of a plan by a supersecret group of warrior women to create a superman leader, and his trip to Arrakis is meant to start that process. However, he is caught in bloody political intrigue, and Paul escapes into the desert to live among the Fremen. He overdoses on the spice, melange, and sees into the future, learning how to transform the planet from a desert into a paradise. But in order to do so, he needs the Fremen to follow him so he can take over the Empire. By the end of the book, he has conquered the Emperor and seems to be on his way to fulfilling his promise, although he has had to become an increasingly ruthless leader in order to do so.
However, the story is not about conquering foes through force, but rather is about creating a consciousness and a society which are able to flow with the rhythms of the environment. This is absolutely crucial for any society which hopes to survive on as inhospitable a planet as Arrakis. In the novel, it is clear that there is and must be a constant dialogue between society and the environment, if those in that society are to survive. The natural environment of Arrakis is so complex and delicate that to do otherwise would be suicide for the society.
Despite the fact that Arrakis is a great sand dune, there is water on the planet. However, it is trapped and hidden by the giant sandworms which are at the center of the planet's environment. To the sandworms in their mature form, water is toxic. To survive, it needs an entirely arid environment. The immigrants to the planet plant a foreign plant in order to control the dunes' movement, and it is necessary that this plant also be toxic to the sandworms. The people cannot kill the sandworms, because the beasts provide the oxygen for humans, who get minimal oxygen from plant life. Also, the desert provides the precious spice, melange, which is treasured throughout the Empire. Melange is also created, indirectly, by the sandworms, as a part of th...