The Exploitation Behind Frank Herbert’s Dune

The compelling story that inspired the captivatingly dark tale of Star Wars is owed to none other than Frank Herbert’s book series: Dune. On top of the book series’ gorgeous covers, and enigmatic feel, Dune’s author is famous to Science Fiction nerds (such as myself) for many reasons. However, one outdoes them all; With the series predating the birth of George Lucas’s somewhat known trilogy famously known as Star Wars. In fact, they not only predate but even served as a source of inspiration to the King of Sci-Fi and world-building himself, George Lucas, as Dune was first published in the summer of 1965.

(It is also interesting to note that Herbert was probably alive for the release of the “first” Star Wars movie, as he would have been 56 years old at the premiere of Episode IV- A New Hope, released in 1977.)

However, Herbert’s journey to the desert of Arrakis did not initiate with books. He was a journalist before becoming an established author and had extensive knowledge of ecology and other areas in biology over fiction. For without it, there would be no Dune. These components are more than evident in the series, as before it became a prolific Science Fiction novel it was initially understood as an environmentalist text.

What’s notable about the Dune series, (apart from it arguably being one of the most important books in defining the Science Fiction genre), is the fact that Herbert was near completing the seventh book in the series when his life was tragically taken by cancer. However, to our fortune he did make prior adjustments to the book series, with the knowledge of his shortened life, he purposely left plot holes for it to hopefully be completed by another author, (most likely intended to be his friend, fellow author Dr. Willis E. McNelly.)

As well, before Frank died, he had a son named Brian Herbert. Brian, well-aware, of the impact and significance of his father’s work, created an “overabundance” of books in the series, some of his own writing, that some declare serves “no real purpose” to the world his father created. With a said hunger for money, he worked in “partnership” with his no longer living father by embellishing certain works of Frank’s. He published them and enjoyed the fruits of his father’s hard-worked labour that lasted until his dying breath.

Grim and sad, the backstory of Dune is almost as astonishing as that of the actual story. Making Dune a true classic; as the tale of the life of a prolific author is usually a life of disguised fate.