The Dune prequel series is a sequence of novel trilogies written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Set in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert, the novels take place in various time periods before and in between Herbert's original six novels, which began with 1965's Dune. In 1997, Bantam Books made a 3milliondealwiththeauthorsforthreeDuneprequelnovels,partiallybaseduponnotesleftbehindbyFrankHerbert,thatwouldcometobeknownasthePreludetoDunetrilogy.Startingwith1999′sDune:HouseAtreides,theduohavepublished14Duneprequelnovelstodate.In2011PublishersWeeklycalledtheseries"asprawlingedificethatFrankHerbert’ssonandAndersonhavebuiltonthefoundationoftheoriginalDunenovels."JonMichaudofTheNewYorkerwrotein2013,"TheconversionofDuneintoafranchise,whilepleasingreadersandearningroyaltiesfortheHerbertestate,hasgonealongwaytowardobscuringthepoweroftheoriginalnovel."Duneitselfisfrequentlycitedasthebest−sellingsciencefictionnovelinhistory,andwonthe1966HugoAwardandtheinauguralNebulaAwardforBestNovel.Herbertwrotefivesequelsbeforehediedin1986.BrianHerbertandAndersonhavealsopublishedHuntersofDune(2006)andSandwormsofDune(2007),sequelstoFrankHerbert′sfinalnovelChapterhouse:Dune(1985)whichcompletethechronologicalprogressionofhisoriginalseriesandwrapupstorylinesthatbeganwithhisHereticsofDune(1984).PreludetoDuneisaprequeltrilogyofnovelswrittenbyBrianHerbertandKevinJ.Anderson,setinFrankHerbert′sDuneuniverse.TheseriestakesplaceintheyearsleadinguptotheeventsintheoriginalnovelDune(1965)andexplorestheoriginsofsomeofitscharacters.In1997,BantamBooksmadea3 million deal with the authors for three Dune prequel novels that would come to be known as the Prelude to Dune trilogy. The novels draw from notes left behind by Frank Herbert after his death in 1986.