Giedi Prime
Encyclopedia
Giedi Prime (ˈjeɪdi) is a fictional planet in Frank Herbert
's 1965 science fiction
novel Dune
. A planet of Ophiuchi B (36)
, it is the homeworld of the vicious House Harkonnen
, the sworn enemies of House Atreides
.
, the planet's bio-resources depleted and its environment fouled with industrial pollution. Rich in mineral resources, the economy of the planet is based on mining, refineries, and industrial manufacture. In Dune, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen
and his heirs live in the "family city of Harko."
Due to its ravaged environment, Giedi Prime has to import almost all of its requirement of organic products. The Harkonnen have sought to compensate this weakness by military power and conquest. Society on Giedi Prime is martial and the weak rarely survive; gladiatorial games are a common form of entertainment, particularly for nobility, and vocational combat training from an early age is common in all classes of society. Slavery is legal and common, and legal punishment is usually draconian. Such conditions form the basis for a vast military-industrial complex and an army conditioned by fear which makes House Harkonnen the sole contender for House Atreides — or the throne — in terms of military power.
Following the events of God Emperor of Dune
, Giedi Prime is renamed "Gammu" (it is noted in Heretics of Dune
that Gurney Halleck
had been responsible for the renaming) and has drastically changed. Its main city is renamed "Ysai" and is oppressed by a massive building complex referred to as either "The Keep" or "Barony" (formerly "Harkonnen Keep"), one of the few remaining buildings from the Harkonnens (apart from a secret no-chamber). The efforts of various new settlers have slowly improved conditions, though the cities remain dreary and overcrowded.
trilogies
Prelude to Dune
(1999-2001) and Legends of Dune
(2002-2004) by Brian Herbert
and Kevin J. Anderson
. The Legends of Dune series establishes that 10,000 years before the events of Dune, the planet had been pleasant in climate and appearance. Its capital, Giedi City, is described as a lush, perfectly planned metropolis, but it is devastated in an invasion by the thinking machines
during the Butlerian Jihad
.
Frank Herbert
Franklin Patrick Herbert, Jr. was a critically acclaimed and commercially successful American science fiction author. Although a short story author, he is best known for his novels, most notably Dune and its five sequels...
's 1965 science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novel Dune
Dune (novel)
Dune is a science fiction novel written by Frank Herbert, published in 1965. It won the Hugo Award in 1966, and the inaugural Nebula Award for Best Novel...
. A planet of Ophiuchi B (36)
36 Ophiuchi
36 Ophiuchi is a triple star system 19.5 light years away from Earth. It is in the constellation Ophiuchus.The primary and secondary stars are nearly identical orange main sequence dwarves of spectral type K0/K1 and the tertiary star is an orange main sequence dwarf of spectral type K5.Star C is...
, it is the homeworld of the vicious House Harkonnen
House Harkonnen
House Harkonnen is a powerful noble family in Frank Herbert's fictional Dune universe. The Harkonnens are featured prominently in the original 1965 novel Dune, and are also a major presence in both the Prelude to Dune and Legends of Dune prequel trilogies by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson...
, the sworn enemies of House Atreides
House Atreides
House Atreides is a fictional noble family from the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. One of the Great Houses of the feudal interstellar empire known as the Imperium, its members play a role in every novel in the series. It is suggested within the series that the root of the Atreides line...
.
Description
Giedi Prime is an industrial wasteland with a low photosynthetic potentialPhotosynthesis
Photosynthesis is a chemical process that converts carbon dioxide into organic compounds, especially sugars, using the energy from sunlight. Photosynthesis occurs in plants, algae, and many species of bacteria, but not in archaea. Photosynthetic organisms are called photoautotrophs, since they can...
, the planet's bio-resources depleted and its environment fouled with industrial pollution. Rich in mineral resources, the economy of the planet is based on mining, refineries, and industrial manufacture. In Dune, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen
Vladimir Harkonnen
The Baron Vladimir Harkonnen is a fictional character from the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. He is primarily featured in the 1965 novel Dune, in which he is the secondary antagonist, and is also a major character in the Prelude to Dune prequel trilogy by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson...
and his heirs live in the "family city of Harko."
Due to its ravaged environment, Giedi Prime has to import almost all of its requirement of organic products. The Harkonnen have sought to compensate this weakness by military power and conquest. Society on Giedi Prime is martial and the weak rarely survive; gladiatorial games are a common form of entertainment, particularly for nobility, and vocational combat training from an early age is common in all classes of society. Slavery is legal and common, and legal punishment is usually draconian. Such conditions form the basis for a vast military-industrial complex and an army conditioned by fear which makes House Harkonnen the sole contender for House Atreides — or the throne — in terms of military power.
Following the events of God Emperor of Dune
God Emperor of Dune
God Emperor of Dune is a science fiction novel by Frank Herbert published in 1981, the fourth in the Dune series. It was ranked as the #11 hardcover fiction best seller of 1981 by Publishers Weekly.-Plot introduction:...
, Giedi Prime is renamed "Gammu" (it is noted in Heretics of Dune
Heretics of Dune
Heretics of Dune is a 1984 science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, fifth in a series of six novels. It was ranked as the #13 hardcover fiction best seller of 1984 by The New York Times.-Plot introduction:...
that Gurney Halleck
Gurney Halleck
Gurney Halleck is a fictional troubadour warrior in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. He is a major character in Herbert's Dune and Children of Dune , and appears in some of the prequel and sequel novels by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.Gurney is portrayed by Patrick Stewart in the...
had been responsible for the renaming) and has drastically changed. Its main city is renamed "Ysai" and is oppressed by a massive building complex referred to as either "The Keep" or "Barony" (formerly "Harkonnen Keep"), one of the few remaining buildings from the Harkonnens (apart from a secret no-chamber). The efforts of various new settlers have slowly improved conditions, though the cities remain dreary and overcrowded.
Prequels
Giedi Prime is also featured in the prequelPrequel
A prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...
trilogies
Trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected, and that can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, or video games...
Prelude to Dune
Prelude to Dune
Prelude to Dune is a prequel trilogy of novels written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, set in Frank Herbert's Dune universe....
(1999-2001) and Legends of Dune
Legends of Dune
Legends of Dune is a prequel trilogy of novels written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, set in Frank Herbert's Dune universe.* Dune: The Butlerian Jihad * Dune: The Machine Crusade * Dune: The Battle of Corrin...
(2002-2004) by Brian Herbert
Brian Herbert
Brian Patrick Herbert is an American author who lives in Washington state. He is the elder son of science fiction author Frank Herbert....
and Kevin J. Anderson
Kevin J. Anderson
Kevin J. Anderson is an American science fiction author with over forty bestsellers. He has written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E., and The X-Files, and with Brian Herbert is the co-author of the Dune prequels...
. The Legends of Dune series establishes that 10,000 years before the events of Dune, the planet had been pleasant in climate and appearance. Its capital, Giedi City, is described as a lush, perfectly planned metropolis, but it is devastated in an invasion by the thinking machines
Thinking machines (Dune)
Thinking machines is a collective term for artificial intelligence in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. The Butlerian Jihad a human crusade against thinking machines is an epic turning point in the back-story of the Dune universe...
during the Butlerian Jihad
Butlerian Jihad
The Butlerian Jihad is an event in the back-story of Frank Herbert's fictional Dune universe. Occurring over 10,000 years before the events chronicled in his 1965 novel Dune, this jihad leads to the outlawing of certain technologies, primarily "thinking machines", a collective term for computers...
.