Re: L. Sprague de Camp

["Robert G. Tuck Jr." <tuckr@digital.net>]

While I thoroughly echo DinoGeorge's sentiments, may I please point our that
the late, lamented L. Sprague de Camp's contributions encompassed *many*
areas of science, technology, and ancient history that have, and still, give
me insights and guidence in matters far beyond dinosaurs. Personally, I
treasure his extensive works, and continue to rely  upon his exceptionally
well-written, rational views on recent as well as ancient historical
analyses. True, his conclusions regarding the identity of the "mystery beast
of Persepolis (Iran = Ancient Persia)" differ from mine (see: Valdez  &
Tuck, _British Institute of Persian Studies_, 1979; and Robert G. Tuck Jr.
[writing as "Reza Gholi Takestani"], "The Mystery Beast of Persepolis,"
_Tehran Journal, May 23, page 9), based upon the fact that I lived and
worked and conducted on-site research throughout Iran extensively,
Nevertheless, L. Sprague de Camp always fairly evaluated and presented the
evidence that was avvailable to him *at the time*.

-=Tuck=-

----- Original Message -----
From: <Dinogeorge@aol.com>
To: <dinosaur@usc.edu>
Sent: Sunday, November 12, 2000 1:00 PM
Subject: Re: L. Sprague de Camp


> In a message dated 11/12/00 11:26:14 AM EST, Danvarner@aol.com writes:
>
> << Just read that L.Sprague de Camp passed away on the 6th at the age of
92.
>  He and his wife, Catherine, authored an excellent book, _The Day of the
>  Dinosaur_in 1968. De Camp also authored a favorite story from my youth, a
>  time-travel tale titled, _A Gun for Dinosaur_. In the story a member of
an
>  American Museum of Natural History expedition is decapitated by a
flailing
>  sauropod tail. Dan Varner. >>
>
> This is sad news for me. I met Sprague and Catherine in 1973 at the World
Con
> in Toronto. We talked a bit about dinos and they autographed my copy of
The
> Day of the Dinosaur, one of the most straightforward popular-level
dinosaur
> books ever written. I handed him a printout of my computerized list of
> dinosaur genera. Later (early 1980s) I typeset his book Footprints on Sand
> for his publisher. Sprague was an interesting science-fiction writer and a
> stalwart anti-cr******ist skeptic with great confidence in the scientific
> method. I regret his passing.
>