A Beginner’s Guide To The Dune Universe

Dune, published in 1965 by Frank Herbert, is widely considered one of the most influential science fiction novels ever written. It won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards – the two most prestigious honors in the genre – and has inspired generations of creators.

To put its impact in perspective: George Lucas borrowed heavily from Dune when creating Star Wars (see my breakdown of those parallels here). Multiple movies, video games, and board games have since been based on Herbert’s universe. But what truly makes Dune so iconic is not just its influence – it’s the depth of its world-building and the complexity of its ideas.

Herbert spent over a decade researching ecology, religion, and politics, weaving them into a story about human evolution, power, and survival. If you want to dive deeper into the themes of Dune, check out my post here.

Setting: The Universe of Dune

The Dune series is set thousands of years in the future, long after humans have colonized many planets across the galaxy. By this time, society has evolved into a feudal interstellar empire called the Imperium, made up of noble families known as the Great Houses.

House Atreides and House Harkonnen are two of the most powerful and central to the story
All Houses owe allegiance to the ruling Emperor of House Corrino

The central battleground of this universe is the desert planet Arrakis, or “Dune.” It’s a brutal, barren world – but it’s also the galaxy’s only source of melange, more commonly known as “spice.” And spice is everything.

Spice and Society

Before Dune begins, humans fought a war to destroy all artificial intelligence and thinking machines. As a result, computers are forbidden, and humans have evolved (and trained) themselves to take over roles that machines once filled.

So how do they compete with computers? Spice.

Spice enhances both physical and mental abilities – and it’s used by the galaxy’s most powerful groups:

Spacing Guild Navigators use it to fold space and guide interstellar ships safely across space-time
Mentats, human “computers,” use it to process complex information and data analysis with incredible speed and accuracy
The Bene Gesserit, a powerful secretive sisterhood, use it to develop supernatural abilities like truth-sensing, advanced combat, and limited future sight

And that’s not all – spice extends life and expands consciousness, making it the most precious resource in the galaxy.

As Princess Irulan famously states:

“The spice extends life. The spice expands consciousness. The spice is vital to space travel.”

Because Arrakis is the only place spice can be found, control of the planet is everything. Entire wars are fought over it – and this struggle is the heart of Dune’s political and environmental themes.

Final Thoughts

Now that you’ve got the essential background – the setting, the society, and the critical role of spice – you’re ready to dive into Dune. Whether you want to read the book or watch the movie adaptation, you’ll now have a better grasp of what makes this world so rich and compelling.

Check out more Dune posts!