L. Sprague de Camp books in order
American non- and speculative fiction writer
- Lived
- 1907–2000
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 91
- Series
- 2
- Also writes as
- J. Wellington, J. Wellington Wells, Lymen R. Lyon
L. Sprague de Camp published 70 novels, 2 novellas, 10 short story collections, 6 non-fiction books and 3 children's books, beginning with Lest Darkness Fall (1941). The 2 series include Novarian (5 books, starting with The Goblin Tower) and Viagens Interplanetarias (3 books, starting with The Queen of Zamba). 8 feature Conan.
Updated September 2026
Novarian books in order (5)Series page
Reading order: 1 The Goblin Tower (1968) · 2 The Clocks of Iraz (1971) · 3 The Fallible Fiend (1973) · 4 The Unbeheaded King (1983) · 5 The Honorable Barbarian (1989)
- 1.
The Goblin Tower (1968)
- 2.
The Clocks of Iraz (1971)
- 3.
The Fallible Fiend (Feb 1973)
- 4.
The Unbeheaded King (1983)
- 5.
The Honorable Barbarian (1989)
Viagens Interplanetarias books in order (3)Series page
Reading order: 1 The Queen of Zamba (1977) · 2 The Hand of Zei (1981) · 3 The Swords of Zinjaban (1991)
- 1.
The Queen of Zamba (1977)
- 2.
The Hand of Zei (1981)
- 3.
The Swords of Zinjaban (1991)
Where to start with L. Sprague de Camp
Start here
Lest Darkness Fall
L. Sprague de Camp's most-read book.
Standalone novels in order
Genus Homo (1941)
Lest Darkness Fall (1941)
The Carnelian Cube (1948)
Lands Beyond (1952)
Continent Makers and Other Tales of the Viagens (1953)
Lost Continents (1954)
Solomon's Stone (1957)
An Elephant for Aristotle (1958)
The Bronze God of Rhodes (1960)
The Incomplete Enchanter (1960)
Wall of Serpents (1960)
The Dragon of the Ishtar Gate (1961)
Swords and Sorcery (1963)
Ancient Ruins and Archaeology (1964)
The Arrows of Hercules (1965)
The Spell of Seven (1965)
Spirits, Stars, and Spells (1966)
The Great Monkey Trial (1968)
The Reluctant King (1968)
The Tritonian Ring (1968)
The Golden Wind (1969)
The Glory That Was (1971)
Citadels of Mystery (1972)
Rogue Queen (1972)
Al Azif (1973)
Science Fiction Handbook (1975)
Literary Swordsmen and Sorcerers (1976)
The Hostage of Zir (1977)
The Best of L. Sprague De Camp (1978)
The Great Fetish (1978)
The Blade of Conan (1979)
The Castle of Iron (1979)
The Ragged Edge of Science (1980)
The Spell of Conan (1980)
The Treasure of Tranicos (Jul 1980), with Robert E. Howard
Heroes and Hobgoblins (1981)
Prisoner of Zhamanak (1982)
The Virgin of Zesh and the Tower of Zanid (1982)
Dark Valley Destiny (1983)
The Bones of Zora (1983)
Land of Unreason (1985)
The Incorporated Knight (1987)
Down in the Bottomlands (And Other Places) (1988)
The Stones of Nomuru (1988)
Undesired Princess and the Enchanted Bunny (1990)
The Pixilated Peeress (1991)
The Enchanter Reborn (1992)
The Venom Trees of Sunga (1992)
Rivers of Time (1993)
The Ape-Man Within (1995)
Rubber Dinosaurs and Wooden Elephants (1996)
Time and Chance: an Autobiography (1996)
None But Lucifer (2002)
Years In The Making (2005)
Novellas in order
The Flame Knife (1955), with Robert E. Howard
Conan the Usurper (1967), with Robert E. Howard
Short story collections in order
Conan the Adventurer (1966), with Robert E. Howard
Conan (1967), with Robert E. Howard
Conan the Freebooter (1968), with Robert E. Howard
Conan the Wanderer (1968), with Robert E. Howard
Conan of Cimmeria (1969), with Robert E. Howard
Tales Beyond Time (1973)
Tales from Gavagan's Bar (1978)
Conan the Swordsman (Aug 1978)
The Purple Pterodactyls (Jan 1980)
Years in the Making: The Time-Travel Stories of L. Sprague De Camp (2005)
Non-fiction in order
The Heroic Age of American Invention (1961)
The Ancient Engineers (1963)
The Day of the Dinosaur (1968)
Great Cities of the Ancient World (1972)
Lovecraft: a Biography (Feb 1975)
The Fringe of the Unknown (1983)
Children's books in order
Engines (1959)
Energy and Power (1962)
The Story of Science in America (1967)
About L. Sprague de Camp
Lyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction, fantasy and non-fiction literature. In a career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including biographies of other fantasy authors. He was a major figure in science fiction in the 1930s and 1940s.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
L. Sprague de Camp FAQ
- How many books has L. Sprague de Camp written?
- L. Sprague de Camp published 70 novels, 2 novellas, 10 short story collections, 6 non-fiction books and 3 children's books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read L. Sprague de Camp's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start Novarian with The Goblin Tower and Viagens Interplanetarias with The Queen of Zamba. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is L. Sprague de Camp's last book?
- None But Lucifer (2002).
- What is L. Sprague de Camp's most famous book?
- Lest Darkness Fall (1941) is L. Sprague de Camp's most widely read book.
- Are L. Sprague de Camp's books connected?
- 8 books belong to 2 series (Novarian and Viagens Interplanetarias); the other 83 books stand alone.
- Does L. Sprague de Camp write under a pen name?
- Yes: L. Sprague de Camp has also published as J. Wellington, J. Wellington Wells and Lymen R. Lyon.
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Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.