Frank Herbert's Dune, written in 1965 falls within the pantheon of great science fiction novels. The story, later made into a film directed by David Lynch, involves the political struggles of individuals and families within an interstallar feudal empire. One group of characters known as the Bene Gesserit is composed of women belonging to a secret order who undergo years of physical and mental training to obtain powers compared to that of witches. Their gradual transformation from human to superhuman renders them androgynous both in appearance and in their constitution. Their shaved heads, decorative wardrobe and lack of makeup is appropriate for their departure from the norms of their underlying gender.