Originally posted by Gilvan Blight
At least with the Rogue Trader book, much of the 40K universe is taken from Frank Hebert\'s Dune series. Especially concepts such as suspensors and blind Navigators.
Yay! I was waiting for this: I commented similarly in
THIS thread last year.
I have read all 14 Dune books and love them. Some similarities I noted before and now:
1. The Bene Gesserit Sisterhood is very much like the Sisters of Battle; especially the fact that the Orders Famoulous \"...role is to ensure that the Imperium\'s noble families work towards the ultimate good of mankind, brokering trade agreements, alliances and marriages between families.\" \"...their intimate knowledge of a families bloodlines can prove invaluable (to the Inquisition)\". This mirrors very closely the Bene Gesserit goal of seeing to the good and \"maturity\" of mankind through arranged marriages and recording bloodlines. Also the orders Dialogous specialize in languages which was a trait of Bene Gesserit training who\'s schools bear a striking resemblance to the Schola Progenium. The Ecclesiarchy maintains the Missionarus Galaxia which is uncannily similar to the Missionaria Protectiva. Hmmm.
2. In the Dune universe the spice is addictive, dangerous and necessary due to it\'s enhancement of human psychic abilities which are closely monitored by the Bene Gesserit and the priesthood of Arrakis. In 40K It is the psychic abilities which are necessary evils. Both worlds rely on their particular \"danger\" for space travel and communication. Herbert commented extensively on the \"hydraulic pressure\" exerted by controlling access to the single greatest commodity.
3. The Emporer of the known universe (Dune) occupies a Golden Lion throne. Hmmm.
4. The Imperial elite troops (Sardaukar) were recruited from a very harsh \"deathworld\" (can anyone say Catachans?) with high mortality rates in their training/indoctrination regimen. In other regards (their sole allegiance to the emporer) the Sardaukar resemble space marines.
5. Reliance on mutated human navigators residing in a guild structure with oaths protecting their relationship to the religio-state organism.
6. The marriage of vast religious infrastructure to the state and exerting almost unchallenged influence throughout the Imperium.
7. The presence of mobs of martyrist cults etc. that are tolerated by the Imperium.
The single biggest difference I see between WH40K and Dune is the external entities (aliens etc.) in 40K that assail humanity, in Dune their are no outside groups that are not of human origin.
