Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer. Born Lyon Sprague de Camp, he was an aeronautical engineer by training, with a BS in Engineering from Cal Tech (1930) and an MS from Stevens Tech (1933). During World War II, he was a researcher at the Philadelphia Naval Yard (with Heinlein and Asimov), eventually becoming a lieutenant commander in the Naval Reserve. He belonged to the Trap Door Spiders literary club, later immortalized as the Black Widowers by Asimov, who was also a member. His best known works are likely the time-travel saga “Lest Darkness Fall”, a look at what really might have happened had a modern American been transported into the past like the main character in Twain’s “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court”, and the “Gavigan’s Bar” and “Harold Shea” series of light fantasy, with an emphasis on making these worlds internally logical and rational. He also wrote additional stories in the “Conan” series. He also wrote a number of biographies of important authors in the fantasy genre, as well as a couple of books in his professional area, the best known being “Inventions and Management” (1937). He was named the third Gandalf Grand Master of Fantasy in 1976 and the fourth Science Fiction Writers of America Grand Master in 1979. His autobiography, “Time and Chance” won the Hugo for nonfiction in 1997.

Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer. Born Lyon Sprague de Camp, he was an aeronautical engineer by training, with a BS in Engineering from Cal Tech (1930) and an MS from Stevens Tech (1933). During World War II, he was a researcher at the Philadelphia Naval Yard (with Heinlein and Asimov), eventually becoming a lieutenant commander in the Naval Reserve. He belonged to the Trap Door Spiders literary club, later immortalized as the Black Widowers by Asimov, who was also a member. His best known works are likely the time-travel saga “Lest Darkness Fall”, a look at what really might have happened had a modern American been transported into the past like the main character in Twain’s “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court”, and the “Gavigan’s Bar” and “Harold Shea” series of light fantasy, with an emphasis on making these worlds internally logical and rational. He also wrote additional stories in the “Conan” series. He also wrote a number of biographies of important authors in the fantasy genre, as well as a couple of books in his professional area, the best known being “Inventions and Management” (1937). He was named the third Gandalf Grand Master of Fantasy in 1976 and the fourth Science Fiction Writers of America Grand Master in 1979. His autobiography, “Time and Chance” won the Hugo for nonfiction in 1997.

Bio by: Kenneth Gilbert