Why didn't the Padishah Emperor rule Dune directly? It's common knowledge that Dune is the most important planet in the universe, and he's secretly worried about the Harkonnens and Atreides overthrowing him. Why give them Dune? Why give them power? Maybe you'll say that the Spacing Guild wouldn't accept him having more power, so okay, why not give Dune to a crappier house less capable of betraying him? Also, why does his daughter look nothing like him?
Was this movie any good? I know they made some books based on it.
>>46709475
Gr8 b8 m8.
>>46709457
Play both sides versus each other.The idea was that the Aterides and Harkonnen would expend their resources killing each other , and thus be more easy to control later.
It also moves both of those houses away from their powerbase on their homeworlds.
>>46709457
damn, Virginia Madsen is so hot in this
>>46709457
Iirc being ruler of Arrakis basically puts a target on your back. It puts you in a very, very precarious position between the Imperial and Arrakeen populations, the Spacer's Guild, the Landsraad and the Imperial family itself.
Nor is the Padishah's power absolute. He puts himself on Arrakis and the Landsraad might well unite to overthrow him, despite the Sardaukar.
>>46709475
Please, try harder
>>46709457
>why not give Dune to a crappier house less capable of betraying him?
He did. The Atreides were neutered by the move and he had the Harkonnens under his thumb from the start. The threat of the Atreides was their popularity, not their wealth or forces. By allowing them to be worn down and broken establishing themselves and defending a hostile and contested planet, he rids himself of them while on the surface appearing a benefactor, having "gifted" them a world of such worth. That the Harkonnens were so willing to do his dirty work for him only made it easier.
He just wasn't expecting Space Jesus to fuck everything up.
>>46709475
Refer to the picture.
God Emperors always gotta ruin every heretics plans.
>>46709515
I'm sure it's just the lighting, but it really looks like there's a faint mustache there
>>46709457
If you hadn't noticed in the books/film the Padishah Emperor underestimates literally everyone in the universe.
>>46709701
Save the Fremen.
>>46709457
The whole damn planet is a goddamn white elephant for the Emperor to give. Sure the house given the "honor" of controlling may become rich, but you would have to deal with fremen attacking your shit, other houses planning on killing off everyone you love, and the other major powers keeping an eye on you and try to use you as a puppet. Plus he would rather not deal with everyone in the Landsraad and other CHOAM members trying to kill him more than usual.
>>46709794
He underestimated them as well just not as much as the Harkonnen did. The Emperor at least saw them as an organized hostile force to be overcome with concerted military effort whereas the Harkonnen never saw them as more then religious fanatics operating independently and to be controlled through government policy, (marshal law, regime change, etc.).
>>46709457
That's a bit like asking why the President doesn't take over Saudi Arabia and move Washington DC into the middle of the oil fields. Dune could be a source of great wealth, but it was also a miserable and incredibly dangerous place to operate.
Plus, by delegating management of the planet to one of the noble houses, he avoided being personally responsible/liable for any interruptions in spice production.
>>46709457
If the Emperor directly took control of Arrakis, he would have to deal with the united opposition of the Guild and the Landsraad houses, and quite possibly the Bene Gesserit too. The Emperor was really nothing more than a first among equals with the other nobles, and any signs that he would make his rule tighter would cause a rebellion he couldn't win.
>>46709457
He knew that Space ISIS would kill him and his extended family if they got the chance.
>>46709475
That hurt.
>>46709457
If I remember correctly, wasn't there some kind of cycle where every so many years the various houses vacate their holdings and take up holdings on another planet? So wasn't it determined beforehand by some age old law rather than by some whim of the emperor?
The book explains this. Society in the world of Dune is a delicate balance between three powers.
The Padishah Emperor, the Houses of the Landsraad, and the Spacing Guild.
If he took control of Arrakis directly, this would be seen for the blatant powerplay that it is by the other two, who would then likely unite against him. He'd be signing his own death warrant.
As for why he gave it to House Atreides, the book explains this as well. House Atreides is actually rather small for a Great House, but Duke Leto is liked and respected by quite a few of the other Houses. Shaddam IV sees a popular man like Leto as a potential threat, as he could (in theory) gather enough support to try and eliminate the Imperial House Corrino. So he cuts a deal with the Harkonnens to arrange for House Atreides to be destroyed.
>>46710635
That's only Arrakis specifically. If a single House stays in control of the single most valuable resource in the galaxy, the Spice Melange, for an extended period, they will become too powerful.
>>46710748
>That's only Arrakis specifically. If a single House stays in control of the single most valuable resource in the galaxy, the Spice Melange, for an extended period, they will become too powerful.
And it's not predetermined. The Emperor simply used his shares in CHOAM, and the power that comes with the Directorships they grant, to push the choice of the next house to control Dune towards the Atreides.
>>46709457
Keeping potential competitors divided and fractious while you consolidate power elsewhere is a pretty reasonable strategy.
While we have a Dune thread going
Dune Loreists, please explain the purpose of the Oracle of Time/Infinityand her fucking purpose in the series and try to keep a straight face while doing so.
>>46711995
Just thinking about her makes me so fucking angry, thanks anon, I was trying to forget.
>>46711995
>please explain the purpose of the Oracle of Time/Infinityand her fucking purpose in the series
Well, I guess I can -
- and try to keep a straight face while doing so.
Fuck that, I'm out.
>>46711995
The first Navigator ascends space and time, then tries to out-"Just as Planned!" some omnicidal robots, but apparently confuses subtlety with inaction. Honestly doesn't matter untill like the last 100 pages or so of the last book.
>>46709457
Because the Guild wouldn't let him.
Remember, the Guild universe is an unstable political tripod between the Guild, the Emperor and the Sardaukar, and the Landsraat, with the guild in the senior position.
There's no way in hell they'd give control over something that vital to the more unified of their other two partners/adversaries, and they're too chicken to rule it themselves.
>>46709543
>The Atreides were neutered by the move and he had the Harkonnens under his thumb from the start. The threat of the Atreides was their popularity, not their wealth or forces.
Not supported by the books. The threat that the atriedies posed is that they had developed a training method which put their troops on a near level with the Sardaukar, which would have broken the balance of power between the Corrinos and the Landsraad.
>>46712131
The biggest mary sue ever published in an actual novel.
>born an ugly midget everyone hates
>Super genius
>So smart she ends up working with Holtzman
>Holtzman steals all of her ideas because he's jealous that she's smarter than him
>Invents the modern spice/navigator system and founds the spacing guild
>Gets a magical fairy necklace
>Necklace gives her magic powers and makes her the most beautiful woman in all of space
>Also she's an immortal goddess now
>Worshiped by all the navigators in secret because they all love her so much
>shows up at the very end to save the day because she's the smartest
>>46712710
It wasn't just that, and the only source of that also could have been posturing by Thurfir to the Baron. It was likely a combination of that and Leto's popularity.
>>46712756
There is someone that actually out-sues Leto?
I mean the rest of the book was fine but his character left a bad taste in my mouth.
>>46712756
Not just the most beautiful woman in space, but a curvaceous redhead, for maximum nerd-boner.
And of course, she is completely oblivious to her stunning beauty, preferring to continue getting greasy hands in her workshop.
>>46712824
>nd the only source of that also could have been posturing by Thurfir to the Baron
Well, that and Duncan Idaho's performance against the Sardaukar, which you hear more about in the later books when he gets cloned over and over. You also have that super-elite captured guy that Feyd-Ruatha fights, who almost takes him down in the arena. And Feyd is no wimp.
While yes, Leto's popularity probably is part of his claim to power, I very much doubt that the supersoldier program is bluff.
>>46712756
in which book does this happen?
there's more after Chapterhouse?
>>46713010
They had some top tier guys, no question, but I don't think they had the numbers to really serve as a threat to the Sardaukar. They got pretty well stomped by them when they dress up like Harkonens.
>>46713038
Shitty prequels/sequels written by Herbert's son.
>>46713047
Isn't that exactly what Thufir said? That it was a small force, but he was in position to expand it to everyone in his service in the next few years?
>>46712990
>Not just the most beautiful woman in space, but a curvaceous redhead, for maximum nerd-boner.
>And of course, she is completely oblivious to her stunning beauty, preferring to continue getting greasy hands in her workshop.
Fuck, really? Cause I published my first novel a while back, and this does describe the main character (red-headed elf engineer). Fuck, fucxk, fuck.
>>46713070
oh, wow. never knew.
so they finish the story after Duncan's crew escapes with the no-ship?
how does it end?
>>46713099
True.
>>46710748
It was also mentioned that Duncan Idaho and Gurney Halleck were training fighters that were a match for the Sadukar.
>>46713105
You can make any concept sound like shit, anon. Your novel is probably a lot better, mostly because Brian Herbert didn't write it
>>46713164
>Because Kevin J. Anderson didn't write it.
Fixed it for you. Friends and I are convinced that Kevin is essentially a Sith Lord compared to young Brian and his inheritance.
>>46713105
If you wrote that kind of mary sue into your novel, you fucking deserve to suffer.
>>46713164
if i were a professional literary critic, this would be my go-to consolation: "at least Brian Herbert didn't write it"
>>46709457
>Why didn't the Padishah Emperor rule Dune directly?
Because that's retarded. Why would the most important person in the universe sit himself on the most important planet in the universe? Why don't Presidents or Prime Ministers or Kings set up shop in the countries they invade for precious resources? A political leader is already a target. Placing themselves in an unstable situation where they have little to no control is tantamount to suicide.
>Why give them power?
To act as a carrot on a stick for other houses.
>Why not a crappier house?
A crappier house couldn't guarantee such high production of melange.
>Why does his daughter look nothing like him?
Harems, bro.
>>46713105
You shouldn't mention character traits as being unrecognized unless it's really vital to that character. A character who's really beautiful but doesn't realize it is probably dumb, so making her intelligent just sounds like hack writing.
>>46709457
Dune was also used as a reward for loyal dukes, who would gain large sums of money based on profits.
Also, running Dune was a whole lot of work, so it'd be natural that the Emperor would want someone else to do that/take the fall with the Spacing Guild when spice production falters.
>>46709475
>>46713813
kek'd and saved.
>>46709525
Also take into account that Spice is addictive and in the air, soil and water of that planet.
You spend too long on Arrakis and you find it hard to leave.
>>46709525
Pretty much this. The Emperor is in a balance of power with the Great and Lesser Houses of the Landsraad, as well as the great schools (spacing guild, bene gesserit, bene tlielax). If the Emperor pulled a power play and moved to control Arrakis directly, at the very least the Guild would cut him off for their services, which would leave the Houses to pick his forces off at their leisure until a new House assumed power.
Paul got away with it because of his prescience and the fear that his Fremen troops would destroy the spice outright if he ordered it.
