October 2009
Blizzards and Editing
Over the past few days, Colorado has been hit by a tremendous early-season snowstorm. Schools and roads were closed for three days; we had over 18″ of snow in our driveway, and our street wasn’t plowed for three days. (In the meantime, we ate most of the fresh food in the refrigerator and started in on all the canned goods.)
New Forum Skinning
We've relaunched the Official Dune Novels forum with a new skin that matches the theme to the official website. We hope everyone enjoys the new look!
--Byron Merritt
Star Challengers
Over the past month I’ve mentioned a new science-oriented young adult project Rebecca and I are developing along with the Challenger Learning Centers. Here is our more detailed announcement:
June Scobee Rodgers Presents
Reissue of Spanish Dune Translation Coming Soon!
Spanish editions of Dune, Dune Messiah and Children of Dune are scheduled to be reissued in March. The books will be issued in Spain, but it shouldn’t be too difficult to secure a copy internationally.
Terra Incognita #2 Delivered
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A few days ago I delivered the final, thoroughly edited and revised, eighth-draft manuscript for the second “Terra Incognita” novel, THE MAP OF ALL THINGS. 704 pages, 177,000 words, with a summary of Book 1 and a complete glossary, as well as a marvelous new map drawn by Richard Ware.
Frank Herbert's Birthday
Today -- October 8th -- is Frank Herbert's birthday. Had the master storyteller still been alive, he would've been 89 years old today.
Frank was born in Tacoma, Washington and passed away on February 11, 1986 after losing his battle with pancreatic cancer.
Retro-Blog: From August On
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Taking a break from editing Hellhole chapters to do a quick summary of the things that kept me too busy to post blogs since I wrapped up The Winds of Dune tour in mid-August.
DragonCon 2009
This year was the first time I attended DragonCon, and what an experience! The staff there really know what the phrase "southern hospitality" means. Everyone was kind, informative, and handled my questions perfectly. The great thing about this event was that there were tons of resources for fans and guests alike. Information booths, guest services, a flood of volunteers, all made this a really fun event. Next year, I hope to attend again and experience more of what this amazing Con has to offer.
--Byron Merritt, Grandson of Frank Herbert