Fritz Leiber (1910-1992) was an American author, actor, and chess expert. He wrote primarily in the genres of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. He is best remembered for his fantasy series Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser which is credited with originating the Sword and Sorcery genre. In 1958 his book The Big Time won the Hugo Award for best novel, which he would go on to win again in 1964 withThe Wanderer. He was posthumously inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 2001.
