Not unlike the inverse yield curve for bonds, which is when short term rates exceed long term ones, backwardation is when spot prices for commodities pull ahead of the futures market. Normally, the precious metals market charts similarly to that of interest rates, with near term prices cheaper than longer term ones, which carry elevated risks of unforeseen change, as well as increased carrying costs.
The sci-fi films and books take place in a universe where a single, desolate and hostile planet, called Arrakis, controls the production of the Spice Melange, a powder that grants its users mind expansion powers and enhanced space travel mental navigation properties that are essential for interplanetary transport. Wars, espionage, and intrigue all become part of the plots, since control of the spice confers power over the entire market, and thus, the universe.