Fritz Leiber

Born in Chicago on December 24, 1910, Fritz Leiber grew up in a theatrical family; both of his parents were Shakespearean actors. He studied at the University of Chicago and later attended General Theological Seminary, and that mix of stagecraft, intellect, and dark imagination would become a hallmark of his fiction.

Leiber wrote across fantasy, horror, and science fiction, and he is especially remembered for the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories, which became classics of sword-and-sorcery. He also earned lasting praise for works such as Conjure Wife and The Big Time, bringing a lively, modern tone to speculative fiction and often blending suspense, humor, and the uncanny.

He died in San Francisco on September 5, 1992. Readers continue to return to his books for their energy, cleverness, and unusual range, from eerie urban horror to adventurous fantasy and satiric science fiction.