Dune, the classic sci-fi novel series, and more recently a successful Denis Villeneuve movie is set in a galaxy-spanning empire but, despite Dune's vast, galactic scope, its core story revolves around two planets – the sparse and unforgiving Arrakis mirroring the bountiful and green Caladan. Dune's plot centers on Caladan's House Atreides and its attempt to dominate Arrakis and its deposits of "spice," a vital resource for space travel.
Understanding the two planets and their competing cultures and political systems is vital to grasping Dune's complex plot, which itself spans multiple novels from the visionary Frank Herbert. The story of Dune takes place tens of thousands of years in the future when humanity has become a spacefaring race, allowing Dune ample space for creative license. Gadgetry like computers and other "thinking machines" are banned, and in response, humans have developed mental disciplines such as psychic powers to continually elevate their existence.
The main story of Dune in both Herbert's novels and Villeneuve's hit movie begins with the Atreides family on Caladan, who gain stewardship over the strategically vital planet of Arrakis. A young Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) must deal with rival factions to claim his inheritance, with his growth as a charismatic leader and potential liberator largely taking place on the aforementioned Arrakis.
Arrakis: Dune's Desert Planet Explained
Arrakis is a harsh, arid planet covered almost entirely in deserts filled with rock formations and sand dunes. These rolling mounts are what give the eponymous Dune its name, with Arrakis' topography providing much of Dune's narrative setting – and a nickname for the planet. As dangerous as the dry environment itself are Arrakis' sandworms or Shai-Hulud, giant creatures that attack anything that enters their territory. Arrakis's long-settled humans take the form of the Fremen, scattered clans who fight for their survival.
The reason why Arrakis is such a valuable planet is that it is the galaxy's sole known supply of the Spice Melange, a mind-altering drug that allows humans to navigate through space and travel between solar systems. Spice is an extremely valuable resource in the world of Dune, to the point that a common phrase says, "He who controls the spice, controls the universe." Arrakis had previously been under the control of House Harkonnen, but it was ceded to the Atreides clan, prompting the plot of much of Villeneuve's Dune to subsequently unfurl.
Caladan: House Atreides' Homeworld Explained
In contrast to the sandy Arrakis, Caladan is an oceanic world with a large agricultural industry. The planet is ruled entirely by the House of Atreides and has been under their prosperous and studious rule for dozens of generations. At the start of Dune, Caladan is under the control of Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac), who has established a potent base of operations. However, his family is inevitably forced to give up their home for Arrakis by the galactic emperor and leave it under the control of Count Hasimir Fenring.
The contrast between brutal Arrakis and rich Caladan is one of Dune's key concepts, paralleling real-world colonial relationships. Villeneuve's Dune brings these two disparate worlds bustling into life with a series of sweeping camera shots for maximum planet exposition. Dune author Frank Herbert drew on Islamic societies as well as concepts of ecology and sociology to create one of science fiction's most unique worlds, and one that made Dune one of the best-selling sci-fi novels ever and spawned a string of sequels all centering around Arrakis, Caladan, and the rest of the Dune universe.
