Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. (October 8, 1920 – February 11, 1986) was a critically acclaimed and commercially successful American science-fiction author best known for the 1965 novel Dune and its five sequels. Though popular for his novels, he also wrote short stories and worked as a newspaper journalist, photographer, book reviewer, ecological consultant, and lecturer. His science fiction saga Dune is the best-selling science fiction novel of all time and the series is widely considered a classic of the sci-fi genre. Herbert’s sci-fi stories explored complex themes such as the long-term survival of the human species and the intersection of religion, politics, economics, and power in a future where humanity has developed interstellar travel.