Old Rambling House

by Frank Herbert

Old Rambling House is a short story notable for its atmosphere and the dystopian multiverse in which no hope of freedom is left, which is atypical for Herbert's works.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Short Stories

10 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

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

[Thom Swennes · Rating 3 out of 5]

BEWARE: If it seems too good to be true; it probably is.
Frank Herbert is best known for his Dune Saga which is truly inspiring and memorable for its vast size if not for its content. This story is as short as his previous works were long. Old Rambling House was first published in 2010 and has attracted many readers but unfortunately none of them have felt so far inclined to write a single review. This may stem from the fact that any “in-depth” assessment would probably be longer than the work itself. I will attempt to give a very short synopsis and relate my judgment of the work as a whole. Ted and Martha Graham are the proud owners of a mobile home and have reached the stage that they are looking for something more substantial and permanent. Ted is a CPA and feels he can practice his trade anywhere. Too fast their ad is answered and a Mr. Clint Rush mysteriously appears on their doorstep. The offer he proposes appears too good and Mr. and Mrs. Graham have no idea what is in store for them. I can well imagine that an author that is prone to long prose may find it difficult to express themselves in condensed works but this may be an exception to that assumption. I recommend it to all science-fiction and futuristic buffs as it is a minimum investment for a maximum rudiment.

[DOUGLAS J BERRY · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short sci fi story

Only fifteen pages. Feels like the review is almost as long, heh. Frank Herbert who wrote dune also did some shorts like this. It's sort of a story about alien con men.

[Dayo Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must be weird because I seem to be the only one that enjoyed that.

[Beatrice Drury · Rating 4 out of 5]

A couple swaps their trailer with another couple's house. It isn't a good swap. They find that they swapped everything- location and lives. Interesting little sci-fi story.

[Βασίλης Μέγας · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting short story with a twist that I really enjoyed.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great creativity

This brilliantly creative work by one of the old masters of sci-fi is consistently entertaining as well as thought provoking.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Things are not what they appear.

[Tony Ciak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weird ,scifi, horror short story by a master

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ted and Martha Graham just got an offer that seems too good to be true. A couple wants to swap their house, which Ted guesses with worth $100,000,for the Grahams' trailer which is worth $7000. Ted wonders, but goes ahead with the deal.

Yeah, I guess his mama never told him...

Please read the full review here.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a terrific little short story that was first published in 1958 in Galaxy magazine. From the set-up to the denouement it flows smoothly with just the right amount of build-up of uneasiness. This was a really nice surprise, not having read any of Herbert's short stories before.Available in 'HorrorBabble's Ultimate Weird Tales Collection, Volume 2'; Audible edition narrated by Ian Gordon.

[Timothy Coplin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Greed. Beware of what you want out of life. All is not always as it may appear. Contentment with one's station and situation in life is always to be weighted heavily before pursuit of dreams and personal desire.