Frank Herbert (1920 – 1986), a Tacoma native, sold more science fiction books than any author in history. I became a fan after reading Dune while a college student. I don’t recall how many of his books I have read, but the list includes Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, God Emperor of Dune, and The White Plague. All the books, except the latter, are in paperback, leading me to the point of this story. The student newspaper article below explains why Herbert was on the CWU campus at my invitation. At the time, he lived in the Puget Sound area and drove to Ellensburg with his wife. Before his presentation, I had a few minutes to talk with Mr. Herbert at the student union building, and I asked if he would autograph my copy of Dune. He was sitting across a desk from me, and I noticed he glanced at his wife when I handed him my ($1.25) paperback copy. He graciously signed the book. It was not until years later that I realized how short-signed I was in asking an author of his statue to sign a paperback and why he glanced at his wife. I think he understood why a college student could not afford hardback books for recreational reading.
