The Prophecy' fit into Dune's 40-year timeline

The Bene Gesserit are the sole protagonists of this thousands-year series.

The universe of ‘Dune’ rivals Middle Earth, whose timeline begins at the creation of the world. ‘Dune’ doesn’t go that far because its world is ours in the distant future, but it has a broad narrative arc, so what happens in the new HBO series, ‘Dune: The Prophecy’, happens ten thousand years before Paul Atreides’ adventures on Arrakis in Villeneuve’s films. However, its plot is closely related to what follows.

Skynet’s birth. A Terminator-like army of humans fights giant machines in a nocturnal wasteland in Max’s new series. We’re not talking about Skynet, but another AI that caused a conflict and was banned. One of Dune’s most original features is that we’re millions of years in the future, but there are no computers or robots, just a medieval-like environment.

First, Empire. ‘Dune’ lore begins with the Old Empire, mentioned briefly in Frank Herbert’s books and sequels. A technology that allowed travel to distant space points and the conquest of other planets was invented in the near future. An empire was born when Arrakis and the spice (essential for traveling faster than light) were discovered. In 1287 Before the Guild, Tlaloc, a genetically altered human, led the Titans to defeat and destroy the Empire.

Before what? The Dune universe’s Before the Guild is like our Before and After Christ, which splits the chronology. Since the Guild monopolized space travel, transportation, and space banking, bureaucracy and legality in the universe became more orderly, and wars were less chaotic.

The Butlerian Jihad. Skynet’s ‘Dune’ equivalent is Omnius, a conscious supercomputer that defeated the Titans. The Butlerian Jihad, or Great Conflict, a thousand-year war between humans and machines, ended with the former winning. Devastated by AI, they adopted the maxim “Man cannot be replaced.” Omnius is defeated in the Battle of Corrin a century before the Brotherhood, and in 88 Before the Brotherhood, the Bene Gesserit, the sisterhood that drives ”Dune: The Prophecy”, are born.

What are the Bene Gesserit? The Emperor’s first appearance in ‘The Omen’ perfectly depicts a pseudo-religious sisterhood, but mostly a female community spread across the galaxy and influencing multiple governments as shadow advisors. As the series begins, their goal is to influence the multiple marriages of convenience between Emperor-related houses to prepare for the Kwisatz Haderach, a chosen one with great powers like seeing the future, bridging space and time, and accessing Other Male Memories. The most important shadow force in ‘Dune’, they are often confused with witches and have extraordinary powers.

A New Age. After the Brotherhood, the Great Houses—including the Harkonnens and Atreides—form, who will later fight over Arrakis and the Spice. This is the New Age, the first years after the Brotherhood was founded, the only force outside the Emperor that can travel interstellarly. Since the series jumps into the past to show the Harkonnen sisters’ youth, which rules the Bene Gesserit’s destiny, it takes place before this key point. In year 4 Before the Brotherhood, Valya Harkonnen becomes Mother Superior.

Stuff from 10,000 years ago. The ‘Dune’ movies take place ten thousand years after the New Age under Emperor Shaddam IV. The universe is at peace, but the Empire is plagued by internal wars between the houses and the Great Spice War, where the houses will fight to create an artificial substitute for the powerful substance.

Is that all? Not even close. The Spice Wars are the most famous part of the saga, but the books span five thousand years after Paul Atreides’ death and are largely starred by his son Leto II Atreides. In stories Frank Herbert sketched and his son executed, the Bene Gesserit will continue to play a role in this universe and star in their own fratricidal war while previously unknown galactic forces appear. Herbert died before completing the saga.

The Prophecy’ fit into Dune’s 40-year timeline

The Bene Gesserit are the sole protagonists of this thousands-year series.

By nr39r

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