London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 30, 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

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×