The Selected Short Stories of Frank Herbert: Missing Link, Old Rambling House, Operation Haystack, The Nothing and Try to Remember

by Frank Patrick Herbert, Saethon Williams (Narrator), Rory Young (Narrator)

The Selected Short Stories of Frank Herbert brings together a fascinating collection of early speculative fiction from the legendary author of Dune.

Featuring “Missing Link,” “Old Rambling House,” “Operation Haystack,” “The Nothing,” and “Try to Remember,” this volume showcases Herbert’s sharp intellect, psychological depth, and early exploration of ideas that would later define his iconic career.

These stories blend science fiction, mystery, and quiet philosophical tension, examining themes of human perception, memory, fear, and the unseen forces shaping everyday life. From subtle mind-bending concepts to eerie, atmospheric settings, Herbert demonstrates a mastery of speculative storytelling even in his shorter works.

Perfect for fans of classic science fiction, thoughtful short stories, and listeners interested in the origins of one of the genre’s most influential voices, this collection offers a compelling glimpse into Frank Herbert’s creative foundations and literary range.

Audible Audio

Published February 6, 2026

About the author

Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. was an American science fiction author best known for the 1965 novel Dune and its five sequels. Though he became famous for his novels, he also wrote short stories and worked as a newspaper journalist, photographer, book reviewer, ecological consultant, and lecturer.

The Dune saga, set in the distant future, and taking place over millennia, explores complex themes, such as the long-term survival of the human species, human evolution, planetary science and ecology, and the intersection of religion, politics, economics and power in a future where humanity has long since developed interstellar travel and settled many thousands of worlds. Dune is the best-selling science fiction novel of all time, and the entire series is considered to be among the classics of the genre.

Reviews

[Chuck McGrady]

This is a collection of short stories for those who want to understand the origin of the author's Dune and, for that matter, the whole Dune series. The stories date from the early 1950's and early 1960's This collection only appears as a Audible Audio, and I'm was guessing I'd rate the collection as a "4" if I were to read it rather than simply listen to it. The stories can be found separately in other collections in printed form.

I found it hard to follow some of the stories, but really liked "Try to Remember". which tells the story of Francine Miller, a psychologist tasked with deciphering nonverbal communications with an alien race. "Old Rambling House" has a galactic government that reminded me of Dune. "The Nothing" was about a society divided by persons of different unique talents ending with a "pyro" falling for a "nothing." [Someone who can spontaneously produce fire falling for someone with no special talents.]

In their own way, each of these stories foreshadow the complex ideas the author would develop in Dune, the best selling science fiction book of all time. Herbert is just amazing in imagining and creating worlds.