Dune: Prophecy Episode 3

In *Mentats of Dune*, Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson continue the story of the Dune universe, focusing on the founding of the Mentat School by Gilbertus Albans. The Mentats are humans trained to think like computers, a necessity after the Butlerian Jihad banned thinking machines. The book explores the power struggle between the weak Corrino Empire, the Venport Spacing Fleet, and the Butlerian fanatics led by Manford Torondo. It also delves into the rebuilding of the Sisterhood School on Wallach IX and the vendetta of Valya Harkonnen against Vorian Atreides. The narrative is rich in ideas, character development, and the complex politics of the Dune universe.

Dune, written by Frank Herbert, is set in a feudal interstellar society where noble houses control planetary fiefs. The story follows Paul Atreides, whose family is tasked with ruling the inhospitable desert planet Arrakis, the sole source of melange, a substance crucial for extending life and enhancing mental abilities. The novel delves into the intricate politics, religion, ecology, and technology of this futuristic world, as various factions vie for control of Arrakis and its valuable spice. Paul, with his unique abilities and training by the Bene Gesserit, becomes a key figure in this struggle and eventually assumes the role of a messianic leader among the native Fremen people.

Set eighty years after the events of The Battle of Corrin, this novel delves into the formation of the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood, the Mentat school, and the Spacing Guild. It follows characters such as Raquella Berto-Anirul, the first Reverend Mother, Gilbertus Albans, who teaches humans to become Mentats, and Manford Torondo, the leader of the anti-technology Butlerian movement. The story is filled with political intrigue, the struggle against technological prohibitions, and the evolution of key Dune institutions.