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

Sun Nov 8 20:48:46 UTC 2026

Aargh.

I have removed the reference to Jehanne Butler. I will just leave it like this; the precise origin of this character is of interest to Dune fans only, I think, and they can fight about it if they so desire.

Jesse Sheidlower

On Sun, Nov 08, 2026 at 03:03:04PM -0500, ADSGarson O'Toole wrote:
> 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
> > > > > > > > > >
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