Item from Dune by Frank Herbert
Specialized hooks used to pry open a sandworm's ring segments — the essential tool for the Fremen art of worm-riding, allowing a rider to steer a creature the size of a starship.
Maker hooks are the interface between human will and sandworm muscle — the tool that transforms a 200-meter killing machine into a mount. The technique is precise: the rider sprints alongside a surfaced worm, hooks a ring segment's edge, and pries it open. Sand rushes into the gap beneath the segment, irritating the worm's sensitive inner flesh. To avoid the irritation, the worm rolls that side upward, which tilts the entire creature in the direction the rider wants to go. Multiple riders place multiple hooks to maintain control. The lead rider steers; following riders keep the segments open to maintain direction and speed. Releasing hooks allows segments to close, letting the rider control speed and eventually dismount by letting the worm submerge. This is exclusively Fremen knowledge. No offworlder has ever learned the technique without Fremen instruction, and the Fremen do not teach outsiders. Paul's mastery of the hooks was one of the proofs that convinced the Fremen he was more than a refugee.
A set of long-handled hooks with flattened, curved tips designed to wedge between a sandworm's ring segments. The handles are wrapped in worm-leather for grip. Each hook is about a meter long, lightweight but immensely strong. A full riding set includes several hooks of varying sizes, carried in a harness across the back alongside a thumper.
Also known as: worm hooks, riding hooks, maker riding hooks