Dune is widely regarded one of the greatest Sci-Fi stories ever made. It was written in 1965 and has inspired many great scifi stories like Starwars. Dune has some of the most unique plot points of any Sci-Fi story. There are no robots or AI. There is a need for close range combat.

 

The story takes places after the event known as The Butlarian Jihad. At one point humanity lived in harmony with AI. Robots lived along side humanity. Until one day the AI revolted and turned against the humans. They came close to wiping out all of humanity but luckily humanity came out on top. 

 

After that way known as the Butlarian Jihad, there was a law passed that banned the creation of thinking machines. AI was no longer allowed. Not just conscious machines but no any AI. Being caught working on such technology is punishable by death. 

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The story takes place in a world where a great scientist invented the Holtzman shield. A device that looks like a wristband that once turned on forms a force field around your body, preventing the penetration of fast moving objects. This means someone could not kill you by shooting you or by striking you quickly with a sword. But you could still get killed if they defeat you in combat and are able to slowly drive a blade into you or slowly slit your throat. 

 

This makes it so that there is still a purpose of learning physical combat in a Sci-Fi future world. Humanity went from Spartan like battles of 2 armies charging into each other, to shooting guns at each other from a distance. Usually in most Sci-Fi stories this progression continues by simply replacing the bullets for lasers, but in dune things revert back to the physical combat of two armies charging at each other with swords and shields.

 

There is no magic, the story is considered scifi and not fantasy. The story takes place in an alternate future, where human powers are developed to the maximum. Because AI was banned, humanity was forced to develop their mental powers.

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