'D' is for Dune by Frank Herbert

I read the Dune books in my teens and twenties, and couldn't tear myself away from them.  I would always be excited when a new sequel came out.  I enjoyed the movies, which came a long time after the books, but I did prefer the novels.  Franklin Patrick Herbert, Jr. (October 8, 1920 – February 11, 1986) was born in Tacoma, WA.  According to the official Dune website:

Dune is considered one of the greatest science fiction novels of all time, and Frank Herbert left a lasting legacy to fans and family alike. Brian Herbert – Frank Herbert’s son – and coauthor Kevin J. Anderson have continued the series, keeping the original author’s vision alive and bringing the saga to millions of new readers. DuneNovels.com is a place where fans of all-things Dune can come and immerse themselves in Frank Herbert’s rich, desert tapestry.

 So, his son is keeping up with the world of Dune, with the help of Kevin J. Anderson.  I am so glad.  In my opinion, the Dune series is up there with the Lord of the Rings, 2001:A Space Odyssey, Ender's Game, and the Foundation series.  These are the sci-fi/fantasy novels that I read during my teens to late twenties, that influence my writing now.  There are other authors, such as, C.S. Lewis and Jules Verne who are the grandfathers of the genre, that I read over and over when I was a kid.  I haunted the library, waiting for new series of sci-fi to come out that I hadn't yet read.  I remember, at one time there were yellow jacketed sci-fi books, so they were easy to spot. 

Links of Interest:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Herbert
http://www.dunenovels.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_J._Anderson
http://kjablog.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Herbert