In science fiction works by Frank Herbert, what is Giedi Prime?

The planet Giedi Prime first appeared in the late Mr. Herbert’s (10/8/20 – 2/11/86) “Dune”, published in 1965. The planet is home to the antagonists of the novel, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen and the rest of House Harkonnen.

The Harkonnens rule by violence and intimidation. Their economy is based on two components, one on Giedi Prime and the other on Arrakis, also called Dune. Arrakis is the only place in the known universe where the spice, “mélange,” is available. It makes interstellar travel possible. On Giedi Prime, the Harkonnens have exhausted the planet’s bio-resources and are depleting its mineral resources for the sake of greed.

Wholesale mining, refinery, and industrialization have made Giedi Prime extremely inhospitable, both ecologically and humanly. Gladiatorial contests provide entertainment and slavery is not only legal but common. Military training begins early in life, and the exercise of raw power is a free-standing goal. Punishment is extremely harsh.

Starting out as a newspaper journalist, Mr. Herbert soon began writing short science fiction and then, starting with Dune, novels. He became an ecological consultant. His distaste for the military-industrial complex is revealed in Giedi Prime. Through September 28, 2007, Dune was the best-selling science fiction novel of all time and had spawned five sequels.