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DUNE’s Prescient Nightmare: Science Fiction’s Greatest Cautionary Tale
The cautionary tale. It is as old as humanity itself, offering counsel along with entertainment and pathos. Everything from mythological, heroic narratives to fairy tales reminds us of our physical and emotional frailties: mortality, greed, jealousy, hubris. In these regards we are no different than our pre-historic ancestors who dwelled in caves. Yet we keep telling ourselves these stories in an effort to become something better, to inform the next generation of avoidable dangers.
Much of science fiction literature features cautionary tales: warning us of what the future may hold, rather than extolling the benefits of increasingly advanced technology. Frank Herbert’s Dune series is one of the more powerful, evocative examples — especially since its themes resonate even more strongly than they did in the 20th century. This essay will focus on the original six Dune novels Herbert wrote (Dune, Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, God Emperor of Dune, Heretics of Dune, and Chapterhouse: Dune) and the issues he raised concerning a variety of subjects. This essay assumes the reader is familiar with these books; be warned, there are story spoilers ahead.
On the surface, Herbert’s Dune saga might seem anything but cautionary. Most people are only familiar with the first book, which follows the tropes of a…
