Footprints on Sand: a Literary Sampler is a 1981 collection of writings by science fiction

Science fiction

Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...

 authors 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...

 and Catherine Crook de Camp

Catherine Crook de Camp

Catherine Crook de Camp, 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.-Life:Catherine Crook was born Catherine Adelaide...

, illustrated by C. H. Burnett, published by Advent

Advent (publisher)

Advent:Publishers is a publishing house founded by Earl Kemp and other members of the University of Chicago Science Fiction Club, including Sidney Coleman, in 1956, to publish criticism, history, and bibliography of the science fiction field, beginning with James Blish's The Issue at Hand. The...

. The collection was compiled to celebrate the de Camps' appearance as joint Guests of Honor at the June 12-14, 1981 X-Con science fiction convention

Science fiction convention

Science fiction conventions are gatherings of fans of various forms of speculative fiction including science fiction and fantasy. Historically, science fiction conventions had focused primarily on literature, but the purview of many extends to such other avenues of expression as movies and...

 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...

.

The book opens with a series of tributes to the de Camps by 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...

, Lin Carter

Lin Carter

Linwood 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...

, Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...

, Poul Anderson

Poul Anderson

Poul William Anderson was an American science fiction author who began his career during one of the Golden Ages of the genre and continued to write and remain popular into the 21st century. Anderson also authored several works of fantasy, historical novels, and a prodigious number of short stories...

, Andrew J. Offutt

Andrew J. Offutt

Andrew Jefferson Offutt is an American science fiction and fantasy author. He has written as Andrew J. Offutt, A. J. Offutt, and Andy Offutt. His normal byline, andrew j. offutt, has all his name in lower-case letters.-Life and family:Offutt has been married for over 50 years to Jodie McCabe...

, Patricia Jackson, and George H. Scithers

George H. Scithers

George H. Scithers was a science fiction fan, author, and Hugo Award winning editor.A long-time member of the World Science Fiction Society, he published a fanzine starting in the '50s, wrote short stories, and moved on to edit several prominent science fiction magazines, as well as a number of...

. The bulk of the work consists of various short works by the de Camps themselves representing the range of their work in fantasy, science fiction, juvenile fiction, poetry, and non-fiction.

Contents

• "Preamble", Catherine Crook de Camp
• A Flourish of Trumpets: Tributes from Indulgent Friends
• "Introduction to The Glory That Was
  The Glory That Was
  The Glory That Was is a science fiction novel by L. Sprague de Camp. It was first published in the science fiction magazine Startling Stories for April, 1952, and subsequently published in book form in hardcover by Avalon Books in 1960 and in paperback by Paperback Library in 1971. It has since...
  
  ", Robert A. Heinlein
• "Quixote With a Pen", Lin Carter
• "L. Sprague de Camp — Guest of Honor", Isaac Asimov
• "All About Catherine", Isaac Asimov
• "Memoirs of a de Camp Fan", Poul Anderson
• "The Lyon of Fantasy and Science Fiction", Andrew J. Offutt
• "Catherine and L. Sprague de Camp", Patricia Jackson
• "Why L. Sprague de Camp Writes", George Scithers
• Ink Blots from Two Pens: Selections from Our Writings
• "One Day in the Cretaceous", Sprague and Catherine de Camp
• "Letter to Savage Sword of Conan
  Savage Sword of Conan
  The Savage Sword of Conan was a black-and-white magazine-format comic book series published beginning in 1974 by Curtis Magazines, an imprint of Marvel Comics, and then later by Marvel itself. Savage Sword of Conan starred Robert E...
  
  ", L. Sprague de Camp
• "Range", L. Sprague de Camp
• "Preface to the Necromonicon", L. Sprague de Camp
• "The Great Glass Jewel", L. Sprague and Catherine de Camp
• "The Coming of the Engineers", L. Sprague de Camp
• "Should Your Child Read Science Fiction?", Catherine de Camp
• "Atlantis and the City of Silver", L. Sprague and Catherine de Camp
• Wind Chimes at Twilight: Some Thoughts in Verse
• "Credo" (poem), Catherine de Camp
• "Cloth of Love" (poem), Catherine de Camp
• "Achievements" (poem), Catherine de Camp
• "Sky Train" (poem), Catherine de Camp
• "Moon Shadows" (poem), Catherine de Camp
• "Love Song" (poem), Catherine de Camp
• "In Memoriam" (poem), Catherine de Camp
• "A Song for Tomorrow" (poem), Catherine de Camp
• "The Gods" (poem), L. Sprague de Camp
• "Xeroxing the Necromonicon" (poem), L. Sprague de Camp
• "The Trap" (poem), L. Sprague de Camp
• "The Opossum" (poem), L. Sprague de Camp
• "The Ameba" (poem), L. Sprague de Camp
• "Ripples" (poem), L. Sprague de Camp
• "A Tale of Two John Carters" (poem), L. Sprague de Camp
• "Carnac" (poem), L. Sprague de Camp
• Strange Happenings: Stories for the Very Young
• "The Boy Who Could Fly", Catherine de Camp
• "The Horse Show", Catherine de Camp
• "The Million Dollar Pup", Catherine de Camp
• Dreams and Surmises: Stories for the Not So Young
• "The Space Clause", L. Sprague de Camp
• "Windfall", Catherine de Camp
• "Eudoric's Unicorn", L. Sprague de Camp
• "The Emperor's Fan
  The Emperor's Fan
  "The Emperor's Fan" is a fantasy story written by L. Sprague de Camp, the fourth of his Novarian series. It was first published in Astounding: The John W. Campbell Memorial Anthology, edited by Harry Harrison, in 1973...
  
  ", L. Sprague de Camp
• "Algy", L. Sprague de Camp
• "Postscript", L. Sprague de Camp