Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. (October 8, 1920February 11, 1986) was an American

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

author best known for the 1965 novel '' Dune'' and its five sequels. Though he became famous for his novels, he also wrote short stories and worked as a newspaper journalist, photographer, book reviewer, ecological consultant, and lecturer. The ''Dune'' saga, set in the distant future, and taking place over millennia, explores complex themes, such as the long-term survival of the human species, human

evolution Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...

, planetary science and ecology, and the intersection of religion, politics, economics and

power Power most often refers to: * Power (physics), meaning "rate of doing work" ** Engine power, the power put out by an engine ** Electric power * Power (social and political), the ability to influence people or events ** Abusive power Power may a ...

in a future where humanity has long since developed interstellar travel and settled many thousands of worlds. ''Dune'' is the best-selling science fiction novel of all time, and the entire series is considered to be among the classics of the

genre Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...

Biography

Early life

Frank Patrick Herbert Jr. was born on October 8, 1920, in

Tacoma, Washington Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Pa ...

, to Frank Patrick Herbert Sr. and Eileen ( née McCarthy) Herbert. His rural upbringing involved spending a lot of his youth on the

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

and

Kitsap Peninsula The Kitsap Peninsula () lies west of Seattle across Puget Sound, in Washington state in the Pacific Northwest. Hood Canal separates the peninsula from the Olympic Peninsula on its west side. The peninsula, a.k.a. "Kitsap", encompasses all of Kit ...

s. He was fascinated by books and could read much of the newspaper before the age of five, had an excellent memory, and learned things quickly. He had an early interest in photography, and bought a Kodak box camera at age ten, a new folding camera in his early teens, and a color film camera in the mid-1930s. Because of an impoverished home environment, largely due to the Great Depression, he left home in 1938 to live with an aunt and uncle in Salem, Oregon. erbert, Brian. Dreamer of Dune : The Biography of Frank Herbert. New York: Tor Books, 2003. Chapter 2. He enrolled in high school at Salem High School (now North Salem High School), where he graduated the next year. In 1939 he lied about his age to get his first newspaper job at the ''Glendale Star''. Herbert then returned to Salem in 1940 where he worked for the ''Oregon Statesman'' newspaper (now ''

Statesman Journal The ''Statesman Journal'' is the major daily newspaper published in Salem, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1851 as the ''Oregon Statesman'', it later merged with the ''Capital Journal'' to form the current newspaper, the second-oldest in Orego ...

'') in a variety of positions, including photographer. Herbert married Flora Lillian Parkinson in San Pedro,

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, in 1941. They had one daughter, Penelope (b. February 16, 1942), and divorced in 1943.Oregon Center For Health Statistics; Portland, Oregon, USA; ''Oregon, Divorce Records, 1925-1945''; Document no. 30939 During 1942, after the U.S. entry into

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, he served in the Navy's Seabees for six months as a photographer, but suffered an accidental head injury and was given a medical discharge. Herbert subsequently moved to

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...

where he reported for ''

The Oregon Journal ''The Oregon Journal'' was Portland, Oregon's daily afternoon newspaper from 1902 to 1982. The ''Journal'' was founded in Portland by C. S. "Sam" Jackson, publisher of Pendleton, Oregon's ''East Oregonian'' newspaper, after a group of Portlander ...

''. After the war, Herbert attended the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattl ...

, where he met Beverly Ann Stuart at a creative writing class in 1946. They were the only students who had sold any work for publication; Herbert had sold two

pulp Pulp may refer to: * Pulp (fruit), the inner flesh of fruit Engineering * Dissolving pulp, highly purified cellulose used in fibre and film manufacture * Pulp (paper), the fibrous material used to make paper * Molded pulp, a packaging material ...

adventure stories to magazines, the first to '' Esquire'' in 1945, and Stuart had sold a story to ''Modern Romance'' magazine. They married in

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region ...

on June 20, 1946, and had two sons, Brian Patrick Herbert (b. June 29, 1947, Seattle, Washington) and Bruce Calvin Herbert (b. June 26, 1951,

Santa Rosa, California Santa Rosa ( Spanish for " Saint Rose") is a city and the county seat of Sonoma County, in the North Bay region of the Bay Area in California. Its estimated 2019 population was 178,127. It is the largest city in California's Wine Country and ...

d. June 15, 1993,

San Rafael, California San Rafael ( ; Spanish for " St. Raphael", ) is a city and the county seat of Marin County, California, United States. The city is located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's populatio ...

, a professional photographer and gay rights activist). In 1949 Herbert and his wife moved to California to work on the Santa Rosa '' Press-Democrat''. Here they befriended the psychologists Ralph and Irene Slattery. The Slatterys introduced Herbert to the work of several thinkers who would influence his writing, including

Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud ( , ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating pathologies explained as originating in conflicts ...

Carl Jung Carl Gustav Jung ( ; ; 26 July 1875 – 6 June 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology. Jung's work has been influential in the fields of psychiatry, anthropology, archaeology, literature, phi ...

Karl Jaspers Karl Theodor Jaspers (, ; 23 February 1883 – 26 February 1969) was a German-Swiss psychiatrist and philosopher who had a strong influence on modern theology, psychiatry, and philosophy. After being trained in and practicing psychiatry, Jaspe ...

and

Martin Heidegger Martin Heidegger (; ; 26 September 188926 May 1976) was a German philosopher who is best known for contributions to phenomenology, hermeneutics, and existentialism. He is among the most important and influential philosophers of the 20th ce ...

; they also familiarized Herbert with

Zen Buddhism Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), an ...

. Herbert never graduated from university. According to his son Brian, he wanted to study only what interested him and so did not complete the required curriculum. He returned to journalism and worked at the ''

Seattle Star ''The Seattle Star'' was a daily newspaper that ran from February 25, 1899, to August 13, 1947. It was owned by E. W. Scripps and in 1920 was transferred to Scripps McRae League of Newspapers (later Scripps-Canfield League), after a falling-o ...

'' and the ''

Oregon Statesman The ''Statesman Journal'' is the major daily newspaper published in Salem, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1851 as the ''Oregon Statesman'', it later merged with the ''Capital Journal'' to form the current newspaper, the second-oldest in Oreg ...

''. He was a writer and editor for the '' San Francisco Examiner'' ''California Living'' magazine for a decade. In a 1973 interview, Herbert stated that he had been reading science fiction "about ten years" before he began writing in the genre, and he listed his favorite authors as

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells"Wells, H. G."
Revised 18 May 2015. ''

Robert A. Heinlein Robert Anson Heinlein (; July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific accu ...

Poul Anderson Poul William Anderson (November 25, 1926 – July 31, 2001) was an American fantasy and science fiction author who was active from the 1940s until the 21st century. Anderson wrote also historical novels. His awards include seven Hugo Awards and ...

and

Jack Vance John Holbrook Vance (August 28, 1916 – May 26, 2013) was an American mystery, fantasy, and science fiction writer. Though most of his work has been published under the name Jack Vance, he also wrote several mystery novels under pen names. ...

."Well, I did read some Heinlein. I shouldn't really tie it down to ten years because I had read H. G. Wells. I'd read Vance, Jack Vance, and I became acquainted with Jack Vance about that time ... I read Poul Anderson." with Frank Herbert, by Paul Turner. October 1973 Volume 1, Issue 4. Herbert's first science fiction story, "Looking for Something", was published in the April 1952 issue of '' Startling Stories'', then a monthly edited by Samuel Mines. Three more of his stories appeared in 1954 issues of '' Astounding Science Fiction'' and ''

Amazing Stories ''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances ...

''. His career as a novelist began in 1955 with the serial publication of ''Under Pressure'' in ''Astounding'' from November 1955; afterward it was issued as a book by Doubleday titled ''

The Dragon in the Sea ''The Dragon in the Sea'' (1956), also known as ''Under Pressure'' from its serialization, is a novel by Frank Herbert. It was first serialized in ''Astounding Science Fiction, Astounding'' magazine from 1955 to 1956, then reworked and published ...

''. The story explored sanity and madness in the environment of a 21st-century submarine and predicted worldwide conflicts over

oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...

consumption and production.Gina Macdonald, "Herbert, Frank (Patrick)", in ''

Twentieth-Century Science-Fiction Writers ''Twentieth-Century Science-Fiction Writers'' is a book by Curtis C. Smith published in October 1981 on science fiction authors in the 20th century. It is the third in the St. Martin's Press's ''Twentieth-Century Writers of the English Language'' ...

'' by Curtis C. Smith. St. James Press, 1986, (p. 331–334). It was a critical success but not a major commercial one. During this time Herbert also worked as a

speechwriter A speechwriter is a person who is hired to prepare and write speeches that will be delivered by another person. Speechwriters are employed by many senior-level elected officials and executives in the government and private sectors. They can also b ...

for

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

senator

Guy Cordon Guy F. Cordon (April 24, 1890June 8, 1969) was an American author, politician and lawyer from the state of Oregon. A native of Texas, he served in the Army during World War I and later was the district attorney of Douglas County in Southern Orego ...

''Dune''

Herbert began researching '' Dune'' in 1959. He was able to devote himself wholeheartedly to his writing career because his wife returned to work full-time as an advertising writer for department stores, becoming the

breadwinner The breadwinner model is a paradigm of family centered on a breadwinner, "the member of a family who earns the money to support the others." Traditionally, the earner works outside the home to provide the family with income and benefits such as ...

during the 1960s. The novel ''Dune'' was published in 1965, which spearheaded the ''Dune'' franchise. He later told Willis E. McNelly that the novel originated when he was assigned to write a magazine article about sand dunes in the Oregon Dunes near

Florence, Oregon Florence is a coastal city in Lane County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. It lies at the mouth of the Siuslaw River on the Pacific Ocean and about midway between Newport and Coos Bay along U.S. Route 101. As of the 2020 census, the city had ...

. He got overinvolved and ended up with far more raw material than needed for an article. The article was never written, but it planted the seed that led to ''Dune''. Another significant source of inspiration for ''Dune'' was Herbert's experiences with

psilocybin Psilocybin ( , ) is a naturally occurring psychedelic prodrug compound produced by more than 200 species of fungi. The most potent are members of the genus ''Psilocybe'', such as '' P. azurescens'', '' P. semilanceata'', and '' P.&nbs ...

and his hobby of cultivating mushrooms, according to mycologist

Paul Stamets Paul Edward Stamets (born July 17, 1955) is an American mycologist and entrepreneur who sells various mushroom products through his company. He is an author and advocate of medicinal fungi and mycoremediation. Early life Stamets was born in ...

's account. ''Dune'' took six years of research and writing to complete and was much longer than other commercial science fiction of the time. ''

Analog Analog or analogue may refer to: Computing and electronics * Analog signal, in which information is encoded in a continuous variable ** Analog device, an apparatus that operates on analog signals *** Analog electronics, circuits which use analog ...

'' (the renamed ''Astounding'', still edited by

John W. Campbell John Wood Campbell Jr. (June 8, 1910 – July 11, 1971) was an American science fiction writer and editor. He was editor of ''Astounding Science Fiction'' (later called '' Analog Science Fiction and Fact'') from late 1937 until his death ...

) published it in two parts comprising eight installments, "Dune World" from December 1963 and "Prophet of Dune" in 1965. It was then rejected by nearly twenty book publishers. One editor prophetically wrote, "I might be making the mistake of the decade, but..."

Sterling E. Lanier Sterling Edmund Lanier (December 18, 1927 – June 28, 2007) was an American editor, science fiction author and sculptor. He is perhaps known best as the editor who championed the publication of Frank Herbert’s bestselling novel ''Dune''. Life ...

, an editor of Chilton Book Company (known mainly for its auto-repair manuals) had read the Dune serials and offered a $7,500 advance plus future royalties for the rights to publish them as a hardcover book. Herbert rewrote much of his text. ''Dune'' was soon a critical success. It won the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1965 and shared the Hugo Award in 1966 with '' ...And Call Me Conrad'' by

Roger Zelazny Roger Joseph Zelazny (May 13, 1937 – June 14, 1995) was an American poet and writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for ''The Chronicles of Amber''. He won the Nebula Award three times (out of 14 nomin ...

. ''Dune'' was not an immediate bestseller. By 1968 Herbert had made $20,000 from it, far more than most science fiction novels of the time were generating, but not enough to let him take up full-time writing. However, the publication of ''Dune'' did open doors for him. He was the ''

Seattle Post-Intelligencer The ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'' (popularly known as the ''Seattle P-I'', the ''Post-Intelligencer'', or simply the ''P-I'') is an online newspaper and former print newspaper based in Seattle, Washington, United States. The newspaper was f ...

'' education writer from 1969 to 1972 and lecturer in

general studies General Studies is a multidisciplinary subject offered at different levels of education. Its scope varies by country. North America Some North American universities offer the Bachelor of General Studies degree. England, Wales and Northern Ireland ...

and

interdisciplinary studies Interdisciplinarity or interdisciplinary studies involves the combination of multiple academic disciplines into one activity (e.g., a research project). It draws knowledge from several other fields like sociology, anthropology, psychology, ec ...

at the University of Washington (1970–1972). He worked in

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

and

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

as a social and ecological consultant in 1972. In 1973 he was director-photographer of the television show ''The Tillers''. By the end of 1972, Herbert had retired from newspaper writing and became a full-time fiction writer. During the 1970s and 1980s, he enjoyed considerable commercial success as an author. He divided his time between homes in

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...

and

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

Olympic Peninsula The Olympic Peninsula is a large arm of land in western Washington that lies across Puget Sound from Seattle, and contains Olympic National Park. It is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and th ...

; his home in

Port Townsend Port Townsend is a city on the Quimper Peninsula in Jefferson County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,148 at the 2020 United States Census. It is the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County. In addition to ...

on the peninsula was intended to be an "ecological demonstration project". During this time he wrote numerous books and pushed ecological and philosophical ideas. He continued his ''Dune'' saga with ''

Dune Messiah ''Dune Messiah'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Frank Herbert, the second in his ''Dune'' series of six novels. A sequel to '' Dune'' (1965), it was originally serialized in '' Galaxy'' magazine in 1969, and then published by Put ...

'' (1969), ''

Children of Dune ''Children of Dune'' is a 1976 science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, the third in his ''Dune'' series of six novels. It was originally serialized in ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' in 1976, and was the last ''Dune'' novel to be serialize ...

'' (1976), '' God Emperor of Dune'' (1981), '' Heretics of Dune'' (1984) and '' Chapterhouse: Dune'' (1985). Herbert planned to write a seventh novel to conclude the series, but his death in 1986 left storylines unresolved. Other works by Herbert include '' The Godmakers'' (1972), ''

The Dosadi Experiment ''The Dosadi Experiment'' is a 1977 science fiction novel by American writer Frank Herbert. It is the second full-length novel set in the ConSentiency universe established by Herbert in his short stories "A Matter of Traces" and "The Tactful Sab ...

'' (1977), ''

The White Plague ''The White Plague'' is a 1982 science fiction novel by American author, Frank Herbert that explores madness and revenge on a global scale. Plot On May 20, 1996, an IRA terrorist car bomb explodes, killing the wife and children of molecular ...

'' (1982) and the books he wrote in partnership with

Bill Ransom Bill Ransom (born 1945 in Puyallup, Washington) is a science fiction writer . Early life and education He began full-time employment at the age of eleven as an agricultural worker. He attended Washington State University on track and boxing sc ...

: ''

The Jesus Incident ''The Jesus Incident'' (1979) is the second science fiction novel set in the ''Destination: Void'' universe by the American author Frank Herbert and poet Bill Ransom. It is a sequel to '' Destination: Void'' (1965), and has two sequels: '' The L ...

'' (1979), '' The Lazarus Effect'' (1983) and ''

The Ascension Factor ''The Ascension Factor'' (1988) is the fourth and final science fiction novel set in the ''Destination: Void'' universe by the American author Frank Herbert and poet Bill Ransom Bill Ransom (born 1945 in Puyallup, Washington) is a science ...

'' (1988), which were sequels to Herbert's 1966 novel '' Destination: Void''. He also helped launch the career of

Terry Brooks Terence Dean Brooks (born January 8, 1944) is an American writer of fantasy fiction. He writes mainly epic fantasy, and has also written two film novelizations. He has written 23 ''New York Times'' bestsellers during his writing career, and ha ...

with a very positive review of Brooks' first novel, ''

The Sword of Shannara ''The Sword of Shannara'' is a 1977 epic fantasy novel by American writer Terry Brooks. It is the first book in a titular trilogy. The novel interweaves two major plots into a fictional world called The Four Lands. One follows the protagonist ...

'', in 1977.

Success, family changes, and death

Herbert's change in fortune was shadowed by tragedy. In 1974, his wife Beverly underwent an operation for cancer. She lived ten more years, but her health was adversely affected by the surgery. During this period, Herbert was the featured speaker at the Octocon II science fiction convention held at the El Rancho Tropicana in

Santa Rosa Santa Rosa is the Italian, Portuguese and Spanish name for Saint Rose. Santa Rosa may also refer to: Places Argentina *Santa Rosa, Mendoza, a city * Santa Rosa, Tinogasta, Catamarca * Santa Rosa, Valle Viejo, Catamarca * Santa Rosa, La Pampa * S ...

, California, in October 1978. In 1979, he met anthropologist James Funaro with whom he conceived the

Contact Conference Contact is an annual interdisciplinary conference that brings togetheto exchange ideas, stimulate new perspectives, and encourage serious, creative speculation about humanity's future. The intent of Contact is to promote the integration of human fa ...

. Beverly Herbert died on February 7, 1984.Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; ''Washington Death Index, 1940-1959, 1965-2017''; Certificate no. 090281. Herbert completed and published '' Heretics of Dune'' that year. In his afterword to 1985's '' Chapterhouse: Dune'', Herbert included a dedication to Beverly. In 1983, British heavy metal band

Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...

requested permission from Herbert's publisher to name a song on their album ''

Piece of Mind ''Piece of Mind'' is the fourth studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was released on 16 May 1983 in the United Kingdom by EMI Records and in the United States by Capitol Records. It was the first album to feature drummer Ni ...

'' after ''Dune'', but were told that the author had a strong distaste for their style of music. They instead titled the song "To Tame a Land". 1984 was a tumultuous year in Herbert's life. During this same year of his wife's death, his career took off with the release of David Lynch's film version of '' Dune''. Despite high expectations, a big-budget production design and an

A-list An A-list actor is a major movie star, or one of the most bankable actors in a film industry. The A-list is part of a larger guide called ''The Hot List'', which ranks the bankability of 1,400 movie actors worldwide, and has become an industry ...

cast, the movie drew mostly poor reviews in the United States. However, despite a disappointing response in the US, the film was a critical and commercial success in Europe and Japan. In 1985, after Beverly's death, Herbert married his former Putnam representative Theresa Shackleford. The same year he published ''Chapterhouse: Dune'', which tied up many of the saga's story threads. This would be Herbert's final single work (the collection '' Eye'' was published that year, and ''Man of Two Worlds'' was published in 1986). He died of a massive

pulmonary embolism Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a blockage of an artery in the lungs by a substance that has moved from elsewhere in the body through the bloodstream ( embolism). Symptoms of a PE may include shortness of breath, chest pain particularly upon breathin ...

while recovering from surgery for pancreatic cancer on February 11, 1986, in

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...

, age 65.

Criticism of government

Herbert was a strong critic of the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

. He was a distant relative of the

senator Joseph McCarthy, whom he referred to as "Cousin Joe". However, he was appalled to learn of McCarthy's blacklisting of suspected communists from working in certain careers and believed that he was endangering essential freedoms of citizens of the United States. Herbert believed that governments lie to protect themselves and that, following the

Watergate scandal The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Richard Nixon from 1972 to 1974 that led to Nixon's resignation. The scandal stemmed from the Nixon administration's contin ...

, President

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

had unwittingly taught an important lesson in not trusting government. Herbert also opposed American involvement in the war in Vietnam. In ''Chapterhouse: Dune'', he wrote:

Ideas and themes

Frank Herbert used his science fiction novels to explore complex ideas involving philosophy, religion, psychology, politics and ecology. The underlying thrust of his work was a fascination with the question of human survival and evolution. Herbert has attracted a sometimes fanatical fan base, many of whom have tried to read everything he wrote, fiction or non-fiction, and see Herbert as something of an authority on the subject matters of his books. Indeed, such was the devotion of some of his readers that Herbert was at times asked if he was founding a cult, something he was very much against. There are a number of key themes in Herbert's work: * A concern with leadership. He explored the human tendency to slavishly follow charismatic leaders. He delved into both the flaws and potentials of bureaucracy and government. * Herbert was among the first science fiction authors to popularize ideas about ecology and systems thinking. He stressed the need for humans to think both systematically and long-term. * The relationship between religion, politics and

. * Human survival and evolution: Herbert writes of the

Fremen The Fremen are a group of people in the fictional Dune (franchise), ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. First appearing in the 1965 novel ''Dune (novel), Dune'', the Fremen inhabit the desert planet Arrakis (also known as Dune), which ...

, the

Sardaukar Multiple organizations of the ''Dune'' universe dominate the political, religious, and social arena of the setting of Frank Herbert's ''Dune'' series of science fiction novels, and derivative works. Set tens of thousands of years in the future, ...

, and the Dosadi, who are molded by their terrible living conditions into dangerous super races. * Human possibilities and potential: Herbert offered

Mentat Multiple organizations of the ''Dune'' universe dominate the political, religious, and social arena of the setting of Frank Herbert's ''Dune'' series of science fiction novels, and derivative works. Set tens of thousands of years in the future, ...

s, the

Bene Gesserit The Bene Gesserit () refers to a key social, religious, and political force in Frank Herbert's fictional Dune (franchise), ''Dune'' universe. The group is an exclusive sisterhood whose members train their bodies and minds through years of phys ...

and the Bene Tleilax as different visions of human potential. * The nature of sanity and madness. Frank Herbert was interested in the work of

Thomas Szasz Thomas Stephen Szasz ( ; hu, Szász Tamás István ; 15 April 1920 – 8 September 2012) was a Hungarian-American academic and psychiatrist. He served for most of his career as professor of psychiatry at the State University of New York Upstate M ...

and the

anti-psychiatry Anti-psychiatry is a movement based on the view that psychiatric treatment is often more damaging than helpful to patients, highlighting controversies about psychiatry. Objections include the reliability of psychiatric diagnosis, the questionabl ...

movement. Often, Herbert poses the question, "''What is sane?''", and while there are clearly insane behaviors and psychopathies as evinced by characters (

Piter De Vries Piter De Vries is a fictional character from the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert. He is primarily featured in the 1965 novel ''Dune'', but also appears in the ''Prelude to Dune'' prequel trilogy (1999–2001) by Brian Herbert and K ...

for instance), it is often suggested that normal and abnormal are relative terms which humans are sometimes ill-equipped to apply to one another, especially on the basis of statistical regularity. * The possible effects and consequences of consciousness-altering chemicals, such as the spice in the ''Dune'' saga, as well as the "Jaspers" fungus in ''

The Santaroga Barrier ''The Santaroga Barrier'' is a 1968 science fiction novel by American writer Frank Herbert. Considered to be an "alternative society" or "alternative culture" novel, it deals with themes such as psychology, the counterculture of the 1960s, and ...

'', and the

Kelp Kelps are large brown algae seaweeds that make up the order Laminariales. There are about 30 different genera. Despite its appearance, kelp is not a plant - it is a heterokont, a completely unrelated group of organisms. Kelp grows in "underwa ...

in the Destination: Void sequence. * How language shapes thought. More specifically, Herbert was influenced by

Alfred Korzybski Alfred Habdank Skarbek Korzybski (, ; July 3, 1879 – March 1, 1950) was a Polish-American independent scholar who developed a field called general semantics, which he viewed as both distinct from, and more encompassing than, the field of s ...

's ''

General Semantics General semantics is concerned with how events translate to perceptions, how they are further modified by the names and labels we apply to them, and how we might gain a measure of control over our own cognitive, emotional, and behavioral respons ...

''.

Algis Budrys Algirdas Jonas "Algis" Budrys (January 9, 1931 – June 9, 2008) was a Lithuanian-American science fiction author, editor, and critic. He was also known under the pen names Frank Mason, Alger Rome (in collaboration with Jerome Bixby), Jo ...

wrote that his knowledge of language and linguistics "is worth at least one PhD and the Chair of Philology at a good New England college". * Learning, teaching, and

thinking In their most common sense, the terms thought and thinking refer to conscious cognitive processes that can happen independently of sensory stimulation. Their most paradigmatic forms are judging, reasoning, concept formation, problem solving, an ...

. Frank Herbert refrained from offering his readers formulaic answers to many of the questions he explored.

Status and influence on science fiction

'' Dune'' and the ''Dune'' saga constitute one of the world's best-selling science fiction series and novels; ''Dune'' in particular has received widespread critical acclaim, winning the Nebula Award in 1965 and sharing the Hugo Award in 1966, and is frequently considered one of the best science fiction novels ever, if not the best. ''

Locus Locus (plural loci) is Latin for "place". It may refer to: Entertainment * Locus (comics), a Marvel Comics mutant villainess, a member of the Mutant Liberation Front * ''Locus'' (magazine), science fiction and fantasy magazine ** ''Locus Award' ...

'' subscribers voted it the all-time best SF novel in 1975, again in 1987, and the best "before 1990" in 1998. ''Dune'' is considered a landmark novel for a number of reasons: * ''Dune'' is a landmark of

soft science fiction Soft science fiction, or soft SF, is a category of science fiction with two different definitions, defined in contrast to hard science fiction. It can refer to science fiction that explores the "soft" sciences (e.g. psychology, political scienc ...

. Herbert deliberately suppressed technology in his ''Dune'' universe so that he could address the future of humanity, rather than the future of humanity's technology. ''Dune'' considers the way humans and their institutions might change over time. * Frank Herbert was a great popularizer of scientific ideas; many of his fans credit Frank Herbert for introducing them to philosophy and psychology. In ''Dune'', he helped popularize the term ''ecology''. Gerald Jonas explains in ''

The New York Times Book Review ''The New York Times Book Review'' (''NYTBR'') is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times'' in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely rea ...

'': "So completely did Mr. Herbert work out the interactions of man and beast and geography and climate that ''Dune'' became the standard for an emerging subgenre of 'ecological' science fiction." * ''Dune'' is considered an epic example of literary world-building. ''

The Library Journal ''Library Journal'' is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional prac ...

'' reports that "''Dune'' is to science fiction what ''

The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's b ...

'' is to fantasy". Arthur C. Clarke is quoted as making a similar statement on the back cover of a paper edition of ''Dune''. Frank Herbert imagined every facet of his creation. He lovingly included glossaries, quotes, documents, and histories, to bring his universe alive to his readers. No science fiction novel before it had so vividly realized life on another world. Herbert never again equalled the critical acclaim he received for ''Dune''. Neither his sequels to ''Dune'' nor any of his other books won a Hugo or Nebula Award, although almost all of them were ''New York Times'' Best Sellers.Speaking at the 2006 induction of Herbert in the Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Kevin J. Anderson stated that ''Children of Dune'' (1976) "was the first SF novel ever to hit the New York Times bestseller list.
Dune 7 Blog: Wednesday, June 21, 2006: The Science Fiction Hall of Fame
. By KJA. ''Dune: The Official Website''. Retrieved July 17, 2011. KJA spoke and presented the award to son Brian Herbert.

Malcolm Edwards Malcolm John Edwards (born 3 December 1949) is a British editor and critic in the science fiction field. An alumnus of The Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School, he received his degree from the University of Cambridge. He was Deputy CEO at the Orio ...

wrote, in the '' Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'': The Science Fiction Hall of Fame inducted Herbert in 2006.

California State University, Fullerton California State University, Fullerton (CSUF or Cal State Fullerton) is a public university in Fullerton, California. With a total enrollment of more than 41,000, it has the largest student body of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) ...

's Pollack Library has several of Herbert's draft manuscripts of ''Dune'' and other works, with the author's notes, in their Frank Herbert Archives. Dune

Metro Parks Tacoma Metro Parks Tacoma (formerly the Metropolitan Park District of Tacoma) is a municipal corporation that oversees parks and recreation services in and around the city of Tacoma, Washington, United States. History The parks district was originally ...

built Dune Peninsula and the Frank Herbert Trail at

Point Defiance Park Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, Washington, United States, is a large urban park. The park includes Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, the Rose Garden, Rhododendron Garden, beaches, trails, a boardwalk, a boathouse, a Washington State Ferries ferry doc ...

in July 2019 to honor the hometown writer.

Bibliography

Posthumously published works

Beginning in 2012, Herbert's estate and

WordFire Press Kevin James Anderson (born March 27, 1962) is an American science fiction author. He has written spin-off novels for '' Star Wars'', '' StarCraft'', ''Titan A.E.'' and ''The X-Files'', and with Brian Herbert is the co-author of the ''Dune'' pr ...

have released four previously unpublished novels in

e-book An ebook (short for electronic book), also known as an e-book or eBook, is a book publication made available in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display of computers or other electronic devices. Alt ...

and paperback formats: ''

High-Opp ''High-Opp'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Frank Herbert, written between ''The Dragon in the Sea'' (1955) and ''Dune (novel), Dune'' (1965), and published posthumously in 2012. It contains a foreword by Kevin J. Anderson, who co- ...

'' (2012), '' Angels' Fall'' (2013), '' A Game of Authors'' (2013), and '' A Thorn in the Bush'' (2014). In recent years, Frank Herbert's son

Brian Herbert Brian Patrick Herbert (born June 29, 1947) is an American author who lives in Washington state. He is the elder son of science fiction author Frank Herbert (who died in 1986). Brian Herbert's novels include ''Sidney's Comet'', ''Prisoners of Ar ...

and author Kevin J. Anderson have added to the ''Dune'' franchise, using notes left behind by Frank Herbert and discovered over a decade after his death. Brian Herbert and Anderson have written three prequel

trilogies A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games, and are less common in other art forms. Three-part wor ...

(''

Prelude to Dune The ''Dune'' prequel series is a sequence of novel trilogies written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Set in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert, the novels take place in various time periods before and in between Herbert's o ...

'', ''

Legends of Dune The ''Dune'' prequel series is a sequence of novel trilogies written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Set in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert, the novels take place in various time periods before and in between Herbert's or ...

'' and ''

Great Schools of Dune The ''Dune'' prequel series is a sequence of novel trilogies written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Set in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert, the novels take place in various time periods before and in between Herbert's or ...

'') exploring the history of the ''Dune'' universe before the events of the original novel, two novels that take place between novels of the original ''Dune'' sequels (with plans for more), as well as two post-''Chapterhouse Dune'' novels that complete the original series ('' Hunters of Dune'' and ''

Sandworms of Dune ''Sandworms of Dune'' is a science fiction novel by American writers Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, the second of two books they wrote to conclude Frank Herbert's original ''Dune'' series. It is based on notes left behind by Frank Herbert ...

'') based on Frank Herbert's own ''Dune 7'' outline.

References

Sources

External links

Official website for Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson

(Kevin Anderson report with his speech) * * * 1984 interview with ''L. A. Reader''

Frank Herbert on the Literature Map

Biography and criticism

Frank Herbert
biography at th
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction

Study
by

Tim O'Reilly Tim O'Reilly (born 6 June 1954) is the founder of O'Reilly Media (formerly O'Reilly & Associates). He popularised the terms open source and Web 2.0. Education and early life Born in County Cork, Ireland, Tim O'Reilly moved to San Francisco, C ...

of Frank Herbert's work up to the ''Jesus Incident''; one of the more in-depth studies of Frank Herbert's thoughts and ideas
Article on the inspirations for ''Dune''

"Frank Herbert, the Dune Man"
-( Frederik Pohl) *
"Frank Herbert, the Dune Man, Part 2"

Bibliography and works

* * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Herbert, Frank 20th-century American novelists American environmentalists American male novelists United States Navy personnel of World War II American science fiction writers Converts to Buddhism from Christianity American Zen Buddhists Deaths from cancer in Wisconsin Deaths from pancreatic cancer Deaths from pulmonary embolism Hugo Award-winning writers Journalists from Oregon Constructed language creators Nebula Award winners North Salem High School (Salem, Oregon) alumni Science Fiction Hall of Fame inductees University of Washington alumni Writers from Port Townsend, Washington Writers from Salem, Oregon Writers from Seattle Writers from Tacoma, Washington 1920 births 1986 deaths San Francisco Examiner people American male short story writers 20th-century American short story writers Activists from California 20th-century American male writers Novelists from Washington (state) Novelists from Oregon American male non-fiction writers Seattle Post-Intelligencer people Seabees 20th-century American journalists American male journalists American war photographers