Harry Otto Fischer
Encyclopedia
Harry Otto Fischer was an American science fiction
fan
best known for helping his college friend Fritz Leiber
create the sword and sorcery
heroes Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser
and their imaginary world of Nehwon
.
The fictional heroes were loosely based on their creators, the barbarian Fafhrd on Leiber, and the thief The Gray Mouser on Fischer. In 1937, Fischer and Leiber designed a board game set in this fantasy world and each began composing a story with the same setting, Fischer's being "The Lords of Quarmall" and Leiber's "The Adventure of the Grain Ships." Neither story was finished until much later; Fischer's work on "The Lords of Quarmall" amounted to the first 10,000 words of the story.
1939 saw the first professional publication of a story featuring the heroes and their setting, "Two Sought Adventure", in Unknown
magazine. This and most subsequent stories featuring the pair were written by Leiber, and all but one were set in the fantasy world Leiber and Fischer created.
The original tales begun by Fischer and Leiber on the pair were completed by Leiber and published in the 1960s. "The Adventure of the Grain Ships" was finally published in the magazine Fantastic
as "Scylla's Daughter" in 1961, and was later expanded into the novel The Swords of Lankhmar (1968); "The Lords of Quarmall" was finally published, also in Fantastic
, in 1964. He also wrote "The Childhood and Youth of the Gray Mouser," published in 1978 in The Dragon #18
.
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...
fan
Fan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
best known for helping his college friend Fritz Leiber
Fritz Leiber
Fritz Reuter Leiber, Jr. was an American writer of fantasy, horror and science fiction. He was also a poet, actor in theatre and films, playwright, expert chess player and a champion fencer. Possibly his greatest chess accomplishment was winning clear first in the 1958 Santa Monica Open.. With...
create the sword and sorcery
Sword and sorcery
Sword and sorcery is a sub-genre of fantasy and historical fantasy, generally characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent conflicts. An element of romance is often present, as is an element of magic and the supernatural...
heroes Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser
Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser
Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser are two seminal sword-and-sorcery heroes appearing in stories written by Fritz Leiber . They are the protagonists of what are probably Leiber's best-known stories....
and their imaginary world of Nehwon
Nehwon
Nehwon is the fictional world created by Fritz Leiber in which his heroes, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, adventure. It is notable for the city of Lankhmar."Nehwon", the reverse spelling of "No When", alludes to Erewhon.-Ilthmar:...
.
The fictional heroes were loosely based on their creators, the barbarian Fafhrd on Leiber, and the thief The Gray Mouser on Fischer. In 1937, Fischer and Leiber designed a board game set in this fantasy world and each began composing a story with the same setting, Fischer's being "The Lords of Quarmall" and Leiber's "The Adventure of the Grain Ships." Neither story was finished until much later; Fischer's work on "The Lords of Quarmall" amounted to the first 10,000 words of the story.
1939 saw the first professional publication of a story featuring the heroes and their setting, "Two Sought Adventure", in Unknown
Unknown (magazine)
Unknown was an American pulp fantasy fiction magazine, published from 1939 to 1943 by Street & Smith, and edited by John W. Campbell. Unknown was a companion to Street & Smith's science fiction pulp, Astounding Science Fiction, which was also edited by Campbell at the time; many authors and...
magazine. This and most subsequent stories featuring the pair were written by Leiber, and all but one were set in the fantasy world Leiber and Fischer created.
The original tales begun by Fischer and Leiber on the pair were completed by Leiber and published in the 1960s. "The Adventure of the Grain Ships" was finally published in the magazine Fantastic
Fantastic (magazine)
Fantastic was an American digest-size fantasy and science fiction magazine, published from 1952 to 1980. It was founded by Ziff-Davis as a fantasy companion to Amazing Stories. Early sales were good, and Ziff-Davis quickly decided to switch Amazing from pulp format to digest, and to cease...
as "Scylla's Daughter" in 1961, and was later expanded into the novel The Swords of Lankhmar (1968); "The Lords of Quarmall" was finally published, also in Fantastic
Fantastic (magazine)
Fantastic was an American digest-size fantasy and science fiction magazine, published from 1952 to 1980. It was founded by Ziff-Davis as a fantasy companion to Amazing Stories. Early sales were good, and Ziff-Davis quickly decided to switch Amazing from pulp format to digest, and to cease...
, in 1964. He also wrote "The Childhood and Youth of the Gray Mouser," published in 1978 in The Dragon #18
Dragon Magazine
Dragon Magazine may refer to:*Dragon , an American magazine for Dungeons & Dragons players*Dragon Magazine , a Japanese light novel magazine...
.