#L Sprague De Camp

[prokopetz]

In addition to Sword and Sorcery stories, there's other popular culture - the Blob movie is an infamous example from 1958. I also found a 1968 Conan story by Sprague deCamp (Curse of the Monolith) that features a slime monster almost identical to how they're portrayed in DnD, down to having an acidic touch.

(With reference to this post here.)

Oh, definitely – I was aiming for the earliest example of the trope in its modern form that I could think of with my Lovecraft example, not necessarily the most proximate inspiration for D&D's slime monsters. For the latter you'd almost certainly want to look at sword and sorcery literature from the late 1960s or early 1970s, which places the de Camp example around the right time-frame.

[oldschoolfrp]

Conan vs all the damn vampires -- the ancient Brylukas (Earl Norem cover art for Savage Sword of Conan 38, March 1979, adapting the L. Sprague de Camp & Robert E Howard story "The Road of the Eagles," aka "Conan, Man of Destiny")

[geekynerfherder]

'Pony Tail' by Frank Frazetta.

Cover art for the 1968 edition of the novel 'The Tritonian Ring', written by L Sprague de Camp.

[kekwcomics]

FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION Vol. 13 #4 (Fantasy House, 1957)

Art: "EMSH" (?)

Edit: thanks to @jamie-b-good who reckons EMSH is likely to be Ed Emshwiller. Dang, that one was staring me in the face lol Thanks, Jamie!

[thehauntedrocket]

Vintage Pulp - Science Fiction Quarterly (Feb1955)

Art by Winston Marks

[head-vampire]

“Conan the Usurper” by Robert E. Howard and L. Sprague de Camp (1967)

Cover art by Frank Frazetta

[nerds-yearbook]

Marvel launched King Conan with a cover date of March, 1980. Roy Thomas and John Buscema adapted a story originally written by L Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter. The White Hand that were previously mentioned in Savage Sword of Conan #39 made their first Marvel appearance in this issue and introduced to Marvel (and promptly killed) the witch Louhi. ("The Witch of the Mists", King Conan 1#, Marvel Comic Event)

[all-action-all-picture]

1973 ad for Worlds Unknown No. 2 from Marvel. Adaptations of A Gun for Dinosaur! by L. Sprague deCamp and Doorstep by Keith Laumer. This promo image, by Alan Weiss and John Romita, was also used as the cover.

[doc-avalon]

The Gods by L Sprague de Camp. Fantasy and Science Fiction magazine, December 1966.

The ghosts of gods were marching down the hallway of the past;

The shuffle of their footsteps woke me from my sleep at last;

I stared into the darkness, and I shuddered as they passed.

A grim and one-eyed Odin strode, and hammer-wielding Thor,

And there were golden-bearded Zeus and Ares, god of war,

And Mithra, Ler, Ganesha, Ra, Shamash, and many more.

I looked on Quetzalcoatl’s plumes and Loki's hair of fire;

Along with Krishna’s flute I heard Apollo’s twanging lyre;

I caught a wink from Pan and witnessed Ishtar’s fierce desire.

Just then a funny, ibis-headed godlet caught my eye.

‘‘Come here and tell me, Thoth!” I called. The bird-head wafted nigh. “What means this rout of deities? Where go they hence, and why?"'

“As you create us, you destroy us,” said the long-billed wight,

“And those that you’ve discarded here have yielded up their might; “They’re bound for non-existence in the quiet lands of night.”

“And what of those who stand aloof — the four with beards?"’ I cried. “They’re Christ and Yahveh, Marx and Lenin,” Thoth the Wise replied. Although these four are worshiped now, they will not long abide.”

“Will earth be godless, then?” I said, and Thoth responded: “Nay! ’‘You’ll make more gods, in names of whom to burn and maim and slaju* “What sort of gods? Abstractions pale, or bloodless theories, say?”

But Thoth of Egypt turned away and went in silence dumb.

I thought of Venus’ bosom, heard afar Damballa’s drum.

And wept the old gods, passing on, and feared the gods to come.

[bookmaven]

THE WHEELS OF IF, And Other Science Fiction by L. Sprague DeCamp. (Chicago: Shasta, 1940) Dust jacket illustration by Hannes Bok. Short story collection contains:

"The Merman" (Astounding Science Fiction, February 1938)

"Hyperpilosity" (ASF, April 1938)

"The Gnarly Man" (ASF, June 1939)

"The Best-Laid Scheme" (ASF, February 1940)

"The Warrior Race" (ASF, October 1940)

The Wheels of If" (Unknown, October 1940)

"The Contraband Cow"

Astounding, December 1938 [v22 #4] Edited by John W. Campbell. Cover art by Charles Schneeman.

A Matter of Form by H. L. Gold [Gilroy]

“The Ephemerae” by Edmond Hamilton

Nuisance Value by Manly Wade Wellman [Part 1 of 2]

“The Merman” by L. Sprague de Camp

Simultaneous Worlds by Nat Schachner [Part 2 of 2]

“Helen O’Loy” by Lester del Rey

“Let Cymbals Ring!” by Moses Schere

“They Had Rhythm!” by Kent Casey [Private Kelton]

[weirdlookindog]

"The eyes peered clearly out of the surrounding mist, and eery cold wind filled the room"

Virgil Finlay (1914-1971) - Illustration for L. Spraque de Camp's 'The Eye of Tandyla'

(Fantastic Adventures Vol.13 #5, May 1951)

[zippocreed501]

The Frank Franzetta cover art to the 1968 edition of the first Conan anthology by Robert E. Howard, L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter. It featured my favourite Conan story The Thing From The Crypt.

[oldschoolfrp]

Conan vs giant serpent, a classic battle through the ages across many book covers (Kirk Reiner cover art for GURPS Conan, Steve Jackson Games, 1989)

[geekynerfherder]

'Conan The Buccaneer' by Frank Frazetta.

Cover art for 'Conan The Buccaneer', written by L Sprague de Camp & Lin Carter, published in 1971 by Lancer Books.

[kekwcomics]

WORLDS OF FANTASY #1 (Galaxy Publishing, 1968)

Art: Jack Gaughan

[the-gershomite]

Conan the Barbarian King-Sized Annual #7 -1982-

"Red Shadows and Black Kraken!" (1-29 of 33)

based on the novel "Conan of the Isles" by L. Sprague De Camp & Lin Carter

script Roy Thomas

artist John Buscema

letterer Joe Rosen

colorist George Roussos