Organizations of the Dune universe
Multiple organizations of the Dune universe dominate the political, religious, and social arena of the setting of Frank Herbert's Dune series of science fiction novels, and derivative works. Set tens of thousands of years in the future, the saga chronicles a civilization which has banned computers but has also developed advanced technology and mental and physical abilities through physical training, eugenics and the use of the drug melange. Specialized groups of individuals have aligned themselves in organizations focusing on specific abilities, technology and goals. Herbert's concepts of human evolution and technology have been analyzed and deconstructed in at least one book, The Science of Dune (2008). His originating 1965 novel Dune is popularly considered one of the greatest science fiction novels of all time, and is frequently cited as the best-selling science fiction novel in history. Dune and its five sequels by Herbert explore the complex and multilayered interactions of politics, religion, ecology and technology, among other themes.We've a three-point civilization: the Imperial Household balanced against the Federated Great Houses of the Landsraad, and between them, the Guild with its damnable monopoly on interstellar transport.
Young Alia Atreides in front of (from left to right) a Spacing Guild agent, Princess Irulan, Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam and her Bene Gesserit, and Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV, from the 2000 Dune miniseries
Thinking machines (a cymek (left) and Erasmus) from the cover of Dune: The Machine Crusade (2003)
Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. was an American science-fiction author, best known for his 1965 novel Dune and its five sequels. He also wrote short stories and worked as a newspaper journalist, photographer, book reviewer, ecological consultant, and lecturer.
Herbert in 1984
Herbert's novella The Priests of Psi was the cover story for the February 1960 issue of Fantastic.
The Oregon Dunes near Florence, Oregon, served as an inspiration for the Dune saga.
The Dune Peninsula at Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, Washington, with the volcano Mount Rainier in the distance