L. Sprague de Camp
Lyon Sprague de Camp was born on the 27th of November 1907 in New York City. He grew up as one of three sons to Lyon de Camp, a businessman dealing in real estate and lumber, and Emma Beatrice Sprague. His maternal grandfather was Charles Ezra Sprague, an accountant, banker, and Civil War veteran who pioneered Volapük. De Camp attended Trinity School before spending ten years at Snyder School in North Carolina. This military-style institution was intended by his parents to cure him of intellectual arrogance and lack of discipline. He was awkward and thin during those years, often suffering from bullying by classmates. These challenging experiences taught him to develop a detached, analytical writing style that friends sometimes called cold. He could be disarming and funny in social situations like his father, but his early education shaped his methodical approach to storytelling.
During World War II, de Camp served as a researcher at the Philadelphia Naval Yard alongside fellow writers Isaac Asimov and Robert A. Heinlein. He eventually rose to the rank of lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy as a reserve officer. From 1942 until 1989, the de Camps generally lived near Philadelphia, with their home located in Villanova, Pennsylvania for decades. De Camp was also a member of the all-male literary and dining club known as the Trap Door Spiders in New York City. This group served as the basis for Asimov's fictional Black Widowers mystery solvers. De Camp himself became the model for the character named Geoffrey Avalon within that series. His wartime research work brought together three major science fiction figures who would later shape the genre through their collaborative efforts and individual contributions to literature.
De Camp wrote Lest Darkness Fall in 1939, an alternate history novel that helped define the genre and remains in print after more than seventy years. The story rationalized time travel methods while constraining the hero's technical expertise by the technological limitations of the age. Other seminal works included The Wheels of If from 1940 and Aristotle and the Gun published in 1958. These stories challenged the popular notion that history consisted of arbitrary accidents. Instead, de Camp systematically demonstrated how technological advances could determine the pattern of eventful history. He received a Special Achievement Sidewise Award in 1996 for these foundational works among the first annual awards recognizing such achievements. His approach combined background knowledge with logical thought to create narratives where scientific principles drove historical outcomes rather than random chance.
By May 1976, de Camp joined the newly formed Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal alongside astronomers George Abell and Carl Sagan. Philosophers Brand Blanshard and Antony Flew were among the founding members along with authors Isaac Asimov and Martin Gardner. Despite being a long-time writer of fantasy, he did not believe in ghosts in the supernatural sense. His mother died of an overdose of faith healing according to a New York Times Magazine article. When considering claims of UFO sightings or astrology, de Camp insisted on first-hand unbiased measurable data to back up such assertions. In April 2011 at a meeting in Denver Colorado, he was selected for inclusion in CSI's Pantheon of Skeptics. The organization previously known as CSICOP created this pantheon to remember the legacy of deceased fellows who contributed to scientific skepticism.
Up Next
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When was L. Sprague de Camp born and where did he grow up?
Lyon Sprague de Camp was born on the 27th of November 1907 in New York City. He grew up as one of three sons to Lyon de Camp, a businessman dealing in real estate and lumber, and Emma Beatrice Sprague.
What role did L. Sprague de Camp play during World War II alongside Isaac Asimov?
During World War II, de Camp served as a researcher at the Philadelphia Naval Yard alongside fellow writers Isaac Asimov and Robert A. Heinlein. He eventually rose to the rank of lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy as a reserve officer.
Which alternate history novel by L. Sprague de Camp helped define the genre in 1939?
De Camp wrote Lest Darkness Fall in 1939, an alternate history novel that helped define the genre and remains in print after more than seventy years. The story rationalized time travel methods while constraining the hero's technical expertise by the technological limitations of the age.
Why did L. Sprague de Camp join the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal in May 1976?
By May 1976, de Camp joined the newly formed Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal alongside astronomers George Abell and Carl Sagan. Despite being a long-time writer of fantasy, he did not believe in ghosts in the supernatural sense and insisted on first-hand unbiased measurable data to back up such assertions.
When was L. Sprague de Camp selected for inclusion in CSI's Pantheon of Skeptics?
In April 2011 at a meeting in Denver Colorado, he was selected for inclusion in CSI's Pantheon of Skeptics. The organization previously known as CSICOP created this pantheon to remember the legacy of deceased fellows who contributed to scientific skepticism.