Top 10 Facts about Frank Herbert 📝

Though Frank Herbert created a story that massively influenced the world of science fiction, he lived a life that gave him an adventure worthy of being told. From a journalist to a soldier and finally, an author, Frank Herbert’s life is a story worth telling.

Frank Herbert Never Completed School

After World War II ended, Frank Herbert decided to attend the University of Washington, where he met his wife, Beverly Ann Stuart. However, in his biography, His son, Brian, reveals that Frank Herbert never completed university because he lost interest and was keen on learning what interested him.

Frank Herbert Got Married Thrice

Frank Herbert was married three times. The first time he got married was in 1941. After he met Flora Lillian Parkinson, they got married in San Pedro, California. Frank Herbert’s second wife was Beverly Ann Stuart, who he met at the University of Washington. Sadly, Beverly died in 1984. Shortly after Beverly’s death, Frank Herbert married Theresa Shackleford one year before his death.

Dune Got Rejected 20 Times

Before the success of his novel, Frank Herbert faced multiple rejections from publishing companies who were not interested in publishing a science fiction novel that suppressed the technological aspect of a story and focused more on the political and religious. ‘Dune’ was rejected 20 times before it finally got published.

Dune Got Published by A Car Repair Manual Printing Company

After facing 20 rejections, ‘Dune’ was finally published, but the publisher was Chilton Books, an auto repair manual-making company. Frank Herbert was given a 7,500 dollar advance fee for rights to publish and future loyalties. ‘Dune’ was not an overnight success as people were still new to its concept.

Frank Herbert Was A Strong Critic of Governments

One thing Frank Herbert screamed was opposition towards governments. He was against the Soviet Union and clearly expressed his views using books. Frank Herbert used his books as n avenue to show what happens when governments wield too much power. In ‘Chapterhouse: Dune’ Frank Herbert wrote:

All governments suffer a recurring problem: Power attracts pathological personalities. It is not that power corrupts but that it is magnetic to the corruptible. Such people have a tendency to become drunk on violence, a condition to which they are quickly addicted.

The Editor Who Published Dune Got Fired for It

On Publishing, ‘Dune’ was not a hit because of factors which included its length and its pricy tag of 5.95 dollars which was huge at the time. Due to low sales, the editor for Chilton Book Company, Sterling E. Lanier, got fired, and ‘Dune’ was tagged a failure. However, things eventually turned around, and ‘Dune’ became a massive hit.

Critics Never Like Dune

‘Dune’ was a book that created a rift between readers and critics as the critics did not understand the story. In the 1960s, most science fiction novels talked about aliens and space wars. However, ‘Dune’ focused on the ecological, political, and religious aspects of the story. Due to the storyline, ‘Dune’ was given bad scores by critics.

Dune Took Six Years of Researching

‘Dune’ is a story with complexity and description at its core. The novel took frank Herbert six years to research, and this was due to the complexities of the planets Frank Herbert created. Another contributing factor to the time for creating ‘Dune’ was the uniqueness of the words used by Frank Herbert.

Frank Herbert Served in The Military

Frank Herbert worked as a photographer for six months in the Navy’s Seabees. Unfortunately, Frank was involved in an accident that caused a head injury. He was medically discharged and later moved to Portland, Oregon, where he got a job as a reporter.

Frank Herbert’s Other Source of Inspiration for Dune Was From a Hobby

Apart from the dunes of Florence that inspired Frank Herbert to write ‘Dune,’ Frank was also inspired by psilocybin and a hobby of cultivating mushrooms.

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