Most Popular Books by L. Sprague

Time and Chance is the autobiography of Hugo, World Fantasy and SFWA Grand Master Award-winning author, L. Sprague de Camp. It is a fascinating insight into a man who began writing in the late 1930''s and remained an active voice in the genre up until his death in the last year of the twentieth century, and who was a prime mover in the formation of the fields of Science Fiction and Fantasy as we know them today.

Stories contained in this book: The Swords of Faerie Jack of all Arts: William Morris Two Men in One: Lord Dunsany Eldritch Yankee Gentleman: H. P. Lovecraft Superman in a Bowler: E. R. Eddison The Miscast Barbarian: Robert E. Howard Parallel Worlds: Fletcher Pratt Sierran Shaman: Clark Ashton Smith Merlin in Tweeds: J. R. R. Tolkien The Architect of Camelot: T. H. White Conan''s Compeers

The Mathematics of Magic was probably the greatest discovery of the ages - at least Professor Harold Shea thought so. With the proper equations, he could instantly transport himself back in time to all the wondrous lands of ancient legend. But slips in time were a hazard, and Shea''s magic did not always work - at least, not quite as he expected . . . The Incomplete Enchanter is the first in L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt''s much-loved Compleat Enchanter series.

On Midsummer''s Eve, as everybody knows, you should leave a bowl of milk out for the fairies. Unfortunately - or fortunately - Fred Barber, an American diplomat convalescing in Yorkshire, didn''t take the obligation with proper seriousness. He swapped the milk for a stiff dose of Scotch. So he had only himself to blame if the fairies got a bit muddled. Barber found himself in an Old English Fairyland. At the Court of King Oberon, to be precise. The natural - or supernatural - laws there were, to say the least of it, distinctly odd. Things kept changing. This made the mssion with which he was entrusted, as the price of his return to the normal world, even harder than he expected. He had to penetrate the Kobold Hills, where it was said that swords were being made, and discover if an ancient enemy had returned. He was given a magic wand - but not told how to use it. Through the fields and forests he went, meeting dryads and sprites, ogres and two-headed eagles, on the way. Danger, seduction and magic lay all around him. And, as the adventure continued, somehow it darkened and became more seriousness. At the end of Fred Barber''s quest lay a shattering revelation.

Never Trust a Demon Three years earlier, Jorian had been the crowned King of Xylar. But the laws of Xylar decreed that each randomly chosen King must be beheaded at the end of a five-year reign. Jorian had a prejudice against losing his head. With the aid of the aged wizard Karadur, he managed to flee. Unfortunately he had not been able to bring his beloved wife, Queen Estrildis, with him, nor had he yet been able to find a means of freeing her from the palace in Xylar City. Now, however, he felt that his luck was about to change. He and the aged wizard Karadur were being flown through the night air in a great copper bathtub, powered by a demon under Karadur''s control. Ahead of them lay Xylar City. There, while the demon kept the bathtub hovering above the palace, Jorian could let down a rope and rescue Estrildis. It should have been a foolproof scheme¿

LOVECRAFT THE MAN LOVECRAFT THE WRITER LOVECRAFT THE CULT FIGURE His name conjures macabre visions of ghoulish beasts, creeping monsters, ghastly fantasies. His stories have spawned a following that ranks him with Edgar Allan Poe and Lord Dunsany. But Lovecraft was himself the most bizarre of all his characters!

Against the Fall of Night The Roman Empire had spread order, knowledge, and civilisation throughout the ancient world. When Rome fell, the light of reason flickered out across the Empire. The Dark Ages had begun; they would last a thousand years. Could a man from the 20th century prevent the fall of Rome? When lightening struck and he was hurled backward into the sixth century, the question became anything but academic to Martin Padway, but even forearmed with a knowledge of 20th century technology and of events to come, what could one man do? But Padway must try, lest darkness fall.

The Mathematics of Magic was probably the greatest discovery of the ages - at least Professor Harold Shea thought so. With the proper equations, he could instantly transport himself back in time to all the wondrous lands of ancient legend. But slips in time were a hazard, and Shea''s magic did not always work - at least, not quite as he expected . . . The Wall of Serpents is the third in L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt''s much-loved Compleat Enchanter series.

Igor Shtain was the greatest explorer the planets had ever seen, and his support staff of photographer, stuntman, speech writer and secretary made sure that everyone knew it. Now Igor is missing, and it is up to his assistants to find him. Swashbuckling adventure from the author of The Complete Compleat Enchanter.

The Glory that was - or the Glory that wasn''t? Knut Bulnes had considered Vasil IX, World Emperor of the 27th century, to be a harmless eccentric until Imperial decree completely sealed off Greece behind a force wall and people of Greek descent suddenly began disappearing from the rest of the world - including the wife of Bulnes''s friend Wiyem Flin. Bulnes reluctantly agreed to help Flin find his wife, and the two managed to get inside the force wall only to find themselves in the Classical Greece of Socrates and Euripides - and the target of a man-hunt not only by the soldiers of Perikles, but also by the unpleasant characters with machine guns.

Rogue Queen is a ground-breaking novel by L. Sprague de Camp that was one of the first science fiction books to deal with sexual themes, paving the way for more daring works by future authors. *** Part of the Viagens Interplanetarias series, the story takes place on a planet circling the star Lalande 21185, also known as Ormazd. When humans arrive on the planet they find a hive-like society with a hyper-fertile queen being serviced by male drones. *** All the other females of the species are infertile, or so it is believed. However, when one of the worker females rebels she discovers that the workers infertility is largely a result of the diet they follow.

Copy from the 1975 Owlswick Press print edition: L. Sprague de Camp''s original Science-Fiction Handbook, published in 1953 and long out of print, has been favourably remembered by a whole generation of science fiction readers and aspiring writers. Over the years, at convention after convention, fans have urged its reissue. Teachers of courses on imaginative fiction have begged for the book; one planned to reproduce the manual for his creative writing course until he learned that the material was under copyright Because of this enduring interest, the present book came into being. Completely rewritten by de Camp and his wife Catherine, Science Fiction Handbook, Revised serves two purposes. It introduces the general reader to the fascinating field of imaginative fiction. The first two chapters describe the growth of science fiction from Aristophanes to Asimov and give the history of its parent literature, fantasy, which is as old as cavemen and as young as tomorrow. The rest of the book affords the apprentice writer an overview of the pleasures and problems of writing imaginative fiction an teachers him the many and varied skills such writing requires. There are chapters on setting the scene, plotting the story and writing dialogue. Other chapters are devoted to showing the creative writer how to sore his literary works, keep records for tax purposes, market a story, deal with editors and agents, read the fine print in contracts and bargain with publishers. Finally, there are helpful hints for the successful writer about relating to his community, handling publicity and melding the needs of the creative artists with those of a successful human being and family member. In short, here is a wealth of information on the techniques of writing fiction. Here, too, is the wisdom distilled by the de Camps in the course of their long writing careers. And, for those who have no desire to write, here is a chance to see what the writer''s world is really like and to learn something about the remarkable literature that we call science fiction and fantasy.

Percy Mjipa, diplomat-adventurer, and Alicia Dyckman, interplanetary runaway, both aliens on the alien world of Krishna, are swept up in wildly treacherous - and wildly funny - imperial intrigue. . . . The Prisoner of Zhamanak is the fourth of L. Sprague de Camp''s Krishna book - interplanetary romance in the tradition of Edgar Rice Burroughs'' Martian Tales.

Welcome back to the planet Krishna - a wilderness of blue woods under three moons, where square-riggers sail the treacherous inland seas, where fierce humanoid natives with feathery antennae cross swords in endless war, and where a Terran outside the confines of the spaceport is strictly on his own! The Tower of Zanid is the seventh book of L. Sprague de Camp''s Viagens Interplanetarias series - interplanetary romance in the tradition of Edgar Rice Burroughs'' Martian Tales.

The Undesired Princess Rollin Hobart thought he was a logical, sensible man - until he was transported to a world that was perfectly logical but not sensible in the least. The Enchanted Bunny Joe Johnson thought he had his hands full ghostwriting a Senators memoirs - but that was before he fell into the middle of a fairy tale, complete with wizard and fire-breathing dragon. Two reluctant heroes using their modern knowledge but finding that things don''t work quite the way they''re used to. But they''ve got to try, because nobody else can save the world - and unless Hobart and Joe succeed they and their new friends are going to be horribly and realistically dead.

Twenty-five men and women against a world of evolution gone mad! Here is the vivid story of their adventures and terrors - the monster in the forest - the city of giant beavers - and the secret of the incredible race that had supplanted mankind.

Aristotle and the Gun is L. Sprague de Camp''s tour de force story of time travel and alternate history. A young scientist, Sherman Weaver, steals a prototype time machine and, without authorization he throws caution to the winds of time and goes back in time to conduct an experiment to see what will happen if small changes are made to history. This seminal work in the science fiction field will stay with you long after the final page is turned.

The Weirdest Drinking Establishment in the Universe Gavagan''s Bar - presided over by Mr. Aloysius P. Cohan, bartender. Where you will meet such not-so-regular customers as: Councilman Maguire, who brought his own leprechaun with him from Ireland. Mrs. Vacarescu and her husband Putzi, the were-dachshund. Mr. Murdoch, who borrowed a very small dragon to rid his apartment of mice and lost it. And assorted witches, magicians, devils, dryads, and the occasional demigod.

Conan is back, and at the top of his form! SFWA Grand Master L. Sprague de Camp was revered in the genre of fantasy for both his fiction and nonfiction. Booklist praised his novel The Honorable Barbarian, saying: "The action is brisk, and the worlds and characters are described with de Camp''s deft, light touch . . . thoroughly agreeable entertainment," while Kirkus Reviews said of The Pixilated Peeress "the unassuming style and verve of the telling keep the pages turning. Pure prose junk-food." But more important, L. Sprague de Camp wrote Dark Valley Destiny, the definitive biography of Conan''s creator, Robert E. Howard, leaving little wonder as to why Conan and the Spider God is considered one of the finest novels in the canon of Conan. Son of a blacksmith, a former slave and thief, Conan the Cimmerian has risen to the rank of Captain of the Royal Guard. But as usual, trouble is his bedfellow. Forced to kill while defending himself, Conan must flee the vengeance of the High Priest of Erlik. Foraging through field and forest, meeting friend and foe, Conan cuts a bloody swath through assassins and bounty hunters all the way to the sinister temple of Zath, where he encounters the huge and hideous Spider God. Facing certain death, Conan becomes both the hunter . . . and the hunted. Conan and the Spider God is a thrilling adventure of the mighty barbarian, from one of the genre''s most revered authors. At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

The Mathematics of Magic was probably the greatest discovery of the ages - at least Professor Harold Shea thought so. With the proper equations, he could instantly transport himself back in time to all the wondrous lands of ancient legend. But slips in time were a hazard, and Shea''s magic did not always work - at least, not quite as he expected . . . The Castle of Iron is the second in L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt''s much-loved Compleat Enchanter series.

The Best Mislaid Plans Wizardly schemes, Jorian knew went oft a-gley. But this time the wizard''s plan seemed simple. Since ancient prophecy foretold that the clocks would save Iraz, Jorian must repair the great tower clocks that his father had built. If everything went well, Karadur could then plan the rescue of Jorian''s beloved wife, Queen Estrildis from Xylar. And Jorian would be appointed Clockmaster of Iraz, a position that would require him to break a pirate siege, placate an amorous priestess, and stay at least one step ahead of the Royal Guard of Xylar - where he was still wanted as the star sttraction of a royal beheading!

Describes methods used by early irrigators, architects, and military engineers to build and maintain structures to serve their ruler''s wants.

A humorous adventure from the author of The Complete Compleat Enchanter. He looks like a cross between a dragon and a catfish, and he can bend iron bars with a flick of his hand. In fact, Zdim, the mild-mannered demon, is a scholar of philosophy and logic. So when he''s drafted for a year''s servitude on the mortal plane, Zdim is certain a mistake has been made. Previoulsy published by Del Rey.

Welcome back to the planet Krishna - a wilderness of blue woods under three moons, where square-riggers sail the treacherous inland seas, where fierce humanoid natives with feathery antennae cross swords in endless war, and where a Terran outside the confines of the spaceport is strictly on his own! The Virgin of Zesh is the fifth of L. Sprague de Camp''s Krishna book - interplanetary romance in the tradition of Edgar Rice Burroughs'' Martian Tales.

The Producer thinks he''s God''s gift to women - whether they''re human or alien. The Director is delighted to work on a wild and woolly planet, where he can really behave like Attila the Hun. Some of the local natives are trying to steal the film crew blind - while others plan all-out war. And if that weren''t enough, every time Tour Guide Fergus Reith turns around, he stumbles over another of his ex wives or girlfriends! The Swords of Zinjaban is the fourth of L. Sprague de Camp''s Krishna book - interplanetary romance in the tradition of Edgar Rice Burroughs'' Martian Tales.

Meet Victor Hasselborg, easily the most miserable Private Investigator in the entire galaxy. More comfortable with the dull routine of investigating insurance frauds than interstellar adventure, Hasselborg is bound by duty to chase a runaway heiress across known space to the primitive world called Krishna. Clad in kilt and sword, his hair dyed green, riding a buggy driven by a six legged monster of a beast, Hasselborg''s quest takes him through the volatile world of feudal Krishna politics and into the presence of . . . the Queen of Zamba. The Queen of Zamba is the first of L. Sprague de Camp''s Krishna book - interplanetary romance in the tradition of Edgar Rice Burroughs'' Martian Tales.

On a future Earth, where invading aliens have forced humanity to revert to a feudal society and conducting scientific research is punishable by death, it''s good to be the heir to a duchy. Unless your brother has been burnt as punishment for heresy. And unless you intended to do something about it . . .

Strom: Mercury How did Mercury get such an enormous iron core? Why is its tectonic framework so different from any other planet or satellite? What is its crystal composition? Why is the crust so depleted in iron when the interior is so rich in that element? What are the polar deposits? Where do the elements in the exosphere come from? Mercury is a planet shrouded in mystery. Only 45 percent of its surface has been seen in any detail, and that was from the Mariner 10 flyby in 1974. Yet what is known only makes the planet more fascinating. New Earth-based observations have shed light on surface and exosphere compositions, and re-evaluations of the Mariner 10 data, using modern image processing techniques, show evidence for volcanic flow fronts, pyroclastics and other volcanic phenomena not seen before. This ground-breaking book not only chronicles what has been discovered, but looks ahead to what has yet to emerge. An accompanying CD contains all the best Mariner 10 images, including the data for each image, photomosaics and maps.

On the 15th day of Franklin, Year of Descent 1008, in the Kralate of Vizantia Planet Kforri. A young teacher, Marko Prokopiu, is convicted and jailed. His heinous crime: preaching the false and unholy belief that Kforri was originally settled by men arriving from Earth in flying machines - a dangerous heresy against the official doctrine of divine evolution. Goaded into jail-break by his wife''s desertion and mightily armed with his father''s great ax, Markorushes to avenge his marital honour. With an eminent philosopher, Dr. Halran, inventor of the incredible hot-air balloon, Marko journeys perilously to exotic lands - to decadent Anglonia, hostile Afka, civilised Eropia and, at last, the all-female Isle of Mnaenn. There, by clever ruse and uncommon physical daring, he must recover the Great Fetish and solve the riddle of planet Kforri''s ancient history, or meet a fate more complicated than death!

Aquilonia, once the proudest land in all of Hyboria, has fallen under the tyrannical reign of a mad king. As his brutal insanity sweeps the land, only one man dares stand against him: Conan the barbarian. Conan becomes the leader of an army of rebels, brave warriors who thought their battles would be fought with spear and sword, axe and dagger. In this they were mistaken, for their greatest foe is not the army of Aquilonia, but the vile sorcerer Thulandra Thuu. Dark clouds loom ahead for the people of Aquilonia, and only Conan can save them.

The Whims of Destiny Jorian, the one-time unbeheaded king, was now safely retired from a long career of getting into trouble. But his younger brother Kerin lacked such wisdom. The outraged father of Adeliza had caught him in compromising circumstances with the maiden. So Kerin had to be sent at once on a mission by sea to the Far East. But Kerin''s talent for trouble was not to be denied. First came Belinka, a sprite sent by Adeliza to bring him back safe for her. The ship captain believed Kerin was seducing his mistress. Though innocent this time, Kerin left hastily in a rowboat. That got him to a hermit-wizard''s island - and a voyage on a pirate ship, where the kidnapped princess Nogiri was held captive. Kerin was unable to save her - until he gained the help of the hermit-wizard, who then betrayed him by seizing the girl and fleeing with her to be used as a human sacrifice. From then on, events became hectic as Kerin managed to save Nogiri again, helped by a wizard who was the enemy of the first one. Belinka was much distressed by what happened then between Kerin and Nogiri - with cause - as they set out again, this time to the Emperor of the Farthest East. There Kerin discovered more magic, and the Emperor learned that no man should be absentminded when using a powerful spell. But it was later that Kerin discovered the limitations of roller skates.

Imagine a world of gods and demons, where the fate of kingdoms balances on the bloody blade of a fabulous hero: Conan of the iron thews, the blue-eyed barbarian giant who towers above the savage Hyborian world. Here in one volume for the first time, are three of the Conan works that L.Sprague de Camp created to re-launch Conan: Conan the Swordsman Conan the Liberator Conan the Spider God

The gods of Poseidonis - or Atlantis - were powerful and real. Now they were determined to destroy the kingdom ruled by the father of Prince Vakar, the one man whose mind they could not read. The only way to save the kingdom was to discover that thing which the gods feared most. To find it, Prince Vakar set out across the largely unknown world where dangers multiplied with every league. There he found savage countries and strange people - the wild Amazons; a voluptuous, ensorcelled queen; a too-charming girl who was half-horse, half-woman; dangerous magicians who ruled hordes of headless slaves; and the Gorgons, who could paralyze their victims at a glance. Behind was his ambitious brother, determined that Vakar must fail. Even closer were unknown enemies set on his trail by the suspicious gods. And to add to his troubles, Vakar had no idea of what he sought!

The king of Vendhya is dead, the victim of black magic. At the request of the king''s sister, Conan scales the craggy peaks of the Himelians to the fortress of the Black Seers. There he must battle powerful magicians with the only weapons he has--his cunning and his strength.