sweetstudy.com/literature/dune/part-1-chapters-1-10
https://wordsenvisioned.com/?p=6385
https://starfarersf.nicepage.io/Dune-Publication-History.html