Frank Herbert – 20th-century American writer, author of Dune and God Emperor of Dune, a cornerstone of science fiction. His epic saga of a desert planet and power became a landmark of ecological and political thought in literature.
🌵 The idea for Dune came while researching a story on sand dune stabilization in Oregon. 📖 Over 20 publishers rejected the manuscript before Chilton Books (better known for car manuals) printed it. 🏆 Dune won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards – rare in the 1960s. 👨👩👦 The saga was later continued by his son Brian Herbert with Kevin J. Anderson. 🌍 Ecology is central: desert survival, scarcity of water, adaptation. 🎬 Herbert was disappointed with early film adaptations, finding them oversimplified. 📰 Worked as a journalist before turning to fiction. 📚 Blended religion, politics, and psychology in his narratives. 💡 Saw Dune as a warning against worshipping charismatic leaders. 😂 Curiosity: publishers once asked him to cut the novel in half – he refused, and was vindicated. 😄 Amusing fact: friends joked he could “turn any chat into a sandstorm”.