''Literary Swordsmen and Sorcerers: The Makers of Heroic Fantasy'' is a work of collective
biography
A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or ...
on the formative authors of the
heroic fantasy
Heroic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy in which events occur in a world where magic is prevalent and modern technology is nonexistent. The setting may be entirely fictitious in nature or based upon Earth with some additions. Unlike dark fiction ...
genre
[Tymn, Marshall B. "Guide to Resource Materials for Science Fiction and Fantasy Teachers," ''The English Journal'', v. 68, no. 1, January 1979, page 71.][Tymn, Marshall B., ed. ''The Science Fiction Reference Book'', Mercer Island, WA: Starmont House, c1981, page 76.] by
L. Sprague de Camp (1907-2000), first published in 1976 by
Arkham House
Arkham House is an American publishing house specializing in weird fiction. It was founded in Sauk City, Wisconsin, in 1939 by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei to publish hardcover collections of H. P. Lovecraft's best works, which had ...
in an edition of 5,431 copies. Nine chapters (2-10) are revisions from a series of ten articles, also titled "Literary Swordsmen and Sorcerers," that initially appeared in the magazine ''
Fantastic
The fantastic (french: le fantastique) is a subgenre of literary works characterized by the ambiguous presentation of seemingly supernatural forces.
Bulgarian-French structuralist literary critic Tzvetan Todorov originated the concept, charac ...
'' and the fanzine ''
Amra'' between 1971 and 1976 (the tenth article, on
L. Ron Hubbard
Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (March 13, 1911 – January 24, 1986) was an American author, primarily of science fiction and fantasy stories, who is best known for having founded the Church of Scientology. In 1950, Hubbard authored '' Dianeti ...
, was omitted from the book).
A French edition was issued in May 2010 under the title ''Les pionniers de la fantasy'', and an ebook edition was issued in June 2014 by Gateway/Orion.
Summary
The work presents the history of the genre through a discussion of the lives and works of its most important early writers.
After a general survey of the development of modern fantasy, individual chapters deal with
William Morris
William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was a British textile designer, poet, artist, novelist, architectural conservationist, printer, translator and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts Movement. He ...
,
Lord Dunsany,
H. P. Lovecraft,
E. R. Eddison,
Robert E. Howard,
Fletcher Pratt
Murray Fletcher Pratt (25 April 1897 – 10 June 1956) was an American writer of history, science fiction, and fantasy. He is best known for his works on naval history and the American Civil War and for fiction written with L. Sprague de Camp.
...
,
Clark Ashton Smith,
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''.
From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlins ...
, and
T. H. White. A final chapter concerns lesser or later literary lights
C. L. Moore,
Leslie Barringer
Leslie Barringer (1895–1968) was an English editor and author of historical novels and historical fantasy novels, best known for the latter.
Life
Barringer was a Quaker, born in Yorkshire, England. He served in an ambulance unit during World W ...
,
Nictzin Dyalhis
Nictzin Wilstone Dyalhis (June 4, 1873 – May 8, 1942) was an American chemist and short story writer who specialized in the genres of science fiction and fantasy. He wrote as Nictzin Dyalhis. During his lifetime he attained a measure of cel ...
,
Clifford Ball
Clifford Nankivell Ball (January 24, 1908 – January 1947) was an American fantasy writer whose primary distinction was having been one of the earliest post-Robert E. Howard, Howard writers in the sword and sorcery subgenre of fantasy. He wrote a ...
,
Henry Kuttner,
Norvell W. Page and
Fritz Leiber
Fritz Reuter Leiber Jr. ( ; December 24, 1910 – September 5, 1992) was an American writer of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He was also a poet, actor in theater and films, playwright, and chess expert. With writers such as Rober ...
.
The book also includes an introduction by de Camp's colleague
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 ...
, who remedies what he considers de Camp's most egregious omission by providing a profile of de Camp himself (also a formative author in the genre).
Contents
*"Introduction: Neomythology", by
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 ...
*Chapter I. "The Swords of Faërie"
*Chapter II "Jack of All Arts:
William Morris
William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was a British textile designer, poet, artist, novelist, architectural conservationist, printer, translator and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts Movement. He ...
"
*Chapter III. "Two Men in One:
Lord Dunsany"
*Chapter IV. "Eldritch Yankee Gentleman:
H. P. Lovecraft"
*Chapter V. "Superman in a Bowler:
E.R. Eddison"
*Chapter VI. "The Miscast Barbarian:
Robert E. Howard"
*Chapter VII. "Parallel Worlds:
Fletcher Pratt
Murray Fletcher Pratt (25 April 1897 – 10 June 1956) was an American writer of history, science fiction, and fantasy. He is best known for his works on naval history and the American Civil War and for fiction written with L. Sprague de Camp.
...
"
*Chapter VIII. "Sierran Shaman:
Clark Ashton Smith"
*Chapter IX. "Merlin in Tweeds:
J.R.R. Tolkien"
*Chapter X. "The Architect of Camelot:
T.H. White"
*Chapter XI. "Conan's Compeers"
*Notes
*Index
Reception
Reaction to the book was largely positive.
Richard A. Lupoff declared that it would "almost instantly become a standard reference" and praised de Camp as "an honest, thoroughgoing, and effective researcher.
Charles Bishop called it an "excellent survey of fantasy that avoids the plodding monotony of most surveys of this sort and that should be of equal interest to the rabid fan and the general reader alike." He felt the author, "himself a master of the genre," "seems to have read every work of fantasy there is, but he is neither pedantic nor hagiographic" and considered him "a pleasant writer to read and a solid critic with an enormous knowledge of his subject" who "surveys
achlife and work in an able and authoritative manner, mixing biography and criticism into a smooth narrative that brings the man and his writings vividly before our eyes."
Marshall B. Tymn considered the work a "major contribution to the study of heroic fantasy" covering "its leading practitioners whose works were central to the growth of the genre."
David Bratman David Bratman is a librarian and Tolkien scholar.
Biography
David Bratman was born in Chicago to Robert Bratman, a physician, and his wife Nancy, an editor. He was one of four sons in the family. He was brought up in Cleveland, Ohio and then i ...
called the book "the fullest expression of de Camp's love of heroic fantasy with great adventures and mighty heroes", a culmination of his pioneering work with Lin Carter in "piecing together a canon of the masterworks of this field." He noted that while "Carter carried this view of fantasy history to its great fruition as editor of the
Ballantine Adult Fantasy series
The Ballantine Adult Fantasy series was an imprint of American publisher Ballantine Books. Launched in 1969 (presumably in response to the growing popularity of Tolkien's works), the series reissued a number of works of fantasy literature which w ...
... de Camp
adfirst put the concept in print.
Brian M. Stableford, also noting de Camp's voluminous previous writings on fantasy, concurred that the "series of pieces written for Fantastic in the early 1970's" that went into the book were "of greater significance." He characterized the book as "a light and informal survey of the whole field of heroic fantasy
hat
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
is perhaps the best introduction for the interested reader."
Contrasting notes on the work were struck by the reviewers of the ''
Wilson Library Bulletin
The ''Wilson Library Bulletin'' was a professional American magazine published for librarians from 1914 to 1995 by the H. W. Wilson Company, Bronx. NY. It began as ''The Wilson Bulletin'' and published occasionally. In its first volume were disc ...
'' and ''
Choice
A choice is the range of different things from which a being can choose. The arrival at a choice may incorporate motivators and models. For example, a traveler might choose a route for a journey based on the preference of arriving at a give ...
''. Gary Kuris, Patrice Harper, Harriet E. Rosenfeld, and Wm. R. Eshelman, writing for the former, "found it to exhibit the same faults and virtues of de Camp's popular
Lovecraft: A Biography," declaring it "woefully padded" and themselves "maddened by the author's implacable didacticism
ndinfuriating inability to write two paragraphs without wandering into a lecture on Nietzsche, or dialectical materialism, or magazine-reading." They stated his "
terary analyses rarely extend beyond the plot summary." However, they felt he "shines ... in his depiction of the authors themselves, some of whom were a lot stranger than their creations ... wields a mean wit," and that the reader's "
tience ... will be rewarded" despite "his endless perorations."
''Choice'' felt "De Camp's 'study,' in style and manner as well as in substance, seldom rises above the level of a fan club newsletter," and its chapters "about as responsibly biographical as the gossip of a TV talk show," with his "idea of literary criticism ... the sort of plot rehashing that stumbles to concluding insights like: 'above all Robert Howard was a storyteller.'" It concluded, however, that "Adolescents of all ages, the Star Trek variety in particular, will eat it up."
[Anonymous. "DE CAMP, Lyon Sprague. Literary swordsmen and sorcerers: the makers of heroic fantasy," ''Choice'', v. 14, no. 4, June 1977, pages 530-531.]
Relation to other works
De Camp also produced separate full-length biographies of two of the authors treated, H. P. Lovecraft (''
Lovecraft: A Biography'' (1975)) and Robert E. Howard (''
Dark Valley Destiny: the Life of Robert E. Howard'' (1983)).
Notes
{{L. Sprague de Camp
1976 books
Books by L. Sprague de Camp
American biographies
Biographies about writers
Arkham House books