Happy Birthday to Frank Herbert, Author of the Dune Saga

Frank Herbert (October 8, 1920 - February 11, 1986)

Dune is one of the highest selling sci-fi novels of all time and the Dune Saga is considered at the core of classics within the genre.

All penned by Frank Herbert, one of the greatest science fiction writers of the 20th century, who was born on this day, October 8th, in 1920.

The complexities of both his life and work go way beyond the scope of this article. If you'd like to gain more insight about the man, simply click here. And you can also check out the official Dune website here.

In the meantime, please find below images from the 1984 film adaptation of Dune, which starred Kyle MacLachlan, Sting, Sean Young and Sir Patrick Stewart.

In between the photos, you'll find brilliant quotes from the original novels. And at the end, video of the man himself, sharing some wisdom.

Enjoy!

Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.
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A world is supported by four things ... the learning of the wise, the justice of the great, the prayers of the righteous and the valor of the brave. But all of these are as nothing ... without a ruler who knows the art of ruling. Make that the science of your tradition!
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The mystery of life isn't a problem to solve, but a reality to experience.

No matter how exotic human civilization becomes, no matter the developments of life and society nor the complexity of the machine/human interface, there always come interludes of lonely power when the course of humankind, depends upon the relatively simple actions of single individuals.
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There exists a limit to the force even the most powerful may apply without destroying themselves. Judging this limit is the true artistry of government. Misuse of power is the fatal sin.
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If you need something to worship, then worship life — all life, every last crawling bit of it! We're all in this beauty together!
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Power tends to isolate those who hold too much of it. Eventually, they lose touch with reality... and fall.

You do not take from this universe. It grants you what it will.
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Reason is the first victim of strong emotion.
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If you believe certain words, you believe their hidden arguments.
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A fixed solution is, by definition, a dead solution. The trouble with peace is that it tends to punish mistakes instead of rewarding brilliance.

Any path that narrows future possibilities may become a lethal trap.
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...the universe is a coherent whole and you are indivisible from it.
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Some actions have an end but no beginning; some begin but do not end. It all depends upon where the observer is standing.
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I'm going to rub your faces in things you try to avoid. I don't find it strange that all you want to believe is only that which comforts you.
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And here's a brief video of the genius himself, discussing power and corruption.

Stephen Sumner is the science fiction columnist for Action A Go Go. His favorite sci-fi series include Firefly, Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek. He can be followed on Twitter at https://twitter.com/VierLights or on the Tumblr machine at http://vierlights.tumblr.com/.