Дюна

           WhenIfinallysawthesoulofmyfatherandbegantoappreciatehimforthecarehegavemymotherwhenshewasterminallyill,heandIbecamethebestoffriends.Hehelpedmewithmyownwritingcareerbyshowingmewhateditorswantedtoseeinbooks;hetaughtmehowtoconstructinterestingcharacters,howtobuildsuspense,howtokeepreadersturningthepages.AfterperusinganearlydraftofSidney’sComet(whichwouldbecomemyfirstpublishednovel),hemarkedupseveralpagesandthenwrotemethisnote:

           “Thesepages...showhoweditingtightensthestory.Gonowanddolikewise.”

           Itwashiswayoftellingmethathecouldopenthedoorformeandletmepeekthrough,butIwouldhavetocompletetheimmenselaborsinvolvedwithwritingmyself.

           BeverlyHerbertwasthewindowintoFrankHerbert’ssoul.Hesharedthatrealitywithmillionsofreaderswhenhewrotealoving,three-pagetributetoherattheendofChapterhouse:Dune,describingtheirlifetogether.Hiswritingcompanionandintellectualequal,shesuggestedthetitleforthatbook,andshe

           diedin1984whilehewaswritingit.EarlierinDune,FrankHerberthadmodeledLadyJessicaAtreidesafterBeverlyHerbert,withherdignified,gentlewaysofinfluence,andevenherprescientabilities,whichmymotheractuallypossessed.Healsowroteof“LadyJessica’slatent(prophetic)abilities,”andinthishewasdescribingmymother,thinkingofalltheamazingparanormalfeatsshehadaccomplishedinherlifetime.Inanendearingtone,heoftenreferredtoherashis“whitewitch,”orgoodwitch.