This section contains the preliminary publishing and front matter material for the book, including the cover page, title page, table of contents, and a listing of other works by the author Frank Herbert published by Gollancz.
The prologue features an excerpt from a speech delivered by Hadi Benotto on the planet of Rakis to announce the monumental discovery of ancient journals written by Leto II. Benotto outlines four primary arguments supporting the authenticity of these findings, including the use of the historical Spacing Guild Key for translation, an ancient Ixian dictatel printing method, the subterranean repository acting as an early no-room artifact, and microbubble audio recordings matching authentic samples from the Bene Gesserit Archives.
During the presentation, poet Rebeth Vreeb reads aloud a translated passage from the first page of the recovered journals. In the reading, Leto II reflects upon the overwhelming burden of his ancestral memories and the vast collection of human experiences residing within his mind. He describes himself as the book of fate, tormented by the endless influx of questions that trigger countless vivid recollections from the past.