This paper compares the interplay of science and religion in the Foundation series (Isaac Asimov) to the Dune series (Frank Herbert). In the Foundation series, science has displaced religion in the future, though religion is present on various planets at various times, but only as a calculated political hoax or a false system of belief and practice. Salvor Hardin passes technological devices off as magical in the Four Kingdoms surrounding Terminus and a naïve priesthood emerges. On Comporellon, Trevise, who is in search of the Second Foundation, is immediately arrested. He meets with First Minister Lizalor and learns that Comporellon is a fundamentalist religious state which regards marriage as a sacrament, condemning the sexual relationship of two of his companions. But in Dune, religion and science go hand in hand with Paul Atreides (Muadib) becoming the Dune Messiah, and using his own powers (the voice), the Fremen, sandworms and blasters to defeat House Harkonnen. The religion is later codified and reified following the triumph and disappearance of Muadib. The Fremen and the Bene Gesserit are deeply religious groups who develop narratives to justify their oft times questionable practices. Leto, the son of Muadib, becomes the God Emperor of Dune, half human and half divine. So, in the Dune series the power of religion is central from the rise and disappearance of Muadib to the transmogrification of Leto.
| Published in | International Journal of Literature and Arts (Volume 14, Issue 1) |
| DOI | 10.11648/j.ijla.20261401.11 |
| Page(s) | 1-6 |
| Creative Commons |
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Copyright |
Copyright © The Author(s), 2026. Published by Science Publishing Group |
Asimov, Herbert, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Foundation, Dune, Technology, Religion
| [1] | Asimov, Isaac. (1951/2018). Foundation. Del Rey. |
| [2] | Asimov, Isaac. (1952/2020). Foundation and Empire. Del Rey. |
| [3] | Asimov, Isaac. (1953/2020). Second Foundation. Del Rey. |
| [4] | Asimov, Isaac. (1982). Foundation’s Edge. First Edition. Doubleday. |
| [5] | Asimov, Isaac. (1986). Foundation and Earth. First Edition. Doubleday. |
| [6] | Asimov, Isaac. (1988/2020). Prelude to Foundation. Del Rey. |
| [7] | Asimov, Isaac. (1993). Forward the Foundation. Doubleday. |
| [8] | Baudrillard, Jean. (1994) The Illusion of the End. Stanford. |
| [9] | Blumenberg, Hans. (1995). The Legitimacy of the Modern Age. Trans. Robert M. Wallace. Massachusetts: MIT. |
| [10] | Blumenberg, Hans. (1985). Work on Myth. Trans. Robert M. Wallace. Massachusetts: MIT Press. |
| [11] | Herbert, Frank. (1965/1999). Dune. Ace Books. |
| [12] | Herbert, Frank. (1969). Dune Messiah. G. P Putnam’s Sons. |
| [13] | Herbert, Frank. (1976). Children of Dune. G. P Putnam’s Sons. |
| [14] | Herbert, Frank. (1981). God Emperor of Dune. G. P Putnam’s Sons. |
| [15] | Herbert, Frank. (1984). Heretics of Dune. G. P Putnam’s Sons. |
| [16] | Herbert, Frank. (1985). Chapterhouse: Dune. G. P Putnam’s Sons. |
| [17] | Lyotard, Jean Francois. (1979). The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge. University of Minnesota Press. |
APA Style
Grant, A. (2026). The Interplay of Science and Religion in Isaac Asimov’s Foundation Series and Frank Herbert’s Dune. International Journal of Literature and Arts, 14(1), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20261401.11
ACS Style
Grant, A. The Interplay of Science and Religion in Isaac Asimov’s Foundation Series and Frank Herbert’s Dune. Int. J. Lit. Arts 2026, 14(1), 1-6. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20261401.11
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Download@article{10.11648/j.ijla.20261401.11,
author = {Arthur Grant},
title = {The Interplay of Science and Religion in Isaac Asimov’s Foundation Series and Frank Herbert’s Dune},
journal = {International Journal of Literature and Arts},
volume = {14},
number = {1},
pages = {1-6},
doi = {10.11648/j.ijla.20261401.11},
url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20261401.11},
eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijla.20261401.11},
abstract = {This paper compares the interplay of science and religion in the Foundation series (Isaac Asimov) to the Dune series (Frank Herbert). In the Foundation series, science has displaced religion in the future, though religion is present on various planets at various times, but only as a calculated political hoax or a false system of belief and practice. Salvor Hardin passes technological devices off as magical in the Four Kingdoms surrounding Terminus and a naïve priesthood emerges. On Comporellon, Trevise, who is in search of the Second Foundation, is immediately arrested. He meets with First Minister Lizalor and learns that Comporellon is a fundamentalist religious state which regards marriage as a sacrament, condemning the sexual relationship of two of his companions. But in Dune, religion and science go hand in hand with Paul Atreides (Muadib) becoming the Dune Messiah, and using his own powers (the voice), the Fremen, sandworms and blasters to defeat House Harkonnen. The religion is later codified and reified following the triumph and disappearance of Muadib. The Fremen and the Bene Gesserit are deeply religious groups who develop narratives to justify their oft times questionable practices. Leto, the son of Muadib, becomes the God Emperor of Dune, half human and half divine. So, in the Dune series the power of religion is central from the rise and disappearance of Muadib to the transmogrification of Leto.},
year = {2026}
}
TY - JOUR T1 - The Interplay of Science and Religion in Isaac Asimov’s Foundation Series and Frank Herbert’s Dune AU - Arthur Grant Y1 - 2026/01/19 PY - 2026 N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20261401.11 DO - 10.11648/j.ijla.20261401.11 T2 - International Journal of Literature and Arts JF - International Journal of Literature and Arts JO - International Journal of Literature and Arts SP - 1 EP - 6 PB - Science Publishing Group SN - 2331-057X UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20261401.11 AB - This paper compares the interplay of science and religion in the Foundation series (Isaac Asimov) to the Dune series (Frank Herbert). In the Foundation series, science has displaced religion in the future, though religion is present on various planets at various times, but only as a calculated political hoax or a false system of belief and practice. Salvor Hardin passes technological devices off as magical in the Four Kingdoms surrounding Terminus and a naïve priesthood emerges. On Comporellon, Trevise, who is in search of the Second Foundation, is immediately arrested. He meets with First Minister Lizalor and learns that Comporellon is a fundamentalist religious state which regards marriage as a sacrament, condemning the sexual relationship of two of his companions. But in Dune, religion and science go hand in hand with Paul Atreides (Muadib) becoming the Dune Messiah, and using his own powers (the voice), the Fremen, sandworms and blasters to defeat House Harkonnen. The religion is later codified and reified following the triumph and disappearance of Muadib. The Fremen and the Bene Gesserit are deeply religious groups who develop narratives to justify their oft times questionable practices. Leto, the son of Muadib, becomes the God Emperor of Dune, half human and half divine. So, in the Dune series the power of religion is central from the rise and disappearance of Muadib to the transmogrification of Leto. VL - 14 IS - 1 ER -
Organizational Leadership, Robert Morris University, Moon Township, the United States
