In 1965, creating an entire universe around artificial intelligence seemed like a distant possibility, but it now appears to be a reality. It’s not a joke; when something is beyond your understanding, it can seem boring or less interesting. The majority of the Indian audience felt this way about the Dune universe, as its depth was not fully grasped. However, Dune is based on a book series that started in 1965 and has since expanded to over 30 books. You can gauge the well-written nature of this universe from this fact, and its influence is evident as creators of projects like Star Wars and Game of Thrones have admitted that their stories were influenced by Universe of Dune.
To understand the Dune universe, imagine that its story starts 10,000 years in the future, in a future where humans have left Earth and successfully settled on other planets. The future envisions humans surviving on different planets, similar to how Mars has been planned for years. In this future, there is a war between humans and artificial intelligence, known as the Butlerian Jihad. This war is not depicted in the movies but is mentioned. The war resulted in a ban on technology that could replicate or copy the human mind, effectively restricting AI and computers. Consequently, development in technology was stunted, leading to a society that appears advanced yet somewhat reminiscent of older times.
Without technological advancement, humans began to evolve biologically, leading to the emergence of different groups:
- Mentats: These individuals trained their brains to perform tasks that computers used to handle, such as analyzing data and creating strategies. They became political advisors in large kingdoms due to their advanced mental capabilities.
- Bene Gesserit: This all-female group evolved to have mental and psychic powers, allowing them to control others with their voice and manipulate physical traits. They could even influence the gender of unborn children and access the memories of their ancestors. Their ultimate goal was to create a Bene Gesserit who could bring enlightenment to others through genetic breeding.
- Guild Navigators: Due to the ban on technology, interplanetary travel became very slow. Before the ban, AI and robots helped navigate space at light speed. To address this, some humans evolved to become Navigators, capable of traveling at light speed due to their consumption of spice.
After the war, political changes led to the formation of the Imperium, which rules over human civilizations across the universe. The Emperor, who governs the Imperium, cannot control the entire universe alone, so various Houses were assigned to different planets. The three important Houses within the Imperium are:
- House Corrino, whose ruler becomes the Emperor.
- House Atreides, whose ruler Duke Leto is on the ocean planet Caladan.
- House Harkonnen, whose leader, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, is a rival to House Atreides.
There are also schools such as the Doctor’s School, where characters like Duncan Idaho and Gurney Halleck were trained, and the Swordmaster School, which specializes in hand-to-hand combat and swordsmanship.
An interesting aspect of the universe is the use of swords and daggers for combat, despite the advanced future. This is due to the Holtzman effect, which makes high-velocity projectiles dangerous by causing atomic explosions upon impact. Hence, swords are used instead.
In addition, organizations like CHOM (which handles financial aspects) and the Spacing Guild (which oversees space travel) play crucial roles. The most important component in the universe is the spice, which is analogous to oil in our world. Controlling spice means controlling the universe. Spice enables space travel, enhances mental abilities, and extends life. The Fremen, native to Arrakis (a desert planet), consume spice to gain long life and blue eyes. Spice is produced by sandworms, whose excretions are collected.
The movies take place about 20,000 years into the future, focusing on the political struggles over spice control. The Emperor, fearing House Atreides’ rising popularity, conspires with House Harkonnen to eliminate them. This leads to the revelation that Paul Atreides is the prophesied messiah.