Revisiting the Authorized Guide and Companion to Dune
February 15, 2022 12:04 PM Subscribe
Snippets of poetry from the Imperium; a sample folk tale from the Oral History; brief biographies of over a dozen Duncan Idahos; two differing approaches to Paul Muad'Dib himself and to his son Leto II; Fremen recipes; Fremen history; secrets of the Bene Gesserit; the songs of Gurney Halleck -- these are just some of the treasures found when an earthmover fell into the God Emperor's no-room at Dar-es-Balat. Out of print for more than three decades, disavowed by Frank Herbert's estate, and highly sought-after by fans, the legendary Dune Encyclopedia is now available on Archive.org as a fully illustrated and searchable PDF.
[Note: If you're unfamiliar with the Dune series, see the opening section of this TVTropes article for a spoileriffic crash course.]
Conceived and compiled by respected science fiction scholar Dr. Willis E. McNelly in 1984, the phonebook-sized Encyclopedia was a work of speculative beanplating unlike any other. Drawing on the contributions of dozens of experts in history, linguistics, theology, botany, and a score of other fields, it presented a series of approximately 200 essays and articles on the Dune universe, copiously cited and cross-referenced. The level of verisimilitude is striking, as the entire tome was written from the point of view of a "Library Confraternity" of in-universe scholars existing thousands of years after the events of the books. Accordingly, its ponderous, heavily-footnoted entries are rich with arcane detail, citing hundreds of fictional papers and books, and even contain realistic measures of error and misinterpretation.
The comprehensiveness of the project was no accident. Dr. McNelly was a close personal friend of Frank Herbert -- he conducted an extended interview with the author and his wife in 1969 [previously], and penned a heartfelt eulogy after Herbert's death from pancreatic cancer seventeen years later. This close kinship was reflected in the Encyclopedia, which Herbert personally vetted and contributed a foreword to. A record of McNelly's writings on Herbert and the Dune series can be found on his memorial webpage [apologies for the messy archive version; you can highlight the text to read, interrupt the page load to stop the background image from tiling, or use this version and scroll aaaallll the way to the right.) Memorialized writings (thankfully in plaintext!) include a two-part piece on the development of the Encyclopedia, essays about Herbert's literary influences and love of wine, and other collected essays on the role of science fiction in literature.
Unfortunately, after Herbert's death, his estate placed less and less emphasis on Dr. McNelly's opus, opting instead to highlight the new novels being turned out by Herbert's son. Repeated requests for a reprint of the Encyclopedia were denied, and it was eventually relegated to official "non-canon" status. With McNelly's death and the expansion of the new series of books, this state of affairs is unlikely to change. Still, the Encyclopedia remains a fascinating work, perhaps the finest example of "fan fiction" in sci-fi history.
The Dune Encyclopedia on TVTropes
The Dune Encyclopedia: 5 Shocking Facts from the Most Controversial Dune Book Ever [Inverse.com]
"The Dune Encyclopedia: A Future History in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction," an academic analysis of the Encyclopedia's "fluctuating bifurcated nature [...] both as a prized pop culture collector’s item and as an in-universe critique of God-Emperor Leto II’s theocratic totalitarian ersatz monarchy. Marx’s concept of the commodity and Walter Benjamin’s aesthetic theory about art objects first being cult objects are overlaid on a modern analysis of pop culture fandom and the interconnections between the disruptions of free market capitalism and corporate control of fictional narratives."
Highlights from the Encyclopedia:
[Note: All page numbers and links below refer to the main copy on the Internet Archive mentioned in the lead, which is OCR'd, searchable, and presented in the original column layout (including images). There is a secondary version shown in the left-hand panel on that same page that presents the Encyclopedia as a plain text PDF for more linear reading. If that version goes down or is removed, you can find alternative copies here and here. The character-recognition process is not perfect, and there are a few instances of mis-scanned words scattered throughout the book. If you want to view a direct xerox-style scan of the Encyclopedia -- albeit one with different page numbers and no search function -- see here.]
[This updated and expanded post brought to you by #DoublesJubilee!]
[Note: If you're unfamiliar with the Dune series, see the opening section of this TVTropes article for a spoileriffic crash course.]
Conceived and compiled by respected science fiction scholar Dr. Willis E. McNelly in 1984, the phonebook-sized Encyclopedia was a work of speculative beanplating unlike any other. Drawing on the contributions of dozens of experts in history, linguistics, theology, botany, and a score of other fields, it presented a series of approximately 200 essays and articles on the Dune universe, copiously cited and cross-referenced. The level of verisimilitude is striking, as the entire tome was written from the point of view of a "Library Confraternity" of in-universe scholars existing thousands of years after the events of the books. Accordingly, its ponderous, heavily-footnoted entries are rich with arcane detail, citing hundreds of fictional papers and books, and even contain realistic measures of error and misinterpretation.
The comprehensiveness of the project was no accident. Dr. McNelly was a close personal friend of Frank Herbert -- he conducted an extended interview with the author and his wife in 1969 [previously], and penned a heartfelt eulogy after Herbert's death from pancreatic cancer seventeen years later. This close kinship was reflected in the Encyclopedia, which Herbert personally vetted and contributed a foreword to. A record of McNelly's writings on Herbert and the Dune series can be found on his memorial webpage [apologies for the messy archive version; you can highlight the text to read, interrupt the page load to stop the background image from tiling, or use this version and scroll aaaallll the way to the right.) Memorialized writings (thankfully in plaintext!) include a two-part piece on the development of the Encyclopedia, essays about Herbert's literary influences and love of wine, and other collected essays on the role of science fiction in literature.
Unfortunately, after Herbert's death, his estate placed less and less emphasis on Dr. McNelly's opus, opting instead to highlight the new novels being turned out by Herbert's son. Repeated requests for a reprint of the Encyclopedia were denied, and it was eventually relegated to official "non-canon" status. With McNelly's death and the expansion of the new series of books, this state of affairs is unlikely to change. Still, the Encyclopedia remains a fascinating work, perhaps the finest example of "fan fiction" in sci-fi history.
The Dune Encyclopedia on TVTropes
The Dune Encyclopedia: 5 Shocking Facts from the Most Controversial Dune Book Ever [Inverse.com]
"The Dune Encyclopedia: A Future History in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction," an academic analysis of the Encyclopedia's "fluctuating bifurcated nature [...] both as a prized pop culture collector’s item and as an in-universe critique of God-Emperor Leto II’s theocratic totalitarian ersatz monarchy. Marx’s concept of the commodity and Walter Benjamin’s aesthetic theory about art objects first being cult objects are overlaid on a modern analysis of pop culture fandom and the interconnections between the disruptions of free market capitalism and corporate control of fictional narratives."
Highlights from the Encyclopedia:
[Note: All page numbers and links below refer to the main copy on the Internet Archive mentioned in the lead, which is OCR'd, searchable, and presented in the original column layout (including images). There is a secondary version shown in the left-hand panel on that same page that presents the Encyclopedia as a plain text PDF for more linear reading. If that version goes down or is removed, you can find alternative copies here and here. The character-recognition process is not perfect, and there are a few instances of mis-scanned words scattered throughout the book. If you want to view a direct xerox-style scan of the Encyclopedia -- albeit one with different page numbers and no search function -- see here.]
A Chronology of Some Important Events in Human History [pg. 7] - An extensive timeline of the Dune universe, which charmingly compacts all of human history to date into only nine entries. The chronological baseline has been moved from (approximately) the birth of Jesus to the foundation of the Spacing Guild in A.D. 16,200. This makes deducing the "correct" years a bit difficult, but fortunately the grunt work has been accomplished by this fansite (albeit in Comic Sans). Note that a handful of the early dates are a century off due to an error in the Encyclopedia -- "The Great Struggle" should be in 1400, "Discoveries in America" in 1492, and the "Battle of Englichannel" in 1588.Fabulous Bonus: Open source advocate Tim O'Reilly's full-length biography of Frank Herbert, available for free through his website.
Al-Harba, Harq [pg. 14] and Al-Harba Question, The [pg. 17] - A biography and analysis of the Dune universe's Shakespeare, including examples of his work and questions about his true identity.
Arrakis, Astronomical Aspects of [pg. 33] - The first in a series of articles detailing planet Arrakis, the central world in the Dune mythos, as well as its environment and evolution.
Atreides, Leto II: God Emperor of Dune [pg. 98] - An account of the son of Muad'Dib, whose actions shaped the course of the later novels over thousands of years of history, and whose hidden historical cache formed the fictional basis of the Encyclopedia.
Atreides, Paul [pg. 113] - A sprawling biography and analysis of the single most pivotal character in the series: Paul "Muad'Dib" Atreides, who founded a new religion and launched an epic holy war that changed the galaxy forever.
Bene Gesserit Archives [pg. 157] - The first of seven articles describing the nature, history, and practices of the mysterious Bene Gesserit sisterhood. Follow-up articles include discourses on the Bene Gesserit Library and Chapter House on Wallach IX, their system of governance, their ranking system, their training techniques, and their extensive history (including hinted-at interludes as the driving force behind Wiccans, European royalty, and the Daughters of the American Revolution).
Butler, Jehanne [pg. 194] and Butlerian Jihad ("The Great Revolt"); Its Cause and Effect [pg. 201] - An analysis of the Dune backstory's most central event paired with a biography of its most central figure. The Butlerian Jihad, a devastating war against "thinking machines," was Frank Herbert's way of constructing a baroque future not defined by advanced technology. The Encyclopedia's account of the Jihad differs significantly from later canon, most notably the controversial trilogy of prequel novels penned by Herbert's son Brian.
Calendar, Standard Imperial [pg. 207] - An interesting exercise in devising a calendar system that spans tens of thousands of worlds.
CHOAM [pg. 226] - An examination of how the "Combine Honnete Ober Advancer Mercantiles" trading society helped maintain the balance of power between the feudalistic Houses over millennia of war and political upheaval.
Family Atomics, History of [pg. 290] - Traces the evolution of nuclear weapons back to the ancient mists of "Old Terra" (20th-century Earth). Due to a serious case of Future Imperfect, the familiar outlines of World War II are heavily and amusingly distorted to adhere to the neo-feudal "House" system that dominates the world of Dune.
Fremen: Cultural Development to the Year 10190 [pg. 314] - One of many articles exploring the culture and history of the Fremen people of Arrakis. Companion articles include an account of their Jihad against the rest of the galaxy (led by Paul Muad'Dib) and a detailed examination of their language and customs.
Holtzman, Ibrahim Vaughn [pg. 419] and Holtzman Effect [pg. 423] - The strange and tragic tale of the lost scientist whose research produced, among other things, near-instant communication and convenient interstellar travel.
Imperium, Feudal Patterns of [pg. 470] - An explanation of the basic structure of the galactic government.
Mentats, History of the Order [pg. 515] - The first of three articles outlining the "Mentats," human computers that have come to replace advanced AI.
Orange Catholic Bible, the Fundamental Scripture of the Imperium [pg. 553] - Adapted from the Appendix of the first Dune novel (a much pithier essay, in my opinion) and ostensibly written by protagonist Paul Muad'Dib, this article explores the history of the O.C. Bible, the revered "Accumulated Book" of pan-religious scripture that forms the foundation of faith in the Dune universe. Includes a rare list of the tome's constituent books, a roster of contributing faiths, and a follow-up essay analyzing its impact on Paul Muad'dib that's rich with O.C. Biblical quotes.
Rakis Finds, Discovery [pg. 582] - An account of the discovery of Leto II's secret "no-room" that contained much of the information discussed elsewhere in the Encyclopedia.
Shai-Hulud [pg. 618] - An overview of the monstrous sandworms of Arrakis: their biology, life-cycle, and their role in the production of the all-important melange.
Spacing Guild, Foundation [pg. 629] - A history of the Spacing Guild, the consortium that controls all trade and transportation in the galaxy through their monopoly on melange and the mutated pilots who sustain themselves on it.
[This updated and expanded post brought to you by #DoublesJubilee!]
Kull wahad! (And thanks for this amazing post & associated links.)
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 12:14 PM on February 15, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 12:14 PM on February 15, 2022 [2 favorites]
Ah, this was a great bit of fan work. So much fun to trawl. And good art from Matt Howarth and others.
Bravo, Rhaomi.
posted by doctornemo at 12:38 PM on February 15, 2022
Bravo, Rhaomi.
posted by doctornemo at 12:38 PM on February 15, 2022
I was lucky enough to find a copy of this for cheap at a used book stores years ago. It's a wonderful treasure for Dune fans. Too bad Herbert's no-talent kids had to force themselves into it.
posted by star gentle uterus at 12:52 PM on February 15, 2022 [11 favorites]
posted by star gentle uterus at 12:52 PM on February 15, 2022 [11 favorites]
Wow, I bought a paperback copy for $40 back in 2016 when I was doing a re-read. Now they're going for ~$400! I wonder if I should download the PDF and take the windfall...
posted by The Tensor at 1:00 PM on February 15, 2022
posted by The Tensor at 1:00 PM on February 15, 2022
My older brother had a copy of this. I remember flipping through it, being mystified yet oddly interested in its contents. Thanks for a weird blast from the past.
posted by SoberHighland at 1:10 PM on February 15, 2022
posted by SoberHighland at 1:10 PM on February 15, 2022
I snagged a copy back in the 1990s and still have it, though my brother managed to break the spine and it's now in two parts. Bad brother, bad!
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 1:34 PM on February 15, 2022
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 1:34 PM on February 15, 2022
though my brother managed to break the spine and it's now in two parts. Bad brother, bad!
I'm sure it's cost me thousands of dollars by now, but I just can't revere individual books that much, not if I'm fascinated with what's in them, keep picking through them, marking pages, maybe pinning them open at a certain page with half-full mug of coffee that's dripping a bit on one side.
And so on.
I've got piles of less than mint copies of fabulous books lying around but I can still read what's in them so I don't really regret it.
posted by philip-random at 1:43 PM on February 15, 2022 [3 favorites]
I'm sure it's cost me thousands of dollars by now, but I just can't revere individual books that much, not if I'm fascinated with what's in them, keep picking through them, marking pages, maybe pinning them open at a certain page with half-full mug of coffee that's dripping a bit on one side.
And so on.
I've got piles of less than mint copies of fabulous books lying around but I can still read what's in them so I don't really regret it.
posted by philip-random at 1:43 PM on February 15, 2022 [3 favorites]
I borrowed this from the library when I was in junior high school. And then it got misplaced in a move and eventually it resurfaced and was just sitting on a bookshelf for years because I was worried about the huge fine I'd get if I returned it. I don't even remember if I did eventually return it or if it's in a box somewhere.
There's a statute of limitations for library books right?
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 2:58 PM on February 15, 2022 [2 favorites]
There's a statute of limitations for library books right?
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 2:58 PM on February 15, 2022 [2 favorites]
In the links down below the viewable PDF, there’s an option to download an entire d20 Dune RPG. Time to break out the spice …
posted by JustSayNoDawg at 4:05 PM on February 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by JustSayNoDawg at 4:05 PM on February 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
Yep, best Dune artifact next to the original novel.
Fave trivia: Shaddam's father (or grandfather?) was assassinated by an attendant dropping a brick of sodium in his bathtub.
posted by ovvl at 4:08 PM on February 15, 2022 [2 favorites]
Fave trivia: Shaddam's father (or grandfather?) was assassinated by an attendant dropping a brick of sodium in his bathtub.
posted by ovvl at 4:08 PM on February 15, 2022 [2 favorites]
Man I have a lot of fondness for this book. Partially because I loved the lore (as the kids say these days) but there was a crazy market for this book in the mid 90s when I was in university and I had an unerring knack for finding copies. I sold enough to pay for 6 months worth of rent. Crazy days...
posted by Ashwagandha at 4:19 PM on February 15, 2022
posted by Ashwagandha at 4:19 PM on February 15, 2022
best Dune artifact next to the original novel
The Dune Cut and Color Activity Book had a recipe for No-Bake Spice Cookies.
posted by clew at 5:08 PM on February 15, 2022
The Dune Cut and Color Activity Book had a recipe for No-Bake Spice Cookies.
posted by clew at 5:08 PM on February 15, 2022
Like others, I was lucky enough to pick this up for cheap a few years after reading a library copy. I actually much prefer the book to the 'official' family-endorsed follow-up books.
posted by phigmov at 8:49 PM on February 15, 2022
posted by phigmov at 8:49 PM on February 15, 2022
I remember this from when it came out as one of the cool books to flip trough at the bookstore in the mall where my father and I often (almost always) ended up visiting over the weekend visitation times. Pretty sure I hadn't read Dune yet, had the books from my oldest sister's days, thought mom would freak out over the whole "God Emperor" sort of thing as from satan or something. I've had the PDF from other sources floating about the backups for a long time. Probably would have bought one if I had ever seen one in a used book store somewhere.
posted by zengargoyle at 9:12 AM on February 16, 2022
posted by zengargoyle at 9:12 AM on February 16, 2022
Looks like Toronto is eliminating overdue fines in March so if I haven't already returned it and it does turn up in a box I'll be able to return it without fear.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 4:29 PM on February 17, 2022
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 4:29 PM on February 17, 2022
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