The Collected Stories of Frank Herbert

Dune author Herbert (1920%E2%80%931986) injects the tulp attributes of lightning-fast pacing and splashy escapism with liberal doses of humanistic philosophy in 40 future fables (published between 1952 and 1979) that carve speculative byways into both outer and inner space. "This story is about love and adventure," Herbert states in a child's talethat incorporates the discovery and intellectual hunger of genre-bending classics. Technological advancement wars with moral conscience in "Operation Syndrome"; sight and sound spectrums are subverted by alien consciousness in "Eggs and Ashes"; and Faustian curiosity evokes new mythologies from the cold heart of science in "The Heaven Makers." While time admittedly robs many plots of their original shock value, solid craft and universal themes still capture the interest of today's readers. Fascination with communication%E2%80%94its purposes and its dangers%E2%80%94improves the clich%C3%A9d "Occupation Force," and thehunger for knowledge rescues the overly flippant tone of gender politics in "The Nothing." Furious action and snappy dialogue resonate with mystical underpinnings in this generous survey, dressing the era of bug-eyed beasts and alien invasions in philosophical metaphor. This collection will grip Herbert's fans as well as other SF readers. (Nov.)