Anderson's prequel novels set 10,000 years before the main Dune events. The core premise involves political maneuvering, the Voice, the Agony ritual, and threats like Desmond Hart, all rooted in established Dune lore of a powerful all-female order that manipulates bloodlines and thrones.

Episode plots focus on Valya's vow to place a Sister on the Imperial throne, family redemption for House Harkonnen, and internal Sisterhood conflicts, without introducing modern identity politics as the driver. Casting incorporates international actors such as Tabu as Sister Francesca, Jade Anouka as Sister Theodosia, and Jihae as Kasha within the vast Imperium setting, with showrunner statements framing these choices as logical world-building rather than race-specific mandates or swaps of canon characters. Sisterhood themes emphasize female agency and power in line with Frank Herbert's original Bene Gesserit concept of women wielding influence through training and politics, with creators explicitly tying it to source fidelity. Audience reception includes scattered user complaints about 'DEI' or 'woke cast,' yet the narrative stays traditional sci-fi intrigue with no lecture moments, gender-swapped established figures, or premise collapse driven by ideological elements.