The SF house where Frank Herbert wrote ‘Dune’ is now for sale

However earlier than all that, lengthy earlier than younger Paul Atreides caught his hand within the ache field (the primary scene within the novel), and lived to inform the story, Herbert sat behind a rolltop desk within the eating room of 412 Mississippi underneath a big skylight, writing. Again then, it was a “one-story white stucco home, constructed round 1930, with hardwood maple flooring all through and a pink tile roof” on Potrero Hill, Brian Herbert — Frank’s son — writes within the biography “Dreamer of Dune.”

A brand new adaptation of the e-book can be launched as a significant movement image on October 22, starring Timothee Chalamet and Oakland native Zendaya. David Lynch famously directed and produced an earlier iteration of “Dune,” in what was resoundingly described as a flop, monetarily and in any other case. 

However removed from Hollywood, the pink tiles are nonetheless there. So is the writerly spirit, in response to present homeowners Paul Herman and Gayle Keck, who’re each writers themselves. 

“It is a comfy place to write down,” Herman mentioned by telephone lately. “It does really feel like inventive vitality channels by means of it.” And the yard is massive and inexperienced, the kind of place you could possibly think about large man-eating worms wiggling, Herman mentioned. 

The Herberts lived within the Bay Space for years. They initially moved to a small residence on Potrero Hill, earlier than transferring subsequent door to 412 Mississippi, the place Brian Herbert says his dad wrote the vast majority of “Dune.” Brian Herbert, now a author himself, declined a request to be interviewed for this story.

Beginning in the summertime of 1960, Brian recounts in “Dreamer of Dune,” his father labored as an evening image editor on the San Francisco Examiner, then owned by Hearst, SFGATE’s father or mother firm. Herbert would write his fiction throughout the day, earlier than trudging off at 4 p.m. to his job on the Examiner constructing on Third and Mission streets downtown. He’d end up by midnight, spending plenty of time in what newspapers name the “morgue,” or the archive. 

“By writing within the mornings, I gave my greatest energies to myself,” Brian quotes his father as saying. “The Ex received the remaining.” 

In San Francisco, the Herberts hobnobbed with the science-fiction writing elite, together with Isaac Asimov and Robert Heinlein, who wrote “A Stranger in a Unusual Land.” Mrs. Herbert labored downtown at The White Home, the primary division retailer within the metropolis. (Banana Republic now occupies its outdated constructing.)

The identical yr The White Home closed, in 1965, Chilton Books printed “Dune.” It might change into such an immense success that it spawned 4 further novels, all as chunky as their predecessor (and generally troublesome to get by means of). 

From there, the difference makes an attempt started. Notably, filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky tried to make his filmic model of “Dune” within the Nineteen Seventies, to no avail. The movie “Jodorowsky’s Dune” chronicles his failed makes an attempt. 

Lastly, filmmaker David Lynch tried his hand at capturing the “Dune” universe in 1984, with a movie starring Kyle MacLachlan. The $40 million movie flopped on the field workplace.

“This film is an actual mess,” critic Roger Ebert wrote, “an incomprehensible, ugly, unstructured, pointless tour into the murkier realms of one of the complicated screenplays of all time.” Lynch himself referred to as the movie “a complete failure.” 

We will see if issues change for the 2021 adaptation of “Dune,” directed by Denis Villeneuve. If something, the frequent variations of the novel show the longstanding enchantment of “Dune,” which offers with problems with ecology and local weather, gender dynamics and philosophy. The world, arguably, can not appear to shake “Dune” and its resounding affect. 

However again to 412 Mississippi. Herman and Keck, who purchased the home in 1986 “with no concept Frank Herbert had lived right here,” are planning to promote their longtime house — for $1.595 million. The 2-bedroom, one-bathroom house is sunny and vivid and abounds with literary good vibes, in response to the homeowners, who’re transferring to Chicago to be close to household. They hope the longer term proprietor has a respect for all issues science fiction. 

“We hope somebody will purchase it who has an appreciation for its historical past and artistic vibe,” Keck mentioned. 

Herman and Keck didn’t uncover their house’s historical past till about ten years in the past, once they noticed two folks standing in entrance of their home snapping photographs. 

“What are you doing?” Keck requested. 

“Don’t you already know that is the home Frank Herbert wrote ‘Dune’ in?” the guests replied.

Herman and Keck didn’t. In order that they emailed Brian Herbert to substantiate. (SFGATE has vetted the emails for veracity.) 

Brian Herbert did affirm that “most of ‘Dune’ was written right here.” He additionally added that his spouse had by no means seen the home, and requested to “drop by if we occur in San Francisco.” 

That hasn’t occurred but. Nevertheless it’s solely a matter of time. 

“They’ll all the time be welcome,” Keck mentioned.