Frank Herbert
American science-fiction author of the Dune series.
Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. was born on October 8, 1920, in Tacoma, Washington, and died on February 11, 1986. He is famous for writing the 1965 science fiction novel *Dune* and its five sequels. Besides novels, he wrote short stories and worked as a newspaper journalist, photographer, book reviewer, ecological consultant, and lecturer. *Dune* is among the best-selling science fiction books ever, and the entire series is considered a classic of the genre.
Herbert’s paternal grandparents moved west in 1905 to join a utopian commune in Washington State. He grew up on the Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas, was an early and avid reader, and developed an interest in photography as a child. In 1938, due to his parents’ drinking, he ran away from home with his younger sister, though only he stayed with an aunt and uncle. He graduated from Salem High School in Oregon, then moved to Los Angeles in 1939, where he lied about his age to get his first newspaper job at the *Glendale Star*. He returned to Salem in 1940 to work for the *Oregon Statesman* as a photographer and in other roles.
Herbert married Flora Parkinson in 1941; they had a daughter, Penelope, in 1942 and divorced in 1943. During World War II, he served six months in the Navy Seabees as a photographer but received a medical discharge after a head injury. He then worked for *The Oregon Journal* in Portland. After the war, he attended the University of Washington, where he met Beverly Stuart in a creative writing class in 1946; both had already sold work for publication. They married that year and had two sons, Brian and Bruce. In 1949, the family moved to California, where Herbert worked for the *Santa Rosa Press-Democrat* and befriended psychologists who introduced him to Freud, Jung, Jaspers, Heidegger, and Zen Buddhism. Herbert never graduated from college, choosing to study only what interested him. He later worked for the *Seattle Star* and the *Oregon Statesman*, and spent a decade as a writer and editor for the *San Francisco Examiner*’s *California Living* magazine.
Herbert had been reading science fiction for about ten years before he started writing it. His first science fiction story, “Looking for Something,” appeared in *Startling Stories* in 1952. His first novel, *Under Pressure*, was serialized in *Astounding* in 1955 and later published as *The Dragon in the Sea*. It was a critical success
- born
- October 8, 1920, Tacoma, Washington
- died
- February 11, 1986
- field
- Science-fiction author, journalist, photographer, ecological consultant, lecturer
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Dune (1965) and its five sequels
Quick Facts
- Birth Name
- Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr
- Birth Date
- 1920-10-08
- Birth Place
- Tacoma, Washington, U.S.
- Death Date
- 1986-02-11
- Death Place
- Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
- Occupation
- Novelist · story-story writer
- Spouse
- Flora Lillian Parkinson · June 19, 1941 · October 26, 1943 · end=div / Beverly Ann Stuart · June 23, 1946 · February 7, 1984 · end=died / Theresa Diane Shackelford · May 18, 1985
- Children
- 3, including Brian
- Period
- 1945–1986
- Genre
- Science fiction
- Works
- Full list
- Awards
- Hugo Award (1966) / Nebula Award (1966)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Frank Herbert was born in Tacoma, Washington, to Franklin Patrick Herbert Sr. and Eileen (née McCarthy) Herbert. His paternal grandparents had joined the Burley Colony in Kitsap County, a utopian commune. He was fascinated by books, could read much of the newspaper before age five, and had an early interest in photography. In 1938, due to his parents' drinking, he ran away with his five-year-old sister to live with an aunt and uncle. He graduated from Salem High School in 1939, then moved to Los Angeles, where he lied about his age to get his first newspaper job at the Glendale Star. He married Flora Lillian Parkinson in 1941, had a daughter, and divorced in 1943. After serving briefly in the U.S. Navy's Seabees as a photographer and receiving a medical discharge, he attended the University of Washington, where he met Beverly Ann Stuart in a creative writing class; they married in 1946 and had two sons. Herbert never graduated from college, returning to journalism and working for several newspapers, including a decade as a writer and editor for the San Francisco Examiner's California Living magazine.
Reader's Guide
Herbert began researching Dune in 1959, inspired by an abandoned magazine article about sand dunes in Oregon. The novel took six years to complete and was serialized in Analog before being published as a hardcover by Chilton Book Company in 1965. Dune won the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1965 and shared the Hugo Award in 1966. It was not an immediate bestseller but eventually became one of the best-selling science fiction novels of all time. Herbert continued the saga with five sequels and planned a seventh novel, but died in 1986, leaving storylines unresolved. His work pushed ecological and philosophical ideas, and he worked as a social and ecological consultant in Vietnam and Pakistan. The Dune series has been adapted into multiple films and miniseries, including David Lynch's 1984 film, a 2000 miniseries, and a current motion picture trilogy by Denis Villeneuve.
Did You Know?
- Herbert lied about his age to get his first newspaper job at the Glendale Star.
- He served six months in the U.S. Navy's Seabees as a photographer before a head injury led to a medical discharge.
- Dune was rejected by nearly twenty book publishers before Chilton Book Company accepted it.
- Herbert helped launch the career of Terry Brooks with a very positive review of Brooks' first novel, The Sword of Shannara, in 1977.
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