[Ads-l] Butlerian Jihad =?UTF-8?Q?=E2=80=93_?=movement against artificial intelligence and robots

Sun Nov 8 20:03:04 UTC 2026

Excellent work, Jesse.
The origin of the term "Butlerian Jihad" is more complex than I
originally imagined. I still do not know whether Frank Herbert, the
author of Dune, intended to refer to Samuel Buttler's 1872 novel
Erewhon. I have not found any statements directly from Frank Herbert.

Now, the connection of the character Jehanne Butler to the "Butlerian
Jihad" is uncertain. The Dune Encyclopedia (1984) contains a pertinent
entry which I posted previously. Frank Herbert approved The Dune
Encyclopedia, and he wrote its foreword. However, after Frank Herbert
died, the Herbert Estate declared The Dune Encyclopedia non-canon.

Willis McNelly was the editor of The Dune Encyclopedia. McNelly states
that he invented the character Jehanne Butler. Also, McNelly states
that he does not know whether Frank Herbert intended to refer to any
specific person named Butler. See the Usenet message from McNelly
presented further below.

Date: 1984 Copyright
Book Title: The Dune Encyclopedia
Compiler: Willis E. McNelly
Entry: Jehanne Butler
Quote Page 137
Publisher: Berkley Books, New York

[Begin excerpt]
Jehanne Butler gave her name to the Butlerian Jihad, one of the most
enduring developments in the history of the race. As leader of the
revolt of Komos against Richese, and then of the Jihad for the first
twenty years of its course, she left an imprint on the minds of her
followers which bespeaks an extraordinary personality: powerful,
resolute, intuitive, and merciful.
[End excerpt]

Usenet discussion message,
Timestamp: Dec 21, 1999, 3:00:00 AM
Newsgroup: alt.fan.dune
From: Willis McNelly
Subject: Butlerian Jihad&J. Butler:Bishop.
(Google Groups Search; Accessed ??) link [/ref]

https://groups.google.com/g/alt.fan.dune/c/dvgx5XfItTE/m/3d8TCQTpaqEJ

[Begin excerpt]
I am not sure that FH meant any paticular "Butler." But he was
certainly referring to the Luddite anti-machine uprising in Britain at
the beginning of the industrial revolution.

As to the story of the aborted female fetus in the DE which brought
about the Butlerian Jihad, that creation was entirely my own, as I
recall, and I named her "Jehanne" after Joan of Arc - the warrior
saint.

I had proposed to FH that he and I collaborate on a prequel to the
Dune saga called "Prequel to Dune: the Butlerian Jehad" or some
similar title. FH and I had discussed writing it together and he
agreed with my general plot outline, completed first chapter, and so
on but his untimely death prevented us from continuing. He had been
living in the LA area at the time and we often discussed it by phone,
but I have no written notes from him about it, unfortunately The
prequel would have followed in general terms the story as outlined in
the DE - sketched in my notes - which I still have - and written in
final published form by one of my colleagues at Cal State.
[End excerpt]

According to Neo Encyclopedia Wiki, the authors Brian Herbert and
Kevin J. Anderson decided that the Butlerian Jihad was named after the
character Serena Butler (and not Jehanne Butler).

https://neoencyclopedia.fandom.com/wiki/Serena_Butler

[Begin excerpt]
Serena Butler is a character in Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's
Legends of Dune series, a trilogy of novels set during the Butlerian
Jihad, the war against thinking machines only vaguely referred to in
Frank Herbert's original Dune series. …

A beautiful and ambitious woman, Serena Butler (b. 221 B.G.) and her
murdered baby Manion Butler inspired the Butlerian Jihad, and became
its namesakes in Dune: The Butlerian Jihad.
[End excerpt]

This topic is convoluted. I have suspended research. I leave the topic
to Dune fans.

Garson

On Sun, Nov 8, 2026 at 7:27 AM Jesse Sheidlower <jester at panix.com> wrote:
>
> Many thanks to Garson and Jeff for these examples. I've added Jeff's 1978 cite to the entry. I did not add the obscure 1972 Jack Speer quote, but I did alter the etymology to acknowledge the name of the in-universe character, and to say "perhaps influenced" by Samuel Butler. (It had never occurred to me that this was controversial, but if there's nothing explicit from Herbert about it, I guess it's better to be safe.)
>
> Jesse Sheidlower
> HDSF
>
> On Sat, Nov 07, 2026 at 04:17:04PM -0500, ADSGarson O'Toole wrote:
> > Excellent citation, Jeff. Previously, I visited the Fanac.org website
> > and tried to use the search function, but I did not see the match you
> > found. Now, using Google site search within Fanac.org I found an
> > interesting match for "Butlerian Jihad" in 1972. The usage is not
> > figurative, but it is literary/analytic. The writer tentatively
> > connects "Butlerian Jihad" to Erewhon (Samuel Butler's 1872 novel).
> >
> > Date: September 1972
> > Periodical: Dynatron #50
> > Correspondent: Jack Speer of Albuquerque, New Mexico (I think)
> > Quote Page 28
> >
> > https://fanac.org/fanzines/Dynatron/Dynatron50.pdf
> >
> > [Begin excerpt]
> > And what is the Butlerian Jihad? Something to do with Erewhon, i
> > suppose, {{Vardebob will explain.}}
> > [End excerpt]
> >
> > Garson
> >
> > On Sat, Nov 7, 2026 at 3:23 PM Jeff Prucher
> > <000000b93183dc86-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
> > >
> > >  Here's an earlier non-Dune Butlerian Jihad:
> > >
> > > Roy Tackett, Notes from Arinam, Spring 1978, p. 6.
> > >
> > > I am not one of those who are fascinated by computers. I believe in the inevitability of the Butlerian Jihad.
> > >
> > > https://www.fanac.org/fanzines/Notes_From_Arinam/notes_from_arinam_tackett_1978-sp_fapa_163_us.pdf
> > >
> > > Jeff Prucher
> > >     On Friday, November 6, 2026 at 05:21:52 PM PST, ADSGarson O'Toole <00001aa1be50b751-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
> > >
> > >  You are welcome, Jesse.
> > > Back in September when I was exploring the term "Butlerian Jihad" I
> > > encountered the intriguing claim (which you mention) that the author
> > > Frank Herbert selected "Butlerian" to express a connection with the
> > > English novelist Samuel Butler, but I was unable to find a statement
> > > directly from Herbert supporting this assertion. Frank Herbert died in
> > > 1986.
> > >
> > > Within the fictional world of Dune, the name was derived from the
> > > character Jehanne Butler who initiated the Butlerian Jihad:
> > >
> > > Date: 1984 Copyright
> > > Book Title: The Dune Encyclopedia
> > > Compiler: Willis E. McNelly
> > > Entry: Jehanne Butler
> > > Quote Page 137
> > > Publisher: Berkley Books, New York
> > >
> > > [Begin excerpt]
> > > Jehanne Butler gave her name to the Butlerian Jihad, one of the most
> > > enduring developments in the history of the race. As leader of the
> > > revolt of Komos against Richese, and then of the Jihad for the first
> > > twenty years of its course, she left an imprint on the minds of her
> > > followers which bespeaks an extraordinary personality: powerful,
> > > resolute, intuitive, and merciful.
> > > [End excerpt]
> > >
> > > An article in an Everett, Washington newspaper in 2000 suggested that
> > > Frank Herbert named "Butlerian Jihad" after the political activist
> > > student Frank Butler. But the timeline does not make sense. Herbert
> > > knew in Butler in 1969, and the term "Butlerian Jihad" appeared in the
> > > serialization of Dune in 1963.
> > >
> > > Date: December 3, 2000
> > > Newspaper: The Herald
> > > Newspaper Location:
> > > Article: Everett, Washington
> > > Author: Sharon Wootton (Herald Writer)
> > > Quote Page 3D, Column 2
> > > Database: Newspapers.com
> > > https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-butlerian/206265715/
> > >
> > > [Begin excerpt]
> > > Science-fiction author Frank Herbert referred to the "Butlerian Jihad"
> > > numerous times in his Dune series, and son Brian Herbert intends to
> > > write a book on that topic.
> > > Meet Frank Butler, Stanwood attorney, after whom a science-fiction
> > > rebellion was named.
> > > Butler was a senior involved in student government at the University
> > > of Washington in 1969 and '70. One of his tasks was to talk to
> > > then-P-I reporter Frank Herbert.
> > > "He would come up at least on a weekly basis and buttonhole me and he
> > > would ask me what was going on on campus."
> > > [End excerpt]
> > >
> > > The claim that "Butlerian Jihad" is connected to Samuel Butler's
> > > "Erewhon" appeared in a 2003 article by science fiction author Ken
> > > Macleod in "The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction". But I have
> > > not yet been able to find solid evidence.
> > >
> > > Date: 2003 Copyright (2007 Reprint)
> > > Book Title: The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction
> > > Editors: Edward James and Farah Mendlesohn
> > > Chapter 17: Politics and science fiction by Ken Macleod
> > > Quote Page 236
> > > Publisher: Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England
> > > Note: The word "reference" is misspelled as "refererence"
> > >
> > > [Begin excerpt]
> > > Progress has long since been halted by the Butlerian Jihad (a witty
> > > refererence to Samuel Butler's Erewhon, 1872), which destroyed all
> > > computers and whose stricture against making 'a machine in the
> > > likeness of a human mind' is still rigorously kept.
> > > [End excerpt]
> > >
> > > Maybe Ken Macleod, Brian Herbert, or Kevin J. Anderson know more about
> > > this topic.
> > >
> > > Garson
> > >
> > > On Fri, Nov 6, 2026 at 2:54 PM Jesse Sheidlower <jester at panix.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Garson, many thanks for these outstanding examples, which are now in the entry.
> > > >
> > > > Jesse Sheidlower
> > > >
> > > > On Fri, Nov 06, 2026 at 02:44:03PM -0500, ADSGarson O'Toole wrote:
> > > > > Great job, Jesse. Here are two non-literal citations for Butlerian Jihad.
> > > > >
> > > > > Usenet discussion message
> > > > > Timestamp: Dec 4, 1990, 5:45:37 PM
> > > > > Newsgroup: rec.arts.startrek
> > > > > From: Steven P. Miale
> > > > > Subject: If you all hate it then why do you watch it?
> > > > > Google Groups Search; Accessed Nov 6, 2026
> > > > > https://groups.google.com/g/rec.arts.startrek/c/uwKsOAMHpFE/m/plEUy5M9h8wJ
> > > > >
> > > > > [Begin excerpt]
> > > > > Yes, but it's SO similar for the most part:
> > > > > 1. Enterprise gets caught by bald aliens wearing silver robes.
> > > > > 2. Kirk & co. find a planet to beam down to. This planet usually
> > > > > consists of LOTS and LOTS of rocks on a barren plain. The rocks are
> > > > > very odd, because they are all made of paper mache.
> > > > > 3. Kirk seduces a female of ANY race he can find. I'm surprised he
> > > > > didn't go after the alien in "Is there no truth in beauty?"
> > > > > 4. Kirk gives a few determined looks (these have been officially cataloged).
> > > > > 5. Kirk blows up computer (even a calculator will do - he'd be a prime
> > > > > leader for the Butlerian Jihad)
> > > > > [End excerpt]
> > > > >
> > > > > Usenet discussion message
> > > > > Timestamp: Nov 19, 1991, 2:00:06 AM
> > > > > Newsgroup: news.future
> > > > > From: News Administrator @ Wolves (G. Wolfe Woodbury)
> > > > > Subject: Agenda of this group
> > > > > Google Groups Search; Accessed Nov 6, 2026
> > > > > https://groups.google.com/g/news.future/c/uDRWUj6iT2E/m/LsG78uLubFUJ
> > > > >
> > > > > [Begin excerpt]
> > > > > The net will not die (unless the neo-luddite revolution/butlerian
> > > > > jihad occurs) but there are going to be some radical changes and there
> > > > > will probably be a fission of several "specialty" nets. The increasing
> > > > > differentiation between the "Usenet proper" and the "alternate nets"
> > > > > is simpley the first signs of this phenomenon.
> > > > > [End excerpt]
> > > > >
> > > > > Garson
> > > > >
> > > > > On Fri, Nov 6, 2026 at 11:34 AM Jesse Sheidlower <jester at panix.com> wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I finally published an HDSF entry for _Butlerian Jihad_. I included two of the Twitter quotes from Garson. My first figurative example is from 2005; I'd welcome an antedating of this!
> > > > > >
> > > > > > https://sfdictionary.com/view/3167/butlerian-jihad
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Jesse Sheidlower
> > > > > >
> > > > > > On Wed, Sep 16, 2026 at 11:59:01AM -0400, ADSGarson O'Toole wrote:
> > > > > > > That sounds like a thoughtful policy, Jesse.
> > > > > > > Here is a chronologically ordered sampling of xtweets mentioning
> > > > > > > "Butlerian jihad".
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > https://x.com/adrahon/status/273123678902968320?s=20
> > > > > > > Alex Drahon @adrahon
> > > > > > > The worst time to buy a new laptop is right before the Butlerian jihad.
> > > > > > > 12:58 PM, Nov 26, 2012
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > https://x.com/lizhenry/status/439290036542918657?s=20
> > > > > > > Liz Henry @lizhenry
> > > > > > > There should be Feminists of Dune, where the Octavia Butlerian Jihad
> > > > > > > fights with the Judith Butlerian Jihad #books
> > > > > > > 1:44 AM, Feb 28, 2014
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > https://x.com/cushbomb/status/808867447617028097
> > > > > > > crisp mattman @cushbomb
> > > > > > > We need a Butlerian Jihad against CGI in horror films.
> > > > > > > 9:53 PM, Dec 13, 2016
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > https://x.com/EvlJunglePrince/status/904829871372754944?s=20
> > > > > > > EvilJunglePrince @EvlJunglePrince
> > > > > > > The Butlerian Jihad began with a captcha box.
> > > > > > > 6:13 PM, Sep 4, 2017
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Kelsey D. Atherton @AthertonKD
> > > > > > > Everyone one of these superbowl commercials will be cited by Skynet in
> > > > > > > the Reverse Butlerian Jihad
> > > > > > > 8:46 PM, Feb 3, 2019
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > https://x.com/fchollet/status/1779208287222997226
> > > > > > > François Chollet @fchollet
> > > > > > > The Butlerian Jihad will start the moment people genuinely feel
> > > > > > > threatened by the machines. There's no risk of this happening with
> > > > > > > this generation of skin-deep human-mimicry bots, but eventually, one
> > > > > > > day, it will happen.
> > > > > > > 2:01 PM, Apr 13, 2024
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > https://x.com/ChazakielDoremi/status/1851233459345228040?s=20
> > > > > > > Shahanshah of the Internet Age
> > > > > > > @ChazakielDoremi
> > > > > > > The Butlerian Jihad, which killed a 100 billion sentient beings and
> > > > > > > locked the universe in a feudal-fascist hell with no possibility of
> > > > > > > social movement and endless eugenics experiments and slavery, famously
> > > > > > > presented as a Good Thing and not insane Trad Cope
> > > > > > > 8:03 AM, Oct 29, 2024
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > https://x.com/MajmudarAdam/status/2097125099082276986
> > > > > > > adammaj @MajmudarAdam
> > > > > > > the butlerian jihad used to read as a backwards neo-luddite movement.
> > > > > > > now it is clear that it is 1 of maybe 3 viable paths forward. in some
> > > > > > > sense it may be a part of every path forward. incredible how prescient
> > > > > > > Herbert was. it does seem like there really might be a cap to how far
> > > > > > > this technology should develop, at least relative to human cognition
> > > > > > > itself (which may update over time).
> > > > > > > 8:49 PM, Sep 7, 2026
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > https://x.com/AverageAfroMan/status/2100146094197846238
> > > > > > > shu @AverageAfroMan
> > > > > > > If I see one more waymo on these london streets I’m gonna make the
> > > > > > > butlerian jihad look like a fucking happy hour
> > > > > > > 4:53 AM, Sep 16, 2026
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > https://x.com/tszzl/status/2098842648094404738?s=20
> > > > > > > roon @tszzl
> > > > > > > the fastest way to lose the frontier will be when, due to the reckless
> > > > > > > commercial pace of building superintelligent minds, Americans impose a
> > > > > > > total butlerian jihad. CoreWeave includes this in their risk
> > > > > > > reporting. you will soon come to see all of this is a moderate
> > > > > > > solution
> > > > > > > 2:34 PM, Sep 12, 2026
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Garson
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > On Wed, Sep 16, 2026 at 8:12 AM Jesse Sheidlower <jester at panix.com> wrote:
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Thanks for this, Garson. The general policy of HDSF (frequently violated) is not to include terms from a single book/universe, unless it is spread widely beyond it. So the far more "important" term from _Dune_, the word _spice_, is also not included in HDSF.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > But you're right to observe that _Butlerian Jihad_ has been increasingly often used in extended contexts, and it is now a reasonable candidate for entry. I'll think more about whether its time is now here.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Jesse Sheidlower
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > On Wed, Sep 16, 2026 at 06:11:03AM -0400, ADSGarson O'Toole wrote:
> > > > > > > > > The term "Butlerian Jihad" from the novel Dune by Frank Hebert has been revived.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > [Begin xtweet info]
> > > > > > > > > https://x.com/HeerJeet/status/1043654188536881153
> > > > > > > > > Jeet Heer @HeerJeet
> > > > > > > > > The idea of a Butlerian Jihad is fascinating. And something I think
> > > > > > > > > could happen!
> > > > > > > > > 8:12 PM, Sep 22, 2018
> > > > > > > > > [End xtweet info]
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > I did not see an entry for this term in the Historical Dictionary of
> > > > > > > > > Science Fiction. It might be a helpful addition. The first match I
> > > > > > > > > found appeared in the "Dune World" serialization in Analog magazine.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Date: December 1963
> > > > > > > > > Periodical: Analog - Science Fiction, Science Fact
> > > > > > > > > Volume 72, Number 4
> > > > > > > > > Serial Story: Dune World by Frank Herbert (Part 1 of 3)
> > > > > > > > > Start Page 17, Quote Page 23
> > > > > > > > > Publisher: Conde Nast Publications, New York
> > > > > > > > > Database: Internet Archive
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > [Begin excerpt]
> > > > > > > > > "A human is still the finest computer," she said, "the smallest for
> > > > > > > > > its variability, portable and self-propelled, self-programming,
> > > > > > > > > capable of performing more tasks simultaneously, cheapest to maintain
> > > > > > > > > because it maintains itself ... I could go on at much greater length.
> > > > > > > > > Have you studied also about the Butlerian Jihad, the Great Revolt?"
> > > > > > > > > "I know why we destroyed the machines that think," he said. He could
> > > > > > > > > not keep the sullen tone out of his voice, wondering: Why these
> > > > > > > > > juvenile questions?
> > > > > > > > > The Reverend Mother ignored his tone, said: "The Great Revolt took
> > > > > > > > > away a crutch, forced human minds to develop. Almost immediately
> > > > > > > > > afterward, schools were started to train these human talents."
> > > > > > > > > [End excerpt]
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Here is a definition from the first Dune novel.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Date: 1965 Copyright
> > > > > > > > > Book: Dune by Frank Herbert (Book Club Edition)
> > > > > > > > > Section: Terminology of the Imperium
> > > > > > > > > Quote Page xvii and xviii
> > > > > > > > > Publisher: Chilton Book Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
> > > > > > > > > Database: Internet Archive
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > [Begin excerpt]
> > > > > > > > > JIHAD, BUTLERIAN: (see also Great Revolt)—the crusade against
> > > > > > > > > computers, thinking machines, and conscious robots begun in 201 B.G.
> > > > > > > > > and concluded in 108 B.G. Its chief commandment remains in the O.C.
> > > > > > > > > Bible as "Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a human
> > > > > > > > > mind."
> > > > > > > > > [End excerpt]
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Garson
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > > > > > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > > > > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > > > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > > > > >
> > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > > > >
> > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > > >
> > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > >
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org