Chapterhouse: Dune

Chapterhouse: Dune (1985) by Frank Herbert is the sixth book in the Dune series and the last book written by Herbert before his death. Like many Dune novels, it was commercially successful, rising to number two on the New York Times Best Seller list. Chapterhouse: Dune is a direct sequel to Heretics of Dune, which follows the conflict between the Bene Gesserit and the Honored Matres. The Matres have conquered much of the Old Empire, and the Bene Gesserit are in hiding, attempting to raise new sandworms so they can produce the addictive Spice Melange once more. Chapterhouse: Dune is told from the perspectives of multiple characters and explores themes of The Connection Between Domination and Cultivation, Free Will and Prescience, and The Importance of Change and Adaptation to Survival.

Herbert was an American science fiction author best known for his 1965 novel Dune, the best-selling science fiction novel of all time. He was also a newspaper journalist, photographer, critic and ecological consultant. He passed away in 1986.

This guide is based on the 2003 Google Books e-book edition.

Content Warnings: The source text and this guide contain descriptions of or references to scenes of child sexual abuse, rape, sexual violence, gender discrimination, substance abuse, and graphic violence.

Plot Summary

The narrative is told from multiple characters’ points of view, switching perspectives frequently. Each chapter is prefaced by a short in-universe quote from important figures, histories, or works of philosophy.

The narrative opens from the point of view of Mother Superior Odrade from the Bene Gesserit. Her order is in hiding from the rampaging Honored Matres. This group has returned from the Scattering—the massive dispersal of humanity into uncharted space after the death of Leto II—and have nearly conquered the Old Empire. The Matres covet the Bene Gesserit’s abilities, training, and technology. Odrade is wrestling with a plan to overcome the Honored Matres, but she is also preparing for a Scattering of the Sisterhood across the galaxy to ensure they are never fully destroyed.

Meanwhile, Odrade is overseeing the terraforming of their planet, Chapterhouse, with huge swathes of the southern hemisphere being turned to desert to provide a habitat for sandtrout, young sandworms, that were taken from the destroyed planet Dune. Adult worms are expected soon but haven’t appeared. The last survivor of the genetically engineered race of Bene Tleilaxu, Master Scytale, is held by the Bene Gesserit, as his civilization was destroyed by the Honored Matres. Scytale creates gholas for the Bene Gesserit in exchange for their protection, though he is little more than a prisoner. He creates a ghola—or an artificially created human—of the late Basher Miles Teg, the Bene Gesserit commander killed by the Honored Matres on Dune. The ghola is referred to as Miles Teg, and the original is referred to as Bashar Teg. Scytale is held on a grounded no-ship along with ghola Duncan Idaho and the former Honored Matres member Murbella. Odrade is training Murbella as a Bene Gesserit, hoping that elevating her to the rank of Reverend Mother will give the Bene Gesserit access to her knowledge of Honored Matres culture through the Reverent Mother ability to share memory.

The Honored Matres captured Reverend Mother Lucilla after destroying her planet of Lampadas. She is carrying the shared memories of millions of Bene Gesserit and is stranded on the planet Gammu. A group of Jews has taken her in, but the Honored Matres are closing in. To save his people from the Matres, the Rabbi must turn Lucilla over to them. He offers a way for her to pass on the shared memories she preserves to a member of his group named Rebecca. She is a “Wild” Reverend Mother who has many of the abilities of the Bene Gesserit without being a member of their order. She shares memories with Lucilla and pledges to take these memories to the Sisterhood. Lucilla allows herself to be turned over the Matres. She is brought to meet the Great Honored Matre, Dama.

Dama attempts to recruit Lucilla, sparing her life in exchange for information on the Bene Gesserit. Dama is interested in learning how the Bene Gesserit control and modify their body chemistry, a skill the Matres lost. Lucilla realizes that the great unknown enemy that the Honored Matres are fleeing uses biological warfare, and Bene Gesserit abilities would counter this. Lucilla refuses to betray the Sisterhood, and Dama kills her.

On Chapterhouse, Duncan Idaho reveals to Odrade that he retains the memories of his past ghola lives and possesses Mentat abilities. He also has visions of an old couple, which he senses are facing dancers. Their names are Daniel and Marty, and Duncan suspects them to be the great enemy pursuing the Honored Matres.

Meanwhile, Murbella continues Bene Gesserit training and wants to undergo the Spice Agony to become a Reverend Mother. Odrade, reflecting on the conflict with the Matres, concludes that the Sisterhood is wrong to reject emotion; to adapt, they must learn to harness emotion. Murbella becomes a full Reverend Mother, which troubles Duncan and changes the way she feels about him. Odrade learns that Sheeana and Duncan have an alliance and have been communicating secretly for some time. He and Sheeana decide to wake the ghola Basher Miles Teg’s memory through imprinting, wherein a powerful psychological bond is created through sex. This is successful, and Miles Teg resumes control of the Bene Gesserit military. He and Odrade plan an attack on the Honored Matres at their base on Junction. Odrade shares her memories with Murbella and Sheeana, making them both her potential successors should she die.

Odrade meets with Dama shortly before Miles Teg launches his attack. Miles Teg has the ability to see invisible no-ships, something he has kept secret from the Bene Gesserit. This gives him an edge, and the Bene Gesserit quickly overwhelm the Matres forces. During the battle, Rebecca and the Jews are given refuge by Sisterhood forces. Dama is poisoned by Logno, and Logno takes her place as Great Honored Matre. She then uses a secret weapon to capture Odrade and Miles Teg. Murbella poses as an escaped prisoner to get a group of Matres to bring her to the command center. There, she challenges Logno to a duel and defeats her, taking control of the Honored Matres. In the struggle, Odrade is killed, making Murbella the new Mother Superior, too.

Sheeana, Duncan, and Miles Teg flee Chapterhouse with a splinter faction. They also take several sandworms with them. The no-ship they flee in was formerly Duncan’s prison and still holds Scytale, the last surviving Face Dancer of the Bene Tleilax, an order that specializes in biological engineering and cloning. Duncan destroys the ship’s records, making them untraceable, and they enter an uncharted region of space.