Catherine Crook de Camp
Encyclopedia
Catherine Crook de Camp, (November 6, 1907, New York City
– April 9, 2000, Plano, Texas
) was an American science fiction and fantasy author and editor. Most of whose work was done in collaboration with her husband L. Sprague de Camp
, to whom she was married for sixty years. Her solo work was largely non-fiction.
The de Camps lived for many years in Villanova
, Pennsylvania
, and moved to Plano
, Texas
in 1989.
They collaborated on numerous works of fiction and nonfiction beginning in the 1960s, with Catherine revising Sprague's drafts. Catherine's contributions were not always credited. She also wrote The Money Tree, Teach Your Child to Manage Money, and Creatures of the Cosmos on her own.
She was a member of Science Fiction Writers of America, the Authors Guild, and First Fandom
. Over the years she attended many science fiction conventions and traveled widely all over the world with her husband. In her final years she suffered from Alzheimer's Disease
.
Robert A. Heinlein
in part dedicated his 1982 novel Friday
to Catherine.
Catherine died on April 9, 2000, aged 92. Sprague de Camp survived her by six months. Their ashes share a columbarioum niche together in Arlington National Cemetery
.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
– April 9, 2000, Plano, Texas
Plano, Texas
Plano is a city in the state of Texas, located mostly within Collin County. The city's population was 259,841 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth-largest city in Texas and the 71st most populous city in the United States. Plano is located within the metropolitan area commonly referred to as...
) was an American science fiction and fantasy author and editor. Most of whose work was done in collaboration with her husband L. Sprague de Camp
L. Sprague de Camp
Lyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction and fantasy books, non-fiction and biography. In a writing career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and notable works of non-fiction, including biographies of other important fantasy authors...
, to whom she was married for sixty years. Her solo work was largely non-fiction.
Life
Catherine Crook was born Catherine Adelaide Crook. She majored in English and Economics at Barnard College, New York, from which she graduated magna cum laude. After college she was a teacher. She was introduced to her future husband L. Sprague de Camp by her sister Dorothy, and married him in 1940. They had two sons, Lyman Sprague de Camp and Gerard Beekman de Camp.The de Camps lived for many years in Villanova
Villanova, Pennsylvania
Villanova is a community in the United States Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It straddles Lower Merion Township of Montgomery County and Radnor Township of Delaware County. It is located at the center of the Pennsylvania Main Line, a series of highly affluent Philadelphia suburban towns located...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, and moved to Plano
Plano, Texas
Plano is a city in the state of Texas, located mostly within Collin County. The city's population was 259,841 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth-largest city in Texas and the 71st most populous city in the United States. Plano is located within the metropolitan area commonly referred to as...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in 1989.
They collaborated on numerous works of fiction and nonfiction beginning in the 1960s, with Catherine revising Sprague's drafts. Catherine's contributions were not always credited. She also wrote The Money Tree, Teach Your Child to Manage Money, and Creatures of the Cosmos on her own.
She was a member of Science Fiction Writers of America, the Authors Guild, and First Fandom
First Fandom
First Fandom is an association of experienced science fiction fans.In 1958 a number of fans at Midwestcon realized amid table-talk that they all had been active in fandom for more than 20 years. This inspired the creation of an organization for longstanding fans under the initial chairmanship of...
. Over the years she attended many science fiction conventions and traveled widely all over the world with her husband. In her final years she suffered from Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
.
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction writer. Often called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was one of the most influential and controversial authors of the genre. He set a standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of...
in part dedicated his 1982 novel Friday
Friday (novel)
Friday is a 1982 science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein. It is the story of a female "artificial person," the titular character, genetically engineered to be stronger, faster, smarter, and generally better than normal humans...
to Catherine.
Catherine died on April 9, 2000, aged 92. Sprague de Camp survived her by six months. Their ashes share a columbarioum niche together in Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
.
Science Fiction
- The Bones of ZoraThe Bones of ZoraThe Bones of Zora is a science fiction novel written by L. Sprague de Camp and Catherine Crook de Camp, the ninth book of the former's Viagens Interplanetarias series and the seventh of its subseries of stories set on the fictional planet Krishna. Chronologically it is the sixth Krishna novel...
(1983) (with L. Sprague de CampL. Sprague de CampLyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction and fantasy books, non-fiction and biography. In a writing career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and notable works of non-fiction, including biographies of other important fantasy authors...
) - The Swords of ZinjabanThe Swords of ZinjabanThe Swords of Zinjaban is a science fiction novel written by L. Sprague de Camp and Catherine Crook de Camp, the eleventh book of the former's Viagens Interplanetarias series and the eighth of its subseries of stories set on the fictional planet Krishna. Chronologically it is the eighth Krishna...
(1991) (with L. Sprague de CampL. Sprague de CampLyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction and fantasy books, non-fiction and biography. In a writing career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and notable works of non-fiction, including biographies of other important fantasy authors...
) - The Stones of NomuruThe Stones of NomuruThe Stones of Nomuru is a science fiction novel written by L. Sprague de Camp and Catherine Crook de Camp, the tenth book in the former's Viagens Interplanetarias series and the first in its subseries of stories set on the fictional planet Kukulkan...
(1988) (with L. Sprague de CampL. Sprague de CampLyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction and fantasy books, non-fiction and biography. In a writing career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and notable works of non-fiction, including biographies of other important fantasy authors...
)
Fantasy
- Conan the BarbarianConan the Barbarian (novel)Conan the Barbarian is a 1982 fantasy novel written by L. Sprague de Camp, Lin Carter and Catherine Crook de Camp featuring Robert E. Howard's seminal sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian, a novelization of the feature film of the same name. It was first published in paperback by Bantam Books...
(1982) (with L. Sprague de CampL. Sprague de CampLyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction and fantasy books, non-fiction and biography. In a writing career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and notable works of non-fiction, including biographies of other important fantasy authors...
and Lin CarterLin CarterLinwood Vrooman Carter was an American author of science fiction and fantasy, as well as an editor and critic. He usually wrote as Lin Carter; known pseudonyms include H. P. Lowcraft and Grail Undwin.-Life:Carter was born in St. Petersburg, Florida...
) - The Incorporated KnightThe Incorporated KnightThe Incorporated Knight is a fantasy novel written by L. Sprague de Camp and Catherine Crook de Camp, the first book in a sequence of two. Chapters 1-5 first appeared as the short stories "Two Yards of Dragon", "The Coronet", "Spider Love" and "Eudoric's Unicorn" in Flashing Swords!, The Magazine...
(1987) (with L. Sprague de CampL. Sprague de CampLyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction and fantasy books, non-fiction and biography. In a writing career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and notable works of non-fiction, including biographies of other important fantasy authors...
), ISBN 0-671-65435-7 - The Pixilated PeeressThe Pixilated PeeressThe Pixilated Peeress is a fantasy novel written by L. Sprague de Camp and Catherine Crook de Camp. It is the second book in a sequence of two, following The Incorporated Knight. It was first published in hardcover by Del Rey Books in 1991, and in paperback by the same publisher in 1992...
(1991) (with L. Sprague de CampL. Sprague de CampLyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction and fantasy books, non-fiction and biography. In a writing career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and notable works of non-fiction, including biographies of other important fantasy authors...
)
Edited
- Creatures of the Cosmos (1977) (editor)
- 3000 Years of Fantasy and Science Fiction3000 Years of Fantasy and Science Fiction3000 Years of Fantasy and Science Fiction is an anthology of fantasy and science fiction short stories, edited by L. Sprague de Camp and Catherine Crook de Camp. It was first published in both hardcover and paperback by Lothrop Lee & Shepard in 1972...
(1972) (with L. Sprague de CampL. Sprague de CampLyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction and fantasy books, non-fiction and biography. In a writing career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and notable works of non-fiction, including biographies of other important fantasy authors...
) - Tales Beyond TimeTales Beyond TimeTales Beyond Time: From Fantasy to Science Fiction is an anthology of fantasy and science fiction short stories, edited by L. Sprague de Camp and Catherine Crook de Camp. It was first published in hardcover by Lothrop Lee & Shepard in 1973, and in paperback by William Morrow...
(1973) (with L. Sprague de CampL. Sprague de CampLyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction and fantasy books, non-fiction and biography. In a writing career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and notable works of non-fiction, including biographies of other important fantasy authors...
)
Nonfiction
- The Money Tree (1972)
- Teach Your Child To Manage Money (1974)
- Dark Valley Destiny: the Life of Robert E. HowardDark Valley Destiny: the Life of Robert E. HowardDark Valley Destiny: the Life of Robert E. Howard is a biography of the writer Robert E. Howard by science-fiction writer L. Sprague de Camp in collaboration with Catherine Crook de Camp and Jane Whittington Griffin, first in hardcover published by Bluejay Books in 1983...
(1983), ISBN 0-312-94074-2 (with L. Sprague de CampL. Sprague de CampLyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction and fantasy books, non-fiction and biography. In a writing career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and notable works of non-fiction, including biographies of other important fantasy authors...
and Jane Whittington Griffin) - Ancient Ruins and ArchaeologyAncient Ruins and ArchaeologyAncient Ruins and Archaeology is a 1964 science book by L. Sprague de Camp and Catherine Crook de Camp, one of their most popular works. It was first published by Doubleday and has been reprinted numerous times by other publishers. Paperback editions since 1972 have generally reverted to the title...
(1964; vt. Citadels of Mystery (1972)) (with L. Sprague de CampL. Sprague de CampLyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction and fantasy books, non-fiction and biography. In a writing career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and notable works of non-fiction, including biographies of other important fantasy authors...
), - Darwin and His Great DiscoveryDarwin and His Great DiscoveryDarwin and His Great Discovery is a science book by L. Sprague de Camp and Catherine Crook de Camp, first published by Macmillan in 1972.The work is an examination of naturalist Charles Darwin and the theory of evolution he proposed and marshalled evidence for in The Origin of Species....
(1972) (with L. Sprague de CampL. Sprague de CampLyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction and fantasy books, non-fiction and biography. In a writing career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and notable works of non-fiction, including biographies of other important fantasy authors...
) - Spirits, Stars, and Spells: the Profits and Perils of MagicSpirits, Stars, and SpellsSpirits, Stars, and Spells: the Profits and Perils of Magic is a 1966 history book by L. Sprague de Camp and Catherine Crook de Camp, published by Canaveral Press. It has been translated into Polish....
(1966) (with L. Sprague de CampL. Sprague de CampLyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction and fantasy books, non-fiction and biography. In a writing career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and notable works of non-fiction, including biographies of other important fantasy authors...
) - The Day of the DinosaurThe Day of the DinosaurThe Day of the Dinosaur is a science book by L. Sprague de Camp and Catherine Crook de Camp, illustrated with plates. It was first published in hardcover by Doubleday in 1968, and in paperback by Curtis Books in 1971....
(1968) (with L. Sprague de CampL. Sprague de CampLyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction and fantasy books, non-fiction and biography. In a writing career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and notable works of non-fiction, including biographies of other important fantasy authors...
) - The Story of Science in AmericaThe Story of Science in AmericaThe Story of Science in America is a 1967 science book by L. Sprague de Camp and Catherine Crook de Camp, illustrated by Leonard Everett Fisher, published by Charles Scribner's Sons...
(1967) (with L. Sprague de CampL. Sprague de CampLyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction and fantasy books, non-fiction and biography. In a writing career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and notable works of non-fiction, including biographies of other important fantasy authors...
) - Science-Fiction HandbookScience-Fiction HandbookScience-Fiction Handbook is a guide to writing and marketing science fiction and fantasy by L. Sprague de Camp and Catherine Crook de Camp. The original edition by L. Sprague de Camp alone, subtitled The Writing of Imaginative Fiction, was published in hardcover by Hermitage House in 1953...
(1953 (revised 1975, 1977 with L. Sprague de CampL. Sprague de CampLyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction and fantasy books, non-fiction and biography. In a writing career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and notable works of non-fiction, including biographies of other important fantasy authors...
))