1 IMPORTANT HISTORICAL EVENTS
1.1 Holtzman Effect
The Holtzman effect is named after the scientist who discovered it, Tio Holtzman
(though for many of its applications, Holtzman in fact took credit for the mathematical
theories of his assistant, Norma Cenva). The effect is never explained in detail, but it uses
ambient subatomic energy fields to make (among other things) defensive force shields and
instantaneous space travel possible.
Holtzman effect is used different areas in dune so basically Tio Holtzman is Isaac
Newton.
1.1.1 Holtzman Shield
These shields, unlike many others in science fiction, are not round projections of force,
but form-fitting energy fields which permit penetration only by objects that move below a
pre-set velocity. As one would be unable to breathe within a shield that did not permit
atmospheric gases to penetrate it, man-portable shields have a relatively high penetration
velocity, approximately six to ten centimeters per second. However, shields for ships and
planetary installations can and often do have extremely low penetration velocities, as artificial
life support technologies can be utilized while the shield is active
Cenva realized early on that if a lasgun beam hits a Holtzman field, it results in subatomic fusion and a nuclear explosion. The center of this blast is determined by random
chance; sometimes it originates within the shield, sometimes within the laser weapon,
sometimes both. Thus, using lasguns in a shielded environment can result in military and
environmental catastrophe, though at least one commander (Duncan Idaho) has deliberately
allowed shield-lasgun contact as a discouragement to his enemies.
The Holtzman Shield is a potent literary device: it makes directed-energy weaponry
impossible against any worthwhile opponent, and also proves traditional projectile-based
firearms and missiles ineffective, adding to the feudal atmosphere of the story, and enforces
the usage of melee weaponry despite the story's far-future setting. It perhaps serves a similar
purpose as the Butlerian Jihad in this respect.
1.1.2 Holtzman Drive
The effect is used in this case to fold space at the quantum level, allowing the Spacing
Guild's ships to instantaneously travel between the stars and other vast, impractically tractable
distances common to sprawling space empires. However, the chaotic and seemingly nondeterministic quantum nature of 'foldspace' requires at least limited prescience on the part of
the human navigator; otherwise the absurdly complex mathematics involved in producing
reliable physical projections of such events would only be possible with advanced thinking
machines, which are strictly prohibited because of the Butlerian Jihad. To this effect, the
Guild produces melange-saturated Navigators who intuitively 'see paths through foldspace' in
this way. This stumbling block was overcome several thousand years after the events of Dune
when House Vernius of Ix developed mechanical replacements for Guild Navigators.
Initially, foldspace travel was not completely accurate or safe; only about nine out of
every ten heighliners made it to their final destination. Realizing that the spice melange
amplified her psychic and calculative abilities, Norma pioneered the use of massive
concentrated doses to presciently perceive space/time. In 88 B.G. she discovered that this was
the way to safely navigate foldspace, and essentially became the first Navigator. That same
year, Norma's son Adrien Venport founded the Foldspace Shipping Company, which later
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became the Spacing Guild, monopolizing space commerce, transport and interplanetary
banking. This marked the beginning of the Guild Calendar, and the universal dating system
started over at 1 A.G. (After Guild).
1.1.3 Holtzman Suspensor
Hovering devices called suspensors utilize the secondary (low-drain) phase of a
Holtzman field generator to nullify gravity within certain limits prescribed by relative mass
and energy consumption. Suspensors are used in chairs, tables, and structures that are too
massive to be physically sound, among many other obvious uses. The grotesquely fat Baron
Vladimir Harkonnen utilises suspensor belts and harnesses to buoy his flesh and allow him to
walk. Suspensors are also used to generate artificial gravity aboard spaceships.
1.1.4 Glowglobe
A varied use of the Holtzman effect is the glowglobe, a glowing yellow sphere that
floats gracefully above a surface like a portable, personal sun. These devices generate
illumination as a by-product of the suspensor field itself (channeling extra energy from the
phenomenon).
1.2 Butlerian Jihad
Butlerian jihad was a struggle between humans and Thinking Machines.
The Jihad proved to have many profound long-lasting effects on the socio-political and
technological development of humanity throughout the galaxy. After the destruction of the
intelligent machines throughout the human worlds, the commandment from the Orange
Catholic Bible, "Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a human mind", holds
sway, as does the anti-AI laws in which the penalty of owning one AI device or developing
the technology resembling the human mind was death.
As a result, the "human computers" known as Mentats were developed and perfected in
order to replace the analytical powers of computers without violating the commandment of
the OC Bible. Over the millennia, the mental abilities of the Mentats were honed to the point
where they became superior to those of the ancient thinking machines.
The Butlerian Jihad also led to the rise of the new feudal galactic order which lasted for
another ten thousand years until the rise of the God Emperor Leto Atreides II. This order, also
known as the Imperium, included the Bene Gesserit, the Spacing Guild, and the Great Houses,
such as House Corrino, House Atreides and House Harkonnen. However, as the centuries
passed, fringe worlds like Ix and Tleilax began to focus on developing technology that, if not
actually transgressing the commandments of the Jihad, at least came extremely close. This
emphasis on technology gave birth to the technological powers of the Ixians and the Bene
Tleilax; the former were known for their cutting-edge mechanical technology, while the latter
gained fame for their emphasis on biological technology.
1.3 Muad’Dib’s Jihad
In dune series after marrying Princes Irulan and becoming new emperor of universe
Muad’Dib started a struggle against entire universe. There were many who oppose Muad’dib
to become the new emperor becouse old emperor Padishah Shaddam IV was supporting
balance while Muad’Dib was grown by the harsh rules of fremen.
In Dune Messiah, he has been Emperor for twelve years. His jihad has killed sixty-one
billion people across the known universe, but according to his prescient vision, this is a fate
far better than what he has seen. Paul is beleaguered by a need he sees - to set humanity on a
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course that doesn't lead to stagnation and destruction, while at the same time managing both
the Empire and the religion built around him.
A Fremen conspiracy attempts to assassinate Paul using a Stone burner. The attempt
fails: however the effects of the Stone Burner destroy Paul's eyes. Although he becomes
technically blind, his prescience allows him to "see" anyway. Later, Chani dies in childbirth,
bearing twins: a boy, Leto II, and a girl, Ghanima. Another assassination attempt by a
conspiracy of the Bene Tleilax, the Bene Gesserit and the Spacing Guild is made using a
ghola of Paul's friend and mentor Duncan Idaho which seemingly helps the ghola to regain his
memories. The Tleilaxu Scytale offers to make a ghola of Chani and restore her to life in
exchange for his surrender, but instead Paul asks Duncan to kill Scytale.
At the end of Dune Messiah, Paul walks into the desert, a blind man, leaving his
children in the care of the Fremen while their aunt Alia rules the universe as regent.
Paul Atreides saw in his prescient visions that the human race was headed toward
extinction in the near future. He saw a way to prevent this but felt the sacrifice he would need
to make was too terrible. That sacrifice though was made later by his son Leto II, the God
Emperor.
1.4 Golden Path
Long ago the destiny of the universe was foreseen by Muad’Dib and he has seen that
bad days are coming and only way to prevent is to sacrifice himself which is known as
Golden Path. But Muad’Dib refuses to sacrfice himself during book two and let his son leto to
sacrifice himself. First Leto II struggles against his aunt Alia the abominatiowhile mysterious
figure known as The Preacher returns from the desert and preaches among the people of
Arrakis. . It is strongly suggested that he is Paul, and this is confirmed when he walks past
Alia and says, "Stop trying to pull me into the background once more, sister." He is later
stabbed to death by a priest of his sister. Paul had told his son Leto in a desert meeting that he
hoped that the son would just enjoy his life rather than take the steps needed to prevent the
human extinction, but Leto decided otherwise. Paul's son Leto is later the title character of
God Emperor of Dune.
Though the Imperium's population was many trillions, Leto II's rule proved that
humanity was still confined within a space that could be controlled by a single interest.
Although rarely addressed directly, it was often suggested that this lack of exploration and
growth would cause the eventual destruction of humanity. The conflict between humanity's
stated desire for peace and their actual need for volatility is the central theme of the entire
Dune series after Book One. God Emperor Leto II's stated goal is to "teach humanity a lesson
that they will remember in their bones." That sheltered safety is tantamount to utter death,
however long it might be delayed.
Paul's son, Leto II, inherited his father's prescient abilities. Knowing of his father's
reluctance and eventual refusal to embark down the Golden Path and rescue humanity from
certain extinction, Leto II sacrifices himself. In devoting himself to the Golden Path, Leto II
forgoes as normal a life as he could expect as emperor, and forfeits his humanity.
The Old Imperium's dependency on spice for space travel and the metahuman tasks
performed by groups such as the Spacing Guild and the Bene Gesserit cause humanity to
stagnate and stop evolving. Because spice can only be generated on Arrakis, humans continue
to look inward, focusing only on Arrakis. The fate of humans is precariously balanced on the
availability of a single commodity. As Herbert indicates throughout the early novels of the
series, and as the Baron Harkonnen famously notes, the person or persons who control the
spice control the universe. Without spice and without spice alternatives, humans are headed
toward extinction.
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From the realization of this truth (through prescient visions), the Golden Path was born.
By destroying spice production, and controlling the only remaining supply of the spice, Leto
II ruled his Imperium with an iron fist. He was deliberately oppressive, engineering in
humanity a longing for freedom and an end to absolute futures. Yet, in oppressing humanity
to spur on this desire for freedom, as well as rekindling human ingenuity, Leto II also created
a need and desire for his own godhead. Such a strong desire for a Kwisatz Haderach-style
ruler was counterproductive to his plans; Leto has to destroy the human need for those like his
father and himself. Leto knew that he had to be the first, last, and only human to rule with
such absolute power. The problem with that notion is that, once opened, this type of Pandora's
Box can rarely be shut.
Leto's Golden Path took its shape by creating three great hybridizations
One of the great requirements of a person who wants to live many millennia is the need
to find a form that would support this quest. Though grotesque and undoubtedly painful, Leto
II found a way to combine his body with that of the sandtrout, and grow into a sandworm.
Slowly, over the creeping of 3,500 years, his body transformed into a hybrid of human and
sandworm biology: the first of three great hybrids. The obvious benefit of this was his long
lifespan. The not so obvious effect of this combination was the gift to the sandworm of
"human adaptability."
The fates of sandworms and humans had been tied together for millennia, and would
thus be tied even closer. By killing off all of the original sandworms of Dune and keeping
himself as the sole remaining survivor, Leto II was forcing all sandworms that would ever be,
to be his descendants. Leto II always lamented his inability to have children, and thus he
created his own descendants. Although imbuing the sandworm with more ganglia made them
more cantankerous, Leto II also made them adaptable to new worlds and habitats. The
sandtrout could then be transplanted to other planets throughout the universe, just as was
shown in Heretics of Dune. The spice cycle could begin anew anywhere where there was
ample water for the sand trout to grow in. Once the sandtrout were at certain numbers, and
with ample dryness caused by the encysting of them beneath the surface — the sandworms
would appear. And the spice cycle would begin again.
During this time, Leto II took from the Bene Gesserit their prized breeding plan. Over
the period of the 3,500 years of his life, he manipulated multiple mutations to breed into the
Atreides (first and foremost) total invisibility to any all-seeing prescience. Thus, during the
far-off future, no person, no matter how prescient, would ever be able to track down ALL
humans and wipe them out. Some would escape, some would live. More than that, into the
Atreides were bred greater nobility, honor, passion and other "wild talents." These were wild
talents that, when combined with the Scattering and the Honored Matres, would produce some
of the great wealth of talents that would be needed in the distant future.
Taken on the surface, each of these talents were enormous gifts to humanity, but
considering the future that awaited humans, it is obvious how necessary they would become.
Prescient invisibility, transplantable sandworms, passion for living, desire for freedom, and
the added tools to move its people throughout the universe, were just peripheral blessings of
the Golden Path.
The second great hybridization that the God Emperor created was the most hidden one
of them all: the blending of Atreides and Bene Gesserit. Whereas the Atreides were too small
and feudal to rule humanity, the Bene Gesserit lacked a desire to get their hands dirty, or the
passion to rule (which the Atreides, consequently, had). It may seem like a convenient choice
based upon desirable bloodlines; but the reason why the God Emperor also included such
nobility into his breeding scheme is so that one day in the future (during the conquest of the
Old Imperium by the Honored Matres) the Bene Gesserit would all be children of the
Atreides. We are presented with the greatest face of this in Mother Superior Darwi Odrade.
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Odrade — a female descendant of Siona Atreides — was the bearer of a name that was, itself,
a descendant of the name "Atreides." No more were the Bene Gesserit crafters and schemers
who did their work behind the throne. No more were the Atreides guided by their passion for
justice and the feudal nobility. That is why the God Emperor finally compels (in the caves on
Rakis) the Bene Gesserit to act and take the sword by its handle. Where once there was a
secret society and a ruling family, there was born the noble, purpose-driven, proud, yet
wizened Bene Gesserit Sisterhood, whose members were all children of the Atreides.
The last great hybridization that Leto II bequeathed to humanity came from the Fish
Speakers. What was originally a desire to create a horde of fanatical warrior women to
oppress humanity became one of Leto II's greatest gifts to humanity. By flooding the
scattering with his Fish Speaker warrior-fanatics, he was actively seeding the universe with
nascent Honored Matres. The God Emperor could easily see that the Bene Gesserit would be
the only hope of saving humanity. The Bene Gesserit Sisterhood, however, was too slow to
grow and did not cover enough space to be numerous enough to actively defend humanity. By
Odrade's accounts, the Honored Matres really were "good for them." By seeding the universe
with trillions and trillions of Honored Matres that would one day hybridize themselves and
their wild talents with the Bene Gesserit, Leto II granted the Bene Gesserit sufficient numbers
to finally "think big," and act upon those thoughts. In short, the Scattering served as an
enormous boot-camp for the Bene Gesserit, creating sisters with new talents that would
protect and guide humanity in the future.
The other results of the rule of Leto II were present in the patterns of science in the
Bene Tleilax and the Ixians. By oppressing the Tleilaxu and the Ixians, Leto II drove their
inventiveness. The main reason why it is doubtful that the "great enemy" would originate with
the Tleilaxu or Ixians is that the God Emperor would have seen it, and simply destroyed the
Ixians and Tleilaxu while he had the chance; however, he did not. Leto II kept each people —
Tleilaxu and Ixian — alive for a reason: they actually helped save humanity. By his
oppressiveness, Leto II forced Ix and the Bene Tleilax to become inventive in ways that they
never thought possible. The fruits of this oppression appeared in the Ixian navigation device, a
substitute for living Guild Navigators, and the Tleilaxu artificial spice. More than that, their
people who were sent out into the Scattering also invented and created, and the results of that
were shown in Chapterhouse: Dune — super Face Dancers, futars, and Honored Matre
Obliterators.
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