Herbert, Frank (2021 – ongoing) ‘Dune’ and ‘Dune Messiah’, US illustrated limited edition, published by Centipede Press. Same number set with rights

Frank Herbert (2021  – ongoing) ‘Dune‘ and ‘Dune Messiah‘, US limited edition, published by Centipede Press. One of only 500 numbered copies of which this is a same number set no. 247. Signed by Brian Herbert, Michael Swanwick, and Mark Molnar, with a family approved facsimile signature by Frank Herbert. The set comes with rights which means that the buyer may obtain all future ‘Dune’ instalments at cost directly from the publisher.

Condition: both volumes as new and still sealed in the original shrink wrap.

Production details of Dune according to the publisher:

• Signed by Brian Herbert, Michael Swanwick, and Mark Molnar, with a family approved facsimile signature by Frank Herbert.
• 500 signed copies
• Fully cloth bound, with dustjacket, spine stamping, and inset image on front board.
• Over a dozen interior full color illustrations by Mark Molnar.
• Printed on Mohawk Superfine.
• Printed endpapers.
• Capped, stamped slipcase.
• Folded map.
• Published November 2021.
• Book size 7¼ × 11 inches.
• Number of pages: 696.

The publication history of ‘Dune’ is legendary. After researching sand dunes in Oregon Herbert conceived the idea for the story. The novel was first serialised 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 in the US.

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 exmaple, without ‘Dune’ ‘Star Wars’ would not have been made. ‘Dune’ has been adaped 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 Dennis Villeneuve – who has made some outstanding science fiction fims in the past (‘Arrival’ and ‘Blade Runner 2049’) – was released at the end of 2021 to critical acclaim for its visual mastery. The second part of Dune is slated for early 2024 with a spin-off TV-series planned as well.