The Maker of Dune: Insights of a Master of Science Fiction

Herbert, who died a year ago, wrote two collections of short stories and 22 novels, including the immensely popular, six-part Dune series. However, his short nonfiction essaysculled from newspaper features, correspondence, interviews, introductions to science-fiction anthologies and record-liner noteshave remained uncollected until now. Stimulating, cogent and thought-provoking, these pieces cover much of the same ground as Herbert's fictiondemonstrating his interest in ecology, the future, religion and the consequences of scienceand thus provide clues, as O'Reilly notes, to ""the myriad threads that make up the cloth on which Frank's stories are so lavishly embroidered.'' One section is devoted to ``The Origins of Dune,'' and the book includes a complete Herbert bibliography. (May)