Melange (fictional drug)

Melange
Dune franchise element
Container of melange being examined by a poison snooper in David Lynch's Dune (1984)
First appearance	Dune 1965
Created by	Frank Herbert
Genre	Science fiction
In-universe information
Type	Drug
Function	Ingested to lengthen lifespan, improve health, and heighten awareness
Traits and abilities	Heavy powder which smells like cinnamon and glows blue; highly addictive, and longterm users acquire blue-within-blue colored eyes
Affiliation	Bene Gesserit CHOAM Fremen Sandworms

Melange (/meɪˈlɑːnʒ/^[1]), often referred to as "the spice", is the fictional psychedelic drug central to the Dune series of science fiction novels by Frank Herbert and derivative works.

In the series, the most essential and valuable commodity in the universe is melange, a drug that gives the user a longer life span, greater vitality, and heightened awareness. In some humans, the spice can also unlock prescience, a form of precognition based in genetics but made possible by use of the drug in larger dosages. Among other functions, prescience makes safe and accurate interstellar travel possible. However, melange is also highly addictive, and withdrawal is fatal. Harvesting melange is also hazardous in the extreme, as its only known source is the harsh desert planet Arrakis, and melange deposits are guarded by giant sandworms.