Frank Herbert Timeline

Behind the Scenes
This article or section refers to something outside of the Dune Universe.

This is a timeline of events in Frank Herbert's life and work. A timeline of events in the Dune Universe can be found HERE.

Timeline

1920 - Frank Herbert born 8 October in the Washington state town of Tacoma, to Frank and Eileen Herbert.

1938 - Graduates high school. At age 19, FH moves to Southern California and, lying about his age, gets a job with the Glendale Star, thus beginning a career as a journalist on the West Coast newspapers that lasts for many years.

1940 - Marries Flora Parkinson in San Pedro, California. (divorced 1945)

1941 - Enlists in the US Navy and joins the Seabees, but is released six months later on a medical discharge.

1942 - Daughter, Penny, born 16 February in San Pedro.

1945 - Publishes first fiction under his own name, The Survival of the Cunning (a war story set in the Arctic), in Esquire magazine.

1946 - Attends University of Washington. Marries Beverly Ann Stuart on 20 June in Seattle.

1947 - Son, Brian Patrick, born 29 June in Seattle.

1951 - Son, Bruce Calvin , born 26 June in Santa Rosa, California.

1952 - Publishes first science fiction short story, Looking for Something, in Startling Stories.

1956 - Publishes first science fiction novel, Under Pressure (aka: The Dragon in the Sea).

1964 - Dune World serialised in Analog, December 1963, January and February 1964.

1965 - The Prophet of Dune serialised in Analog, January-May 1965. Dune published, wins Nebula Award.

1966 - The Green Brain, Destination: Void, Eyes of Heisenberg. Dune win Hugo Award.

1968 - The Heaven Makers. The Santaroga Barrier.

1969 - Dune Messiah.

1970 - Whipping Star. Begins lectures at the University of Washington on general and interdisciplinary studies.

1971 - The Worlds of Frank Herbert (short story collection).

1972 - The Godmakers. Soul Catcher. Ends his newspaper career. Retreats to a six acre farm on Washington's Olympic Peninsula where he divides his time between writing fiction and transforming the acreage into an ecological demonstration project.

1973 - The Book of Frank Herbert (short story collection). Hellstrom's Hive.

1976 - Children of Dune.

1977 - Children of Dune nominated Hugo Award for Best Novel. The Dosadi Experiment.

1979 - The Jesus Incident (with Bill Ransom).

1980 - Without Me You're Nothing (with Max Barnard).

1981 - God Emperor of Dune.

1982 - The White Plague.

1983 - The Lazarus Effect (with Bill Ransom).

1984 - Heretics of Dune. FH's wife of 38 years, Bev, dies of cancer after a ten-year fight with the disease.

1985 - Chapterhouse: Dune. Marries his former Putnam representative, Theresa Shackleford. Eye (short story collection - includes The Road to Dune)

1986 - Dies 11 February at age 65, of a massive pulmonary embolism while recuperating from cancer surgery. Man of Two Worlds (with Brian Herbert)

1988 - The Ascension Factor (completed by Bill Ransom)