Dune (novel) facts for kids

Dune is a famous science fiction book written by Frank Herbert. It tells an exciting story about a space empire far in the future. The book explores how things like politics, religion, and technology shape the lives of its characters.

In the Dune universe, regular computers are not allowed. Instead, some special humans called 'Mentats' are trained to think incredibly fast, almost like living computers! Each planet is ruled by a powerful family, called a House. All these Houses must follow the orders of House Corrino, because their leader is the Emperor of the entire known universe.

What is Dune About?

The main character of Dune is Paul Atreides, a 15-year-old boy who is next in line to lead his family, House Atreides. The Emperor forces Paul's family to leave their home planet, Caladan. They must take control of a new planet called Arrakis.

The Planet Arrakis

Arrakis is a very important planet. It is the only place where a special spice called Melange is found. Melange is the most valuable thing in the universe! It helps people see into the future and think much faster. It also helps them live much longer, sometimes for hundreds of years. Melange even allows people to travel huge distances very quickly.

Arrakis is mostly a desert planet. It is very dangerous because there is almost no drinkable water. Even scarier, giant worms live in the sand! These huge creatures are called Sandworms.

The Fremen People

Many native human groups live on Arrakis; they are called the Fremen. The Fremen have many special rituals to save water. This is super important, or they would all die from not having enough water.

After Paul's father is killed, Paul and his mother escape. They find safety with the Fremen. Paul and his mother use their special skills to become leaders among the Fremen. Eventually, they lead the Fremen to fight against the Harkonnen armies. The Harkonnens had taken control of Arrakis again.

The Bene Gesserit Sisterhood

In the Dune books, there is a powerful group called the Bene Gesserit sisterhood. This is a religious group made up only of women. Men are not thought to have the right kind of mind to learn their special ways.

The Bene Gesserit have amazing control over their minds and bodies. Their main goal is to protect the human race forever. They also have a secret plan: they want to create a man who can be like a Bene Gesserit. They call this special man the Kwisatz Haderach. They hope to use him to guide humanity more easily. Paul's mother, Lady Jessica, is a member of this sisterhood. She trains her son, Paul, to use many mental and physical powers.

Dune in Movies and TV

The Dune series has been so popular that it has been made into many films and TV shows. One famous movie version was directed by David Lynch in 1984.

Images for kids

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  The Oregon Dunes, near Florence, Oregon, served as an inspiration for the Dune saga.

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  Pre-release flyer for Jodorowsky's Dune

See also

In Spanish: Dune para niños