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 biographies of other fantasy authors. He was a major figure in science fiction in the 1930s and 1940s.

Biography

De Camp was born in New York City, one of three sons of Lyon de Camp, a businessman in real estate and lumber, and Emma Beatrice Sprague. His maternal grandfather was the accountant, banker, pioneering

Volapük Volapük (; , "Language of the World", or lit. "World Speak") is a constructed language created between 1879 and 1880 by Johann Martin Schleyer, a Catholic priest in Baden, Germany, who believed that God had told him in a dream to create an i ...

ist and

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

veteran

Charles Ezra Sprague Charles Ezra Sprague (October 9, 1842 – March 21, 1912) was an American accountant, born in Nassau, Rensselaer County, New York. He was a proponent of the constructed language Volapük, for which he authored the first major textbook in E ...

. De Camp once noted that he rarely used pen-names, "partly because my own true name sounds more like a pseudonym than most pseudonyms do." De Camp began his education at the Trinity School in New York, then spent ten years attending the Snyder School in North Carolina, a military-style institution. His stay at the Snyder School was an attempt by his parents, who were heavy-handed disciplinarians, to cure him of intellectual arrogance and lack of discipline. He was awkward and thin, an ineffective fighter, and suffered from bullying by his classmates. His experiences at the school taught him to develop a detached, analytical style considered cold by all but his closest friends, though he could, like his father, be disarming and funny in social situations. He would later recall these challenging childhood experiences in the semi-autobiographical story ''Judgment Day'' (1955). An aeronautical engineer by profession, de Camp conducted his undergraduate studies at the

California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...

(where his roommate was at one point noted

rocket fuel Rocket propellant is the reaction mass of a rocket. This reaction mass is ejected at the highest achievable velocity from a rocket engine to produce thrust. The energy required can either come from the propellants themselves, as with a chemical ...

scientist

John Drury Clark John Drury Clark, Ph.D. (August 15, 1907 – July 6, 1988) was an American rocket fuel developer, chemist, and science fiction writer. He was instrumental in the revival of interest in Robert E. Howard's '' Conan'' stories and influenced the wr ...

), and earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Caltech in

Aeronautical Engineering Aerospace engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the development of aircraft and spacecraft. It has two major and overlapping branches: Aeronautics, aeronautical engineering and Astronautics, astronautical engineering. A ...

1930. He earned his Master of Science degree in Engineering from the

Stevens Institute of Technology Stevens Institute of Technology is a private research university in Hoboken, New Jersey. Founded in 1870, it is one of the oldest technological universities in the United States and was the first college in America solely dedicated to mechanical ...

in 1933. De Camp was also a

surveyor Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. A land surveying professional is ca ...

and an expert in patents. His first job was with the Inventors Foundation, Inc. in

Hoboken, New Jersey Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,690 i ...

, which was taken over by The International Correspondence Schools. De Camp transferred to the

Scranton, Pennsylvania Scranton is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, Lackawanna County. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U ...

, division. He was Principal of the School of Inventing and Patenting when he resigned in 1937. His first book '' Inventions and Their Management'' resulted and was published in July 1937. On August 12, 1939, de Camp married Catherine Crook, with whom he collaborated on science fiction and nonfiction beginning in the 1960s. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, de Camp served as a researcher at the

Philadelphia Naval Yard The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was an important naval shipyard of the United States for almost two centuries. Philadelphia's original navy yard, begun in 1776 on Front Street and Federal Street in what is now the Pennsport section of the ci ...

along with his fellow writers

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 ...

and

Robert A. Heinlein Robert Anson Heinlein (; July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific accu ...

. De Camp eventually rose to the rank of

lieutenant commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...

in the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

as a

reserve officer A military reserve force is a military organization whose members have military and civilian occupations. They are not normally kept under arms, and their main role is to be available when their military requires additional manpower. Reserve f ...

. De Camp was a member of the all-male literary and dining club the "

Trap Door Spiders The Trap Door Spiders are a literary male-only eating, drinking, and arguing society in New York City, with a membership historically composed of notable science fiction personalities. The name is a reference to the reclusive habits of the trapdoo ...

" in New York City, which served as the basis of Asimov's fictional group of mystery solvers the "

Black Widowers The Black Widowers is a fictional men-only dining club created by Isaac Asimov for a series of sixty-six mystery stories that he started writing in 1971. Most of the stories were first published in ''Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine'', though a few ...

." De Camp himself was the model for the character named "Geoffrey Avalon."Asimov, Isaac. ''I. Asimov: a Memoir'' (New York, Doubleday, 1994), chapter 120 "The Trap Door Spiders." De Camp was a founding member of the

Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America The Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America or SAGA was an informal group of American fantasy authors active from the 1960s through the 1980s, noted for their contributions to the "Sword and Sorcery" kind of heroic fantasy, itself a subgenre of ...

(SAGA), a loosely knit group of

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, ...

writers that was founded during the 1960s and led 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 ...

, with entry by credentials as a fantasy writer alone. The de Camps moved to

Plano, Texas Plano ( ) is a city in Collin County, Texas, Collin County and Denton County, Texas, United States. It had a population of 285,494 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is a principal city of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Hist ...

, in 1989, and Sprague de Camp died there on November 6, 2000, seven months after his wife, on what would have been her birthday, just three weeks before his own 93rd birthday. His ashes were inurned, together with hers, in the

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. De Camp's personal library of about 1,200 books was acquired for auction by

Half Price Books Half Price Books, Records, Magazines, Incorporated is a chain of new and used bookstores in the United States. The company's original motto is "We buy and sell anything printed or recorded except yesterday's newspaper", and many of the used book ...

in 2005. The collection included books inscribed by fellow writers, such as

and

Carl Sagan Carl Edward Sagan (; ; November 9, 1934December 20, 1996) was an American astronomer, planetary scientist, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author, and science communicator. His best known scientific contribution is research on ext ...

, as well as de Camp himself.Weeks, Jerome. "De Camp library for sale." ''The Dallas Morning News'', October 24, 2005, p. 3G.

Coinage of "Extraterrestrial" and "E.T."

"Extraterrestrial", a coinage from "extra" + "terrestrial", meaning from beyond earth, is attested as an adjective as early as 1868, according to the ''

Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a com ...

''. Its first use in connection with ''life'' beyond earth was likely by

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells"Wells, H. G."
Revised 18 May 2015. ''

The War of the Worlds ''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells, first serialised in 1897 by ''Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and by ''Cosmopolitan (magazine), Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US. The novel's first appear ...

''.Cryer, Max. ''Common Phrases ... and the Amazing Stories Behind Them''. New York: Skyhorse Publishing, 2010, page 93.Hendrickson, Robert. ''Words and Phrase Origins''. 3rd ed. New York: Facts On File, 2004, page 249. L. Sprague de Camp is credited with its first usage as a noun with the meaning of "alien life" and with coining the abbreviation "E.T." in the first part of his two-part article "Design for Life", published in the May 1939 issue of ''Astounding Science Fiction''.

Hypothesis regarding sea serpent sightings

De Camp made a suggestion in 1968 that fossil discoveries had influenced modern reports of sea monster sightings. The suggestion was made in his article "Dinosaurs in Today's World" in ''

The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' (usually referred to as ''F&SF'') is a U.S. fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House, a subsidiary of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Press. Editors Anthony Boucher a ...

'' v. 34, no. 3, March 1968, later reprinted in his nonfiction collection '' The Fringe of the Unknown'', Buffalo, New York: Prometheus, 1983. In 2019 de Camp's theory was scientifically tested by C. G. M. Paxton and D. Naish, who concluded trends in the data of reported sightings appear to support his hypothesis.

Body of work

De Camp was a

materialist Materialism is a form of philosophical monism which holds matter to be the fundamental substance in nature, and all things, including mental states and consciousness, are results of material interactions. According to philosophical materialis ...

who wrote works examining society, history, technology and

myth Myth is a folklore genre consisting of Narrative, narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or Origin myth, origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not Objectivity (philosophy), ...

. He published numerous short stories, novels, non-fiction works and poems during his long career. De Camp had the mind of an educator, and a common theme in many of his works is a corrective impulse regarding similar previous works by other authors. A highly rational and logical thinker, he was frequently disturbed by what he regarded as logical lapses and absurdities in others' writings. Some, like Asimov, felt de Camp's conscientiousness about facts limited the scope of his stories: de Camp was reluctant to use technological or scientific concepts (e.g., hyperspace or faster-than-light travel) if he did not think them possible. Thus, his response to

Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has p ...

's ''

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court ''A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'' is an 1889 novel by American humorist and writer Mark Twain. The book was originally titled ''A Yankee in King Arthur's Court''. Some early editions are titled ''A Yankee at the Court of King Arth ...

'' was to write a similar

time travel Time travel is the concept of movement between certain points in time, analogous to movement between different points in space by an object or a person, typically with the use of a hypothetical device known as a time machine. Time travel is a w ...

novel (''

Lest Darkness Fall ''Lest Darkness Fall'' is an alternate history science fiction novel written in 1939 by American author L. Sprague de Camp. Alternate history author Harry Turtledove has said it sparked his interest in the genre as well as his desire to study ...

'') in which the method of time travel was rationalized and the hero's technical expertise both set at a believable level and constrained by the technological limitations of the age. In like fashion, he reimagined

space opera Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes space warfare, with use of melodramatic, risk-taking space adventures, relationships, and chivalric romance. Set mainly or entirely in outer space, it features technological and soci ...

and

planetary romance Planetary romance is a subgenre of science fiction in which the bulk of the action consists of adventures on one or more exotic alien planets, characterized by distinctive physical and cultural backgrounds. Some planetary romances take place ag ...

in his "'' Viagens Interplanetarias''" series, and the prehistoric precursor civilizations characteristic of much

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, ...

in his

Pusadian series The Pusadian series is a sequence of fantasy stories by L. Sprague de Camp, begun in the early 1950s and written under the influence of Robert E. Howard's Conan stories. The series, also known as the Poseidonis series, prefigured the numerous sw ...

. When he was not debunking literary conventions he was often explaining them. For example, in the

Harold Shea The "Harold Shea" Stories is a name given to a series of five science fantasy stories by the collaborative team of L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt and to its later continuation by de Camp alone, Christopher Stasheff, Holly Lisle, John Mad ...

stories co-written with his longtime friend

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. ...

(1897–1956), the magical premises of some bodies of

myths Myth is a folklore genre consisting of Narrative, narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or Origin myth, origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not Objectivity (philosophy), ...

and

legend A legend is a Folklore genre, genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human valu ...

s were accepted but examined and elucidated in terms of their own systems of inherent logic. The imaginative civilizations in ''The Compleat Enchanter'', for example, are built upon a cultural and technological reality based on scientific formulas. Characters may be transported to these different worlds, but the magic contained within those worlds is only feasible to the extent that it coincides with the technology of the day (e.g., the combustion engine). De Camp's explanatory tendency also carried over into his non-fictional writings, including advice to science fiction writers on handling the different states of languages in future worlds.

Science fiction

De Camp's science fiction is marked by his interests in linguistics, ancient history, and the history and philosophy of science. His first published story was " The Isolinguals", in the September 1937 issue of ''

Astounding Science Fiction ''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 ...

''—the last issue edited by F. Orlin Tremaine, prior to the long tenure of

John W. Campbell John Wood Campbell Jr. (June 8, 1910 – July 11, 1971) was an American science fiction writer and editor. He was editor of ''Astounding Science Fiction'' (later called '' Analog Science Fiction and Fact'') from late 1937 until his death ...

. Most of his early science fiction stories were unrelated to each other, the exceptions being his "Johnny Black" tales about a black bear

uplifted ''Uplifted'' is the second studio album by Nigerian singer Flavour N'abania. It was released on July 20, 2010, by Obaino Music and 2nite Entertainment. The album features guest appearances from Jay Dey, Oloye, Stormrex, Waga Gee, Asemstone, M-Jay, ...

to human-level intelligence, and his "Drinkwhiskey Institute" stories, a series of tall tales involving time travel. Campbell's fantasy magazine, ''Unknown'', was suited to de Camp's idiosyncratic imagination, logic, and sense of humor. He contributed ten novels (five as collaborations), much of it characterized by humor and dry wit. De Camp eschewed the intention of being a satirist, insisting, instead, that the stories he wrote were meant less for instruction or improvement, as satire requires, and more for the amusement of his readers. De Camp's treatment of

and

alternate history Alternate history (also alternative history, althist, AH) is a genre of speculative fiction of stories in which one or more historical events occur and are resolved differently than in real life. As conjecture based upon historical fact, altern ...

in stories such as ''

'' (1939), "

The Wheels of If "The Wheels of If" is an alternate history science fiction story by American writer L. Sprague de Camp. It was first published in the magazine '' Unknown Fantasy Fiction'' for October, 1940,Laughlin, Charlotte, and Levack, Daniel J. H. ''De Camp ...

" (1940), "

A Gun for Dinosaur "A Gun for Dinosaur" is a classic time travel science fiction storyMiller, P. Schuyler. "The Reference Library", in ''Analog Science Fact - Science Fiction'', v. 71, no. 5, July 1963, p. 90.D'Ammassa, Don. "de CAMP, L. Sprague", in ''Twentieth-Ce ...

" (1956), "

Aristotle and the Gun "Aristotle and the Gun" is a time travel and alternate history science fiction story by American writer L. Sprague de Camp. Publication history The story was first published in the magazine '' Astounding Science-Fiction'' for February, 1958,Laug ...

" (1958), and '' The Glory That Was'' (1960) challenged the popular notion of his time that history consisted of an arbitrary series of accidents. Instead, de Camp, through sound background knowledge and logical thought, systematically demonstrated how technological advances could determine the pattern of an eventful history. His display of technological determinism in historical recreation is considered a ''tour de force.'' ''Lest Darkness Fall'', "The Wheels of If" and "Aristotle and the Gun" have been recognized as seminal works in the field of alternate history."Past Winners and Finalists"
Sidewise Awards for Alternate History (''uchronia.net''). Retrieved April 23, 2013. This was a Special Achievement award "for seminal works in the field" among the first annual Sidewise Awards in 1996 (generally recognizing 1995 publications). His most extended work was his "'' Viagens Interplanetarias''" series, set in a future where Brazil is the dominant power, particularly a sub-series of

sword and planet Sword and planet is a subgenre of science fantasy that features rousing adventure stories set on other planets, and usually featuring humans as protagonists. The name derives from the heroes of the genre engaging their adversaries in hand-to-ha ...

novels set on the planet Krishna, beginning with '' The Queen of Zamba''.Power, Colleen. "DeCamp, L. (Lyon) Sprague." ''Reader's Guide to Twentieth-Century Science Fiction'' (Chicago, American Library Association, 1989), pp. 170-74. His most influential ''Viagens'' novel was the non-Krishna work ''

Rogue Queen ''Rogue Queen'' is a science fiction novel by American writer L. Sprague de Camp, the third book in his ''Viagens Interplanetarias'' series. It was first published in hardcover by Doubleday in 1951, and in paperback by Dell Books in 1952. A lat ...

'', a tale of a hive society undermined by interstellar contact, which was one of the earliest science fiction novels to deal with sexual themes.

Fantasy

Two complete science adventure books 1951win n4

De Camp was best known for his light fantasy, particularly two series written in collaboration with Pratt, the

stories (from 1940 et seq.) and Gavagan's Bar (from 1950).

Floyd C. Gale ''Galaxy Science Fiction'' was an American digest-size science fiction magazine, published in Boston from 1950 to 1980. It was founded by a French-Italian company, World Editions, which was looking to break into the American market. World Edit ...

in 1961 said that they "were far and away the finest team of fantasy collaborators". De Camp and Pratt also wrote some stand-alone novels similar in tone to the Harold Shea stories, of which the most highly regarded is ''

Land of Unreason ''Land of Unreason'' is a fantasy novel by American writers Fletcher Pratt and L. Sprague de Camp. It was first published in the fantasy magazine '' Unknown Worlds'' for October, 1941 as "The Land of Unreason". Revised and expanded, it was first p ...

'' (1942), and de Camp wrote a few more of this genre on his own. He was also known for his

sword and sorcery Sword and sorcery (S&S) is a subgenre of fantasy characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent adventures. Elements of romance, magic, and the supernatural are also often present. Unlike works of high fantasy, the tale ...

, a fantasy genre revived partly by his editorial work on and continuation of Robert E. Howard's Conan cycle. He also edited a series of fantasy anthologies credited with helping to spark the renaissance of heroic fantasy in the late 1960s.Stableford, Brian M. "L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt." ''Supernatural Fiction Writers: Fantasy and Horror'', ed.

Everett F. Bleiler Everett Franklin Bleiler (April 30, 1920 – June 13, 2010) was an American editor, bibliographer, and scholar of science fiction, detective fiction, and fantasy literature. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, he co-edited the first "year's best" ...

(New York, Scribner, 1985), vol. 2, p. 929. De Camp also created three noteworthy sword and sorcery sequences. The

(from 1951), composed of the novel ''

The Tritonian Ring ''The Tritonian Ring'' is a heroic fantasy novel written by L. Sprague de Camp as part of his Pusadian series. It was first published in the magazine '' Two Complete Science Adventure Books'' for Winter, 1951, and first appeared in book form in ...

'' and several short stories, is set in an

antediluvian The antediluvian (alternatively pre-diluvian or pre-flood) period is the time period chronicled in the Bible between the fall of man and the Genesis flood narrative in biblical cosmology. The term was coined by Thomas Browne. The narrative take ...

era similar to Howard's. More substantial is the

Novarian series The Novarian series is a sequence of fantasy stories by L. Sprague de Camp, published between 1968 and 1989. The series contains some of de Camp's most innovative works of fantasy, featuring explorations of various political systems, an inversion ...

(from 1968), of which the core is the '' Reluctant King'' trilogy, beginning with ''

The Goblin Tower ''The Goblin Tower'' is a fantasy novel by American writer L. Sprague de Camp, the first book of both his Novarian series and the " Reluctant King" trilogy featuring King Jorian of Xylar. It is not to be confused with the collection of poetry by t ...

'', de Camp's most accomplished effort in the genre, continuing in '' The Clocks of Iraz'', and concluding with '' The Unbeheaded King''. The trilogy features the adventurer Jorian, ex-king of Xylar. Jorian's world is an alternate reality to which our own serves as an afterlife. Other novels in the sequence include '' The Fallible Fiend'', a satire told from the point of view of a demon, and ''

The Honorable Barbarian ''The Honorable Barbarian'' is a fantasy novel by American writer L. Sprague de Camp, the fifth and final book of his Novarian series. It is a sequel both to the " Reluctant King" trilogy and to the Novarian sequence's only short story, "The Empe ...

'', a follow-up to the trilogy featuring Jorian's brother as the hero. The Incorporated Knight series comprises some 1970s short stories by de Camp and two novels written in collaboration with Catherine Crook de Camp, ''

The Incorporated Knight ''The Incorporated Knight'' is a fix-up fantasy novel by American writers L. Sprague de Camp and Catherine Crook de Camp, the first book in their sequence of two Neo-Napolitanian novels. Chapters 1-5 first appeared as L. Sprague de Camp's short s ...

'' (1988) and ''

The Pixilated Peeress ''The Pixilated Peeress'' is a fantasy novel by American writers L. Sprague de Camp and Catherine Crook de Camp. It is the second book in their sequence of two Neo-Napolitanian novels, following ''The Incorporated Knight''. It was first published ...

'' (1991). The early short stories were incorporated into the first of these. The sequence is set in the medieval era of another alternate world sharing the geography of our own, but in which a Neapolitan empire filled the role of

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

and no universal religion like Christianity ever arose, leaving its nations split among competing pagan sects. The setting is borrowed in part from '' Mandeville's Travels''.

Historical fiction

De Camp also wrote historical fiction set in the era of classical antiquity from the height of the

First Persian Empire The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire (; peo, wikt:𐎧𐏁𐏂𐎶, 𐎧𐏁𐏂, , ), also called the First Persian Empire, was an History of Iran#Classical antiquity, ancient Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC. Bas ...

to the waning of the

Hellenistic In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium in ...

period. Five novels published by Doubleday from 1958 to 1969 form a loosely connected series based on their common setting and occasional cross references. They were also linked by a common focus on the advancement of scientific knowledge, de Camp's chosen protagonists being explorers, artisans, engineers, innovators and practical philosophers rather than famous names from antiquity, who are relegated to secondary roles. The best known of his historical novels is '' The Dragon of the Ishtar Gate''.

Nonfiction

De Camp's first book was '' Inventions and Their Management'', co-written with Alf K. Berle and published by

International Textbook Company The International Textbook Company (I.T.C.) was founded in 1895 by publisher Thomas J. Foster in Scranton, Pennsylvania. I.T.C. published instructional papers, booklets, and textbooks for the International Correspondence Schools, a subsidiary d ...

in 1937: a 733-page book with three-page list of law cases cited. He enjoyed debunking doubtful history and

pseudoscientific Pseudoscience consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that claim to be both scientific and factual but are incompatible with the scientific method. Pseudoscience is often characterized by contradictory, exaggerated or unfalsifiable claim ...

claims about the supernatural. He conducted extensive research for what was to be a book on magic, witchcraft and occultism, though only the first chapter, "The Unwritten Classics" (March 1947), was published in the ''Saturday Review of Literature''. By May 1976, concerned with what

Paul Kurtz Paul Kurtz (December 21, 1925 – October 20, 2012) was an American scientific skeptic and Secular humanism, secular humanist. He has been called "the father of secular humanism". He was Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the University at Buff ...

described as "an enormous increase in public interest in psychic phenomena, the occult and pseudoscience," de Camp joined the newly formed

Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI), formerly known as the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP), is a program within the US non-profit organization Center for Inquiry (CFI), which seeks to "prom ...

along with astronomers George Abell,

Bart Bok Bartholomeus Jan "Bart" Bok (April 28, 1906 – August 5, 1983) was a Dutch-American astronomer, teacher, and lecturer. He is best known for his work on the structure and evolution of the Milky Way galaxy, and for the discovery of Bok globules, ...

, and

; philosophers

Brand Blanshard Percy Brand Blanshard (; August 27, 1892 – November 19, 1987) was an American philosopher known primarily for his defense of reason and rationalism. A powerful polemicist, by all accounts he comported himself with courtesy and grace in philosop ...

Antony Flew Antony Garrard Newton Flew (; 11 February 1923 – 8 April 2010) was a British philosopher. Belonging to the analytic and evidentialist schools of thought, Flew worked on the philosophy of religion. During the course of his career he taught at ...

Sidney Hook Sidney Hook (December 20, 1902 – July 12, 1989) was an American philosopher of pragmatism known for his contributions to the philosophy of history, the philosophy of education, political theory, and ethics. After embracing communism in his youth ...

, and

Ernest Nagel Ernest Nagel (November 16, 1901 – September 20, 1985) was an American philosopher of science. Suppes, Patrick (1999)Biographical memoir of Ernest Nagel In '' American National Biograph''y (Vol. 16, pp. 216-218). New York: Oxford University Pr ...

; authors Isaac Asimov, Daniel Cohen, Charles Fair,

Martin Gardner Martin Gardner (October 21, 1914May 22, 2010) was an American popular mathematics and popular science writer with interests also encompassing scientific skepticism, micromagic, philosophy, religion, and literatureespecially the writings of Lewis ...

, and Phillip J. Klass; psychologists

Ray Hyman Ray Hyman (born June 23, 1928) is a Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon, and a noted critic of parapsychology. Hyman, along with James Randi, Martin Gardner and Paul Kurtz, is one of the founders of the ...

and B.F Skinner; and magician

James Randi James Randi (born Randall James Hamilton Zwinge; August 7, 1928 – October 20, 2020) was a Canadian-American stage magician, author and scientific skeptic who extensively challenged paranormal and pseudoscientific claims. Rodrigues 2010p. ...

. Despite being a long-time writer of fantasy, de Camp did not believe in ghosts in the supernatural sense. His ghosts dwelt only in his mind as memories of his parents. His mother, he wrote in a ''New York Times Magazine'' article, died of an overdose of faith healing. When considering claims of UFO sightings, astrology, and other subjects considered moot by the scientific community, de Camp would address the circular logic expressed by enthusiasts by insisting on first-hand, unbiased, measurable data to back up the claims. "In the history of cultism," de Camp said in a

Science News ''Science News (SN)'' is an American bi-weekly magazine devoted to articles about new scientific and technical developments, typically gleaned from recent scientific and technical journals. History ''Science News'' has been published since 1 ...

interview, "one is always experiencing a feeling of deja vu." He explained how

ancient civilization A civilization (or civilisation) is any complex society characterized by the development of a state, social stratification, urbanization, and symbolic systems of communication beyond natural spoken language (namely, a writing system). Civ ...

s produced structures and architecture that many considered to be impossible for them, such as the

Pyramid A pyramid (from el, πυραμίς ') is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge to a single step at the top, making the shape roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilat ...

s of Ancient Egypt. Works in this area include ''

Lost Continents ''Lost Continents: The Atlantis Theme in History, Science, and Literature'' is a study by L. Sprague de Camp that provides a detailed examination of theories and speculations on Atlantis and other lost lands, including the scientific arguments ...

'', '' Citadels of Mystery'', and ''

The Ancient Engineers ''The Ancient Engineers'' is a 1963 science book by L. Sprague de Camp, one of his most popular works. It was first published by Doubleday and has been reprinted numerous times by other publishers. Translations into German and Polish have also ...

''. Some others of his many and wide-ranging nonfiction works were '' The Great Monkey Trial'' (about the Scopes Trial), ''

The Ragged Edge of Science ''The Ragged Edge of Science'' is a science book by L. Sprague de Camp, illustrated by Don Simpson. It was first published by Owlswick Press in 1980. The book is a collection of twenty-two articles (two of them book reviews) on various curiosit ...

'', '' Energy and Power'', '' The Heroic Age of American Invention'', '' The Day of the Dinosaur'' (which argued, among other things, that evolution took hold after Darwin because of the Victorian interest spurred by recently popularized dinosaur remains, corresponding to

s of

dragons A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...

), '' Great Cities of the Ancient World'' and '' The Evolution of Naval Weapons'' (a United States government textbook). Published in the July 1938 issue of ''Astounding Science Fiction'', "Language for Time Travelers" won de Camp the first non-fiction readership monthly honor awarded in the magazine for his exploration of the communication difficulties for time travelers as pronunciation and semantics shift over time. De Camp's pioneering biographies of fantasy writers were many short articles and full-length studies of Robert E. Howard and H. P. Lovecraft, the first major independent biographies of both writers. Matthew Hartman, in a review of de Camp's ''Lovecraft: A Biography'', stated that de Camp "does not defend his subject; he criticizes where criticism is due, and he explains in historical and sociological context, rather than attempting to excuse." De Camp's "warts and all" approach to his subjects has been branded by some

fans Fan commonly refers to: * Fan (machine), a machine for producing airflow, often used for cooling ** Hand fan, an implement held and waved by hand to move air for cooling * Fan (person), short for fanatic; an enthusiast or supporter, especially wit ...

as unflattering and unbalanced. For instance,

Mark Finn Mark Finn (born October 1969) is the pseudonym of Mark Farr-Nash, an American science fiction and fantasy writer, essayist, and playwright. In 2007 he was nominated for World Fantasy Special Award: Professional. Biography Finn's earliest publish ...

, author of '' Blood & Thunder: The Life & Art of Robert E. Howard'', contends that de Camp deliberately framed his questions in regard to Howard to elicit answers matching his

Freudian Sigmund Freud ( , ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating pathologies explained as originating in conflicts i ...

theories about him. De Camp also wrote nonfiction radio scripts for

Voice of America Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is the state-owned news network and international radio broadcaster of the United States of America. It is the largest and oldest U.S.-funded international broadcaster. VOA produces digital, TV, and radio content ...

. De Camp wrote a number of lesser-known but nonetheless significant works that explored such topics as racism, which he wrote could be more accurately described as

ethnocentrism Ethnocentrism in social science and anthropology—as well as in colloquial English discourse—means to apply one's own culture or ethnicity as a frame of reference to judge other cultures, practices, behaviors, beliefs, and people, instead of ...

, noting that no scholar comparing the merits of various ethnicities has ever sought to prove that his own ethnicity was inferior to others. Isaac Asimov recalled de Camp finding the tendency of authors to portray human characters in outer-space science fiction as superior to aliens analogous to northern Europeans imagining they had some inherent superiority over other races.

Awards and honors

De Camp and

Willy Ley Willy or Willie is a masculine, male given name, often a diminutive form of William or Wilhelm, and occasionally a nickname. It may refer to: People Given name or nickname * Willie Aames (born 1960), American actor, television director, and scree ...

won the 1953

International Fantasy Award The International Fantasy Award was an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy book and, in 1951-1953, the best non-fiction book of interest to science fiction and fantasy readers. The IFA was given by an international panel ...

for nonfiction recognizing their study of geographical myths, ''

Lands Beyond ''Lands Beyond'' is a study of geographical myths by L. Sprague de Camp and Willy Ley, first published in hardcover by Rinehart in 1952, and reissued by Barnes & Noble in 1993. It has been translated into French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italia ...

'' (Rinehart, 1952). De Camp was a guest of honor at the 1966

World Science Fiction Convention Worldcon, or more formally the World Science Fiction Convention, the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS), is a science fiction convention. It has been held each year since 1939 (except for the years 1942 to 1945, during ...

and was named the third Gandalf Grand Master of Fantasy, after

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

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 Robert ...

, at the 1976 convention. The

Science Fiction Writers of America The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, doing business as Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, commonly known as SFWA ( or ) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization of professional science fiction and fantasy writers. While ...

made him its fourth

SFWA Grand Master The Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award is a lifetime honor presented annually by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) to no more than one living writer of fantasy or science fiction. It was inaugurated in 1975 when Robe ...

in 1979 and he won the

World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...

in 1984, a Special Achievement

Sidewise Award for Alternate History The Sidewise Awards for Alternate History were established in 1995 to recognize the best alternate history stories and novels of the year. Overview The awards take their name from the 1934 short story "Sidewise in Time" by Murray Leinster, in wh ...

in 1996, citing "seminal works in the field," and the

Hugo Award The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention and chosen by its members. The Hugo is widely considered the premier a ...

for Nonfiction in 1997 for his autobiography, '' Time and Chance''. At a meeting of the executive council of the

Committee for Skeptical Inquiry The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI), formerly known as the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP), is a program within the US non-profit organization Center for Inquiry (CFI), which seeks to "prom ...

(CSI) in

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, Colorado, in April 2011, De Camp was selected for inclusion in CSI's Pantheon of Skeptics. The Pantheon of Skeptics was created by CSI to remember the legacy of deceased fellows of CSI and their contributions to the cause of scientific skepticism. CSI was previously known as the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP).

In popular culture

L. Sprague de Camp has been depicted in fictional works by a number of other authors.

Randall Garrett Gordon Randall Phillip David GarrettGarrett, Randall
in ''

J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philology, philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was ...

Gandalf Gandalf is a protagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. He is a Wizards (Middle-earth), wizard, one of the ''Istari'' order, and the leader of the Fellowship of the Ring (characters), Fellowship of t ...

in the character of the magician "Sir Lyon Gandolphus Gray" in his Lord Darcy series. He was the model for the "Geoffrey Avalon" character in Isaac Asimov's fictional group of mystery solvers the "

," and the unnamed court magician in

Lawrence Watt-Evans Lawrence Watt-Evans (born 1954) is one of the pseudonyms of American science fiction and fantasy author Lawrence Watt Evans (another pseudonym, used primarily for science fiction, is Nathan Archer). Biography Born in Arlington, Massachusetts, as ...

' "Return to Xanadu" ('' The Enchanter Completed: A Tribute Anthology for L. Sprague de Camp'', 2005). He also appears without fictional disguise in the short stories "Green Fire" by

Eileen Gunn Eileen Gunn (born June 23, 1945, Dorchester, Massachusetts) is a science fiction author and editor based in Seattle, Washington, who began publishing in 1978. Her story "Coming to Terms", inspired, in part, by a friendship with Avram Davidson, wo ...

, Andy Duncan, Pat Murphy, and

Michael Swanwick Michael Swanwick (born 18 November 1950) is an American fantasy and science fiction author who began publishing in the early 1980s. Writing career Swanwick's fiction writing began with short stories, starting in 1980 when he published "Ginungagap ...

(''

Asimov's Science Fiction ''Asimov's Science Fiction'' is an American science fiction magazine which publishes science fiction and fantasy named after science fiction author Isaac Asimov. It is currently published by Penny Publications. From January 2017, the publication ...

'', April 2000) and "Father Figures" by

Susan Shwartz Susan Shwartz (born December 31, 1949) is an American author.King, T. Jackson. "SFC Interview: Susan Shwartz". ''Science Fiction Chronicle'' 16(7): 5, (pp. 30-33). June/July 1995. Education and career She received her B.A. in English from M ...

(''The Enchanter Completed: A Tribute Anthology for L. Sprague de Camp'', 2005), Stableford, Brian. '' Science Fact and Science Fiction: An Encyclopedia''. New York: Routledge, c2006, page 125. and in the novels ''

In the Courts of the Crimson Kings ''In the Courts of the Crimson Kings'' is a 2008 alternate history science fiction novel by American writer S. M. Stirling. Plot introduction The story takes place on the planet Mars in an alternate universe solar system in which probes from b ...

'' (2008) by

S. M. Stirling Stephen Michael Stirling (born September 30, 1953) is a Canadian-American science fiction and fantasy author who was born in France. Stirling is well known for his Draka series of alternate history novels and his later time travel/alternate hi ...

and '' The Astounding, the Amazing, and the Unknown'' (2011) by

Paul Malmont Paul Malmont (born 4 March 1966) is an American author who has specialized in books considering the style and tropes of popular fiction of the past, making the writers of that popular fiction the heroes and protagonists of his own work. As a mar ...

. A semi-fictionalized version of de Camp appears in the third episode of the 2017 TV series '' Manhunt: Unabomber'', as one of several academics and authors consulted by the FBI on the basis of the citation of their work in the

Unabomber manifesto ''Industrial Society and Its Future'', generally known as the ''Unabomber Manifesto'', is a 1995 anti-technology essay by Ted Kaczynski, the "Unabomber". The manifesto contends that the Industrial Revolution began a harmful process of natura ...

. In the scene depicting this meeting, de Camp's name appears on a placard as "L. Sprague de Camp, S.A.G.A. Author, ''The Ancient Engineers''." De Camp's name does not specifically appear in the episode credits, which identify the roles of actors in the scene as composite characters. ''The Ancient Engineers'' is cited in endnote 18 of the manifesto.

Selected works

This selection is limited to books.

Science fiction

* ''

'' (1939) – an early

novel that helped define the genre and remains in print after more than 70 years. * '' The Wheels of If and Other Science Fiction'' (1948) – early collection of de Camp's short fiction, including "

" * '' Genus Homo'' (1950) (with

P. Schuyler Miller Peter Schuyler Miller (February 21, 1912 – October 13, 1974) was an American science fiction writer and critic. Life Miller was raised in New York's Mohawk Valley, which led to a lifelong interest in the Iroquois Indians. He pursued this as ...

) – first science fiction novel de Camp had a hand in, possibly the earliest work of fiction dealing with the "

Planet of the Apes ''Planet of the Apes'' is an American science fiction media franchise consisting of films, books, television series, comics, and other media about a world in which humans and intelligent apes clash for control. The franchise is based on Frenc ...

" theme * '' The Hand of Zei'' (1950) – the best of the early

Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...

novels * ''

'' (1951) – one of the earliest science fiction novels to deal with sexual themes * ''

The Continent Makers and Other Tales of the Viagens ''The Continent Makers and Other Tales of the Viagens'' is a 1953 collection of science fiction stories by American writer L. Sprague de Camp, the fifth book in his '' Viagens Interplanetarias'' series. It was first published in hardcover by Twayn ...

'' (1953) – collection of most of the shorter works in the Viagens Interplanetarias series * ''

The Virgin of Zesh ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (1953) –

novel noted for the early use (for science fiction) of a strong female protagonist and a possible influence on

Daniel Keyes Daniel Keyes (August 9, 1927 – June 15, 2014) was an American writer who wrote the novel ''Flowers for Algernon''. Keyes was given the Author Emeritus honor by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 2000. Biography Early life ...

's ''

Flowers for Algernon ''Flowers for Algernon'' is a short story by American author Daniel Keyes, later expanded by him into a novel and subsequently adapted for film and other media. The short story, written in 1958 and first published in the April 1959 issue of ''T ...

'' * '' The Glory That Was'' (1960) – a ''tour de force'' incorporating most of de Camp's major interests into one work * ''

A Gun for Dinosaur and Other Imaginative Tales ''A Gun for Dinosaur and Other Imaginative Tales'' is a short story collection by American science fiction and fantasy author L. Sprague de Camp, first published in hardback by Doubleday in 1963, and in paperback by Curtis Books in 1969. The fir ...

'' (1963) – collection of some of the best of de Camp's early fiction, including "

" and "

" * ''

The Best of L. Sprague de Camp ''The Best of L. Sprague de Camp'' is a collection of writings by American science fiction and fantasy author L. Sprague de Camp, first published in hardback by Nelson Doubleday in February 1978 and in paperback by Ballantine Books in May of the ...

'' (1978) – a mid-career review collecting de Camp's best short works

Fantasy

* ''

The Incomplete Enchanter ''The Incomplete Enchanter'' is a collection of two fantasy novellas by American writers L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt, the first volume in their Harold Shea series. The pieces were originally published in the magazine ''Unknown'' in the i ...

'' (1941) (with

) – first of the de Camp/Pratt collaborations, including the earliest

stories * ''

'' (1942) (with

) – best of the non-series de Camp/Pratt collaborations * '' The Undesired Princess'' (1951) – earliest of de Camp's major fantasies not written in collaboration with Pratt; set in an Aristotelian universe * ''

Tales from Gavagan's Bar ''Tales from Gavagan's Bar'' is a collection of fantasy short stories by American writers L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt, illustrated by the latter's wife Inga Pratt. It was first published in hardcover by Twayne Publishers in 1953; an e ...

'' (1953, exp. 1978) (with

) – collected edition of de Camp and Pratt's second major fantasy series * '' The Tritonian Ring and Other Pusadian Tales'' (1953) – collection of the earlier works in the

, including ''

'' * ''

Tales of Conan ''Tales of Conan'' is a 1955 collection of four fantasy short stories by American writers Robert E. Howard and L. Sprague de Camp, featuring Howard's sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. The tales as originally written by Howard were a ...

'' (1955) (with Robert E. Howard) – collection containing the first of de Camp's "posthumous collaborations" with Howard, marking the beginning of his successful promotion of Howard's "

Conan the Barbarian Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero who originated in pulp magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, films (including '' Conan the Barbarian'' and '' Conan the Destroyer'') ...

" character * '' Conan the Adventurer'' (1966) (with Robert E. Howard) – collection inaugurating the paperback Conan series, which ensured the success of the character and defined it for a generation * ''

'' (1968) – first of the

* '' The Fallible Fiend'' (1973) – offbeat entry in the

presenting a satirical look at humanity through the eyes of a demon

Historical fiction

In chronological order: * '' The Dragon of the Ishtar Gate'' (1961) * ''

The Arrows of Hercules ''The Arrows of Hercules'' is an historical novel by American writer L. Sprague de Camp, first published in hardback by Doubleday in 1965 and in paperback by Curtis Books in 1970. The book was reissued with a new introduction by Harry Turtledov ...

'' (1965) * '' An Elephant for Aristotle'' (1958) * ''

The Bronze God of Rhodes ''The Bronze God of Rhodes'' is a historical novel by American writer L. Sprague de Camp. It was first published in hardcover by Doubleday in 1960, and in paperback by Bantam Books in 1963. A trade paperback edition was projected by The Donning ...

(1960) * ''

The Golden Wind ''The Golden Wind'' is a historical novel by American writer L. Sprague de Camp, first published in hardcover by Doubleday in 1969, and in paperback by Curtis in 1972. The book was reissued with a new introduction by Harry Turtledove as a trade ...

'' (1969)

Anthologies

* '' Swords and Sorcery'' (1963) – pioneering

anthology, the first ever published

Nonfiction

* '' Inventions and Their Management'' (1937; vt. ''Inventions, Patents, and Their Management'' (1959)) (with Alf K. Berle) – de Camp's first work of nonfiction * ''

'' (1952) (with

) – a comprehensive survey of geographical myths * '' Science-Fiction Handbook'' (1953 (revised 1975, with Catherine Crook de Camp)) – an influential early writers' guide * ''

: the Atlantis Theme in History, Science, and Literature'' (1954) – the title says it all * ''

'' (1963) – an exhaustive account of practical science through the ages prior to the modern era * '' The Great Monkey Trial'' (1968) – the definitive popular account of the Scopes Trial * '' Lovecraft: A Biography'' (1975) – the first major biography of H. P. Lovecraft * ''

Literary Swordsmen and Sorcerers ''Literary Swordsmen and Sorcerers: The Makers of Heroic Fantasy'' is a work of collective biography on the formative authors of the heroic fantasy genreTymn, Marshall B. "Guide to Resource Materials for Science Fiction and Fantasy Teachers," ''The ...

'' (1976) – a major contribution to the historical study of modern fantasy authors * '' Dark Valley Destiny: the Life of Robert E. Howard'' (1983) (with Catherine Crook de Camp and Jane Whittington Griffin) – the first major biography of Robert E. Howard * '' The Ape-Man Within'' (1995) – Explores how human evolution of aggression and competition affected our historical and social development. * '' Time and Chance: an Autobiography'' (1996) – winner of the 1997

Hugo Award for Best Non-Fiction Book The Hugo Award for Best Related Work is one of the Hugo Awards given each year for primarily non-fiction works related to science fiction or fantasy, published or translated into English during the previous calendar year. The Hugo Awards have bee ...

Linguistic studies

Some search results can be found throug
Google Scholar
* 1944. Pronunciation of upstate New York place-names
''American Speech'' 19:250-265
(Paywall) * 1973. American English from Eastern Massachusetts
''Journal of the International Phonetic Association'' 3:40-41
(Paywall) * 1978. American English from Central Texas
''Journal of the International Phonetic Association'' 8:81-82
(Paywall)

References

External links

* * *
sprague de camp: The Fan Site

Yahoo Discussion Group for de Camp fans
;Listen to
A Gun for Dinosaur
on

X Minus One ''X Minus One'' is an American half-hour science fiction radio drama series that was broadcast from April 24, 1955, to January 9, 1958, in various timeslots on NBC. Known for high production values in adapting stories from the leading American a ...

, NBC radio, 1956 {{DEFAULTSORT:De Camp, L. Sprague 1907 births 2000 deaths 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American short story writers American alternate history writers American fantasy writers American historical novelists American male non-fiction writers American male novelists American male short story writers American science fiction writers American skeptics American speculative fiction critics American speculative fiction editors Analog Science Fiction and Fact people Burials at Arlington National Cemetery California Institute of Technology alumni Conan the Barbarian novelists Critics of Theosophy H. P. Lovecraft scholars Hugo Award-winning writers Novelists from New York (state) Pulp fiction writers SFWA Grand Masters Science fiction critics Sidewise Award winners Stevens Institute of Technology alumni United States Navy officers United States Navy personnel of World War II World Fantasy Award-winning writers Writers from New York City Writers of historical fiction set in antiquity

Biography

Coinage of "Extraterrestrial" and "E.T."

Hypothesis regarding sea serpent sightings

Body of work

Science fiction

Fantasy

Historical fiction

Nonfiction

Awards and honors

In popular culture

Selected works

Science fiction

Fantasy

Historical fiction

Anthologies

Nonfiction

Linguistic studies

See also

References

External links