Fritz Leiber

Fritz Leiber was an influential American author, known for his contributions to the genres of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He was born on December 24, 1910, in Chicago, Illinois and studied philosophy at the University of Chicago, graduating in 1932. Later, he also studied theology and worked as a lay preacher for a time. Leiber's interest in literature was influenced by his parents' acting company, FritzLieber & Co, of which he was a part in 1934.

Leiber is considered one of the fathers of the Sword and Sorcery subgenre of fantasy, along with Robert E. Howard and Michael Moorcock. He is best known for his series featuring the characters Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, which he returned to at various points in his career. His horror and science fiction writing is also highly regarded, with early works in the horror genre and later pieces that combined autobiographical elements with meditations on the emotional content of fantasy and science fiction.

Leiber's science fiction works include "The Wanderer," a planet-smashing novel featuring a large cast of survivors, and "A Spectre is Haunting Texas," a satirical novel about a revolution led by a gangling actor from the Moon. His late short fiction and the novel "Our Lady of Darkness" dealt with personal issues such as depression and alcoholism, as well as exploring the emotional content of the fantastic genres. Leiber's ability to reinvent himself and examine his own experiences kept his work modern and relevant throughout his career. He won numerous awards for his writing, including multiple Hugos and Nebulas, and was honored as a lifetime Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers of America. Leiber passed away in 1992.