Dune: The Battle of Corrin -- Summary and Review

Dune: the Battle of Corrin (620 pages) is the third book in a new trilogy of prequels in the Dune science fiction saga. Written by Brian Herbert with the assistance of Kevin J. Anderson, these novels give more depth and history to the stories told by Brian Herbert's father, Frank Herbert, who died in 1986.

Frank Herbert, in his original Dune series, details a universe at least ten thousand years in the future. The human race is spread across many worlds, connected physically by faster-than-light transport called "space-folding," and politically by an Imperium, whose Emperor is sovereign over all. Great families in the Imperium lead Houses, and use military and political means to gain power. Among these are House Atreides and House Harkonnen, the protagonists and antagonists in Frank Herbert's novels, respectively. All "thinking machines" are outlawed, in fear that an artificial consciousness would grow too powerful.

But how did the systems described in the deceased author's works come to be? What are the origins of the Imperium, and who were the first Atreides or Harkonnen? Why are thinking machines forbidden? Brian Herbert, in his "Butlerian Jihad" trilogy, seeks to answer these questions. This trilogy takes place ten millennia before Dune, during a time when the human race is scattered across planets, separated by slow space travel and a fragmentary alliance, called the League of Nobles. The threat of the "thinking machines" is real, for much of humanity has been enslaved by the forces of a powerful artificial consciousness, Omnius.

Conflict is always important in literature, but in prequels, the end result of the conflict is known. The methods are unclear, but all actions inevitably lead to a certain end. Knowing the long-term consequences of actions allows the reader to ponder in his mind what would have been a better solution to conflict.

One such example is that of the so-called "Cult of Serena" in Dune: the Battle of Corrin. Serena Butler, a strong and fervent challenger of the thinking machines, becomes the catalyst for the war against them. When captured by thinking machines, she witnesses her infant son Manion killed by a sentient robot named Erasmus. The League of Nobles, originally tepid and unwilling to take decisive action against Omnius, is outraged by this slaughter. Manion, and later Serena herself, both become martyrs in the "holy war" against the thinking machines: the Butlerian Jihad.

After Serena's death, certain radical populations on many League worlds become increasingly violent against any form of thinking machines, even those not in league with Omnius. They raid and destroy shops where even basic computers or calculating devices are sold. Harmless devices that might have benefited the Jihad are shattered and their owners killed or injured. The Cult is led by the seemingly neurotic Rayna Butler, who believes she spoke with the martyred Serena and is undertaking a divine quest to remove evil machines from the universe. The Cult of Serena eventually gains the support of a leader of the League, Faykan Butler, who pledges support to her anti-machine crusade in order to gain personal power. He announces the immovable law of what would eventually become the Imperium: "Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a human mind."

This radical stage of the Jihad was not handled well. While Faykan's proclamation of appeasement quells the actions of the Cult of Serena, its continuance over thousands of years likely is detrimental to the human race. His pseudo-religious commandment would prevent the growth of science in several key areas relating to artificial intelligence, and many beneficial inventions or developments would never see the light of day.

Another important conflict in Dune: the Battle for Corrin is the division between El'hiim and Ishmael, two prominent members of a tribe on the planet of Arrakis, named by its inhabitants "Dune." Dune is a harsh world, entirely desert, with only the bare amount of moisture required to support its small ecosystem. Such an unforgiving climate would make Arrakis unimportant to most, save its extremely important natural resource: the "spice mélange." Spice is an addictive yet highly useful substance that focuses the mind and, when taken in massive quantities, allows one to possess superhuman abilities of prescience and foresight. Because mélange is only found on this one planet, its harvest is an extremely profitable industry, and so many people come to Arrakis in hopes of making their fortunes in the sands of Dune. El'hiim embraces these new visitors as a way to bring prosperity to his tribe, and trades with many people in the larger cities of Arrakis. Ishmael, El'hiim's stepfather, rejects any friendly contact with the "offworlders," declaring that the foreigners' ways are not Dune's ways, and that they will make the tribe weak and "water-fat." These two ideologies cannot coexist, and heated words and arguments become the norm between these two people. Ishmael's isolationist philosophy is proved right several times; for example, an offworlder group of slavers attempts to capture members of the tribe after being tipped off to its location by the bragging El'hiim. Over the years, their friendship breaks apart, and they eventually must fight for leadership over the tribe, according to their customs. The frail and elderly Ishmael is defeated, but survives to take those who would reject "outside corruption" far into the desert to begin their tribe anew as "Free Men," or "Fremen" as they eventually became by the time of Dune. El'hiim and a few of his native business partners head to the cities of Arrakis to become part of the outworlder culture and society.

The resolution to this conflict appears unsatisfactory; Ishmael and El'hiim are separated forever, and one part of the tribe is doomed to the fate it has chosen, depending on one's point of view of which side is best. However, it is hard to determine an ideal alternative. Ishmael's nature and background prevents him from ever accepting the outworlders who he says threaten the Free Men's way of life. El'hiim's dreams of prosperity and unburdened life prevent him from accepting the harsh way of the desert when there is a more comfortable life to live.

It is no surprise that the greatest conflicts in Dune: the Battle of Corrin happen during the battle for which the book is named. Corrin is the center of the "Synchronized Worlds," the conglomeration of planets under Omnius' control. But it is not only the physical fighting of the last desperate push of humans against the rule of thinking machines that makes this section important.

Vorian Atreides is the commander of the fleet attacking Corrin. He is also the son of the dead Agamemnon, a powerful cyborg and one of the "Titans," a group of cyborgs that ruled humanity before Omnius took control. Abulurd Harkonnen is a friend of Vorian, whose father is the dead hero Xavier Harkonnen, who was framed for treason against the Butlerian Jihad, shaming the name of Harkonnen. Thus, the Atreides started out as corrupt and power-hungry, and the Harkonnens as good and noble. How is it that in Dune the reverse is true? Vorian had promised to clear Xavier's name after the war with Omnius ends. But Frank Herbert's book speaks of the shaming of Harkonnen at the "Bridge of Hrethgir."

The thinking machines used the word hrethgir as a derogatory term for humans. In an attempt to prevent the human fleet from coming closer, the machines force all human slaves on Corrin into cargo vessels and launch them into orbit around the planet. Omnius declares that if the human fleet advances, the vessels will be destroyed, and billions of human lives will be annihilated. The dilemma is obvious: in order to save the human race, one must willingly cause the death of multitudes of humans.

The fleet is motionless for many hours, until Vorian Atreides, battle-hardened and willing to make the sacrifice needed, orders the fleet to advance and attack. But Abulurd Harkonnen, hoping for an alternative to the massacre, in secret locks the weapons systems and demands the fleet halts. He refuses to allow the weapons to be reactivated, and so jeopardizes the entire mission of the human fleet. Vorian, enraged and frustrated at Abulurd's treachery, locks him in a containment cell. Even thought the battle is won in the end, and Omnius is destroyed, Vorian never forgives Abulurd for his treasonous actions. After the battle, Abulurd is exiled to a remote planet, but tells his family and children of how the Atreides had betrayed him by never clearing Xavier's name, or his own. Over the generations, both Atreides and Harkonnen are told of the evils of the other House, and the feud continues for millennia.

This conflict between Atreides and Harkonnen could have been prevented by actions on either side. Abulurd should have acknowledged the need to sacrifice others for the good of all. Even if Abulurd had held to his beliefs, Vorian should have not continued to hate Abulurd and shame him before everyone. In this conflict, neither side is undeserving of blame.

Brian Herbert has created in his Dune prequels a compelling world that builds upon and improves his father's works. Absent is the somewhat stilted writing style of Frank Herbert and in its place is a page-turner that compels the reader to continue. These books have a deep and three-dimensional plot, with realistic characters and truly thought-provoking conflict. The ideas raised in Dune: the Battle of Corrin attract both avid Dune fans and the casual reader.