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The Dune universe was originally created by the author Frank Herbert, in a six book series of novels. The first novel was simply called Dune and has been adapted as a movie and as a TV miniseries. The second and third novels have also appeared as miniseries.
Since Frank Herbert's death, his son Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson have been produced a number of 'prequel' books, which have been highly successful commerically, while garnering mixed reviews from longtime fans of the series.
The Dune universe has a history that stretches tens of thousands of years and so civilization changes quite considerably. However, creative works within the Dune universe are set in four different time periods:
main article: Butlerian Jihad
The Dune universe at the time of the the Legends of Dune trilogy when humans and sentient machines battle for supremacy.
The Dune universe at the time of the Prelude to Dune trilogy, Dune (novel) and Dune Messiah.
In the Dune universe, advanced computers have long been forbidden due to the Butlerian Jihad, a rebellion against thinking machines, and as a replacement human skills have been developed to an astonishing degree:
When a Bene Gesserit acolyte becomes a full Reverend Mother, she gains her ancestral memories — the complete memories of all of her female ancestors. She cannot recall the memories of her male ancestors, and is terrified by the psychic space within her that the masculine memories inhabit.
The Bene Gesserit are conducting a breeding program to develop a superhuman male who can recall both his male and female ancestral memories, as well as the ability to see (and thus control) the future. They refer to him as the Kwisatz Haderach. This recall is due to an ordeal known as Spice Agony and involves overdosing on melange, which most men don't survive.
Against this background, the novels chronicle the conflicts between the major powers; conflicts between the aristocratic House Atreides and its enemy the House Harkonnen, the Bene Tleilaxu, the Bene Gesserit, the Spacing Guild and of course House Corrino who rule the Imperium.
While the other noble houses including House Atreides and House Harkonnen do not individually approach the power of the Emperor and are in competition for fiefdoms, financial and political power, and Imperial favor, they are collectively represented in an assembly known as the Landsraad, which provides a check and balance against the power of House Corrino and the Emperor.
On the fringes of the Galaxy are the shape-shifting Tleilaxu and Ix, a planet whose history is lost in the mists of time and whose society is dominated by technology.
The Fremen are the native population of the planet Arrakis. They are a hardy people, used to the hardship and deprivation of their desert-planet. They await their Messiah because of a legend planted intentionally across the Universe by the Missionaria Protectiva, a division of the Bene Gesserit dedicated to religious manipulation. The Messiah legend is intended to ease the path of the Kwisatz Haderach when they bring him into being. The planet Arrakis is extremely arid and inhabited by giant, menacing worms which live under the sand (the Fremen call them Shai-Hulud). The Fremen, adapted to this harsh climate, are obsessed with water and consider the worms holy.
Dune is the sole source of melange, also known as "the spice" that gives limited prescience and prolongs the user's lifespan; with it the Guild Navigators see a path through foldspace, and the Bene Gesserit can enhance their abilities. The spice is the most valuable commodity in the universe and it is found only on Dune. Thus, the planet is the political fulcrum of the Universe.
The Dune universe at the time of the novel God Emperor of Dune. The God Emperor Leto has ruled the empire for thousands of years and tried to freeze the empire into a feudal and static pattern.
The Dune universe at the time of the novels Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse Dune. After the turmoil caused by the fall of the God Emperor and the Scattering of millions of humans into the freedom of unknown space the Old Empire settles into a new pattern. The Old empire is now ruled by a balance of power between the Ixians, Bene Tleilaxu and Bene Gesserit. The Spacing Guild are now very much a fourth and weaker power. However, this balance of power is about to be shattered by the return of the Honoured Matres from the Scattering.
The Dune novels use a different calendar dating system than of present day Earth. Years are not based on the common era (BCE and CE), but before and after the formation of the Spacing Guild, measured as "Before Guild" and "After Guild" (BG and AG, respectively).
Using the information given by the Dune books, it is possible to determine how the dating system used in the novels corresponds to our own.
1. Butlerian Jihad
Butlerian Jihad lasts "two cruel generations" Dune, Appendix II / V
201 - 108 BG
2. The 20th century
"Mankind's movement through deep space placed a unique stamp on religion during the one hundred and ten centuries that preceded the Butlerian Jihad. " Dune, Appendix II
~11,200 years
Dune begins in 10,191 AG, so we simply add 10,191 to 13,200 together:
<math>10,191+13,200=23,391<math>
Thus, the year 10,191 AG corresponds to the year 23,391 CE. That is, of course, assuming that the Dune chronology actually uses Earth years.
But Dune counts in Standard years:
"Taraza was momentarily abashed. This was an imposition. Teg was still a regal figure, tall and with that large head topped by gray hair. He was, she knew, four SY short of three hundred. Granting that the Standard Year was some twenty hours less than the so-called primitive year, it was still an impressive age with experiences in Bene Gesserit service that demanded that she respect him." CHoD ~Page 36
So there could be a maximum error of about 400 years (since we do not know when the Dune Universe started using the "Standard" year)
See also all Dune universe articles.
There is also a prequel trilogy to Dune, known as the Prelude to Dune. It was written by Brian Herbert (son of Frank) and Kevin J. Anderson and based in part on Frank Herbert's notes, found after his death. This trilogy is set in the years leading up to the events in Dune. Although highly unpopular with fans of the original series, these books have enjoyed commercial success, and have introduced the Dune universe to a new generation of fans. Critics of the Prelude to Dune series cite inconsistencies, plot and character liberties taken by the authors, and lack of comparable depth and quality to Frank Herbert's work.
Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson followed this with a second prequel trilogy called the Legends of Dune This trilogy is set at an earlier time of the history of the Dune universe when humans and sentient machines battle for supremacy.
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