Dune Messiah is the second entry in the Dune series written by Frank Herbert. The story is set twelve years after Paul Atreides began his rule as Emperor. The introductory volume in the Dune series serves to describe the circumstances of this rise to power and situate Paul as a predetermined hero who is also the messiah of the title. It is primarily this messianic role rather than his political status as emperor which becomes the focus of the sequel. Dune is, of course, one of the landmark series in the history of fantasy science fiction within which one of the most common tropes is the arrival of a character who is identified as the "chosen one" charged with ensuring the forces of good triumph over the force of evil. Generally speaking, this messianic heroic figure is rarely questioned or given the opportunity for any serious ambiguity. The narrative engine driving this second visit to the rule of Paul is the potential for this trope to be subject to the serious possibility of subversion.
The novel begins with an unusual structural decision. The opening pages are transcripts from a prison cell interview providing an overview of the means by which Paul came to be emperor. This process is questioned by a death row inmate whose historical research undermines everything about the rise of Paul Atreides by suggesting that it was the logical outcome of a well-constructed myth with the intent to create a messianic fraud. This conclusion seems to be confirmed by the connotation of the facts of Paul's rule. He has successfully spread the culture of the Fremen people who have been conditioned to worship him but at the cost of countless billions of innocent lives across the universe. The question this raises is an ancient one relatable to the history of the earth as it becomes clear that Paul can be viewed as both a heroic figure and a monster simultaneously depending on one's perspective.
It is precisely the space that exists within these perspectives which allows for the enemies of Paul to engage in nefarious plots to overthrow his rule. The bulk of the narrative is focused on the various forces and mechanisms at play in seeking to usurp his position as Emperor. The conspirators engage in a variety of complex—if not outright confusing—plots to bring about an end to Paul's rule, but the central thematic foundation remains firmly in place.
Paul's rule has been undeniably vicious and bloody, but his intent has been pure. Blessed with the gift of prescience, he is able to foresee all the multiple possibilities of what the future could be and is morally convinced that the path he has taken is the one which will save the entire universe from devastation. Ultimately, however, Paul loses his prescience and literally goes blind. He sends himself into self-exile now filled with regret that even with his ability to foresee possible disasters for humanity, he failed to save everyone he could. The story ultimately becomes one in which a man loses humanity once he becomes associated with god and religion.
The second novel takes the Dune saga down a dark and depressing road that calls to mind figures from our own historical past whose downfall correlates with the decision by supporters to become worshipers. The massive genocidal blood on Paul's hands may not exactly mirror that of lunatics like Adolf Hitler, but the storyline is essentially the same. Too much power invested in a leader who comes to be seen as a messenger of God's will always result in disaster for almost everybody, including the messiahs themselves.
