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{{short description|Fantasy book by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt}}
{{Infobox Book | <!-- See [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Novels]] or [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Books]] -->
{{Infobox book
| name = Wall of Serpents
| name = Wall of Serpents
| title_orig =
| translator =
| title_orig =
| image = [[Image:Wall of Serpents.jpg|200px]]
| translator =
| image_caption = first edition of ''Wall of Serpents''
| image = Wall of Serpents.jpg
| caption = First edition of ''Wall of Serpents''
⚫
| author = [[L. Sprague de Camp]] and [[Fletcher Pratt]]
| author = [[L. Sprague de Camp]] and [[Fletcher Pratt]]
| illustrator =
| illustrator =
| cover_artist = [[Ed Emshwiller]]
| country = [[United States]]
| cover_artist = [[Ed Emshwiller]]
| language = [[English language|English]]
| country = United States
| series = [[Harold Shea]]
| language = English
| genre = [[Fantasy fiction|Fantasy]] [[short stories]]
| series = [[Harold Shea]]
| publisher = [[Avalon Books]]
| genre = [[Fantasy fiction|Fantasy]]
| publisher = [[Avalon Books]]
| release_date = 1960
| release_date = 1960
| english_release_date =
| english_release_date =
| media_type = Print ([[Hardcover|Hardback]])
| media_type = Print (hardback)
| pages = 223 pp
| pages = 223
| isbn = NA
| preceded_by = [[The Castle of Iron]]
| preceded_by = [[The Castle of Iron]]
| followed_by = [[The Enchanter Reborn]]
| followed_by = [[The Enchanter Reborn]]
}}
}}


'''''Wall of Serpents''''' is a collection of two classic [[fantasy]] short stories by [[science fiction]] and [[fantasy]] authors [[L. Sprague de Camp]] and [[Fletcher Pratt]], the third volume in their [[Harold Shea]] series. The pieces were originally published in the magazines ''[[Fantasy Fiction]]'' and ''[[Beyond Fantasy Fiction]]'' in the issues for June, 1953 and October, 1954. The collection was first published in hardcover by [[Avalon Books]] in 1960, and in paperback by [[Dell Publishing|Dell Books]] in 1979. It has been reprinted by a number of other publishers since its first appearance. A 1980 edition published by [[Sphere Books]] was retitled ''[[The Enchanter Completed]]''. More recently it has been combined with the earlier books in the series in the omnibus edition ''[[The Complete Compleat Enchanter]]'' (1989), and with the earlier books and later stories in the omnibus edition ''[[The Mathematics of Magic: The Enchanter Stories of L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt]]'' (2007). It has also been published in [[Italian language|Italian]] and [[German language|German]].
'''''Wall of Serpents''''' is a collection of two [[fantasy]] short stories by American [[science fiction]] and [[fantasy]] authors [[L. Sprague de Camp]] and [[Fletcher Pratt]], the third volume in their [[Harold Shea]] series. The pieces were originally published in the magazines ''[[Fantasy Fiction (magazine)|Fantasy Fiction]]'' and ''[[Beyond Fantasy Fiction]]'' in the issues for June 1953 and October 1954. The collection was first published in hardcover by [[Avalon Books]] in 1960, with a new edition from [[Phantasia Press]] in 1978. The first paperback edition was published by [[Dell Publishing|Dell Books]] in 1979. A 1980 edition published by [[Sphere Books]] was retitled ''The Enchanter Compleated''. An [[E-book]] edition was published by [[Victor Gollancz Ltd|Gollancz]]'s [[SF Gateway]] imprint on September 29, 2011 as part of a general release of de Camp's works in electronic form.<ref>[http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/authors/de-camp-l.-sprague2 Orion Publishing Group's L. Sprague de Camp webpage]</ref><ref>[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005HRT83Q/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb Amazon.com entry for e-book edition]</ref>

The book has also been combined with the earlier books in the series in the omnibus edition ''[[The Complete Compleat Enchanter]]'' (1989), and with the earlier books and later stories in the omnibus edition ''[[The Mathematics of Magic: The Enchanter Stories of L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt]]'' (2007). It has also been published in Italian and German.


The Harold Shea stories are [[Parallel universe (fiction)|parallel world]] tales in which universes where magic works coexist with our own, and in which those based on the mythologies, legends, and literary fantasies of our world and can be reached by aligning one's mind to them by a system of symbolic logic. In the stories collected as ''Wall of Serpents'', the authors' protagonist Harold Shea visits two such worlds, those of [[Kalevala|Finnish]] and [[Irish mythology]].
The Harold Shea stories are [[Parallel universe (fiction)|parallel world]] tales in which universes where magic works coexist with our own, and in which those based on the mythologies, legends, and literary fantasies of our world and can be reached by aligning one's mind to them by a system of symbolic logic. In the stories collected as ''Wall of Serpents'', the authors' protagonist Harold Shea visits two such worlds, those of [[Kalevala|Finnish]] and [[Irish mythology]].
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*"[[The Wall of Serpents]]"
*"[[The Wall of Serpents]]"
*"[[The Green Magician]]"
*"[[The Green Magician]]"

==Reception==
[[Floyd C. Gale]] of ''[[Galaxy Science Fiction]]'' rated ''Wall of Serpents'' 4.5 stars out of five, stating that "de Camp and Pratt were far and away the finest team of fantasy collaborators ... their stories are always chuckle-filled delights".<ref name="gale196112">{{Cite magazine
|last=Gale
|first=Floyd C.
|author=
|last2=
|first2=
|date=December 1961
|title=Galaxy's 5 Star Shelf
|department=
|url=https://archive.org/stream/Galaxy_v20n02_1961-12_modified#page/n42/mode/1up
|magazine=Galaxy Science Fiction
|pages=144–147
|type=
}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
⚫
*{{cite book | last=Laughlin | first=Charlotte | coauthors=Daniel J. H. Levack | title=De Camp: An L. Sprague de Camp Bibliography | location=San Francisco | publisher=Underwood/Miller | date=1983 | pages=103–104}}

==Sources==
⚫
*{{cite book | last=Laughlin | first=Charlotte |author2=Daniel J. H. Levack | title=De Camp: An L. Sprague de Camp Bibliography | location=San Francisco | publisher=Underwood/Miller | year=1983 | pages=103–104}}


==External links==
==External links==
* {{isfdb title|id=25831}}
* {{isfdb title|id=25831}}


{{start box}}
{{s-start}}
{{succession box | before=''[[The Castle of Iron]]'' | title=[[Harold Shea|Harold Shea Series]] | after=''[[The Enchanter Reborn]]'' | years ='''''Wall of Serpents'''''}}
{{succession box | before=''[[The Castle of Iron]]'' | title=[[Harold Shea|Harold Shea Series]] | after=''[[The Enchanter Reborn]]'' | years ='''''Wall of Serpents'''''}}
{{end box}}
{{s-end}}

{{L. Sprague de Camp}}
{{Fletcher Pratt}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Wall Of Serpents}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wall Of Serpents}}
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[[Category:Fantasy short story collections by L. Sprague de Camp]]
[[Category:Fantasy short story collections by L. Sprague de Camp]]
[[Category:Works by Fletcher Pratt]]
[[Category:Works by Fletcher Pratt]]
[[Category:Books with cover art by Ed Emshwiller]]
[[Category:Avalon Books books]]




{{fantasy-story-stub}}
{{1960s-fantasy-story-stub}}

Latest revision as of 06:39, 28 May 2022

Wall of Serpents
First edition of Wall of Serpents
AuthorL. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt
Cover artistEd Emshwiller
LanguageEnglish
SeriesHarold Shea
GenreFantasy
PublisherAvalon Books
Publication date
1960
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardback)
Pages223
Preceded byThe Castle of Iron 
Followed byThe Enchanter Reborn 

Wall of Serpents is a collection of two fantasy short stories by American science fiction and fantasy authors L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt, the third volume in their Harold Shea series. The pieces were originally published in the magazines Fantasy Fiction and Beyond Fantasy Fiction in the issues for June 1953 and October 1954. The collection was first published in hardcover by Avalon Books in 1960, with a new edition from Phantasia Press in 1978. The first paperback edition was published by Dell Books in 1979. A 1980 edition published by Sphere Books was retitled The Enchanter Compleated. An E-book edition was published by Gollancz's SF Gateway imprint on September 29, 2011 as part of a general release of de Camp's works in electronic form.[1][2]

The book has also been combined with the earlier books in the series in the omnibus edition The Complete Compleat Enchanter (1989), and with the earlier books and later stories in the omnibus edition The Mathematics of Magic: The Enchanter Stories of L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt (2007). It has also been published in Italian and German.

The Harold Shea stories are parallel world tales in which universes where magic works coexist with our own, and in which those based on the mythologies, legends, and literary fantasies of our world and can be reached by aligning one's mind to them by a system of symbolic logic. In the stories collected as Wall of Serpents, the authors' protagonist Harold Shea visits two such worlds, those of Finnish and Irish mythology.

Contents

[edit]

Reception

[edit]

Floyd C. Gale of Galaxy Science Fiction rated Wall of Serpents 4.5 stars out of five, stating that "de Camp and Pratt were far and away the finest team of fantasy collaborators ... their stories are always chuckle-filled delights".[3]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Orion Publishing Group's L. Sprague de Camp webpage
  2. ^ Amazon.com entry for e-book edition
  3. ^ Gale, Floyd C. (December 1961). "Galaxy's 5 Star Shelf". Galaxy Science Fiction. pp. 144–147.

Sources

[edit]
  • Laughlin, Charlotte; Daniel J. H. Levack (1983). De Camp: An L. Sprague de Camp Bibliography. San Francisco: Underwood/Miller. pp. 103–104.
[edit]
Preceded by Harold Shea Series
Wall of Serpents 		Succeeded by


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