Books

Frank Herbert (1965 76) Dune trilogy, US first editions, first printings, published by Chilton Company (Dune) and Putnam (Dune Messiah; and Children of Dune). Each volume is signed by author Frank Herbert. The trilogy set consists of: 1) Dune (1965), published by Chilton Company. Signed on the title page without personalization. Condition of Dune: a fine copy in a near fine and correct first state dust jacket. There are no previous owners' scribbles inside the book, no bookplates, no stamps of any sorts. Internally clean and unread. The lettering on the spine is vibrant and not rubbed out. The original blue cloth boards are vibrant in color and clean throughout clean as in spotless. No foxing. The dust jacket is the correct first state specimen with the correct USD 5.95 price and the four-line Chilton address on the bottom of the rear flap as called for. NOT restored. NOT color faded on the spine. Very slight edge wear to the spine tip folds as shows. As dust jacket examples of this title go this is in as good as it gets condition. 2) Dune Messiah (1969), published by G.P. Putnam's Sons. Signed on the title page without personalization. Condition of Dune Messiah: a near fine copy in a near fine dust jacket. No previous owners' scribbles, no names, no bookplates, no stamps. A trifle of rubbing at the bottom edge of the board probably from sliding in and out of a shelf. Minuscule squash to top rear spine. Dust jacket is NOT price clipped showing the USD 4.95 price as called for. Near fine with no tears and just a little bit of rubbing to edges as shown. 3) Children of Dune (1976), published by G.P. Putnam's Sons. Signed and inscribed by Herbert on the ffep: To andi Frank Herbert. Condition of Children of Dune: a fine copy without previous owners' scribbles, no bookplates, no stamps. Bookseller prices in pencil (can be erased) on ffep. Clean throughout. Near fine dust jacket for the harshest of judges showing the correct USD 8.95 price. NOT faded on the spine as often seen. Tiny creases on edges of jacket's spine. The publication history of Dune has become legend. After researching sand dunes in Oregon Herbert conceived the idea to write the story. The novel was first serialized in ANALOG magazine from December 1963 onwards as Dune World and Prophet of Dune. After 23 rejections by established publishers, Chilton Company, a car repair manual printing company, published the novel in October 1965. The print run was very low and about half of the initial run had to be discarded. Very few copies have survived in decent condition. Very rare to find the complete trilogy signed and in this outstanding condition. Dune remains the best science fiction novel of all time. It won the 1966 Hugo and Nebula Award. It has been described as the science fiction equivalent to Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings in fantasy in the book's scope, depth, complexity and quality of writing. It has had a colossal influence on the sci-fi genre in literature and film. For example, without Dune Star Wars would not have been made. Dune has been adapted into film by David Lynch in 1984; and as a TV-mini series in 2000. An earlier attempt to film the source material by Alejandro Jodorowsky in the 1970s failed due to lack of finances. A star cast (Salvador Dali; Orson Welles) and the most creative team of that time (film score by Pink Floyd; conceptual art by H.R Giger; Jean Giraud and Chris Foss) had been working on the project and it became the most influential film that was never made. A new film adaptation by Canadian director Denis Villeneuve, who has made some outstanding science fiction films in the past (Arrival and Blade Runner 2049) was released in 2021, and early 2024 in two parts to universal acclaim. We have more images upon request. Abebooks allows only five images to be uploaded. First and Fine.

In Frank Herbert's seminal science fiction novel "Dune," the intricate tale unfolds across a distant future where noble families vie for control over the desert planet Arrakis, the only source of the highly coveted spice melange. The Atreides family, led by Duke Leto Atreides and his son Paul, assumes stewardship of Arrakis, navigating a perilous political landscape rife with treachery and ambition. As Paul adapts to the harsh desert environment, he encounters the Fremen, Arrakis's indigenous people, and discovers his latent abilities tied to their prophecy of a messianic figure known as the Kwisatz Haderach. Paul grapples with his destiny, mastering the complexities of politics, religion, and warfare while confronting personal struggles and ethical dilemmas. The novel explores themes of power, ecology, religion, and the human condition, set against a richly imagined backdrop of a desert planet teeming with political intrigue and mystical intrigue.