Book Review: The Best of L. Sprague de Camp

When we think of the writers who comprised the golden age of SF, names like Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, L. Ron Hubbard, Lester del Rey, and Ted Sturgeon might be the first to spring to mind. There were many others, but to my dismay, they’re fading into the brume of antiquity—folks like Henry Kuttner, Clifford Simak, A.E. Van Vogt, Fritz Leiber, and L. Sprague de Camp to name a few.

The Best of L. Sprague DeCampWhich is why I’m always excited to peruse used book shops and book dealer tables at conventions. I never fail to leave without a stack of golden age gems. One such recent find is the The Best of L. Sprague de Camp. Known in his time as a humor writer in the fields of SF and fantasy, the stately de Camp was also a historian, scientist, and engineer, all of which influenced his fiction. 

This “Best of” compilation is an eclectic showcase of de Camp’s humor and intellect. My favorites include: 

“The Command” – A chemically altered bear that can read, reason, and even operate some machinery, stops an evil chemist and his henchmen bent on world domination. 

“Nothing in the Rules” – The desperate coach of a woman’s swim team knows they cannot beat the opposition without an advantage, but his solution is downright mythical. 

“The Hardwood Pile” – Loggers cut down a Norwegian Maple that happened to be home of a wood nymph. After all attempts to reason with the company owner fail, the nymph uses her magical abilities to ensure he can’t sell the lumber made from her tree. 

“The Reluctant Shaman” – The indigenous American owner of a trinket shop is burdened with temporary custody of the legendary Gahunga, elemental beings of the Seneca tribe who use their magic in the service of their caretaker. However, when the shop owner asks them to drum up more business for his shop, he soon regrets it. 

“A Gun for Dinosaur” – Things go sideways when a time-traveling dinosaur hunter takes two clients back to the Late Mesozoic era. One customer is too small in stature to handle a dinosaur gun and the other is a belligerent hothead who disregards the guide’s advice and fires at every creature he sees.

“The Emperor’s Fan” – The Emperor of Kuromon comes into possession of a magical fan. Simply wave it at an enemy and watch them disappear, but what happens when the fan falls into the hands of an unexpected adversary?

“Two Yards of Dragon” – In order to achieve knighthood and win the hand of a lovely maiden, a young man travels far from home to slay a dragon and return with two yards of its hide. Little does he know that dragons are now protected game, he has no hunting license, and worse, dragons are out of season. 

Hard-Boiled on Kindle Vella!

Excited to report that my detective story, “Pearl of Great Price,” will be featured in the upcoming crime noir anthology, Hard-Boiled and Loaded with Sin, slated to release in paperback and ebook on June 26, 2023.
Congrats to Suzanne Mattaboni, Diana Sinovic, and Albert Tucher—fellow members of the Greater Lehigh Writers Group—on their contributions to the anthology.
Right now, Hawkshaw Press has made parts one through three of Albert’s tale, “The Third Refill,” available for your FREE reading pleasure on Kindle Vella. Click here to check it out!
Hard-Boiled and Loaded with Sin Book Cover

Ain’t Got No Razzle-Dazzle

Sun-Maid Raisins prints nuggets of advice or motivation on their box tops. It’s typically a random mix. However, every message this week has been the same.

SunMaid Raisins-Razzle Dazzle

I sure as hell don’t feel that I have much razzle-dazzle, but I’m flattered that someone thinks so and reminds me on a daily basis.

The past seven months have delivered a steady supply of crises and complications in my professional and personal lives, all of which have affected my health.

In late September 2022, a colleague at my day job died suddenly at the age of 42. The ripples of that loss have not yet abated. We’re still feeling it and stress levels have been high, but we’ve brought in help and made enormous strides. That’s all I can say about that.

Unfortunately, a few weeks before he died, I began experiencing a few health issues, which have since been exacerbated by extreme stress. I’m managing it with help, but I’ve been in a dark place for seven months and counting. Anxiety and depression have been frequent companions for most of my life, but this is worst they’ve ever been. Every day I hold onto hope that it will get better with time, patience, and taking the proper actions toward recovery.

Of course, recovery would me much easier were it not for for a recent family complication that has landed on my shoulders. Again, I can’t say much about it, but this could evolve into a critical situation in the near future and erode even more of my writing time.

Another complication that presented itself even before all of the above was the 2021 announcement from the small press that published my paranormal mystery novels (Testing the Prisoner, By Your Side, Like Mother, Like Daughters) that they closed shop and are no longer accepting submissions. Although they’re leaving all current titles on the market for the time being, they are no longer working with the writers to promote, run sales, or otherwise keep the books viable.

In light of this, I’m preparing to publish second editions of Testing the Prisoner (2009) and By Your Side (2012) over the next year. I’m taking the opportunity to re-edit both books, tweaking them just enough to strike a balance between my writing style of the time and my writing style today. Both will undergo a facelift with brand new covers by a local comic book artist.  As for Like Mother, Like Daughters (2018), I’ll tackle that once the first two are finished. Stay tuned for more info.

I am pleased to report that my detective story, “Pearl of Great Price,” will be included in the crime noir anthology, Hard-Boiled and Loaded with Sin by Hawkshaw Press (an imprint of Devil’s Party Press). The book is slated for release on June 26, 2023.

Hard-Boiled and Loaded with Sin Book Cover

Also, my science fiction comedy tale, “See You Around the Cosmos, Sweet Cheeks!” took Honorable Mention in the 2023 NFPW Communications Contest. Click here for more information about the National Federation of Press Women.

I was disappointed to learn that Delaware publisher Cat & Mouse Press retired their annual Rehoboth Beach Reads short story contest after ten years. The contest had a fantastic run and I was honored to have two stories published in the contest anthologies Beach Nights (2016) and Beach Secrets (2021). I also had two stories included in Beach Pulp (2019), an open call anthology that pays homage to the detective and SF pulp magazines of the 1930s and 1940s.

Finally, my YouTube channel has not been updated with new content  in nearly a year and is suffering from abandonment issues—again. I recorded a reading of “Pearl of Great Price,” which will posted to my channel when the book goes live in June or thereabouts. I plan to record other stories and updates that will go live soon as well.

That’s where I’ve been for the past several months. Peace of mind has been at an all time low, but as always, I press forward.

I hope all is well with you and yours and that you remain safe and healthy while navigating these bizarre and dangerous times.  Don’t lose your razzle-dazzle!

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, we focus more on craft than business. From Good Story Company comes advice on writing authentic female characters, enticing opening lines, and effective descriptions.

Jami Gold reviews the different types of character arcs and how they can be applied to short stories.  Over at Mythcreants, Chris Winkle delves into the use of foreshadowing and also explains why realism has no place in fiction.

From Writer Unboxed, John J. Kelley shows us how social events can be used to help with character and plot development while Kim Bullock offers self-care advice for writers during trying times.

All that a lot more. Enjoy!

Writing Descriptions by Good Story Company

Writing Female Characters by Amy Wilson

3 Ways to use AI for Screenwriting (Other Than Writing a Bad Script) by Ken Miyamoto

Writing the Opening Line by Rhiannon Richardson

Using TikTok to Promote Your Writing by Ellen Levitt

Short Stories: Can They Still Have Character Arc? by Jami Gold

Traditional or Self-Publishing – That is the Question by Rod Martinez

Subtext – Guest Post by Karen Albright Lin via Debbie Burke on Kill Zone

The Why and How of Foreshadowing by Chris Winkle

10 Things to Know About BookBub Readers [Infographic] by Carlyn Robertson

Handling Editorial Feedback without Getting Overwhelmed by Tessa Barbosa

Self-Care for Writers in a Pseudo-Dystopian World by Kim Bullock

The Big Event – Using Social Occasions to Elevate Your Story by John  J. Kelley

Why Realism is Toxic to Fiction by Chris Winkle

The Last Word: Epilogues by Sophie Masson