Dune

by Frank Herbert

Duke Leto Atreides of the House Atreides, ruler of the ocean planet Caladan, is assigned by the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV to manage the harvesting of melange on the planet Arrakis. Arrakis is a harsh and inhospitable desert planet, and is the only source of melange, or "the spice", an extremely rare and valuable substance that extends human life and enhances mental capabilities. Leto is aware that this assignment is a trap of some kind, but he cannot refuse. Shaddam sees House Atreides as a rival among the other Great Houses in the Landsraad, and conspires with House Harkonnen, the longstanding enemies of House Atreides, to destroy Leto once he arrives on Arrakis. Leto's concubine Lady Jessica is an acolyte of the Bene Gesserit, an exclusively female group that pursues mysterious political aims and wields physical powers that appear superhuman. Though Jessica had been instructed by the Bene Gesserit to bear a daughter as part of their breeding program, out of love for Leto she bore a son, Paul. Paul is trained in warfare by Leto's aides, the Mentat assassin Thufir Hawat and elite soldiers Duncan Idaho and Gurney Halleck to prepare for Arrakis. Jessica also trained Paul in what Bene Gesserit disciplines she can, and his prophetic dreams interest Jessica's superior, the Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam. Leto, Jessica and Paul travel with their household to occupy the stronghold on Arrakis formerly held by House Harkonnen. Leto learns of the danger involved in harvesting the spice, which is protected by giant sandworms, and negotiates with the planet's native Fremen people, seeing them as a valuable ally rather than foes.

Harkonnen forces, joined by the Emperor's ferocious Sardaukar troops in disguise, attack the Atreides. Leto is betrayed by his personal physician, Suk doctor Wellington Yueh, who delivers a drugged Leto to the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen and his twisted Mentat, Piter De Vries. Yueh, however, arranges for Jessica and Paul to escape into the desert, and they are presumed dead by the Harkonnens. Yueh replaces one of Leto's teeth with a poison capsule, hoping Leto can kill the Baron during their encounter, but Harkonnen narrowly avoids the gas, which instead kills Leto and De Vries. The Baron forces Hawat to take over De Vries' position; while he follows the Baron's orders, Hawat works out how to undermine the Harkonnens. After fleeing into the desert, Paul realizes he has significant powers as an accidental result of the Bene Gesserit breeding scheme, inadvertently caused by Jessica bearing a son. He foresees futures in which he lives among the planet's native Fremen, and has a vision where he is informed of the addictive qualities of the spice. Paul and Jessica are accepted into the Fremen community of Sietch Tabr, and teach the Fremen the Bene Gesserit fighting technique known as the "weirding way". Paul proves his manhood and chooses his Fremen name of Muad'Dib. Jessica opts to undergo the ritual to become a Reverend Mother by drinking the poisonous Water of Life. Pregnant with Leto's daughter, she inadvertently causes the unborn child, Alia, to become infused with the same powers in the womb. Paul takes a Fremen lover, Chani, and has a son with her, Leto II. Two years pass, and Paul's powerful prescience abilities have manifested, which lead the Fremen to consider him their Mahdi (messiah). Paul recognizes that the Fremen can be a powerful fighting force to take back Arrakis, but also sees that if he does not control them, their jihad could extend to the entire universe. Word about this new Fremen leader Muad'Dib reaches both Baron Harkonnen and the Emperor as spice production falls due to increasingly destructive Fremen raids.

The Baron decides to replace his more brutish nephew Glossu Rabban with his shrewd nephew sandworms, assault the capital, and Alia assassinates the Baron and escapes. Paul and the Fremen quickly defeat the Harkonnen and Sardaukar troops. Paul faces the Emperor and threatens to destroy spice production forever unless the Emperor abdicates the throne. Feyd-Rautha attempts to stop Paul by challenging him to a knife battle, but Paul gains the upper hand and kills him. The Emperor reluctantly cedes the throne to Paul and promises his daughter, Princess Irulan's, hand in marriage. As Paul takes control of the Empire, he realizes that while he achieved his goal, he is no longer able to stop the Fremen jihad, as their belief in him is too powerful to restrain.