Davidson, Avram

(US, 1923–93)

Davidson was a prolific writer who never settled on a central theme. Some of his writing must be classed as science fiction, the best examples being Rogue Dragon and Rork! (both 1965). In both we find future societies lapsed to medieval levels of technology, and threatened by alien creatures which resemble respectively dragons and giant spiders. These simple plots are animated, however, by Davidson's unique wit and linguistic inventiveness, qualities found also in his fantasies, especially The Phoenix and the Mirror (1969), a work whose hero is the poet-magician Vergil as created by medieval romancers; and The Enquiries of Doctor Eszterhazy (1975), which follows the adventures of a Holmes-like detective dealing with cases of magic in an imaginary and richly diversified Balkan state.

Jack Vance, Fritz Leiber, Lyon Sprague de Camp. See FANTASY  TS