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Asprin, Robert Lynn

Entry updated 11 September 2023. Tagged: Author, Editor.

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(1946-2008) US author 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 (1948-    ) and artist Tim Sale, beginning with Thieves' World Graphics 1 (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

series

Phule's Company

Wartorn

individual titles

fantasy works

series

M.Y.T.H

M.Y.T.H graphic novels

  • Myth Adventures One (Norfolk, Virginia: The Donning Company/Starblaze, 1985) with Phil Foglio [graph: assembling comics versions based on Another Fine Myth ...: M.Y.T.H: hb/]
  • Myth Adventures Two (Norfolk, Virginia: The Donning Company/Starblaze, 1986) with Phil Foglio [graph: assembling comics versions based on Another Fine Myth ...: M.Y.T.H: hb/Phil Foglio]

Thieves' World

  • Thieves' World (New York: Ace Books, 1979) [anth: cover wrongly credited on title page verso, but signed by artist: Thieves' World: pb/Walter Velez]
  • Tales from the Vulgar Unicorn (New York: Ace Books, 1980) [anth: Thieves' World: pb/Walter Velez]
  • Shadows of Sanctuary (New York: Ace Books, 1981) [anth: Thieves' World: pb/Walter Velez]
    • Sanctuary (Garden City, New York: Nelson Doubleday, 1982) [anth: omni of the above three: Thieves' World: hb/Walter Velez]
  • Storm Season (New York: Ace Books, 1982) [anth: Thieves' World: pb/Walter Velez]
  • The Face of Chaos (New York: Ace Books, 1981) with Lynn Abbey [anth: Thieves' World: pb/Walter Velez]
  • Wings of Omen (New York: Ace Books, 1984) with Lynn Abbey [anth: Thieves' World: pb/Walter Velez]
    • Cross-Currents (Garden City, New York: Nelson Doubleday, 1984) [anth: omni of the above three: Thieves' World: hb/Walter Velez]
  • The Dead of Winter (New York: Ace Books, 1985) with Lynn Abbey [anth: Thieves' World: pb/Gary Ruddell]
  • Soul of the City (New York: Ace Books, 1985) with Lynn Abbey [anth: Thieves' World: pb/Gary Ruddell]
  • Blood Ties (New York: Ace Books, 1986) with Lynn Abbey [anth: Thieves' World: pb/Gary Ruddell]
    • The Shattered Sphere (Garden City, New York: Nelson Doubleday, 1986) [anth: omni of the above three: Thieves' World: hb/Walter Velez]
  • Aftermath (New York: Ace Books, 1987) with Lynn Abbey [anth: Thieves' World: pb/Gary Ruddell]
  • Uneasy Alliances (New York: Ace Books, 1988) with Lynn Abbey [anth: Thieves' World: pb/Gary Ruddell]
  • Stealer's Sky (New York: Ace Books, 1989) with Lynn Abbey [anth: Thieves' World: pb/Gary Ruddell]
    • The Price of Victory (Garden City, New York: Nelson Doubleday, 1990) [anth: omni of the above three: Thieves' World: hb/Walter Velez]

Thieves' World Graphics

  • Thieves' World Graphics (Norfolk, Virginia: The Donning Company/Starblaze, 1986) with Lynn Abbey and Tim Sale [graph: Thieves' World Graphics: pb/Tim Sale]
  • Thieves' World Graphics 2 (Norfolk, Virginia: The Donning Company/Starblaze, 1986) with Lynn Abbey and Tim Sale [graph: Thieves' World Graphics: pb/Tim Sale]
  • Thieves' World Graphics 3 (Norfolk, Virginia: The Donning Company/Starblaze, 1986) with Lynn Abbey and Tim Sale [graph: Thieves' World Graphics: pb/Tim Sale]
  • Thieves' World Graphics 4 (Norfolk, Virginia: The Donning Company/Starblaze, 1987) with Lynn Abbey and Tim Sale [graph: Thieves' World Graphics: pb/Tim Sale]
  • Thieves' World Graphics 5 (Norfolk, Virginia: The Donning Company/Starblaze, 1987) with Lynn Abbey and Tim Sale [graph: Thieves' World Graphics: pb/Tim Sale]
  • Thieves' World Graphics 6 (Norfolk, Virginia: The Donning Company/Starblaze, 1987) with Lynn Abbey and Tim Sale [graph: Thieves' World Graphics: pb/Tim Sale]

Duncan and Mallory

Time Scout

Griffin McCandles

  • Dragon's Wild (New York: Ace Books, 2008) [Griffin McCandles: pb/Brandon Dorman]
  • 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/Rob Johnson]

individual titles

links

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