| Sources |
- [S142] Newspaper Article, Chicago Tribune, 15 Oct 1949.
Fritz Leiber obituary
- [S116] Birth Certificate.
Name: Fritz Leiber
Birth Date: 24 Dec 1910
Birthplace:
Gender: Male
Race (Original): White
Race (Standardized): White
Father's Name: Fritz Leiber
Father's Birthplace:
Father's Age:
Mother's Name: Virginia Bronson
Mother's Birthplace:
Mother's Age:
Christening Date:
Christening Place:
Film Number: 1315049
Digital Folder Number: 4394345
Image Number: 00892
Reference Number: p. 205, Ln 10205
- [S142] Newspaper Article, Chicago Tribune, 10 Sep 1992.
Fritz Leiber, 81, a science fiction, fantasy and horror writer, was especially noted for his ``sword and sorcery'' characters, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Among the awards he won were six Hugos, three Nebulas, a Grand Master Nebula, a World Fantasy and an August Derleth.
A resident of San Francisco, he died Sunday of a stroke in Children's Memorial Hospital, San Francisco.
In 1964, Tribune book columnist Vincent Starrett wrote of him, ``Leiber, son of the Shakespearean actor of the same name, and once an actor himself, was a resident of Chicago for many years and still considers himself a Chicagoan. He is one of the top-flight science fiction writers of the day, whose heroic fantasies of imaginary worlds have been widely popular. `The Wanderer,' a paperback is his first major work-the incredible story of an alien star that approaches the Earth so closely that it captures the moon and raises giant tides on our own planet.''
Mr. Leiber's father, who was born in Chicago, was an internationally famous Shakespearean actor and formed his own Shakespeare company. The elder Leiber appeared in major movie roles including Antony in ``Cleopatra'' opposite Theda Bera, but preferred the theater.
Mr. Leiber acted in his father's company, graduated from the University of Chicago and then studied for the ministry.
His characters, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, are good-hearted thieves who exist in books about the world of magic and barbarians.
His most respected novel is ``The Big Time,'' one of several time-travel novels he wrote.
In addition to his fantasy and science fiction writings, he worked very successfully in the horror genre. Two of his books stand out above the others. ``Conjure Wife,'' published in 1953, was called ``a masterpiece of our time'' by a Tribune reviewer. It was about a college professor who discovers his wife practices witchcraft. The other, ``Night's Black Agent,'' is a collection of short stories.
He wrote 32 books.
Survivors include his wife, Margo; a son, Justin; and two granddaughters.
A memorial service will be held in San Francisco.
- [S1] U. S. Social Security Death Index, 573-09-5705.
Issued in California, residing in San Francisco, San Francisco County, California
- [S142] Newspaper Article, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Sep 1992.
Fritz Leiber Jr., who entertained science-fiction, fantasy and horror readers since the late 1930s with an outpouring of fanciful novels and short stories, died of a stroke Saturday afternoon in San Francisco. He was 81.
Mr. Leiber had been hospitalized since August at Marshall Hale Memorial Hospital.
An imposing 6-foot-4 figure with a shock of white hair, he was best known for his sword-and-sorcery fantasy series depicting Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, a pair of ill-matched adventurers of a bygone mythical age whose exploits stretched far beyond the limitations of the heroic-fantasy genre. The last book in this series, ''The Knight and Knave of Swords,'' was published in January 1990.
His only book since then, ''Gummitch and Friends,'' a collection of his cat fantasies, will be published in October by Donald M. Grant.
Mr. Leiber was a disciplined writer who extended the horizons of science-fiction and horror literature. He won six Hugos, three Nebulas and numerous other awards, including one named after the writer who inspired his early work, H. P. Lovecraft.mes of sex and free love and break other editorial taboos of the day.
He was born in Chicago in 1910. His father, Fritz Leiber Sr., was a nationally acclaimed Shakespearean actor who had his own touring company and eventually became a respected character actor in Warner Bros. films. His mother, Virginia Bronson, was an actress.
Mr. Leiber graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in psychology and physiology. He intended to follow his father to the stage, but hard times during the Depression forced him to become an editor for a Chicago publisher.
At night, he began writing short stories for pulp magazines. He built his reputation on such novels as ''Conjure Wife'' (now considered a classic witchcraft tale, twice filmed) and ''Gather Darkness,'' a depiction of a futuristic war between forces of science and magic.
After 1956, he earned his living as a full-time writer. He did not write for three years after his first wife, Jonquil, died in 1969, but he resumed his work in 1972, after moving to San Francisco.
Leiber made literary strides with several novels: ''The Green Millennium'' (1959), ''The Big Time'' (1961), ''The Silver Eggheads'' (1961), ''Night of the Wolf'' (1966) and ''The Wanderer'' (1964). Among his collections of short stories are ''Night's Black Agents,'' ''Shadows With Eyes'' and ''A Pail of Air.''
He is survived by his second wife, Margo Skinner Leiber, the arts and entertainment editor of Asian Week, whom he married in May. He is also survived by his son, Justin, a professor of philosophy at the University of Houston and a science-fiction writer, one of whose novels, ''Beyond Rejection,'' contains a character portrait of his father.
Mr. Leiber is also survived by a granddaughter, Arlyn Leiber- Presser of Winnetka, Ill., a romance novelist who has also written fantasy poetry and short stories.
A service will be held for Mr. Leiber at the Neptune Society Columbarium at 1 Loraine Court on Saturday at 7 p.m. His widow has asked that contributions be made to Amnesty International.
- [S58] Marriage Certificate.
Name: Fritz Leiber
Event: Marriage
Event Date: 09 Mar 1910
Event Place: , Santa Barbara, California
Gender: Male
Age: 28
Estimated Birth Year:
Father:
Mother:
Spouse: Ida Virginia Bronson
Spouse's Gender: Female
Spouse's Estimated Birth Year:
Spouse's Father:
Spouse's Mother:
Reference Number:
Film Number: 1289284
Digital Folder Number: 4640183
Image Number: 00500
- [S58] Marriage Certificate.
Name: Fritz Leiber
Event: Marriage
Event Date: 09 Mar 1910
Event Place: , Santa Barbara, California
Gender: Male
Age: 28
Estimated Birth Year:
Father: Albecht Leiber
Mother: Meta Klett
Spouse: Ida Virginia Bronson
Spouse's Gender: Female
Spouse's Estimated Birth Year:
Spouse's Father: Walter Bronson
Spouse's Mother: Flora Holcomb
Reference Number:
Film Number: 1289286
Digital Folder Number: 4640185
Image Number: 00572
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