Fritz Reuter Leiber Jr. (1910 – 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.[b] With writers such as Robert E. Howard and Michael Moorcock, Leiber is one of the fathers of and coined the term sword and sorcery.
Leiber was heavily influenced by H. P. Lovecraft, Robert Graves, John Webster, and Shakespeare in the first two decades of his career. Beginning in the late 1950s, he was increasingly influenced by the works of Carl Jung, particularly by the concepts of the anima and the shadow. In the mid-1960s, he began incorporating elements of Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces. These concepts are often mentioned in his stories, especially the anima, which becomes a method of exploring his fascination with, but estrangement from, the female.
In 1951, Leiber was Guest of Honor at the World Science Fiction Convention in New Orleans. Further novels followed during the 1950s, and in 1958 The Big Time won the Hugo Award for Best Novel. He continued to publish in the 1960s. His novel The Wanderer (1964) also won the Hugo for Best Novel. In the novel, an artificial planet nicknamed the Wanderer materializes from hyperspace within earth’s orbit. The Wanderer’s gravitational field captures the moon and shatters it into something like one of Saturn’s rings. On Earth, the Wanderer’s gravity well triggers earthquakes, tsunamis, and tidal phenomena. The multi-threaded plot follows the exploits of an ensemble cast as they struggle to survive the global disaster.
Fritz Leiber was named the second Gandalf Grand Master of Fantasy by participants in the 1975 World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon), after the posthumous inaugural award to J. R. R. Tolkien. Next year he won the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement. He was Guest of Honor at the 1979 Worldcon in Brighton, England (1979). The Science Fiction Writers of America made him its fifth SFWA Grand Master in 1981;[22] the Horror Writers Association made him an inaugural winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1988 (named in 1987); and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame inducted him in 2001, its sixth class of two deceased and two living writers.
Fritz Leiber – First Edition Identification Guide
Note: This list only includes works published prior to 1977.
| Year | Title | Publisher | First edition/printing identification points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | THE BEST OF FRITZ LEIBER | London: Sphere Books Limited, [1974] | Wrappers. First published in Great Britain ... 1974 on © page Sphere 0 7221 5474 7 (60p). ALSO: London: Sidgwick & Jackson, [1974]. Boards. First published in Great Britain in 1974 on © page. Note: Sphere and Sidgwick & Jackson editions printed from same plates and published in May and November respectively. ALSO: Garden City: Nelson Doubleday, Inc., [1974], Boards. Three printings, priority as listed:
|
| 1967 | THE BIG TIME | New York: Ace Books, Inc. [1967] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Ace Double Novel Books D-491 (35¢). Bound with THE MIND SPIDER AND OTHER STORIES by Leiber. ALSO: Boston: Gregg Press, 1976. First Printing, June 1976 on © page. First hardcover edition. Notes: (1) Photo-reproduction of the 1961 Ace edition. (2) Not issued in dust jacket. |
| 1974 | THE BOOK OF FRITZ LEIBER | New York: DAW Books, Inc., [1974] | Wrappers. First printing, January 19741123456789 on © page. DAW: sf Books No. 87 UQ1091 (95¢). |
| 1953 | CONJURE WIFE | New York: Twayne Publishers, Inc., [1953] | No statement of printing on © page. Reissued by Berkley in 1962 with cover title BURN WITCH BURN. Note: The first separate edition. Originally collected in book form in 1952 as part of Witches Three edited by Fletcher Pratt. |
| 1957 | DESTINY TIMES THREE | New York: Galaxy Publishing Corp., [1957] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Galaxy Novel No. 28 (35¢). |
| 1950 | GATHER, DARKNESS | New York: Pellegrini & Cudahy, [1950] | No statement of printing on © page. |
| 1953 | THE GREEN MILLENNIUM | New York: Abelard Press, [1953] | Boards. No statement of printing on © page. Note: The first British edition was issued in 1959 and comprised the U.S. sheets with title leaf a cancel and the publisher's imprint reading Abelard-Schuman London and New York. The dust jacket is that of the U.S. edition, with British price and address overprinted. |
| 1961 | THE MIND SPIDER AND OTHER STORIES | New York: Ace Books, Inc., [1961] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Ace Double Novel Books D-491 (35¢). Bound with THE BIG TIME by Leiber. ALSO: New York: Ace Books, [1976]. Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Ace 53330 ($1.50). New foreword by Leiber. Drops "Try and Change the Past" and adds "Midnight in the Mirror World." |
| 1969 | NIGHT MONSTERS | New York: An Ace Book, [1969] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Ace Double 30300 (60¢). Bound with THE GREEN MILLENNIUM by Leiber. |
| 1974 | NIGHT MONSTERS | London: Victor Gollancz Ltd, 1974 | Boards. No statement of printing on © page. Note: Differs from the U.S', collection of the same title. Contains three of the four stories there collected; drops "The Casket- Demon" and adds "The Creature From Cleveland Depths," "The Oldest Soldier," "The Girl With the Hungry Eyes," and "A Bit of the Dark World." |
| 1966 | THE NIGHT OF THE WOLF | New York: Ballantine Books, [1966] | Wrappers. First printing: July, 1966 on © page. A Ballantine Science Fiction Original U2254 (50¢). |
| 1947 | NIGHT'S BLACK AGENTS | Sauk City: Arkham House, 1947 | No statement of printing on © page. Reissued in slightly abridged format as TALES FROM NIGHT'S BLACK AGENTS. |
| 1977 | OUR LADY OF DARKNESS | New York: Published by Berkley Publishing Corp, [1977] | No statement of printing on © page. |
| 1964 | A PAIL OF AIR | New York: Ballantine Books, [1964] | Wrappers. First printing July 1964 on © page. Ballantine Books U2216 (50¢). |
| 1977 | RIME ISLE | [Chapel Hill, N.C.]: Whispers Press, 1977 | 2500 copies printed. Three issues, no priority:
|
| 1975 | THESECOND BOOK OF FRITZ LEIBER | New York: DAW Books, Inc., [1975] | Wrappers. First Printing, September 197511 23456789 on © page. DAW: sf Books No. 164 UYU95 ($1.25). |
| 1968 | THE SECRET SONGS | London: Rupert Hart-Davis, 1968 | Boards. First published 1968 on © page. |
| 1962 | SHADOWS WITH EYES | New York: Ballantine Books, [1962] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Ballantine Books 577 (35¢). |
| 1964 | SHIPS TO THE STARS | New York: Ace Books, Inc., [1964]. | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Ace Double F-285 (40¢). Bound with THE MILLION YEAR HUNT by Kenneth Bulmer. |
| 1962 | THE SILVER EGGHEADS | New York: Ballantine Books, [1962] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Ballantine Books F 561 (50¢). |
| 1953 | THE SINFUL ONES | New York: Universal, [1953] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Universal Giant Edition No. 5 (50¢). Bound with BULLS, BLOOD AND PASSION by David Williams. Revised and condensed text published later as "You're All Alone. " |
| 1969 | A SPECTER IS HAUNTING TEXAS | New York: Walker and Company, [1969] | Boards. First published as a book in the United States of America in 1969 ...on © page. |
| 1970 | SWORDS AGAINST DEATH | New York: An Ace Book, [1970] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Ace Book 79150 (75¢). Note: Seven of the ten stories collected earlier as TWO SOUGHT ADVENTURES. ALSO: Boston: Gregg Press, [1977]. First Printing, December 1977 on © page. First hardcover edition. |
| 1968 | SWORDS AGAINST WIZARDRY | New York: Ace Books, Inc., [1968] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. An Ace Book H-73 (60¢). ALSO: Boston: Gregg Press, [1977]. First Printing, December 1977 on © page. First hardcover edition. |
| 1970 | SWORDS AND DEVILTRY | New York: An Ace Book, [1970] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Ace Book 79170 (75¢). ALSO: Boston: Gregg Press, [1977]. First Printing, December 1977 on © page. First hardcover edition. Adds introduction by Leiber. |
| 1977 | SWORDS AND ICE MAGIC | New York: Ace Books, [1977] | Wrappers. First Ace printing: July 1977 on © page. Ace 79166-2 ($1.50). ALSO: Boston: Gregg Press, [1977]. First Printing, December 1977 on © page. First hardcover edition. |
| 1968 | SWORDS IN THE MIST | New York: Ace Books, Inc., [1968] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Ace Book H-90 (60¢). ALSO: Boston: Gregg Press, [1977]. First Printing, December 1977 on © page. First hardcover edition. |
| 1968 | THE SWORDS OF LANKHM AR | New York: Ace Books, Inc., [1968] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Ace BookH-38 (60¢). ALSO: London: Rupert Hart- Davis, 1969. Boards. First published in Great Britain 1969 on © page. First hardcover edition. |
| 1961 | TALES FROM NIGHT'S BLACK AGENTS | New York: Ballantine Books, [1961] | Wrappers. June 1961 on © page. Ballantine Books508K (35¢). Reprint. Includes nine of the ten stories originally collected in NIGHT'S BLACK AGENTS. |
| 1966 | TARZAN AND THE VALLEY OF GOLD | New York: Ballantine Books, [1966] | Wrappers. First edition: April, 1966 on © page . Ballantine Book U6125 (75¢). |
| 1957 | TWO SOUGHT ADVENTURE | New York: Gnome Press, Inc., [1957] | Two bindings, priority as listed: (A) Black boards stamped in red; (B) Gray cloth stamped in red. First edition so stated on © page. |
| 1964 | THE WANDERER | New York: Ballantine Books, [1964] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. An Original Ballantine Book U6010 (75¢). ALSO: London: Dennis Dobson, [1967]. Boards. First published in Great Britain in 1967 on © page. First hardcover edition. |
| 1976 | THE WORLDS OF FRITZ LEIBER | New York: Ace Books, [1976] | Wrappers. First ACE printing: November, 1976 on © page. Ace 91640 ($1.95). |
| 1972 | YOU'RE ALL ALONE | New York: Ace Books, [1972] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Ace Book SF 95146 (95¢). Note: Title story is revised and condensed version of THE SINFUL ONES. |
Fritz Leiber – First Printing Dust Jacket Identification Points
Gallery of First state Dust Jackets of works. Only includes the first appearance in book form. Either the UK or US edition and does not include later printings.
Reference:
- Wikipedia
- L. W. Currey, Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors: A Bibliography of First Printings of Their Fiction and Selected Nonfiction.
