...Brian Herbert has received a lot of criticism for the way he has dealt with Frank Herbert's literary legacy. Some of it even justified given the quality of the recent Dune books. I was afraid that with a book weighing in at well over 500 pages he had gone a bit overboard on this project. I read the book in four days in which I ought to have been studying a lot more than I actually did. Brian Herbert's description of his father's life is a fascinating read. He shows us a complex man, at once brilliant and clumsy, ambitious and stubborn. A man who has written some of the finest science fiction novels ever but only a shadow of himself without his wife Beverly. It's written in a way that will reach out and grab you, a book that will put Frank Herbert's stories in a new perspective and above all a book that will leave you with the feeling Frank Herbert wasn't nearly done with life when his time came. I should not have waited so long before reading it.

Full Random Comments review

An interesting read but the son spent time in this book figuring out his own relationship to his father. Much of which were from his journal, using specific dates and times he had written down. Explained Herbert's infatuation with middle and eastern religions plus his use of the differing religions in the Judeo, Christian Muslem model.

Wonderful biography of Frank Herbert

Uma das melhores biografias que já li, fruto do hábito de Brian Herbert de manter diários e de sua exaustiva pesquisa na qualidade de curador da herança literária de Frank Herbert.

Solid, informative -- evokes not just the complex man but his time and environs.

Review to follow

A heartfelt biography about love, flaws, and the mastermind of a working universe. Although sprawling at points, I can see why. Herbert’s life had so many angles that it’s difficult to conceptualize without the details - just like his writing.

This is an essential read for anyone interested in the Dune series. I loved reading about Frank Herbert's evolution as both a writer and a person. Brian Herbert does an impressive job by writing about his father truthfully, examining both his strengths and weakness.

One paradox within Frank's character was how brilliant and gregarious he was with adults and yet was a vicious harbinger of discipline with his sons (Brian and Bruce). He went to great lengths to help his friends and was possibly the most faithful, loving, and devoted husband I have ever read about; yet, he would strap his children to a lie detector test when they misbehaved, spanked them, yelled at them, and never showed them any love until their adulthood. At first, I was disturbed to read about this tragic, cruel flaw in his character; by the end, I really admired and respected Frank as a person. He did change once his children grew up, and eventually he and Brian became the closest of friends. I actually cried reading a few places where Brian finally challenged Frank (as an adult) about the cruelty inflicted on him and his brother: Frank was unable to respond, and in one case shut himself in his room and sobbed over his failures. I admired Frank Herbert for coming to grips with his treatment of his sons and at least trying to compensate. At least, compensate where Brian was concerned.

I was not sure about how I was supposed to feel about Bruce, Frank's younger son who was also gay. Apparently, Frank could never accept this fact, nor could the rest of the Herbert family, and as a result, Frank and Bruce never fully reconciled. Unfortunately, Brian provides little details about his brother. He mentions how Bruce never truly stood up to his dad and gives a small amount of space to his drug use, but there is so much we never learn about him--the most startling fact being that Bruce died of AIDS ten years before this book was published! I do not know if his family always saw Bruce as an embarrassment or if Brian just wanted to protect his brother's privacy and legacy. It seems it could be a combination as we learn about how unhappy he was, but Brian makes it very clear he himself as well as his sister, mother, wife, and father, were not happy that Bruce was gay. I do not intend to make any assertions, but I came away from the book feeling Frank's prejudices left a residual effect on Brian, an effect of which I am not even sure he is aware. It reminded me a bit of when I listened to a recent interview with Richard Carpenter (Karen Carpenter's brother), who still did not seem to understand eating disorders. Some may find this irritating or selfish, but to me it was heartbreaking (both Richard Carpenter and Brian Herbert). I kept wanting to know more about how Bruce or Penny (Frank's daughter from his first marriage) related to their dad, but the book is mostly about Brian's experiences. Again, I really think this had to do with Brian's wanting to protect his siblings' privacy and not egotism, as some reviewers have alleged.

Honestly, this book provided so much insight into Dune, especially in regard to father-son relationships and the novel's treatment of gender. Herbert's wife Beverly, undoubtedly his soul mate, was the inspiration for Lady Jessica, which illustrates how he thought of her: beautiful, wise, prescient, sensitive, and, above all, completely devoted to her duke and son. What struck me was the on-going theme of father-son connections that completely contradicts his relationship with his own sons--at least on the surface. Frank's relationship with his own father was distant at best. Both of his parents were alcoholics in the 1920s, causing Frank at a very young age to completely fend for himself. I do not think he resented his parents for this, but there is an absence of love that undoubtedly affected his treatment of Brian and Bruce.

This theme carries through at least the first three Dune books, in which we see sons worshiping their absent fathers, almost revering the idea of them more than their actual personalities. In Dune, we see Paul revering his father, Duke Leto Atreides in spite of the fact that his mother and trainers were really the ones who raised him; in Dune Messiah we see Paul become a father, but leave (I won't say how to avoid spoilers!) when his twins, Leto II and Ghanima, are born; in Children of Dune, Leto has at best a subconscious relationship with his father--he relates to him through his collective memory. I think this springs from his own relationship with his dad and, perhaps, the way he viewed himself as a father. It is impossible to be certain, but I'm sure there is something to this. The paradox of this, though, is that he could imagine loving fathers and loyal sons, but he could not give this to his own children, mainly the boys. This, too, broke my heart for the whole family, and it provided a clearer prism through which to understand Dune and Frank Herbert.

There is so, so much more to discuss about this book, mostly because Frank himself was such a complex personality. I'll just leave with this thought: if you are at least mildly interested in Dune, then you have to read this book.

Excellent biography of Frank Herbert by his son, Brian Herbert. Well written, it also contains insights about writing fiction.

had trouble getting through it. Never finished it.

A deep dive into the lives of Frank and Brian Herbert. There is a lot of content in this very long biography, but most of it is very uninteresting. If you want some insight into the man who created the most fascinating sci-fi universe, you are not going to find it here. Brian tiptoes around his father's shoes, choosing to write this biography as an extended journal, rather than an intellectual analysis of Frank Herbert and his work. If you want a glimpse into the day-to-day life of the man and his son, this book does the job.

Definitely the most intimate biography I’ve ever read. I sobbed, not gonna lie.

I’m torn on if the title “THE Biography of Frank Herbert” is appropriate given the book’s singular and sometimes subjective perspective, but I sure enjoyed it.