The sci-fi films and books take place in a universe where a single, desolate and hostile planet, called Arrakis, controls the production of the Spice Melange, a powder that grants its users mind expansion powers and enhanced space travel mental navigation properties that are essential for interplanetary transport. Wars, espionage, and intrigue all become part of the plots, since control of the spice confers power over the entire market, and thus, the universe.