About the Author-

• Frank Herbert (1920-1986) created the most beloved novel in the annals of science fiction, Dune. He was a man of many facets, of countless passageways that ran through an intricate mind. His magnum opus is a reflection of this, a classic work that stands as one of the most complex, multi-layered novels ever written in any genre. Today the novel is more popular than ever, with new readers continually discovering it and telling their friends to pick up a copy. It has been translated into dozens of languages and has sold almost 20 million copies.
  As a child growing up in Washington State, Frank Herbert was curious about everything. He carried around a Boy Scout pack with books in it, and he was always reading. He loved Rover Boys adventures, as well as the stories of H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, and the science fiction of Edgar Rice Burroughs. On his eighth birthday, Frank stood on top of the breakfast table at his family home and announced, "I wanna be a author." His maternal grandfather, John McCarthy, said of the boy, "It's frightening. A kid that small shouldn't be so smart." Young Frank was not unlike Alia in Dune, a person having adult comprehension in a child's body. In grade school he was the acknowledged authority on everything. If his classmates wanted to know the answer to something, such as about sexual functions or how to make a carbide cannon, they would invariably say, "Let's ask Herbert. He'll know."
  His curiosity and independent spirit got him into trouble more than once when he was growing up, and caused him difficulties as an adult as well. He did not graduate from college because he refused to take the required courses for a major; he only wanted to study what interested him. For years he had a hard time making a living, bouncing from job to job and from town to town. He was so independent that he refused to write for a particular market; he wrote what he felt like writing. It took him six years of research and writing to complete Dune, and after all that struggle and sacrifice, 23 publishers rejected it in book form before it was finally accepted. He received an advance of only $7,500.
  His loving wife of 37 years, Beverly, was the breadwinner much of the time, as an underpaid advertising writer for department stores. Having been divorced from his first wife, Flora Parkinson, Frank Herbert met Beverly Stuart at a University of Washington creative writing class in 1946. At the time, they were the only students in the class who had sold their work for publication. Frank had sold two pulp adventure stories to magazines, one to Esquire and the other to Doc Savage. Beverly had sold a story to Modern Romance magazine. These genres reflected the interests of the two young lovers; he the adventurer, the strong, machismo man, and she the romantic, exceedingly feminine and soft-spoken.
  Their marriage would produce two sons, Brian, born in 1947, and Bruce, born in 1951. Frank also had a daughter, Penny, born in 1942 from his first marriage. For more than two decades Frank and Beverly would struggle to make ends meet, and there were many hard times. In order to pay the bills and to allow her husband the freedom he needed in order to create, Beverly gave up her own creative writing career in order to support his. They were in fact a writing team, as he discussed every aspect of his stories with her, and she edited his work. Theirs was a remarkable, though tragic, love story-which Brian would poignantly describe one day in Dreamer of Dune (Tor Books; April 2003). After Beverly passed away, Frank married Theresa Shackelford.
  In all, Frank Herbert wrote nearly 30 popular books and collections of short stori...

Reviews-

• Dune is an epic tale of intrigue, adventure, and mysticism. Scott Brick delivers a masterful performance of this science fiction classic. Fans of Dune will find this audiobook a new way to enjoy the work. Those who have never read science fiction or who haven't yet come to the planet Dune have a treat in store. All will find the quality of the narration equal to the level of the storytelling. Brick is like a historian of the planet Dune, expressing a passion for the peoples and cultures he describes. The alien place and people names sound as natural as if he had recited them many times. The glossary presented at the end of the book is perhaps more useful in print but certainly not a reason to miss out on the audio format. J.E.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine
• The Dune books of Frank Herbert created a complex and rich world of political intrigue and maneuverings. In this first of the prequel trilogy written by Herbert's son and Kevin Anderson, the authors provide some "historical" background just as rich with intrigue. As a narrator, Michael Prichard is detached, without being disengaged. His voices for the primary characters are reflective of their position, power, and personality. He adopts an impervious tone fitting of the emperor's scheming son and devious advisers. Others with more subtle ways of wielding power are suitably subtle in their manner and tone. Prichard adopts a controlled pace that is steady through this long but never dull story. J.E.M. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine
• There's nothing fancy about this reading of a great classic of modern science fiction, but it's effective nonetheless. Anyone intending to see the confusing movie should listen to this, or read the book, first. The story: Paul Atriedes might be the long-awaited Prophet of the dry planet, Dune; great royal houses are after him to kill him and make it not so. Connor O'Brien reads precisely, his slight tenor rising even higher when he speaks the women's parts. He characterizes almost solely by inflection, but it works. D.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
• The desert planet, Arrakis, with its Fremen, sand worms and mind-altering spice drug is the setting for young Paul Atreides's struggle to best Baron Harkonnen and renew the ecological balance of the planet. George Guidall's impeccably restrained reading ably brings forth the humor and danger that often lie just below the surface like the planet's sand worms. Guidall perfectly articulates the asides and thoughts of the characters, carefully separating them from the dialogue. E.E.L. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
• This full-cast performance, augmented by sound effects and music, does justice to a classic of the science fiction genre. Dune, a complex tale of greed, the quest for power, and the indomitable human spirit, follows the development of young Paul Atreides into the messianic Muad'Dib. Euan Morton imbues Paul with an effective mix of vulnerability and conviction in his destiny. Simon Vance is a stalwart anchor narrator. Scott Brick, Orlagh Cassidy, and others contribute to an engrossing presentation. This prose is well suited to being read aloud, and this production makes the book easily accessible to newcomers and Dune fanatics. The only thing missing is a complete list of the cast members and the parts they narrate. J.E.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine

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  Macmillan Audio

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