Editing Arrakis (section)

{{short description|Fictional desert planet featured in the Dune series}}
{{about|the fictional planet in the Dune franchise created by Frank Herbert|the real-life star also called Arrakis|Mu Draconis}}
{{redirect|Rakis|the singular of the plural|Raki (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox fictional location
| name = Arrakis
| image = GrandPalace+Dunes.jpg
| caption = Grand Palace of Arrakeen and dunes of Arrakis from Frank Herbert's "[[The Road to Dune (short story)|The Road to Dune]]" (1985), illustrated by [[Jim Burns]]
| source = [[Dune (franchise)|''Dune'' universe]]
| first = ''[[Dune (novel)|Dune]]'' (1965)
| alt_name = Dune, Rakis
| creator = [[Frank Herbert]]
| genre = [[Science fiction]]
| type = [[Desert planet|Desert]]
| locations = [[#Features|Arrakeen]], [[#Sietch Tabr|Sietch Tabr]]
| ethnic_group = [[Fremen]]
}}

'''Arrakis''' ({{IPAc-en|ə|ˈ|r|ɑː|k|ᵻ|s}})<ref name="Pronunciation">{{Cite web |url=http://www.usul.net/books/sounds.htm |title=Audio excerpts from a reading of ''Dune'' by Frank Herbert |publisher=Usul.net |access-date=October 6, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101111172515/http://www.usul.net/books/sounds.htm| archive-date= November 11, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref>—informally known as '''Dune''' and later called '''Rakis'''—is a fictional [[desert planet]] featured in the [[Dune (franchise)|''Dune'' series]] of novels by [[Frank Herbert]]. Herbert's first novel in the series, 1965's ''[[Dune (novel)|Dune]]'', is considered one of the greatest science fiction novels of all time, and is among the best-selling science fiction novels in history.<ref>{{cite book|last=Touponce|first=William F.|date=1988|title=Frank Herbert|location=[[Boston, Massachusetts]]|publisher=Twayne Publishers imprint, G. K. Hall & Co.|page=119|isbn=0-8057-7514-5|quote=''[[Locus (magazine)|Locus]]'' ran a poll of readers on April 15, 1975, in which ''Dune'' 'was voted the all-time-best science-fiction novel&nbsp;... It has sold over ten million copies in numerous editions.'}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=SCI FI Channel Auction to Benefit Reading Is Fundamental | url=http://pnnonline.org/article.php?sid=4302  |date=March 18, 2003 |publisher=PNNonline.org|quote=Since its debut in 1965, Frank Herbert's ''Dune'' has sold over 12 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling science fiction novel of all time&nbsp;... Frank Herbert's ''Dune'' saga is one of the greatest 20th Century contributions to literature.|access-date=September 28, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928005501/http://pnnonline.org/article.php?sid=4302 |archive-date=September 28, 2007}}</ref>

In ''Dune'', Arrakis is the most important planet in the universe, as it is the only source of the drug [[melange (fictional drug)|melange]]. Melange (or, "the spice") is the most essential and valuable commodity in the universe, as it extends life and makes safe interstellar travel possible (among other uses). Harvesting the spice is also hazardous in the extreme, due to both the harsh climate of the planet and the fact that melange deposits are guarded by giant [[sandworm (Dune)|sandworms]].

Arrakis is also the home of the [[Fremen]], a people conditioned by the planet's harsh environment, and becomes the capital of the Atreides Empire.