[1] The series chronicles the fictional Butlerian Jihad, a crusade by the last free humans in the universe against the thinking machines, a violent and dominating force led by the sentient computer mind Omnius.

Vorian Atreides, despite the long life given to him by his father, the Titan Agamemnon, begins to show the vestiges of wanting to settle down after visiting the planet Caladan, and meeting Leronica Tergiet, who is to become his long-term concubine.

On the planet of Poritrin, Norma Cenva becomes a successful inventor whose research and inventions on shields and spacefolding technology aids the League's war efforts against the machines.

Norma leaves the world just in time to avoid a slave uprising during which Aliid, unaware of the consequences, fires a lasgun into a Holtzman personal shield.

Ishmael manages to escape offworld with a hundred slaves including his older daughter Chamal and her husband Rafael by forcing the Tlulaxa Tuk Keedair to fly Norma's prototype spacefolding ship to the lonely desert world of Arrakis.

Meanwhile, Norma, due to her heritage as daughter of the main Sorceress of Rossak Zufa Cenva, finally taps into her latent powers under great pressure (precipitated by her capture and subsequent torture by the Titan Xerxes) to become the spearhead of humanity.