Frank Herbert's original six Dune novels, published between 1965 and 1985, are among the most influential works in science fiction. Beginning with the story of Paul Atreides and the desert planet Arrakis, the series expands across thousands of years to explore the consequences of messianic leadership, the tension between prescience and free will, and humanity's long struggle to avoid evolutionary stagnation. Each novel shifts the scope and timeline dramatically - from the political intrigue of Dune to the multi-millennial reign of God Emperor of Dune to the galaxy-spanning upheaval of Heretics and Chapterhouse. Herbert completed six novels before his death in 1986; his son Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson later continued the series with prequels and sequels.