bh.houseatreides-第132节

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st　of　the　Great　Schools　had　been　formed；　including　the　Bene　Gesserit；　the　Mentats；　and　the　Swordmasters。
　Upon　learning　of　my　interest；　prominent　writers　approached　me　with　offers　of　collaboration。　But　in　tossing　ideas　around　with　them　I　couldn't　visualize　the　project　ing　to　fruition。　They　were　excellent　writers；　but　in　bination　with　them　I　didn't　feel　the　necessary　synergy　for　such　a　monumental　task。　So　I　kept　turning　to　other　projects；　avoiding　the　big　one。　Besides；　while　Dad　had　sprinkled　many　provocative　loose　ends　in　the　fifth　and　sixth　books　of　the　series；　he　had　written　an　afterword　for　CHAPTERHOUSE：　DUNE　that　was　a　marvelous　dedication　to　my　late　mother；　Beverly　Herbert　　his　wife　of　nearly　four　decades。　They　had　been　a　writing　team　in　which　she　edited　his　work　and　acted　as　a　sounding　board　for　his　overflow　of　ideas。。。so　with　both　of　them　gone　it　seemed　a　fitting　conclusion　to　leave　the　project　untouched。
　The　trouble　was；　a　fellow　named　Ed　Kramer　kept　after　me。　An　acplished　editor　and　sponsor　of　science　fiction/fantasy　conventions；　he　wanted　to　put　together　an　anthology　of　short　stories　set　in　the　Dune　universe　　stories　by　different；　well…known　authors。　He　convinced　me　that　it　would　be　an　interesting；　significant　project；　and　we　talked　about　coediting　it。　All　the　details　weren't　finalized；　since　the　project　had　a　number　of　plexities；　both　legal　and　artistic。　In　the　midst　of　this；　Ed　told　me　he　had　received　a　letter　from　best…selling　author　Kevin　J。　Anderson；　who　had　been　invited　to　contribute　to　the　proposed　anthology。　He　suggested　what　he　called　a　〃shot　in　the　dark；〃　asking　about　the　possibility　of　working　at　novel　length；　preferably　on　a　sequel　to　CHAPTERHOUSE：　DUNE。
　Kevin's　enthusiasm　for　the　Dune　universe　fairly　jumped　off　the　pages　of　his　letter。　Still；　I　delayed　answering　him　for　around　a　month；　not　certain　how　to　respond。　Despite　his　proven　skills；　I　was　hesitant。　This　was　a　big　decision。　By　now　I　knew　I　wanted　to　be　involved　closely　in　the　project；　and　that　I　needed　to　participate　to　such　a　degree　in　order　to　ensure　the　production　of　a　novel　of　integrity；　one　that　would　be　faithful　to　the　original　series。　Along　with　J。R。R。　Tolkien's　LORD　OF　THE　RINGS　and　a　handful　of　other　works；　DUNE　stood　as　one　of　the　greatest　creative　achievements　of　all　time；　and　arguably　the　greatest　example　of　science　fiction　world…building　in　the　history　of　literature。　For　the　sake　of　my　father's　legacy；　I　couldn't　select　the　wrong　person。　I　read　everything　I　could　get　my　hands　on　that　Kevin　had　written；　and　did　more　checking　on　him。　It　soon　became　clear　to　me　that　he　was　a　brilliant　writer；　and　that　his　reputation　was　sterling。　I　decided　to　give　him　a　telephone　call。
　We　hit　it　off　immediately；　both　on　a　personal　and　professional　level。　Aside　from　the　fact　that　I　genuinely　liked　him；　I　felt　an　energy　between　us；　a　remarkable　flow　of　ideas　that　would　benefit　the　series。　After　obtaining　the　concurrence　of　my　family；　Kevin　and　I　decided　to　write　a　prequel　　but　not　one　set　in　the　ancient　times；　long　before　DUNE。　Instead　we　would　go　to　events　only　thirty　or　forty　years　before　the　beginning　of　DUNE；　to　the　love　story　of　Paul's　parents；　to　the　Planetologist　Pardot　Kynes　being　dispatched　to　Arrakis；　to　the　reasons　for　the　terrible；　destructive　enmity　between　House　Atreides　and　House　Harkonnen；　and　much　more。
　Before　writing　a　detailed　outline；　we　set　to　work　rereading　all　six　Dune　books　my　father　had　written；　and　I　took　it　upon　myself　to　begin　assembling　a　massive　DUNE　CONCORDANCE　　an　encyclopedia　of　all　the　characters；　places；　and　wonders　of　the　Dune　universe。　Of　primary　concern　to　us；　we　needed　to　determine　where　Dad　had　been　heading　with　the　conclusion　of　the　series。　It　was　clear　that　he　was　building　up　to　something　momentous　in　DUNE　7；　and　without　intending　to　do　so　he　had　left　us　with　a　mystery。　There　were　no　known　notes　or　other　clues；　only　my　memory　that　Dad　had　been　using　a　yellow　highlighter　on　paperback　copies　of　HERETICS　OF　DUNE　and　CHAPTERHOUSE：　DUNE　shortly　before　his　death　　books　that　no　one　could　locate　after　he　was　gone。
　In　early　May　1997；　when　I　finally　met　Kevin　J。　Anderson　and　his　wife；　the　author　Rebecca　Moesta；　new　story　ideas　fairly　exploded　from　our　minds。　In　a　frenzy　the　three　of　us　either　scribbled　them　down　or　recorded　them　on　tape。　From　these　notes；　scenes　began　to　unfold；　but　still　we　wondered　and　debated　where　Dad　had　been　going　with　the　series。
　In　the　last　two　books；　HERETICS　OF　DUNE　and　CHAPTERHOUSE：　DUNE；　he　had　introduced　a　new　threat　　the　reviled　Honored　Matres　　who　proceeded　to　lay　waste　to　much　of　the　galaxy。　By　the　end　of　CHAPTERHOUSE；　the　characters　had　been　driven　into　a　corner；　utterly　beaten。。。and　then　the　reader　learned　that　the　Honored　Matres　themselves　were　running　from　an　even　greater　mysterious　threat。。。a　peril　that　was　drawing　close　to　the　protagonists　of　the　story；　most　of　whom　were　Bene　Gesserit　Reverend　Mothers。
　A　scant　two　weeks　after　our　meeting；　I　received　a　telephone　call　from　an　estate　lawyer　who　had　handled　matters　involving　my　mother　and　father。　He　informed　me　that　two　safety…deposit　boxes　belonging　to　Frank　Herbert　had　turned　up　in　a　suburb　of　Seattle；　boxes　that　none　of　us　knew　existed。　I　made　an　appointment　to　meet　with　the　bank　authorities；　and　in　an　increasing　air　of　excitement　the　safety…deposit　boxes　were　opened。　Inside　were　papers　and　old…style　floppy　puter　disks　that　included　prehensive　notes　from　an　unpublished　DUNE　7　　the　long…awaited　sequel　to　CHAPTERHOUSE：　DUNE！　Now　Kevin　and　I　knew　for　certain　where　Frank　Herbert　had　been　headed；　and　we　could　weave　the　events　of　our　prequel　into　a　future　grand　finale　for　the　series。
　We　turned　with　new　enthusiasm　to　the　task　of　putting　together　a　book　proposal　that　could　be　shown　to　publishers。　That　summer　I　had　a　trip　to　Europe　scheduled；　an　anniversary　celebration　that　my　wife　Jan　and　I　had　been　planning　for　a　long　time。　I　took　along　a　new　laptop　puter　and　a　featherweight　printer；　and　Kevin　and　I　exchanged　FedEx　packages　all　summer　long。　By　the　time　I　returned　at　the　end　of　the　summer；　we　had　a　massive　141…page　trilogy　proposal　　the　largest　that　either　of　us　had　ever　seen。　My　allied　DUNE　CONCORDANCE　project；　the　encyclopedia　of　all　the　marvelous　treasures　of　the　Dune　universe；　was　a　little　over　half…pleted；　with　months　of　intensive　work　remaining　before　it　would　be　finished。
　As　we　waited　to　see　if　a　publisher　would　be　interested；　I　remembered　the　many　writing　sessions　I　had　enjoyed　with　my　father；　and　my　early　novels　in　the　1980s　that　had　received　his　loving；　attentive　suggestions　for　improvement。　Everything　I　had　learned　from　him　　and　more　　would　be　needed　for　this　huge　prequel　project。
　…Brian　Herbert
　I　never　met　Frank　Herbert；　but　I　knew　him　well　through　the　words　he　wrote。　I　read　DUNE　when　I　was　ten　years　old；　and　reread　it　several　times　over　the　years；　then　I　read　and　enjoyed　all　of　the　sequels。　GOD　EMPEROR　OF　DUNE；　hot　off　the　presses；　was　the　very　first　hardcover　novel　I　ever　purchased　（I　was　a　freshman　in　college）。　Then　I　worked　my　way　through　every　single　one　of　his　other　novels；　diligently　checking　off　the　titles　on　the　〃Other　Books　By〃　page　in　each　new　novel。　THE　GREEN　BRAIN；　HELLSTROM'S　HIVE；　THE　SANTAROGA　BARRIER；　THE　EYES　OF　HEISENBERG；　DESTINATION：　VOID；　THE　JESUS　INCIDENT；　and　more　and　more　and　more。
　To　me；　Frank　Herbert　was　the　pinnacle　of　what　science　fiction　could　be　　thought…provoking；　ambitious；　epic　in　scope；　well…researched；　and　entertaining　　all　in　the　same　book。　Other　science　fiction　novels　succeed　in　one　or　more　of　these　areas；　but　DUNE　did　it　all。　By　the　time　I　was　five　years　old；　I　had　decided　I　wanted　to　be　a　writer。　By　the　time　I　was　twelve；　I　knew　I　wanted　to　write　books　like　the　ones　Frank　Herbert　wrote。
　Throughout　college；　I　published　a　handful　of　short　stories；　then　began　to　write　my　first　novel；　RESURRECTION；　INC。；　a　plex　tale　set　in　a　future　world　where　the　dead　are　reanimated　to　serve　the　living。　The　novel　was　full　of　social　mentary；　religious　threads；　a　large　cast　of　characters；　and　（yes）　a　wheels…within…wheels　plot。　By　this　time；　I　had　enough　writing　credits　to　join　the　Science　Fiction　Writers　of　America。。。and　one　of　the　main　benefits　was　the　Membership　Directory。　There；　before　my　eyes；　was　the　home　address　of　Frank　Herbert。　I　promised　myself　that　I　would　send　him　the　very　first　signed　copy。　The　novel　sold　almost　immediately　to　Signet　Books。。。but　before　its　publication　date；　Frank　Herbert　died。
　I　had　avidly　read　the　last　two　Dune　books；　HERETICS　and　CHAPTERHOUSE；　in　which　Herbert　had　launched　a　vast　new　saga　that　built　to　a　fever　pitch；　literally　destroyed　all　life　on　the　planet　Arrakis；　and　left　the　human　race　on　the　brink　of　extinction　　that's　where　Frank　Herbert　left　the　story　upon　his　death。　I　knew　that　his　son　Brian　was　also　a　professional　writer　with　several　science　fiction　novels　under　his　belt。　I　waited；　and　hoped；　that　Brian　would　plete　a　draft　manuscript；　or　at　least　flesh　out　an　outline　his　father　had　left　behind。　Someday　soon；　I　hoped；　faithful　DUNE　readers　would　have　a　resolution　to　this　cliffhanger。
　Meanwhile；　my　own　writing　career　flourished。　I　was　nominated　for　the　Bram　Stoker　Award　and　the　Nebula　Award；　two　of　my　thrillers　were　bought　or　optioned　by　majo