Fritz Leiber

Born in Chicago in 1910, he became one of the most influential American writers of fantasy, science fiction, and horror. He was also an actor and came from a theatrical family, which helped give his fiction its strong sense of voice, drama, and character.

He is especially remembered for the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories, a landmark series that helped define sword-and-sorcery fantasy. He also wrote celebrated novels and stories such as Conjure Wife, The Big Time, and Our Lady of Darkness, showing an unusual ability to move between adventurous fantasy, unsettling horror, and idea-rich science fiction.

Over the course of a long career, he received major honors including Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards. He died in 1992, but his stories still feel lively and modern, full of intelligence, atmosphere, and a playful sense of danger.