Dune: Prophecy is one of the most awaited shows of the year. The HBO series continues the legacy of Frank Herbert’s universe, serving as a prequel to the 2021 movie and taking place 10,000 years before the film franchise.
The show delves into the origin of the Bene Gesserit and introduces various characters and concepts that have not been seen in the movies. One of these concepts is the thinking machine.
Thinking machines refer to computers and other artificially intelligent robots that enslaved humans and ruled over the universe for centuries. The struggle between the humans and the robots ended with the ‘war against thinking machines.’
Thinking machines are computers and artificially intelligent robots in Dune: Prophecy
Thinking machines have been a part of the Dune universe history for many millennia. They once dominated humanity and caused immense suffering. These machines were initially tools for humans but later became their oppressors, leading humanity to banish sentient machines entirely.
The trauma caused by these machines created long-lasting panic and hatred toward intelligent technology. Their rule ended with the war against the thinking machines, also known as the Butlerian Jihad or the Great Revolt.
The struggle took place thousands of years before Paul Atreides’ birth and lasted for almost a century. Humanity was almost destroyed in the war, but some managed to come out alive. Meanwhile, the computers perished from the universe, and later ‘human computers’ came into being.
Dune: Prophecy is set at the heels of the war against thinking machines
The Butlerian Jihad is one of the most fascinating events in the Dune universe, and the viewers will finally get a glimpse of it in Dune: Prophecy. Though the events of the show take place after the war ends, thinking machines can still be seen in the series.
While the war is not the main plot of the show, its impact on humanity will be a central part of the theme. Talking about how the Butlerian Jihad will be portrayed in the series, showrunner Alison Schapker said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly:
“The characters in our series exist in the shadow of a war against thinking machines and artificial intelligence, which had basically enslaved or subjugated humankind for an enormous period of time.”
“And in rising up, going to war, and ultimately defeating the machines, humans also came to a brink of their own extinction. There were casualties on planetary levels, and that does something to individual psyches.”
The war eventually led to the creation of The Sisterhood and the rise of The Bene Gesserit, as there was a power vacuum in the absence of the thinking machines. Addressing how this aspect will be explored in Dune: Prophecy, Schapker said:
“The Bene Gesserit are one of multiple organizations and institutions that are ascending to fill the power vacuum that's been left by machine technology being destroyed.”
“In various ways, these sorts of institutions are pushing the boundaries of what it means to be humans so that they can perform tasks that once were performed by machines.”
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Dune: Prophecy focuses on sisters Valya and Tula Harkonnen, who fight against the forces that threaten humanity and form a group later known as the Bene Gesserit. The show stars Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, Jodhi May, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Aoife Hinds, and Chloe Lea as Lila.
The rest of the cast includes Travis Fimmel, Mark Strong, Jade Anouka, Chris Mason, Josh Heuston, Edward Davis, Tabu, and Jihae. Dune: Prophecy will premiere on HBO on November 17, 2024, and will release new episodes weekly.
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