[cblum]

> I'm trying to understand why the characters in Dune fought with swords, pikes and knives.

At least part of the reason is that the interaction between a lasgun and a shield would cause a powerful explosion that would kill the shooter too. No one wants that and no one will give up their shield, so they had to go back to melee weapons.

[potro]

Were drones unthinkable at the time of Dune creation? Or suicide attacks?

[throwaway7356]

No, there is a in-world reason at least for no drones. Wikipedia:

> However, a great reaction against computers has resulted in a ban on any "thinking machine", with the creation or possession of such punishable by immediate death.

[ethbr1]

For anyone who wants the short version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YnAs4NpRd8

tl;dr - Machine intelligences existed in Dune history, were discovered to be secretly controlling humanity (through abortion under false pretenses, forced sterilization, emotional/social control, and other ways), then were purged and replaced with a religious commandment: "Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a human mind"

[cam-o-man]

No, and there is a (piloted) drone attack in the first book -- Paul is attacked by a hunter-seeker.

The reason nobody tries to use the lasgun-shield interaction as a weapon is because the resulting explosion is indistinguishable from a nuclear weapon, and the Great Convention prohibits the use of nukes on human targets.

Just the perception of having used a nuclear device would result in the House which did so becoming public enemy #1 and being eradicated by the Landsraad and Sardaukar combined.

[archi42]

Nope. That's all I'm going to spoiler;-)

@Potro: If you liked the movie, read the books. I don't read a lot anymore, but during sick leave I started with the first book. Didn't stop until I finished the main story, including the sequels by Frank Herbert's son about a month later. That's like... uh... nine books?

[lobocinza]

In the book Paul is attacked by an insect drone while in his room. The drone was controlled by a Harkonnen agent placed weeks in anticipation inside a structure of the palace so it was also a suicide attack as the agent had no chance to escape and would die of hunger/thirsty if not found.

[Muromec]

There is a drone attack in a first movie