World Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Frank Herbert

フランク・ハーバート

Furanku Hābāto

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1920-10-08 （Tacoma, Washington, United States）
Died
1986-02-11 （Madison, Washington, United States） age 65
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Washington state (birthplace, long-term residence) → Hawaii (one of residences later in life)

Career

Occupations
novelist, science fiction writer, journalist, editor, lecturer, consultant, director-photographer
Active Years
1939-1986
Influenced By
Alfred Korzybski (influence of general semantics)
Influenced
Brian Herbert (son, continued the Dune series), Kevin J. Anderson (co-author of later Dune novels)

Education

University of Washington
Creative writing class
Period: 1946
Country: United States
Did not complete degree due to insufficient credits

Awards

Nebula Award (Best Novel)
1965
Work: Dune
Category: 長編
Organization: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA)
Result: 受賞
Hugo Award (Best Novel)
1966
Work: Dune
Category: 長編
Organization: World Science Fiction Society (WSFS)
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Dune

1965 Science fiction 412 pages

An epic science-fiction novel set on the desert planet Arrakis (Dune), centering on the struggle over the spice 'melange' and following Paul Atreides' rise and transformation. The book interweaves themes of ecology, religion, politics, power, and human potential.

ecologyreligionpoliticspowerleadershipevolution
Adaptations
  • [film] Dune / David Lynch (1984)
  • [film] Dune / Denis Villeneuve (2021)
  • [film (sequel)] Dune: Part Two / Denis Villeneuve (2024)
Translations
  • Translated by Toru Yano (Hayakawa Bunko)
  • Translated by Akinobu Sakai (new translation, Hayakawa)

The Dragon in the Sea

1955 Science fiction 224 pages

Set aboard a 21st-century submarine, the novel explores sanity and madness, wartime psychology, and struggles over vital resources, presaging conflicts over oil.

resources and politicspsychologysanity and madness
Translations
  • Translated by Yasuhiko Takahashi (Hayakawa SF Series, 1958)

Bibliography

  • The Dragon in the Sea (1955)
  • Dune (1965)
  • Dune Messiah (1969)
  • Children of Dune (1976)
  • Destination: Void (1966)
  • The Dosadi Experiment (1977)

Adaptations

  • David Lynch's film 'Dune' (1984)
  • Denis Villeneuve's film 'Dune' (2021) and its sequel (2024)

Translations of Works

  • 'Dune' translated into Japanese by Toru Yano (Hayakawa Bunko) and others

Style & Themes

Literary Style
epic world-buildingphilosophical and idea-driven prosemulti-perspective narrative
Recurring Motifs
ecology and environmental systemsdangers of power and charismalanguage and consciousnesshuman evolution and adaptation

Health

  • pancreatic cancer
    1986年（診断・死没年）
    Died of pancreatic cancer in 1986. Illness limited his activities before death.

Legacy

'Dune' is regarded as a science-fiction classic, an epic that addresses ecology, religion, and politics and received significant literary recognition. Winner of both the Hugo and Nebula Awards, Herbert's work has influenced subsequent SF across books, film, and other media.

Quotes

  • Fear is the mind-killer.
    Source: Dune (1965) (1965)

Trivia

  • 'Dune' won both the Nebula (1965) and Hugo (1966) Awards.
  • He once falsified his age to get a job at a newspaper in his youth.
  • The idea for Dune developed from research into the sand dunes near Florence, Oregon.