A stone burner detonation, from the Children of Dune miniseries.

Atomics is a term used to describe nuclear weapons in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A stone burner is an atomic weapon or fusion bomb in the Dune fictional universe, the explosion and radiation of which could be precisely adjusted. ... Children of Dune was the sequel to the 2000 Dune miniseries produced by the United States Sci Fi channel. ... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 kilometers (11 mi) above the hypocenter. ... The fictional Dune universe, or Duniverse, is the political, scientific, and social setting of author Frank Herberts six-book Dune series of science fiction novels. ... Frank Patrick Herbert (October 8, 1920 – February 11, 1986) was a critically acclaimed and commercially successful American science fiction author. ...

Use of atomics

Like real-world nuclear weapons, atomics presumably derive their destructive force from nuclear reactions of fission or fusion; however, Herbert never delves into the specifics of the technology or explores in detail how it may have evolved by the time of Dune's far-future setting. In nuclear physics, a nuclear reaction is a process in which two nuclei or nuclear particles collide, to produce different products than the initial products. ... For the generation of electrical power by fission, see Nuclear power plant An induced nuclear fission event. ... The deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion reaction is considered the most promising for producing fusion power. ... Dune is a science fiction novel written by Frank Herbert and published in 1965. ...

In the Dune series of novels, many of the Great Houses of the Landsraad own "family atomics" as heirlooms, keeping a secure, hidden cache as weapons of last resort in their wars. Though such possession is necessary to secure power, the use of atomics against humans violates the chief prohibition of the Great Convention, the "universal truce enforced under the power balance maintained by the Guild, the Great Houses, and the Imperium"^[1]. These atomics serve two political purposes: firstly, they act as a military deterrent — any House which violates the Great Convention flagrantly (such as using atomics openly in warfare) faces the possibility of massive retaliation from any of the other Houses. This leads to the second use of family atomics: there is an agreement with the Spacing Guild that any House which faces certain ruin and defeat is allowed to relinquish control of their family atomics in exchange for guaranteed safety by the Guild, allowing a "defeated" House to flee into a safe exile, and to avoid the possibility of a cornered House lashing out senselessly with its atomics. The Landsraad was a fictional organisation in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. ... Sandworm from the cover of Heretics of Dune. ... The Spacing Guild is a fictional organization in Frank Herberts Dune universe created in a series of science fiction novels starting in Dune and ending with Chapterhouse Dune. ... House Atreides House Corrino House Fenring House Harkonnen House Moritani House Ordos House Richese House Vernius Categories: | ... Deterrence theory is a defensive strategy developed after World War II and used throughout the Cold War. ...

History

Actual use of these atomics against humans is considered an especially terrible crime, usually punishable by total extermination of the offending individual or House. In the Prelude to Dune prequel trilogy by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson it is revealed that a renegade House of the Landsraad had devastated the capital of the Corrino Padishah Empire, Salusa Secundus, with atomics and rendered the planet essentially uninhabitable. Emperor Hassik Corrino III had relocated the Imperial throne to the planet Kaitain, and the attacking House was subsequently exterminated; no record of the House's name existed by the time of Dune. Dune: House Atreides Dune: House Harkonnen Dune: House Corrino Prelude to Dune is a prequel trilogy of novels written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, set in Frank Herberts Dune universe. ... A prequel is a work that portrays events which include the structure, conventions, and/or characters of a previously completed narrative, but occur at an earlier time. ... A trilogy is a set of three works of art, usually literature or film, that are connected and can generally be seen as a single work as well as three individual ones. ... Brian Herbert (born 1947) is an American author. ... Kevin J. Anderson (born March 27, 1962) is an American science fiction author. ... Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV, portrayed by Giancarlo Giannini in the Dune miniseries The Padishah Emperor was the title of the hereditary rulers of the Padishah Empire in Frank Herberts fictional Dune universe. ... Salusa Secundus is a fictional planet appearing in Frank Herberts Dune universe. ... Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV, portrayed by Giancarlo Giannini in the Dune miniseries The Padishah Emperor was the title of the hereditary rulers of the Padishah Empire in Frank Herberts fictional Dune universe. ... Kaitain is a fictional planet appearing in Frank Herberts Dune universe. ...

Atomics are also used in the Prelude to Dune series by Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV. In 10,175 A.G. Shaddam starts the "Great Spice War" with the secret aim of emptying the spice hoards of the Imperium and eventually destroying Arrakis, thereby ensuring his monopoly based on the synthetic spice of Project Amal. Under the guise of punishing House Richese for their hoard, Shaddam mercilessly destroys the artificial laboratory moon of Korona with atomics. A quarter of Richese's population go blind from the resulting light produced by the destruction of the Richesian mirrors stored there. Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV, portrayed by José Ferrer in Dune (1984) Shaddam Corrino IV is a character in the fictional Dune universe of Frank Herbert. ... Look up Melange in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Arrakis, (derived from the Arabic name ar-rāqiṣ, the dancer, originally a star-name for Mu Draconis) later Rakis (known colloquially as Dune) is a fictional desert planet featured in the Dune novels by Frank Herbert, where it is the home of the Fremen (Zensunni wanderers) and later, the... Project Amal is an important factor in the Prelude to Dune novels. ... House Richese is a fictional noble family from the fictional universe of Frank Herberts Dune series. ...

In Dune, Paul Atreides uses an atomic device on the surface of Arrakis to blast a pass through a wild desert moutain range called the Shield Wall. He later threatens the destruction of all spice production using unaltered water of life to secure the Imperial throne. Paul Atreides, as portrayed by Kyle MacLachlan in David Lynchs Dune (1985), wielding the infamous Weirding Module. Paul Orestes Atreides is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. ... Arrakis, (derived from the Arabic name ar-rāqiṣ, the dancer, originally a star-name for Mu Draconis) later Rakis (known colloquially as Dune) is a fictional desert planet featured in the Dune novels by Frank Herbert, where it is the home of the Fremen (Zensunni wanderers) and later, the...

In the Legends of Dune prequel series, the first human victory of the Butlerian Jihad (the war against the thinking machines) is the 200 B.G. destruction of Earth and the Earth Omnius using atomics.-1... A prequel is a work that portrays events which include the structure, conventions, and/or characters of a previously completed narrative, but occur at an earlier time. ... The Butlerian Jihad is an epic turning point in the back-story of Frank Herberts fictional Dune universe. ... The Thinking Machines are a fictional group from the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. ... Omnius was the evermind, or controlling intelligence, of the robots in the Legends of Dune series, a trilogy of novels written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. ...

Stone burner

One type of atomic weapon is the stone burner, the explosion and radiation of which can be precisely adjusted depending on the desired effect. Stone burners emit "J-Rays", a form of radiation that has an affinity for destroying the eyes of anyone surviving the initial radiation blast. If of sufficient power, a stone burner can burn its way into and through the core of a planet, destroying it: A stone burner is an atomic weapon or fusion bomb in the Dune fictional universe, the explosion and radiation of which could be precisely adjusted. ...

Paul remained silent, thinking what this weapon implied. Too much fuel in it and it'd cut its way into the planet's core. Dune's molten level lay deep, but the more dangerous for that. Such pressures released and out of control might split a planet, scattering lifeless bits and pieces through space.

^[2]

In Dune Messiah, a stone burner is used in an attempt to assassinate Paul Atreides; he survives but is blinded for the rest of his life. In the Prelude to Dune prequel series, the persecuted Earl Dominic Vernius plans to use forbidden atomics to attack the Imperial capital, Kaitain; when his hidden base on Arrakis is discovered by the Padishah Emperor's Sardaukar army, Vernius ignites a stone burner to destroy himself and as many as the Sardaukar as he can. Dune Messiah Dune Messiah is a science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, the second in a series of six novels. ... Earl Dominic Vernius is one of the main characters of the Prelude of Dune-trilogy, which takes place 40-16 years before the events of Dune. ... The Sardaukar were a fictional army from Frank Herberts Dune universe, as depicted in the Dune series of science fiction novels. ...

The Dune Encyclopedia

In the non-canon Dune Encyclopedia, it is hinted that atomic weapons were invented in the remote human past, perhaps 30,000 years before the term stone burner was first commonly used. Their first recorded use was on Earth by a legendary state called the House of Washington. The House of Washington is known to have invented a kind of primitive stone burner called a neutron bomb that prevented battlefields from being totally destroyed by atomic weapons. It emitted a neutron shower and a very minimal explosion, thus in theory preserving cities and buildings while killing off an opposing army. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Dune Encyclopedia was published in 1984 - its only edition. ... Adjectives: Terrestrial, Terran, Telluric, Tellurian, Earthly Atmosphere Surface pressure: 101. ... A legend (Latin, legenda, things to be read) is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... A neutron bomb is a type of tactical nuclear weapon developed specifically to release a relatively large portion of its energy as energetic neutron radiation to harm biological tissues and electronic devices, that are otherwise relatively protected from the heat blast, without causing nuclear fallout. ...

References