I would like to talk briefly on one of my personal favorite Sci-fi novels, Frank Herbert’s Dune, and the ways in which machines are and aren’t a part of the universe that Herbert creates in that novel and in all the stories following it.

Machines are central to the space-faring humans of Herberts future world. Interplanetary travel is carried out on massive tubular ships called “Heighliners” Spice is harvested in crawling factories. The Fremen, natives of the planet Arrakis (the proper name for the titular planet), have created desert-proof outfits called “Stillsuits”, along with a host of other bits of tech that enable them to live in parts of their planet deemed uninhabitable by offworlders. In short, there is no lack of cool future technology for Sci-Fi fans to get excited about.

However, there are two very notable absences that make Herbert’s books stand out from many other works of science fiction. There are no computers or artificial intelligences of any kind and there are very few lasers or projectile weapons.

In regard to the former, the absence of computers is explained in-universe by a war between humans and AI that took place 10,000 years before the events of Herbert’s 1st book. The humans won this war, and proceeded to outlaw artificial intelligence of any kind, replacing it with humans trained to be computers themselves, called “mentats”. These individuals have all the processing power of a computer, if not more, and yet are still definitively human. They have received no cybernetic augmentation, but have rather had their minds cultivated from a young age to hone them into powerful computing forces.

In terms of lasers and guns, their absence is explained by the creation of personal body shields that keep fast-moving bullets from hitting the wearer and which, if hit by a laser, create a reaction that kills both the shooter and the shield-wearer. This means that most combat is done with body shields and bladed weapons. A very fun twist.

Herbert, as with most great science fiction writers, is as intentional about the technologies that he leaves out as the ones that he includes. Many readers of science fiction would expect to see computers and lasers in a future society such as the one Herbert creates, and I appreciate his leaving them out.

Also, if you’re interested in Herbert’s work, there’s a screening of Dune this Friday, hosted by the Bowdoin Film Society!