Unlike Denis Villeneuve’s movies, HBO’s six-part limited series is not an adaptation.

It’s set in what most fans consider the expanded universe, written by Frank Herbert’s son, Brian Herbert, and co-author Kevin J. Anderson. Their Schools of Dune trilogy serves as inspiration and precursor, with only some flashbacks happening during the books and most of the series focusing on events decades later.

And while Brian Herbert was involved in the production, I wouldn’t expect the TV series to stay completely loyal to the source material - the writers might’ve decided to simplify or omit story arcs to create a coherent TV experience. This is why I’m only talking about potential spoilers.

Potential spoilers ahead.

In the trailer, there’s no mention of the Bene Gesserit - the group is consistently referred to simply as “the Sisterhood.” This is very much in line with the prequel books, where they initially evolve from the Sorceresses of the planet Rossak and only later adopt the name Bene Gesserit. In fact, it’s one of our main characters, Valya Harkonnen (shown below), who names the order.

Or rather, the lack of the blue-in-blue eyes, typically indicative of Fremen or anyone with a diet heavy in Spice. Bene Gesserit Reverend Mothers, having undergone the ‘spice agony,’ would all have such eyes. However, the Reverend Mothers of the Sisterhood relied on other drugs to experience a near-death state, allowing them to access the memories of the maternal ancestors and unlock their full potential.

In the books, Valya Harkonnen’s primary motivation is to take revenge on all Atreides, who were responsible for the Harkonnens’ downfall after the Butlerian Jihad (humanity’s rebellion against its AI overlords) about a century before the series’ events. Tula Harkonnen (shown below) even marries Orry Atreides and murders him on their wedding night. With only six episodes, it’s unclear if there will be time for all these “plans within plans,” so I wouldn’t be surprised if they skip this storyline.

The Sisterhood had two major secrets in the books: one unsavory and one treasonous. From the beginning, they maintained detailed genetic records and decided to play god by manipulating family lineages. More dangerously, they stored these records on computers, in direct violation of the ban on thinking machines.

The Bene Gesserit wield many powers, but none as famous as the Voice - a technique that allows them to control (most) people. Valya Harkonnen learned the technique on her own, and we get a glimpse in the trailer of her younger self using it on another sister. She forces Reverend Mother Dorothea to commit suicide - she was meant to co-lead the Sisterhood with Valya after the order’s founder’s passing and of course, her death secured Valya’s unquestioned rise to power.

As HBO’s Dune: Prophecy unfolds, I’ll be here every week, exploring how each episode connects to the books.

But even beyond the show, I’d encourage you to subscribe if you’re a fan of Dune because I’ll keep posting weekly deep dives into the lore.

If this is a rabbit hole you’d enjoy, I’d love to be your Navigator.