Abstract
This chapter discusses issues of power, politics, and religion in Dune, with a focus on the interplay between feudalism, imperialism, and Machiavellianism. It shows how these features are important in the development of a universe that focuses on humans rather than technology, which allows Herbert to highlight the corruption in the strategies of groups seeking control. The chapter also examines the Catholic, Islamic, and Arabic influences on the depiction of religion and the characterization of the Bene Gesserit and Fremen in the book. It discusses these in relation to Herbert’s criticism of the potential for religion to be used as a political tool.
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Kennedy, K. (2022). Power, Politics, and Religion. In: Frank Herbert's "Dune". Palgrave Science Fiction and Fantasy: A New Canon. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13935-2_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13935-2_2
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