Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Jul 04, 2025

Frank Herbert Wrote “Dune” in This San Francisco Home

Frank Herbert Wrote “Dune” in This San Francisco Home

Art Deco and Victorian touches, plus an ample backyard garden, give this Potrero Hill two-bedroom presence as well as pedigree.

On an increasingly inhospitable planet with dwindling natural resources, powerful oligarchs battle for control. That’s not a news headline, but the plot behind Frank Herbert’s classic 1965 sci-fi novel Dune, which is the source material for the Denis Villeneuve film currently topping worldwide box-office charts.

In an exquisitely timed twist, the San Francisco house where Frank wrote the novel is now for sale. But this resource may be dwindling too, for 412 Mississippi Street is now marked as "sale pending."



As is common with San Francisco homes, the former Herbert residence sits atop its garage. The roof is topped with traditional Spanish tile, and the interior features Deco and Victorian touches.



A stairway at the side of the home leads to the entryway.

The property is located on the north slope of Potrero Hill, the neighborhood south of downtown San Francisco known for its sunny weather and views of the bay. It’s a short walk west to the popular Mission District, or an even quicker jaunt east to the Chase Center or Oracle Park to catch a ballgame.



The home’s connection to Frank Herbert has not gone unnoticed.



A quartet of skylights in public areas (including the dining room) fill the home with natural light.

This house gave Frank a stable base after many itinerant years. Born in Tacoma, Washington, in 1920, Frank served in World War II as a Navy Seabee and attended the University of Washington before marrying and going to work full-time as a newspaper reporter for publications in Oregon and California. His first sci-fi stories were published in 1952, and his first novel, The Dragon in the Sea, came four years later.



A stylistic touch from Frank Herbert’s days remains: a pink-and-black-tiled bathroom. (The tropical wallpaper is a later addition.)



The kitchen has been recently updated in a monochromatic look, but still retains some of its original counter tiles.

Frank began writing Dune in 1959, after working on a long-form article about the Oregon Dunes (near Florence, Oregon,) that was never published. According to a biography by his son, Brian, Dune was written in the mornings at a rolltop desk in the dining room, before Frank headed to work at the San Francisco Examiner as a picture editor on the evening shift.



The garden unfolds over two levels on the hillside site.



The back of the home, clad in cedar shingles, includes a small deck overlooking the garden.

The two-story Potrero Hill home was built in 1938, and it features a blend of Victorian and Art Deco details inside. A standout is the ornate white fireplace with a vintage sunburst mirror in one corner of the living room. Parquet wood floors extend throughout most of the home. The kitchen has been updated, but it shares hints of color and materiality with the original bathroom (dating back to Frank Herbert’s time), which features a blend of pink and black tile.



The principal bedroom is large enough to make room for a small seating area.



A second bedroom looks out onto the garden.

The building keeps a low profile in front-a side-flight of stairs leads to its tucked-away entrance on the second story. The interior is filled with natural light thanks to skylights in the kitchen, dining room, and hallway. A sizable eat-in kitchen gives way to a private garden in back. The home’s two bedrooms look onto this green space, and one connects directly to a rear deck.



French doors connect the den directly to the back garden.

For many years, the lower level was set up as a small, short-term rental, which comes with the property. It can be returned to the rest of the house as a third bedroom, or serve as its own apartment.

By the time Dune was published in 1965, the couple had moved from this house to Marin County. But while there were many Dune sequels, the original remained Frank Herbert’s sand-covered magnum opus, and thus 412 Mississippi Street is the place where sci-fans continue to make pilgrimages.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
×