Caleban
Encyclopedia
Caleban are a fictional major race of beings seen in two of Frank Herbert
's novels, The Dosadi Experiment
and Whipping Star
, which is set in the ConSentiency universe series of stories.
s; that is to say, every star in the universe is, in fact, the visible manifestation of a Caleban. Communication between sentients and Calebans usually occurs when a Caleban initiates contact with a sentient
, putting the sentient into a trance state during which apparently telepathic dialogue can occur. Communication is only 'apparent' because the Caleban, so different in nature from the normal run of humans, Gowachin
, Wreaves
, Laclacs, Taprisiots, Pan Spechi
, and other sentients, have difficulty expressing their mental frame of reference, and understanding the weltanschauung of sentients. Given the discrepancy, it's difficult for sentients to say for certain that they are using words the same way.
The Caleban speak of their existence in terms of nodes on waves, suggesting that their being and perceptions exist on a higher plane of physics, much like the dimension of space-time is a higher-level abstraction of daily reality. The concept of death is difficult to communicate to Calebans, who can identify individuals as nodes in their continuum, but see no discontinuity in that node upon death, only a transformation to a different wave. Herbert's use of terms found in quantum mechanics appears deliberate, to avoid making metaphysical commitments that he avoided in all his novels. While he did imply much about higher orders of being in his works, he took a thoroughly scientific approach, describing those planes in terms of scientific advances and accessibility.
Nonetheless, after making initial contact with sentients, the Caleban quickly enter into contract
s with the pan-sentiency, the first of which is to provide jump doors--teleportation
in its most literal form. A jump door opens, a sentient enters it and exits elsewhere without traversing the intervening distance. This revolution in transportation quickly becomes commonplace in the universe and is a standard device in both novels set in this narrative universe, even though the introduction of jump doors occurred only a few decades earlier than the novels occur. The novels do not describe how interstellar travel occurred before the introduction of jump doors (FTL
ships and metabolic suspension
are mentioned), but the history of pan-sentient relations strongly implies a much longer period.
Calebans appear not to understand dishonesty, and their contracts are absolutely binding, even if the contract specifies the death of the Caleban (such a contract is at the heart of the plot of Whipping Star). This implies that Caleban perceptions of the universe are somehow purer or absolute; since the Calebans cannot understand a discrepancy between perception and reality, there is no ontological
room for a deliberate discrepancy—a lie—to exist for them.
Calebans are, in some sense, capable of analogous emotions to what sentients feel. The Caleban known to Jorj X. McKie as Fannie Mae, whom McKie saves from 'ultimate discontinuity' in Whipping Star, feels something she describes as love for McKie. During a trance, she allows him to directly experience a fraction of that feeling. McKie is completely overwhelmed in a burning oneness with Fannie Mae that happily engulfs him for a few moments; afterwards, he admits to himself that, if he could, he would sink in that sensation, never to return.
Frank Herbert
Franklin Patrick Herbert, Jr. was a critically acclaimed and commercially successful American science fiction author. Although a short story author, he is best known for his novels, most notably Dune and its five sequels...
's novels, The Dosadi Experiment
The Dosadi Experiment
The Dosadi Experiment is a science fiction novel written by Frank Herbert. It is the second full-length novel set in the ConSentiency universe established by Herbert in his novelette The Tactful Saboteur and continued in Whipping Star....
and Whipping Star
Whipping Star
Whipping Star is a science fiction novel by Frank Herbert. It is the first full-length novel set in the ConSentiency universe established by Herbert in his novelette The Tactful Saboteur.- Plot summary :...
, which is set in the ConSentiency universe series of stories.
Overview
The Caleban are extra-dimensional beings of enormous, almost unfathomable power. Their visible manifestation is as starStar
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
s; that is to say, every star in the universe is, in fact, the visible manifestation of a Caleban. Communication between sentients and Calebans usually occurs when a Caleban initiates contact with a sentient
Sentience
Sentience is the ability to feel, perceive or be conscious, or to have subjective experiences. Eighteenth century philosophers used the concept to distinguish the ability to think from the ability to feel . In modern western philosophy, sentience is the ability to have sensations or experiences...
, putting the sentient into a trance state during which apparently telepathic dialogue can occur. Communication is only 'apparent' because the Caleban, so different in nature from the normal run of humans, Gowachin
Gowachin
Gowachin are a fictional race of frog-like humanoids featured in the Frank Herbert books Whipping Star and The Dosadi Experiment. Herbert developed the race from a brief mention by Jorj X...
, Wreaves
Wreaves
Wreaves are a fictional species of sentient beings in the Frank Herbert science fiction novels The Dosadi Experiment and Whipping Star....
, Laclacs, Taprisiots, Pan Spechi
Pan Spechi
Pan Spechi are a fictional species in Frank Herbert's science fiction novels, The Dosadi Experiment and Whipping Star. They first appear in his 1964 short story The Tactful Saboteur ....
, and other sentients, have difficulty expressing their mental frame of reference, and understanding the weltanschauung of sentients. Given the discrepancy, it's difficult for sentients to say for certain that they are using words the same way.
The Caleban speak of their existence in terms of nodes on waves, suggesting that their being and perceptions exist on a higher plane of physics, much like the dimension of space-time is a higher-level abstraction of daily reality. The concept of death is difficult to communicate to Calebans, who can identify individuals as nodes in their continuum, but see no discontinuity in that node upon death, only a transformation to a different wave. Herbert's use of terms found in quantum mechanics appears deliberate, to avoid making metaphysical commitments that he avoided in all his novels. While he did imply much about higher orders of being in his works, he took a thoroughly scientific approach, describing those planes in terms of scientific advances and accessibility.
Nonetheless, after making initial contact with sentients, the Caleban quickly enter into contract
Contract
A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...
s with the pan-sentiency, the first of which is to provide jump doors--teleportation
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
in its most literal form. A jump door opens, a sentient enters it and exits elsewhere without traversing the intervening distance. This revolution in transportation quickly becomes commonplace in the universe and is a standard device in both novels set in this narrative universe, even though the introduction of jump doors occurred only a few decades earlier than the novels occur. The novels do not describe how interstellar travel occurred before the introduction of jump doors (FTL
Faster-than-light
Faster-than-light communications and travel refer to the propagation of information or matter faster than the speed of light....
ships and metabolic suspension
Suspended animation
Suspended animation is the slowing of life processes by external means without termination. Breathing, heartbeat, and other involuntary functions may still occur, but they can only be detected by artificial means. Extreme cold can be used to precipitate the slowing of an individual's functions; use...
are mentioned), but the history of pan-sentient relations strongly implies a much longer period.
Calebans appear not to understand dishonesty, and their contracts are absolutely binding, even if the contract specifies the death of the Caleban (such a contract is at the heart of the plot of Whipping Star). This implies that Caleban perceptions of the universe are somehow purer or absolute; since the Calebans cannot understand a discrepancy between perception and reality, there is no ontological
Ontology
Ontology is the philosophical study of the nature of being, existence or reality as such, as well as the basic categories of being and their relations...
room for a deliberate discrepancy—a lie—to exist for them.
Calebans are, in some sense, capable of analogous emotions to what sentients feel. The Caleban known to Jorj X. McKie as Fannie Mae, whom McKie saves from 'ultimate discontinuity' in Whipping Star, feels something she describes as love for McKie. During a trance, she allows him to directly experience a fraction of that feeling. McKie is completely overwhelmed in a burning oneness with Fannie Mae that happily engulfs him for a few moments; afterwards, he admits to himself that, if he could, he would sink in that sensation, never to return.