(1946-2008) US writer who began publishing sf with his first novel, The Cold Cash War (1977), which alarmingly conflates Game-World antics (like fake Wars between mercenaries representing rival corporations on rented turf – Brazil, for instance, being visualized mainly as an arena for world-dominating firms to play games in) and a political rationale to legitimize the corporate control of Earth. Asprin's later novels continued to chafe against similar real-life constraints, and it was not until the invention of the Thieves' World universe that he came into his own. The individual volumes in the sequence – a Shared-World fantasy enterprise crafted by a number of writers – were designed by Asprin to comprise a number of stories written (or edited) so that they read as Braids; he may have been the first sf or fantasy editor to create a significant braided anthology or novel. The sequence begins with Thieves' World (anth 1979) and ends with Stealer's Sky (anth 1989). Six Graphic-Novel versions of material from the sequence were published, all with Lynn Abbey and Tim Sale, beginning with Thieves' World Graphics 1 (graph 1985), #2 (graph 1986) and #3 (graph 1986). Other fantasy sequences include the M.Y.T.H. sequence [see Checklist below] and the Elfquest sequence (see Richard {PINI}).
Since 1979 almost all of Asprin's work was fantasy, mostly comic. An exception is his Phule's Company sequence – beginning with Phule's Company (1990) and ending with Phule's Company #5: No Phule Like an Old Phule (2003) with Peter J Heck – which deploys the eponymous passel of ragbag soldiers in a Space-Opera universe. A more recent series, Wartorn, begins with Wartorn: Resurrection (2005) with Eric Del Cario. Asprin's reputation lies mainly in the ingenuity of his braiding activities as editor, but his comic fiction was craftsmanlike. [JC]
see also: Gamebook; Humour.
Robert Lynn Asprin
born St Johns, Michigan: 28 June 1946
died New Orleans, Louisiana: 22 May 2008
works
sf works
Phule's Company
Wartorn
individual titles
- The Cold Cash War (New York: St Martin's Press, 1977) [hb/]
- Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe (Chicago, Illinois: Playboy Press Paperbacks, 1979) with George Takei [pb/Ken Barr]
- The Bug Wars (New York: St Martin's Press, 1979) [hb/Gary La Sasso]
- Tambu (New York: Ace Books, 1979) [pb/Rowena Morrill]
- Catwoman (New York: Warner Books, 1992) with Lynn Abbey [tie: to the film Batman Returns: Batman: pb/]
- License Revoked (New York: Baen Books, 2001) with Jody Lynn Nye [pb/Gary Ruddell]
- For King & Country (New York: Baen Books, 2002) with Linda Evans [hb/Larry Dixon]
- E Godz (New York: Baen Books, 2003) with Esther M Friesner [pb/Gary Ruddell]
fantasy works
M.Y.T.H
- Another Fine Myth . . . (Norfolk, Virginia: Donning, 1978) [M.Y.T.H: hb/Kelly Freas]
- Myth Conceptions (Norfolk, Virginia: Donning, 1980) [M.Y.T.H: hb/Kelly Freas and Polly Freas]
- Myth Directions (Norfolk, Virginia: Donning, 1982) [M.Y.T.H: hb/Phil Foglio]
- Hit or Myth (Norfolk, Virginia: Donning, 1983) [M.Y.T.H: hb/Phil Foglio]
- Myth Adventures (Garden City, New York: Nelson Doubleday, 1984) [omni of first four: M.Y.T.H: hb/]
- The Myth-ing Omnibus (London: Legend, 1992) [omni: cut vt of above (first three titles only): M.Y.T.H: hb/]
- Myth Adventures One (Decatur, Georgia: Meisha Merlin, 2001) [omni: cut vt of above (first two titles only): M.Y.T.H: hb/Daniel R Horne]
- Myth Directions / Hit or Myth (New York: Ace Books, 2002) [omni: cut vt of above (3 and 4 only): M.Y.T.H: pb/]
- Myth-ing Persons (Norfolk, Virginia: Donning, 1984) [M.Y.T.H: hb/Phil Foglio]
- Little Myth Marker (Norfolk, Virginia: Donning, 1985) [M.Y.T.H: hb/Phil Foglio]
- M.Y.T.H. Inc. Link (Norfolk, Virginia: Donning, 1986) [M.Y.T.H: hb/Phil Foglio]
- Myth Alliances (Garden City, New York: Nelson Doubleday, 1987) [omni assembling 5, 6, 7 above: M.Y.T.H: hb/]
- Myth-Nomers and Im-pervections (Norfolk, Virginia: Donning, 1987) [M.Y.T.H: hb/Phil Foglio]
- M.Y.T.H. Inc. in Action (Norfolk, Virginia: Donning, 1990) [M.Y.T.H: hb/Phil Foglio]
- Sweet MYTHtery of Life (Norfolk, Virginia: Donning, 1994) [M.Y.T.H: hb/Phil Foglio]
- Myth-ion Improbable (Decatur, Georgia: Meisha Merlin, 2001) [M.Y.T.H: hb/]
- Something M.Y.T.H. Inc (Decatur, Georgia: Meisha Merlin, 2002) [M.Y.T.H: hb/]
- Myth Alliances (Decatur, Georgia: Meisha Merlin, 2003) with Jody Lynn Nye [M.Y.T.H: hb/]
- Myth-Told Tales (Decatur, Georgia: Meisha Merlin, 2003) with Jody Lynn Nye [coll: M.Y.T.H: hb/]
- Myth-Taken Identity (Decatur, Georgia: Meisha Merlin, 2004) with Jody Lynn Nye [M.Y.T.H: hb/Phil Foglio]
- Class Dis-Mythed (Rockville, Maryland: Wildside Press, 2005) with Jody Lynn Nye [M.Y.T.H: hb/Phil Foglio]
- Myth-Gotten Gains (Rockville, Maryland: Wildside Press, 2006) with Jody Lynn Nye [M.Y.T.H: hb/Phil Foglio]
- Myth-Chief (Rockville, Maryland: Wildside Press, 2008) with Jody Lynn Nye [M.Y.T.H: hb/Phil Foglio and Cheyenne Wright]
- Myth-Fortunes (Rockville, Maryland: Wildside Press, 2008) with Jody Lynn Nye [M.Y.T.H: pb/]
- Myth-Interpretations (New York: Baen Books, 2010) [coll: M.Y.T.H: pb/Bob Eggleton]
M.Y.T.H graphic novels
- Myth Adventures One (Norfolk, Virginia: Donning, 1985) with Phil Foglio [graph: assembling comics versions based on Another Fine Myth . . .: M.Y.T.H: hb/]
- Myth Adventures Two (Norfolk, Virginia: Donning, 1986) with Phil Foglio [graph: assembling comics versions based on Another Fine Myth . . .: M.Y.T.H: hb/]
Thieves' World
- Thieves' World (New York: Ace Books, 1979) [anth: tie: Thieves' World: pb/]
- Tales from the Vulgar Unicorn (New York: Ace Books, 1980) [anth: Thieves' World: pb/]
- Shadows of Sanctuary (New York: Ace Books, 1981) [anth: Thieves' World: pb/]
- Sanctuary (Garden City, New York: Nelson Doubleday 1982) [anth: omni of first three: Thieves' World: hb/]
- Storm Season (New York: Ace Books, 1982) [anth: Thieves' World: pb/]
- The Face of Chaos (New York: Ace Books, 1981) with Lynn Abbey (1948- ) [anth: Thieves' World: pb/]
- Wings of Omen (New York: Ace Books, 1984) with Lynn Abbey (1948- ) [anth: Thieves' World: pb/Walter Velez]
- Cross-Currents (Garden City, New York: Nelson Doubleday, 1984) [anth: omni of four through six: Thieves' World: hb/]
- The Dead of Winter (New York: Ace Books, 1985) with Lynn Abbey (1948- ) [anth: Thieves' World: pb/]
- Soul of the City (New York: Ace Books, 1985) with Lynn Abbey (1948- ) [anth: Thieves' World: pb/]
- Blood Ties (New York: Ace Books, 1986) with Lynn Abbey (1948- ) [anth: Thieves' World: pb/]
- The Shattered Sphere (Garden City, New York: Nelson Doubleday, 1986) [anth: omni of seven and eight: Thieves' World: hb/]
- Aftermath (New York: Ace Books, 1987) with Lynn Abbey (1948- ) [anth: Thieves' World: pb/Gary Ruddell]
- Uneasy Alliances (New York: Ace Books, 1988) with Lynn Abbey (1948- ) [anth: Thieves' World: pb/]
- Stealer's Sky (New York: Ace Books, 1989) with Lynn Abbey (1948- ) [anth: Thieves' World: pb/]
- The Price of Victory (Garden City, New York: Nelson Doubleday, 1990) [anth: omni of nine and ten: Thieves' World: hb/]
Duncan and Mallory
- Duncan and Mallory (Norfolk, Virginia: The Donning Company/Starblaze, 1986) with Mel White [graph: Duncan and Mallory: pb/]
- The Bar-None Ranch (Norfolk, Virginia: The Donning Company/Starblaze, 1987) with Mel White [graph: Duncan and Mallory: pb/]
- The Raiders (Norfolk, Virginia: The Donning Company/Starblaze, 1988) with Mel White [graph: Duncan and Mallory: pb/]
Time Scout
- Time Scout (New York: Baen Books, 1995) with Linda Evans [Time Scout: pb/]
- Wagers of Sin (New York: Baen Books, 1996) with Linda Evans [Time Scout: pb/]
- Ripping Time (New York: Baen Books, 2000) with Linda Evans [Time Scout: pb/]
- The House That Jack Built (New York: Baen Books, 2001) with Linda Evans [Time Scout: pb/]
Griffin McCandles
- Dragon's Wild (New York: Ace Books, 2008) [Griffin McCandles: pb/]
- Dragon's Luck (New York: Ace Books, 2009) [Griffin McCandles: pb/Eric Fortune]
- Dragon Deal (New York: Ace Books, 2010) with Jody Lynn Nye [Griffin McCandles: pb/]
links
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