ASPRIN, Robert Lynn

(1946-)

   US writer who began publishing sf with his first novel, The Cold Cash War (1977), which alarmingly conflates GAME-WORLD antics (like fake wars between mercenaries representing rival corporations on rented turf - Brazil, for instance, being visualized mainly as an arena for world-dominating firms to play games in) and a political rationale to legitimize the corporate control of Earth. RLA's later novels continued to chafe against similar real-life constraints, and it was not until the invention of the Thieves' World universe that he came into his own. The individual volumes in the sequence - a SHARED-WORLD fantasy enterpise crafted by a number of writers - were designed by RLA to comprise a number of stories written (or edited) so that they read as BRAIDS; he may have been the first sf or fantasy editor to create a significant braided anthology or novel. The sequence comprises Thieves' World (anth 1979), Tales from the Vulgar Unicorn (anth 1980) and Shadows of Sanctuary (anth 1981) - these three being assembled as Sanctuary (omni 1982) - Storm Season (anth 1982), The Face of Chaos (anth 1983), with Lynn Abbey (1948-) and Wings of Omen (anth 1984) with Abbey - these three being assembled as Cross-Currents (omni 1985) - The Dead of Winter (anth 1985), Soul of the City (anth 1985) and Blood Ties (anth 1986) - these three all with Abbey and assembled as The Shattered Sphere (omni 1986) - and Aftermath (anth 1987), Uneasy Alliances (anth 1989) and Stealer's Sky (anth 1989) - these three all with Abbey and assembled as The Price of Victory (omni 1990). Six GRAPHIC-NOVEL versions of material from the sequence were published, all with Abbey and Tim Sale, beginning with Thieves' World Graphics 1 (graph 1985), 2 (graph 1986) and 3 (graph 1986). Since 1979 almost all of RLA's work has been fantasy, mostly comic, though his Phule's Company sequence - Phule's Company (1990) and 2: Phule's Paradise (1992) - deploys the eponymous passel of ragbag soldiers in a SPACE-OPERA Universe. His reputation lies mainly in the ingenuity of his braiding activities as editor, but his comic fiction is craftsmanlike. Other works: The Myth sequence of fantasy adventures in an Arabian Nights universe, comprising Another Fine Myth.. (1978), Myth Conceptions (1980), Myth Directions (1982), Hit or Myth (1983) - all 4 being assembled as Myth Adventures (omni 1984) - and Myth-ing Persons (1984), Little Myth Marker (1985), M.Y.T.H. Inc. Link (1986), Myth-Nomers and Im-pervections (1987), M.Y.T.H. Inc in Action (1990) and Sweet MYTHtery of Life (1994) the first 6 volumes being assembled as The Myth-ing Omnibus (omni 1992 UK) and The Second Myth-ing Omnibus (omni 1992 UK), along with Myth Adventures One (graph coll 1985) and Myth Adventures Two (graph coll 1986), both with Phil Foglio and assembling comics versions based on Another Fine Myth..; Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe (1979) with George TAKEI; The Bug Wars (1979); Tambu (1979); the Duncan and Mallory sequence of graphic novels, all with Mel White, comprising Duncan and Mallory (graph 1986), The Bar-None Ranch (graph 1987), and The Raiders (graph 1988); For King and Country (1991) with Dafydd ab Hugh (1960-); Catwoman (1992; vt Catwoman: Tiger Hunt 1993 UK) with Lynn Abbey, a Batman tie. Further RLA work in comics, not yet collected in book form, includes Myth Adventures 9-12 (all 1986) and Myth Conceptions 1-8 (1985-7). As Editor: Some of the Elfquest series of braided anthologies, based on the fantasy sequence created by Richard Pini, RLA's contributions being The Blood of Ten Chiefs (anth 1986) with Lynn Abbey and Richard Pini and 2: Wolfsong (anth 1988) with Pini.

   See also: HUMOUR.