''Footprints on Sand: a Literary Sampler'' is a 1981 collection of writings by
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
authors
L. Sprague de Camp
Lyon Sprague de Camp (; November 27, 1907 – November 6, 2000) was an American writer of science fiction, fantasy and non-fiction. In a career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and works of non-fiction, including biog ...
and
Catherine Crook de Camp, illustrated by C. H. Burnett, published by
Advent
Advent is a Christian season of preparation for the Nativity of Christ at Christmas. It is the beginning of the liturgical year in Western Christianity.
The name was adopted from Latin "coming; arrival", translating Greek ''parousia''.
In ...
. The collection was compiled to celebrate the de Camps' appearance as joint Guests of Honor at the June 12–14, 1981 X-Con
science fiction convention in
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
,
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
and was limited to 1000 copies.
An ebook edition was issued by ReAnimus Press in February 2021.
Summary
The book opens with a series of tributes to the de Camps by
Robert A. Heinlein,
Lin Carter
Linwood Vrooman Carter (June 9, 1930 – February 7, 1988) was an American author of science fiction and fantasy, as well as an editor, poet and critic. He usually wrote as Lin Carter; known pseudonyms include H. P. Lowcraft (for an H. P. L ...
,
Isaac Asimov
yi, יצחק אזימאװ
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Petrovichi, Russian SFSR
, spouse =
, relatives =
, children = 2
, death_date =
, death_place = Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
, nationality = Russian (1920–1922)Soviet (192 ...
,
Poul Anderson,
Andrew J. Offutt, Patricia Jackson, and
George H. Scithers
George H. Scithers (May 14, 1929 – April 19, 2010) was an American science fiction science fiction fandom, fan, science fiction author, author and editor.
A long-time member of the World Science Fiction Society, he published a Science fiction ...
. The bulk of the work consists of various short works by the de Camps themselves, representing the range of their work in fantasy, science fiction, juvenile fiction, poetry and non-fiction.
Contents
*"Preamble", Catherine Crook de Camp
*''A Flourish of Trumpets:'' Tributes from Indulgent Friends
**"Introduction to ''
The Glory That Was''", Robert A. Heinlein
**"Quixote With a Pen", Lin Carter
**"L. Sprague de Camp — Guest of Honor", Isaac Asimov
**"All About Catherine", Isaac Asimov
**"Memoirs of a de Camp Fan", Poul Anderson
**"The Lyon of Fantasy and Science Fiction", Andrew J. Offutt
**"Catherine and L. Sprague de Camp", Patricia Jackson
**"Why L. Sprague de Camp Writes", George Scithers
*''Ink Blots from Two Pens:'' Selections from Our Writings
**"One Day in the Cretaceous", Sprague and Catherine de Camp
**"Letter to ''
Savage Sword of Conan
''The Savage Sword of Conan'' was a black-and-white magazine-format comic book series published beginning in 1974 by Curtis Magazines, an imprint of American company Marvel Comics, and then later by Marvel itself. ''Savage Sword of Conan'' starred ...
''", L. Sprague de Camp
**"Range", L. Sprague de Camp
**"Preface to the Necromonicon", L. Sprague de Camp
**"The Great Glass Jewel", L. Sprague and Catherine de Camp
**"The Coming of the Engineers", L. Sprague de Camp
**"Should Your Child Read Science Fiction?", Catherine de Camp
**"Atlantis and the City of Silver", L. Sprague and Catherine de Camp
*''Wind Chimes at Twilight:'' Some Thoughts in Verse
**"Credo" (poem), Catherine de Camp
**"Cloth of Love" (poem), Catherine de Camp
**"Achievements" (poem), Catherine de Camp
**"Sky Train" (poem), Catherine de Camp
**"Moon Shadows" (poem), Catherine de Camp
**"Love Song" (poem), Catherine de Camp
**"In Memoriam" (poem), Catherine de Camp
**"A Song for Tomorrow" (poem), Catherine de Camp
**"The Gods" (poem), L. Sprague de Camp
**"Xeroxing the Necromonicon" (poem), L. Sprague de Camp
**"The Trap" (poem), L. Sprague de Camp
**"The Opossum" (poem), L. Sprague de Camp
**"The Ameba" (poem), L. Sprague de Camp
**"Ripples" (poem), L. Sprague de Camp
**"A Tale of Two John Carters" (poem), L. Sprague de Camp
**"Carnac" (poem), L. Sprague de Camp
*''Strange Happenings:'' Stories for the Very Young
**"The Boy Who Could Fly", Catherine de Camp
**"The Horse Show", Catherine de Camp
**"The Million Dollar Pup", Catherine de Camp
*''Dreams and Surmises:'' Stories for the Not So Young
**"
The Space Clause", L. Sprague de Camp
**"Windfall", Catherine de Camp
**"
Eudoric's Unicorn", L. Sprague de Camp
**"
The Emperor's Fan", L. Sprague de Camp
**"Algy", L. Sprague de Camp
*"Postscript", L. Sprague de Camp
Reception
Tom Easton
Thomas A. Easton (born 17 July 1944) is a teacher and well-known science fiction critic and author. He retired as a professor from Thomas College of Maine in 2014 and now teaches part-time at Mount Ida College in Newton, MA.
Easton holds a Bachelo ...
in ''
Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact
''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' is an American science fiction magazine published under various titles since 1930. Originally titled ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', the first issue was dated January 1930, published by William C ...
'' calls the book "a lovely demonstration of the de Camp versatility, a testimonial to a rare marriage, and a tribute ... sheer delight for every fan of either (or both) of the de Camps."
[Easton, Tom. Review in ''Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact'' v. 102, no. 7, July 1982, p. 167.]
Notes
{{L. Sprague de Camp
1981 short story collections
Science fiction short story collections by L. Sprague de Camp
Fantasy short story collections by L. Sprague de Camp
Poetry by L. Sprague de Camp
American poetry collections
Essay collections