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			{{Short description\|1985 novel by Frank Herbert}}
	{{Infobox Book \| <!-- See ] or ] -->
			{{Infobox book \|
	\| name = Chapterhouse Dune
			\| name = Chapterhouse: Dune
	\| image = ]
			\| image = Chapterhouse Dune-Frank Herbert (1985) First edition.jpg
	\| image_caption = US 1st edition cover
	\| ~~author~~ = ]		\| image_size = 240px
			\| caption = US first edition cover
	\| cover_artist = ]
	\| ~~country~~ = ]		\| author = ]
			\| audio_read_by = {{Plainlist\|
	\| language = ]
			* ]
	\| series = ]
			* ]
	\| genre = ]
			* ]
	\| publisher = ]
			* Simon Vance
	\| release_date = April 1985
			}}
	\| media_type = Print (] & ])
			\| cover_artist = ]
	\| pages = 464 pp
			\| country = United States
	\| isbn = ISBN 0-399-13027-6 (first edition, hardback)
			\| language = English
	\| oclc= 11133684
			\| series = ]
			\| genre = ]
			\| published = April 1985
			\| publisher = ]
			\| media_type = Print (] & ])
			\| pages = 464
			\| isbn = 0-399-13027-6
			\| isbn_note = (hardcover)<br/>{{ISBN\|0-425-09214-3\|plainlink=yes}} (paperback)
			\| dewey = 813/.54
			\| congress = PS3558.E63 C48 1985
			\| oclc = 780493996
	\| preceded_by = ]		\| preceded_by = ]
	\| followed_by = ]		\| followed_by = ]
	}}		}}
			'''''Chapterhouse: Dune''''' is a 1985 ] novel by ], the last in his ] of six novels. It rose to No. 2 on ].

			A direct follow-up to '']'', the novel chronicles the continued struggles of the ] sisterhood against the violent ], who are succeeding in their bid to seize control of the universe and destroy the factions and planets that oppose them.
	'''''Chapterhouse Dune''''' is a ] novel by ], last in his series of six '']'' novels. Published in 1985, it is also known variously as ''Chapterhouse: Dune'', ''Chapter House Dune'' and ''Chapter House: Dune''. Herbert died in 1986, leaving some overarching plotlines of the series unresolved in what has been described as an "über-cliffhanger."<ref name="SFD 2007-08">{{cite web \|url=http://www.scifidimensions.com/Aug07/sandwormsofdune.htm \|title=Audiobook Review: ''Sandworms of Dune'' by Brian Herbert & Kevin J Anderson \|last=Snider \|first=John C. \|date=August 2007 \|publisher=SciFiDimensions.com \|accessdate=June 18, 2009}}</ref> Two decades later, Herbert's son ], along with ], published two ]s – '']'' (2006) and '']'' (2007) – based on notes left behind by Frank Herbert for what he referred to as ''Dune 7'', his own planned seventh novel in the ''Dune'' series.{{Herbert notes}}

			''Chapterhouse: Dune'' ends with a ], and Herbert's subsequent death in 1986 left some overarching plotlines of the series unresolved.<ref name="NYT 2006">{{cite web\|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/24/books/review/Itzkoff.t.html\|title=Across the Universe: ''Dune'' Babies\|last=Itzkoff\|first=Dave\|date=September 24, 2006\|website=]\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151024031606/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/24/books/review/Itzkoff.t.html\|archive-date=October 24, 2015\|url-status=live\|access-date=April 14, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722083627/http://www.empmuseum.org/exhibitions/index.asp?articleID=939\|encyclopedia=]\|date=1999\|first1=John\|last1=Clute\|author-link1=John Clute\|first2=Peter\|last2=Nicholls\|author-link2=Peter Nicholls (writer)\|publisher=]\|title=Exhibitions – Science Fiction Hall of Fame – Frank Herbert\|url=http://www.empmuseum.org/exhibitions/index.asp?articleID=939\|archive-date=July 22, 2012\|access-date=April 14, 2018\|via=empmuseum.org\|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="SFD 2007-08">{{cite web\|url=http://www.scifidimensions.com/Aug07/sandwormsofdune.htm\|title=Audiobook Review: ''Sandworms of Dune'' by Brian Herbert & Kevin J Anderson\|last=Snider\|first=John C.\|date=August 2007\|publisher=SciFiDimensions.com (Internet Archive)\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513064723/http://www.scifidimensions.com/Aug07/sandwormsofdune.htm\|archive-date=May 13, 2008\|url-status=dead\|access-date=July 20, 2011}}</ref> Two decades later, Herbert's son ], along with ], published two ]s – '']'' (2006) and '']'' (2007) – based in part on notes left behind by Frank Herbert for what he referred to as ''Dune 7'', his own planned seventh novel in the ''Dune'' series.
	==Plot introduction==
	The ] still find themselves questioning the ] of humanity set by the ]. Now they must survive the ], whose reckless conquest of the ] threatens Bene Gesserit survival. The Sisters must reassess their timeless methods: does ultimate survival go beyond calculated manipulation? Is there greater purpose to life than consolidating power?

	==Plot ~~summary~~==		==Plot==
			The Bene Gesserit find themselves the target of the Honored Matres, whose conquest of the Old Empire is almost complete. The Matres are seeking to assimilate the technology and superhuman skills of the Bene Gesserit, and exterminate the Sisterhood itself. Now in command of the Bene Gesserit, Mother Superior ] continues to develop her drastic, secret plan to overcome the Honored Matres. The Bene Gesserit are also ] the planet ] to accommodate the all-important ], as the planet ] had been destroyed by the Matres.

			], in charge of the project, expects sandworms to appear soon. The Honored Matres have also destroyed the entire ] civilization, with Tleilaxu Master ] the only one of his kind left alive. In Bene Gesserit captivity, Scytale possesses the Tleilaxu secret of ] production, which he has reluctantly traded for the Sisterhood's protection. The first ghola produced is that of their recently deceased military genius, ]. The Bene Gesserit have two other prisoners on Chapterhouse: the latest ] ghola, and former Honored Matre ], whom they have accepted as a novice despite their suspicion that she intends to escape back to the Honored Matres.
	The situation is desperate for the Bene Gesserit as they find themselves the targets of the Honored Matres, whose conquest of the Old Empire is almost complete. The Matres are seeking to assimilate the technology and developed methods of the Bene Gesserit, their "last enemy in the million planets" (i.e. the Old Empire before ]). Given the strength and record of the Matres, the Bene Gesserit need a plan.

			Lampadas, a center for Bene Gesserit education, has been destroyed by the Honored Matres. The planet's Chancellor, ] ], manages to escape carrying the shared-minds of millions of Reverend Mothers. Lucilla is forced to land on ] where she seeks refuge with an underground group of ]. The Rabbi gives Lucilla sanctuary, but to save his people from the Matres he must deliver her to them. Before doing so, he reveals ], a "wild" Reverend Mother who has gained her ] without Bene Gesserit training.
	In charge of this plan is Mother Superior ], successor of ]. Her ] visions show an unknown axeman stalking her — an adequate analogy to the Bene Gesserit situation.

			Lucilla shares minds with Rebecca, who promises to take the memories of Lampadas safely back to the Sisterhood. Lucilla is then "betrayed", and taken before the ] ], who tries to persuade her to join the Honored Matres, preserving her life in exchange for Bene Gesserit secrets. The Honored Matres are particularly interested in learning to voluntarily modify their body chemistry, a skill that atrophied among the Bene Gesserit who went out into the Scattering and evolved into the Honored Matres. From this, Lucilla deduces that the greater enemy that the Matres are fleeing from is making extensive use of biological warfare. Lucilla refuses to share this knowledge with the Matres, and Dama ultimately kills her.
	The Bene Gesserit are also creating a new ] on the planet Chapterhouse. ], in charge of the Worm project, expects a ] soon.

			Back on Chapterhouse, Odrade confronts Duncan and forces him to admit that he is a ], proving that he retains the memories of his many ghola lives. Meanwhile, Murbella collapses under the pressure of Bene Gesserit training, and realizes that she wants to be Bene Gesserit. Odrade believes that the Sisterhood made a mistake in fearing emotion, and that in order to evolve, they must learn to accept emotions. Murbella survives the ] and becomes a Reverend Mother. Odrade confronts Sheeana, discovering that Duncan and Sheeana have been allies for some time. Sheeana does not reveal that they have been considering the option of reawakening Teg's memory through ], nor does Odrade discover that Sheeana has the keys to Duncan's no-ship prison.
	The Honored Matres conquest destroyed the ], who falsely assumed that their control of ] production guaranteed their protection. The Matres, we come to see, are surprisingly impulsive in their use of violence. A single Tleilaxu Master remains, albeit in Bene Gesserit captivity. He yields a secret of the Tleilaxu: ] production. The technology compromises Bene Gesserit ethics; the Tleilaxu method requires a human womb — turning women into "tanks" fit for ghola production. The first ghola produced is that of ], the great military commander introduced in '']''.

			Teg is awakened by Sheeana using imprinting techniques. Odrade appoints him again as ] of the military forces of the Sisterhood for the assault on the Honored Matres. Odrade announces to the Bene Gesserit that Teg will lead an attack against the Honored Matres. She also makes clear her intention to share her memories with Murbella and Sheeana, making them candidates to succeed her as Mother Superior if she dies. Odrade meets with the Great Honored Matre while the Bene Gesserit forces under Teg attack Gammu with tremendous force. Teg uses his secret ability to see no-ships to secure control of the system, and victory for the Bene Gesserit seems inevitable. In the midst of this battle, Rebecca and the Jews take refuge with the Bene Gesserit fleet.
	The Bene Gesserit have three important prisoners on Chapterhouse, held in a ]: ], ] and ] (the Matre introduced in ''Heretics''). The Bene Gesserit considers them valuable keys to the present predicament. This mode of thinking — that people are tools fit for a task — makes the prisoners uncooperative, despite the shared threat of the Matres.

			Dama's chief advisor ] assassinates Dama with poison and assumes control of the Honored Matres. Too late, Odrade and Teg realize they have fallen into a trap, and the Honored Matres use a mysterious weapon to turn defeat into victory, and capture Odrade. Murbella saves as much of the Bene Gesserit force as she can and they withdraw to Chapterhouse. Odrade, however, had planned for the possible failure of the Bene Gesserit attack and left Murbella instructions for a last desperate gamble. Murbella pilots a small craft down to the surface, announcing herself as an Honored Matre who, in the confusion, has managed to escape the Bene Gesserit with all their secrets. She arrives on the planet and is taken to the Great Honored Matre. Unable to control her anger, Logno attacks but is killed by Murbella.
	The Bene Gesserit intend to wring more secrets of the Tleilaxu from Scytale; namely, how to create spice from the ]s. Scytale bitterly regrets supplying the Bene Gesserit with ghola technology, but he must barter with them; he is their prisoner. Within Scytale's chest is a ] tube, containing the cells of all Tleilaxu masters and various significant figures of the last few millennia, including ] himself.<ref>Herbert, Frank. ''Chapterhouse Dune''. "Scytale rubbed his breast, reminding himself of what was hidden there with such skill that not even a scar marked the place. Each Master had carried this resource — a nullentropy capsule preserving the seed cells of a multitude: fellow Masters of the central kehl, ]s, technical specialists and others he knew would be attractive to the women of Shaitan . . . and to many weakling '']''! Paul Atreides and his beloved ] were there. (Oh what that had cost in searching garments of the dead for random cells!) The original Duncan Idaho was there with other Atreides minions — the ] ], ], the Fremen Naib ] . . . enough potential servants and slaves to people a Tleilaxu universe."</ref> Potentially capable of recreating the Bene Tleilax, he retains his sense of destiny. Additionally, Scytale also wields the mind-controlling whistling language imprinted in all gholas; what ends could Duncan Idaho achieve for Scytale?

			Awed by her physical prowess, the remaining Honored Matres are forced to accept her as their new leader. Odrade is also killed in the melee and Murbella shares with Odrade to absorb her newest memories, as they had already shared prior to the battle. Murbella's ascension to leadership is not accepted as victory by all the Bene Gesserit. Some flee Chapterhouse, notably Sheeana, who has a vision of her own, and arranges to have some of the new worms that have emerged in the Chapterhouse desert brought aboard the no-ship. Sheeana is joined by Duncan. The two escape in the giant no-ship, with Scytale, Teg and the Jews. Murbella recognizes their plan at the last minute, but is powerless to stop them.
	Duncan Idaho and Murbella are living together. The bond created by their mutual imprinting in ''Heretics'' has made them somewhat reluctant lovers, as their sexual addiction leads to genuine affection. The Bene Gesserit have accepted Murbella as a novice and are training her to be a Sister, despite their suspicion that she intends to steal their secrets and escape back to the Honored Matres.

			==Reception==
	The Bene Gesserit wonder about Idaho's capabilities and potential; they suspect he remembers more than this ghola existence because they see signs of his being a ], a talent not taught to him. They also wonder why Leto II consistently resurrected Duncan; was it his genetic potential? Indeed, he remembers his serial ghola lives, which mystifies him. His mentat awareness tells him that the Bene Tleilax could not have accomplished this, implying that his awareness is linked beyond genetics.
			''Chapterhouse: Dune'' debuted at No. 5 and rose to No. 2 on ].<ref>{{cite web\|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/05/19/books/best-sellers.html?scp=6&sq=chapterhouse%20dune&st=cse\|title=Best Sellers\|date=May 19, 1985\|work=]\|via=NYTimes.com\|access-date=July 20, 2011}}</ref> Gerald Jonas of '']'' noted that "Against all odds, the universe of ''Dune'' keeps getting richer in texture, more challenging in its moral dilemmas."<ref name="NYT 1985">{{cite web\|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/06/16/books/science-fiction.html?scp=3&sq=chapterhouse%20dune&st=cse\|title=Science Fiction (Review)\|last=Jonas\|first=Gerald\|date=June 16, 1985\|work=The New York Times\|access-date=July 20, 2011}}</ref>

			] reviewed the novel for '']'' #65, and stated that "The hyper-acute characters are impressive, the resolution thoughtful and humane. Though initially I gave up after ''Children'', ''Heretics'' and ''Chapter House'' have partially Restored My Faith."<ref name="WD65">{{cite journal \| last =Langford \| first =Dave \| author-link =David Langford \| title =Critical Mass \| journal =] \| issue = 65 \| pages =10 \| publisher =] \| date = May 1985 }}</ref>

			==Sequels==
	], a center for Bene Gesserit education, has been destroyed by the Honored Matres. One Sister, ], who served as vice chancellor, manages to escape the disaster. She carries the salvation of destroyed Lampadas, later called the Lampadas Horde: the shared-minds of its millions of murdered ]. Unfortunately, Lucilla's ship is damaged by a mine and she makes a forced landing on ].
			Two decades after Frank Herbert's death, his son ], along with ], published two ]s – '']'' (2006) and '']'' (2007) – based on notes left behind by Frank Herbert for what he referred to as ''Dune 7'', his own planned seventh novel in the ''Dune'' series,{{Herbert notes}} while also continuing plot-lines from Brian Herbert's and Kevin J. Anderson's own ].

			==References==
	Lucilla seeks refuge with an underground group that she knows will be sympathetic to the Bene Gesserit: ]. Long ago, Jews went underground to escape the repeated ] against them. They continued to practice their religion in secret, under cover as "religious revivalists," to conceal their unbroken connection to ancient history. They were so successful that they have survived for 26,000 years while history believed them long since annihilated. The Bene Gesserit — with their memories of the past — were not deceived, and have developed a clandestine relationship with the Jews.
			{{Reflist}}

			==External links==
	The ], trapped in the web of mutual obligation, gives Lucilla temporary sanctuary, but in order to save his organization he must deliver Lucilla to the Matres. To Lucilla's shock he reveals ], a "wild" Reverend Mother who has gained her ] without Bene Gesserit training. Lucilla shares minds with Rebecca, who promises to take the memories of Lampadas safely back to the Sisterhood. Lucilla is then "betrayed" to the Honored Matres.
			{{wikiquote\|Dune}}
			* {{isfdb title\|id=2259}}
			*

	Back on Chapterhouse, Odrade's plans are reaching fruition. She confronts Duncan Idaho and forces him to admit that he is a Mentat, proving he retains memories of many ghola lives. To some degree this is a relief to Duncan, as he no longer has to disguise his abilities, but he realizes this makes his position still more precarious. He also does not reveal that he has been having sporadic mysterious visions of two strangers; an anonymous man and a woman named Marty, who seem to be aware of Duncan when he sees them.

			{{Dune franchise}}
	Lucilla is taken before the ] ], and to her surprise she is not killed outright. A game of words begins, and the Matre tries to persuade her to join the Honored Matres, preserving her life in exchange for Bene Gesserit secrets. It becomes known that the Matres dearly want to learn to modify their biochemistry as the Bene Gesserit do. It is speculated that the Matres were driven from The Scattering by an enemy who used ].
			{{Frank Herbert}}
			{{Authority control}}

			]
	Meanwhile, Murbella collapses under the pressure of Bene Gesserit training and pregnancy, giving in to "word weapons" that the Bene Gesserit planted to undermine her earlier Honored Matre identity. Murbella realizes that she really admires and wants to be Bene Gesserit, and sees her former Matres as ignorant children. The words of her initiation are repeated with an emphasis not in the original.
			]

			]
	], the head of a Sisterhood keep on ], arrives on Chapterhouse reporting that ] and their half-man/half-cat enslaved ]s have offered alliance, though Dortujla's Mentat analysis suggests they intend dominance. She speculates that if the Handlers found Buzzell then Matres may too; smugglers would have sold their information indiscriminately. Why have the Honored Matres not already attacked? Odrade sees an opportunity and orders Dortujla to return to Buzzell with the Sisterhood's offer of surrender. Dortujla is to set up a meeting at Junction — the old ] complex — which the Matres control. Unbeknownst to them, Miles Teg has intimate experience with Junction from his human life.
			]

			]
	Lucilla's verbal battles with the Great Honored Matre continue for weeks. When she reveals to Dama that although the Bene Gesserit know how to manipulate and control the populace, they practice and believe in democracy, Dama's desire to destroy the Sisterhood is redoubled; the Bene Gesserit teach dangerous knowledge and believe in ridiculous ideas like democracy! Dama kills Lucilla.

	Odrade decides that the task of awakening Teg's human memory is best suited to Duncan Idaho, and so he and Murbella take over Teg's training. It is a job that Duncan excels at, but he has reservations regarding the traditional way of awakening a ghola, remembering the pain he went through to release his own memories.

	Odrade and ] tour Chapterhouse and visit Sheeana to consider promotion. Arriving at the inland sea of Chapterhouse, Odrade is dismayed to see how small it has become. As she swims, she accepts the ruthlessness of some decisions, and returns to the shore with the decision to accelerate the terraforming by removing the last sea on the planet.

	Arriving at Desert Watch station, Odrade confronts Sheeana as a test of her suitability for promotion. But Odrade is undermined by her lingering affection for Sheeana and so does not force the full truth out of her, but discovers that Duncan and Sheeana have been allied together for some time and have exchanged much information. Sheeana does not reveal that they have been considering the option of reawakening Teg's memory through ], nor does Odrade discover that Sheeana has the keys to Duncan's no-ship prison.

	While Odrade is away, ] (a chief advisor to Odrade) decides to get rid of Duncan Idaho, whom she believes is too dangerous. However, she underestimates Duncan's capabilities; when she confronts him he protects himself with Teg, since Teg would never serve them after witnessing the murder of his teacher and friend. With his centuries of awareness — his serial lives — Duncan manipulates Bellonda by revealing his genius as a Mentat. He chides the Sisterhood by focusing on things that they refuse to face, arguing that their emergency plan of Scattering is flawed. Nobody sent to the Scattering has ever returned; therefore they are being trapped. Bellonda leaves, realizing not only that Duncan is too useful to kill, but also that Odrade probably manipulated her into this precise situation. She releases the blocks on Duncan's information flow, giving him full access to the data on the no-ship's computers. "If you have a tool, use it properly," she admits to herself.

	Odrade's molding of Scytale continues apace. She points out to him that his dream of Scytale's great revival is fatally flawed, because the Tleilaxu who scattered are no longer true to his beliefs and indeed serve the Matres. Scytale is amazed and terrified when Sheeana arrives with a baby sandworm. The Bene Gesserit have assured their own long term supply of spice, destroying Scytale's main bargaining card.

	At Duncan's suggestion, Teg is awakened by Sheeana using imprinting techniques. Teg's mother had conditioned in him a resistance to imprinting; under Sheeana's sensual assault, his old conditioning is triggered and his memories are awakened. In his awakening he cannot help but reveal the new physical abilities given to him by the ], the device used by the Honored Matres to torture him in ''Heretics.'' Odrade frees and appoints him again as ] of the military forces of the Sisterhood for the assault on the Honored Matres.

	Finally it is decided that Murbella is ready to become a Reverend Mother. Odrade relaxes the strictures, and for the first time ever, a man — Duncan — is allowed to watch a spice ceremony. Duncan is filled with trepidation, first because he fears Murbella will not survive the ritual, and second because he wonders whether she will still love him after going through such a life changing experience. Odrade watches with equal trepidation because Murbella is vital to her plan to deal with the Honored Matres and to reform the Sisterhood. Odrade believes that the Bene Gesserit made a mistake in fearing emotion, and that in order to evolve, the Bene Gesserit must learn to accept emotions. Murbella, Odrade is pleased to find, takes and survives the hard path to becoming a Reverend Mother.

	Murbella goes through a manic phase after becoming a Reverend Mother, and her feelings for Duncan are not the same — a fact that worries Odrade as much as Duncan. Whether it is a temporary effect of the experience or a permanent one is unknown.


	Odrade calls a Convocation (a meeting of all the Bene Gesserit) announcing her plan to attack the Honored Matres. She tells them that this attack will be led by Teg. She also announces candidates to succeed her as Mother Superior; she will share her memories with Murbella and Sheeana before she leaves.

	Odrade goes to meet the Great Honored Matre with Dortujla and Tamalane. To Odrade's surprise Dama seems cooperative; Odrade wonders whether she was wise to have prearranged the attack. After a while she realizes that Dama intends no reasonable negotiation.

	Under cover of Odrade's diplomacy, the Bene Gesserit forces under Teg attack Gammu with tremendous force. Teg uses his secret ability to see no-ships to secure control of the system. Survivors of the attack flee to Junction, and Teg follows them there and carries all with him. Victory for the Bene Gesserit seems inevitable. In the midst of this battle, the Jews (including Rebecca with her precious memories) take refuge with the Bene Gesserit fleet.

	] — chief advisor to Dama — assassinates Dama with poison and assumes control of the Honored Matres. Her first act surprises Odrade greatly; she surrenders to Odrade. Teg arrives, and reports come in. Too late Odrade and Teg realize they have fallen into a trap, and the Honored Matres use a mysterious weapon hinted at throughout the book to turn defeat into victory. Murbella saves as much of the Bene Gesserit force as she can and they begin to withdraw to Chapterhouse.

	Odrade, however, had planned for the possible failure of the Bene Gesserit attack and left Murbella instructions for a last desperate gamble. Murbella pilots a small craft down to the surface, announcing herself as an Honored Matre who, in the confusion, has managed to escape the Bene Gesserit with all their secrets. She arrives on the planet and immediately announces her intentions by killing an overeager Honored Matre with a blinding speed enhanced by Bene Gesserit training that makes her faster than any Honored Matre before her.

	Murbella is taken to the Great Honored Matre and immediately declares herself hostile. Unable to control her anger, Logno attacks but is disposed of by Murbella, who becomes Great Honored Matre by having killed her predecessor. Awed by her physical prowess, the remaining Honored Matres are forced to accept her as their new leader. Odrade is also killed in the melee and Murbella Shares with her, thereby also becoming Reverend Mother Superior.

	Murbella's ascension to the leadership of the Honored Matres and the Bene Gesserit is not accepted as victory by all the Bene Gesserit. Some feel that she will suborn the spirit of the Bene Gesserit and many worry that her plan of merging the two orders is doomed to failure. Some then decide to flee Chapterhouse, notably Sheeana, who has a vision of her own. They ask Duncan if he wishes to join them, and upon his agreement escape in the giant no-ship, with Scytale, Teg and the Jews from Gammu still aboard. Murbella recognizes their plan at the last minute, but is powerless to stop them, realizing at the same time that Duncan's departure solves many problems for her. Watching this escape with interest are ], the observers Duncan had been having visions of, who by all indications are independent ]s.

	The story ends on a cliffhanger with several questions left unanswered regarding the merging of the Honored Matres and Bene Gesserit, the fates of those on the escaped no-ship (including the role of Scytale, the development of Idaho and Teg, and the role of the Jews), the identity of the god-like characters in the book's final chapter and the ultimate mystery of what chased the Honored Matres back into the Old Empire.

	==References==
	{{reflist}}


	{{FrankHerbert}}
	{{Dune universe}}
	{{extended Dune series}}

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Latest revision as of 18:19, 2 July 2024

1985 novel by Frank Herbert

Chapterhouse: Dune
US first edition cover
Author	Frank Herbert
Audio read by	Scott Brick Katherine Kellgren Euan Morton Simon Vance
Cover artist	John Schoenherr
Language	English
Series	Dune series
Genre	Science fiction
Published	April 1985
Publisher	Putnam
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (hardcover & paperback)
Pages	464
ISBN	0-399-13027-6 (hardcover) 0-425-09214-3 (paperback)
OCLC	780493996
Dewey Decimal	813/.54
LC Class	PS3558.E63 C48 1985
Preceded by	Heretics of Dune
Followed by	Hunters of Dune

Chapterhouse: Dune is a 1985 science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, the last in his Dune series of six novels. It rose to No. 2 on The New York Times Best Seller list.

A direct follow-up to Heretics of Dune, the novel chronicles the continued struggles of the Bene Gesserit sisterhood against the violent Honored Matres, who are succeeding in their bid to seize control of the universe and destroy the factions and planets that oppose them.

Chapterhouse: Dune ends with a cliffhanger, and Herbert's subsequent death in 1986 left some overarching plotlines of the series unresolved. Two decades later, Herbert's son Brian Herbert, along with Kevin J. Anderson, published two sequels – Hunters of Dune (2006) and Sandworms of Dune (2007) – based in part on notes left behind by Frank Herbert for what he referred to as Dune 7, his own planned seventh novel in the Dune series.

Plot

The Bene Gesserit find themselves the target of the Honored Matres, whose conquest of the Old Empire is almost complete. The Matres are seeking to assimilate the technology and superhuman skills of the Bene Gesserit, and exterminate the Sisterhood itself. Now in command of the Bene Gesserit, Mother Superior Darwi Odrade continues to develop her drastic, secret plan to overcome the Honored Matres. The Bene Gesserit are also terraforming the planet Chapterhouse to accommodate the all-important sandworms, as the planet Dune had been destroyed by the Matres.

Sheeana, in charge of the project, expects sandworms to appear soon. The Honored Matres have also destroyed the entire Bene Tleilax civilization, with Tleilaxu Master Scytale the only one of his kind left alive. In Bene Gesserit captivity, Scytale possesses the Tleilaxu secret of ghola production, which he has reluctantly traded for the Sisterhood's protection. The first ghola produced is that of their recently deceased military genius, Miles Teg. The Bene Gesserit have two other prisoners on Chapterhouse: the latest Duncan Idaho ghola, and former Honored Matre Murbella, whom they have accepted as a novice despite their suspicion that she intends to escape back to the Honored Matres.

Lampadas, a center for Bene Gesserit education, has been destroyed by the Honored Matres. The planet's Chancellor, Reverend Mother Lucilla, manages to escape carrying the shared-minds of millions of Reverend Mothers. Lucilla is forced to land on Gammu where she seeks refuge with an underground group of Jews. The Rabbi gives Lucilla sanctuary, but to save his people from the Matres he must deliver her to them. Before doing so, he reveals Rebecca, a "wild" Reverend Mother who has gained her Other Memory without Bene Gesserit training.

Lucilla shares minds with Rebecca, who promises to take the memories of Lampadas safely back to the Sisterhood. Lucilla is then "betrayed", and taken before the Great Honored Matre Dama, who tries to persuade her to join the Honored Matres, preserving her life in exchange for Bene Gesserit secrets. The Honored Matres are particularly interested in learning to voluntarily modify their body chemistry, a skill that atrophied among the Bene Gesserit who went out into the Scattering and evolved into the Honored Matres. From this, Lucilla deduces that the greater enemy that the Matres are fleeing from is making extensive use of biological warfare. Lucilla refuses to share this knowledge with the Matres, and Dama ultimately kills her.

Back on Chapterhouse, Odrade confronts Duncan and forces him to admit that he is a Mentat, proving that he retains the memories of his many ghola lives. Meanwhile, Murbella collapses under the pressure of Bene Gesserit training, and realizes that she wants to be Bene Gesserit. Odrade believes that the Sisterhood made a mistake in fearing emotion, and that in order to evolve, they must learn to accept emotions. Murbella survives the spice agony and becomes a Reverend Mother. Odrade confronts Sheeana, discovering that Duncan and Sheeana have been allies for some time. Sheeana does not reveal that they have been considering the option of reawakening Teg's memory through imprinting, nor does Odrade discover that Sheeana has the keys to Duncan's no-ship prison.

Teg is awakened by Sheeana using imprinting techniques. Odrade appoints him again as Bashar of the military forces of the Sisterhood for the assault on the Honored Matres. Odrade announces to the Bene Gesserit that Teg will lead an attack against the Honored Matres. She also makes clear her intention to share her memories with Murbella and Sheeana, making them candidates to succeed her as Mother Superior if she dies. Odrade meets with the Great Honored Matre while the Bene Gesserit forces under Teg attack Gammu with tremendous force. Teg uses his secret ability to see no-ships to secure control of the system, and victory for the Bene Gesserit seems inevitable. In the midst of this battle, Rebecca and the Jews take refuge with the Bene Gesserit fleet.

Dama's chief advisor Logno assassinates Dama with poison and assumes control of the Honored Matres. Too late, Odrade and Teg realize they have fallen into a trap, and the Honored Matres use a mysterious weapon to turn defeat into victory, and capture Odrade. Murbella saves as much of the Bene Gesserit force as she can and they withdraw to Chapterhouse. Odrade, however, had planned for the possible failure of the Bene Gesserit attack and left Murbella instructions for a last desperate gamble. Murbella pilots a small craft down to the surface, announcing herself as an Honored Matre who, in the confusion, has managed to escape the Bene Gesserit with all their secrets. She arrives on the planet and is taken to the Great Honored Matre. Unable to control her anger, Logno attacks but is killed by Murbella.

Awed by her physical prowess, the remaining Honored Matres are forced to accept her as their new leader. Odrade is also killed in the melee and Murbella shares with Odrade to absorb her newest memories, as they had already shared prior to the battle. Murbella's ascension to leadership is not accepted as victory by all the Bene Gesserit. Some flee Chapterhouse, notably Sheeana, who has a vision of her own, and arranges to have some of the new worms that have emerged in the Chapterhouse desert brought aboard the no-ship. Sheeana is joined by Duncan. The two escape in the giant no-ship, with Scytale, Teg and the Jews. Murbella recognizes their plan at the last minute, but is powerless to stop them.

Reception

Chapterhouse: Dune debuted at No. 5 and rose to No. 2 on The New York Times Best Seller list. Gerald Jonas of The New York Times noted that "Against all odds, the universe of Dune keeps getting richer in texture, more challenging in its moral dilemmas."

Dave Langford reviewed the novel for White Dwarf #65, and stated that "The hyper-acute characters are impressive, the resolution thoughtful and humane. Though initially I gave up after Children, Heretics and Chapter House have partially Restored My Faith."

Sequels

Two decades after Frank Herbert's death, his son Brian Herbert, along with Kevin J. Anderson, published two sequels – Hunters of Dune (2006) and Sandworms of Dune (2007) – based on notes left behind by Frank Herbert for what he referred to as Dune 7, his own planned seventh novel in the Dune series, while also continuing plot-lines from Brian Herbert's and Kevin J. Anderson's own Dune prequel novels.

References

Itzkoff, Dave (September 24, 2006). "Across the Universe: Dune Babies". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 24, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
Clute, John; Nicholls, Peter (1999). "Exhibitions – Science Fiction Hall of Fame – Frank Herbert". The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. Orbit Books. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved April 14, 2018 – via empmuseum.org.
Snider, John C. (August 2007). "Audiobook Review: Sandworms of Dune by Brian Herbert & Kevin J Anderson". SciFiDimensions.com (Internet Archive). Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
"Best Sellers". The New York Times. May 19, 1985. Retrieved July 20, 2011 – via NYTimes.com.
Jonas, Gerald (June 16, 1985). "Science Fiction (Review)". The New York Times. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
Langford, Dave (May 1985). "Critical Mass". White Dwarf (65). Games Workshop: 10.
Liptak, Andrew (September 13, 2016). "The authors of Navigators of Dune on building an epic, lasting world". The Verge. Archived from the original on July 24, 2019. Retrieved July 24, 2019.

Quinn, Judy (November 17, 1997). "Bantam Pays $3M for Dune Prequels by Herbert's Son". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2014. The new prequels ... will be based on notes and outlines Frank Herbert left at his death in 1986.

Anderson, Kevin J. (December 16, 2005). "Dune 7 blog: Conspiracy Theories". Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved October 12, 2008 – via DuneNovels.com. Frank Herbert wrote a detailed outline for Dune 7 and he left extensive Dune 7 notes, as well as stored boxes of his descriptions, epigraphs, chapters, character backgrounds, historical notes—over a thousand pages worth.
Neuman, Clayton (August 17, 2009). "Winds of Dune Author Brian Herbert on Flipping the Myth of Jihad". AMC. Archived from the original on September 21, 2009. Retrieved June 16, 2020. I got a call from an estate attorney who asked me what I wanted to do with two safety deposit boxes of my dad's ... in them were the notes to Dune 7—it was a 30-page outline. So I went up in my attic and found another 1,000 pages of working notes.

"Before Dune, After Frank Herbert". Amazon.com. 2004. Archived from the original on April 9, 2009. Retrieved November 12, 2008. Brian was cleaning out his garage to make an office space and he found all these boxes that had 'Dune Notes' on the side. And we used a lot of them for our House books.

"Interview with Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson". Arrakis.ru. 2004. Archived from the original on September 8, 2012. Retrieved November 12, 2008. We had already started work on House Atreides ... After we already had our general outline written and the proposal sent to publishers, then we found the outlines and notes. (This necessitated some changes, of course.)
Ascher, Ian (2004). "Kevin J. Anderson Interview". DigitalWebbing.com. Archived from the original on July 3, 2007. Retrieved July 3, 2007. ... we are ready to tackle the next major challenge—writing the grand climax of the saga that Frank Herbert left in his original notes sealed in a safe deposit box ... after we'd already decided what we wanted to write ... They opened up the safe deposit box and found inside the full and complete outline for Dune 7 ... Later, when Brian was cleaning out his garage, in the back he found ... over three thousand pages of Frank Herbert's other notes, background material, and character sketches.

Adams, John Joseph (August 9, 2006). "New Dune Books Resume Story". SciFi.com. Archived from the original on December 19, 2007. Retrieved December 19, 2007. Anderson said that Frank Herbert's notes included a description of the story and a great deal of character background information. 'But having a roadmap of the U.S. and actually driving across the country are two different things,' he said. 'Brian and I had a lot to work with and a lot to expand...'

Snider, John C. (August 2007). "Audiobook Review: Hunters of Dune by Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson". SciFiDimensions.com. Archived from the original on March 24, 2008. Retrieved February 15, 2009. the co-authors have expanded on Herbert's brief outline

External links

Chapterhouse: Dune title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
Chapterhouse: Dune

Frank Herbert's Dune

Frank Herbert

Dune (1965)
Dune Messiah (1969)
Children of Dune (1976)
God Emperor of Dune (1981)
Heretics of Dune (1984)
Chapterhouse: Dune (1985)
"The Road to Dune" (1985)

Brian Herbert
Kevin J. Anderson

Sequels

Hunters of Dune (2006)
Sandworms of Dune (2007)

Prequels

Prelude	House Atreides (1999) House Harkonnen (2000) House Corrino (2001)
Legends	The Butlerian Jihad (2002) The Machine Crusade (2003) The Battle of Corrin (2004)
Heroes	Paul of Dune (2008) The Winds of Dune (2009) Princess of Dune (2023)
Great Schools	Sisterhood of Dune (2012) Mentats of Dune (2014) Navigators of Dune (2016)
Caladan	The Duke of Caladan (2020) The Lady of Caladan (2021) The Heir of Caladan (2022)

Films

Dune (1984)
- soundtrack
Dune (2021)
- soundtracks
- accolades
Part Two (2024)
- soundtrack
- accolades

Television

Frank Herbert's Dune (2000)
Frank Herbert's Children of Dune (2003)
Prophecy (2024)

Games

Other

The Dune Encyclopedia (1984)
National Lampoon's Doon (1984)
Short stories (1985–2022)
Songs of Muad'Dib (1992)
Dreamer of Dune (2003)
The Road to Dune (2005)
The Science of Dune (2007)
Jodorowsky's Dune (2013)
Head-Space (2016)
Lego Dune (2024–present)

Universe

Organizations	Bene Gesserit Bene Tleilax Face Dancers Fremen Honored Matres Mentats Sardaukar Spacing Guild
Characters	Alia Atreides Leto II Atreides Paul Atreides Chani Count Fenring Margot Fenring Feyd-Rautha Gurney Halleck Valya Harkonnen Vladimir Harkonnen Duncan Idaho Princess Irulan Lady Jessica Gaius Helen Mohiam Prophecy characters
Elements	Arrakis Butlerian Jihad Spice Sandworm Technology Glossary

Category

v t e Frank Herbert
Bibliography
Dune	Dune (1965) Dune Messiah (1969) Children of Dune (1976) God Emperor of Dune (1981) Heretics of Dune (1984) Chapterhouse: Dune (1985) "The Road to Dune" (1985) Songs of Muad'Dib (1992) The Road to Dune (2005)
ConSentiency	"A Matter of Traces" (1958) "The Tactful Saboteur" (1964) Whipping Star (1970) The Dosadi Experiment (1977)
The Pandora Sequence	Destination: Void (1966) The Jesus Incident (1979) The Lazarus Effect (1983) The Ascension Factor (1988)
Standalone novels	The Dragon in the Sea (1956) The Green Brain (1966) The Eyes of Heisenberg (1966) The Heaven Makers (1968) The Santaroga Barrier (1968) Soul Catcher (1972) The Godmakers (1972) Hellstrom's Hive (1973) Direct Descent (1980) The White Plague (1982) Man of Two Worlds (1986) High-Opp (2012) Angels' Fall (2013) A Game of Authors (2013) A Thorn in the Bush (2014)
Short story collections	The Worlds of Frank Herbert (1970) The Book of Frank Herbert (1973) The Best of Frank Herbert (1975) The Priests of Psi (1980) Eye (1985) The Collected Stories of Frank Herbert (2014)

Categories: