Survival of the Fittest

God Emperor of Dune is about the institution of the "Golden Path," Leto II's radical program for ensuring the survival of the human race. This is signaled by the first action scene, in which rebels race through the Forbidden Forest, pursued by D-wolves, and only the athletic Siona survives. Notably, she carries a sealed packet they have stolen from the fortress, which they hope will reveal where Leto hides his hoard of melange-spice, but also she is an Atreides, the product of selective breeding over millennia. Dune's ecology has been radically transformed, and the giant sandworms that produce melange, the most valuable substance known to humankind, are extinct. By controlling a massive cache and doling it out as reward and punishment, Leto has kept the peace for 3,000 years. The D-wolves are thus an extension of Leto's purpose: to be the greatest predator ever. One day...