"Dune" focuses on Paul Atreides, the 15-year-old heir to House Atreides. His family is forced by the Emperor who rules the Known Universe to leave the planet Caladan and to take control of the planet Arrakis. Arrakis is currently controlled by House Harkonnen, and is the only place that a spice called Melange is found. Melange is the most important thing in the universe. It lets you see the future and think much faster. If you take melange, you live much longer, sometimes even hundreds of years longer. It also lets you travel far distances at great speeds.