''Scribblings'' is a 1972 collection of writings by

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

and

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

author

L. Sprague de Camp Lyon Sprague de Camp (; November 27, 1907 – November 6, 2000) was an American writer of science fiction, fantasy and non-fiction. In a career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and works of non-fiction, including biog ...

to celebrate his appearance as Guest of Honor at

Boskone Boskone is an annual science fiction convention ("con") run by the New England Science Fiction Association (NESFA) in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. In the words of the convention organizers, "Boskone is a regional Science Fiction ...

IX, a convention sponsored by the

New England Science Fiction Association The New England Science Fiction Association, or NESFA, is a science fiction club centered in the New England area. It was founded in 1967, "by fans who wanted to ''do'' things in addition to socializing". NESFA is currently registered as a non- ...

. The Association served as publisher.
- publication information at NESFA Press The book contains short works of fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and aphorisms. Among the stories are the complete set of de Camp's four short "Drinkwhiskey Institute" series of tall tales.

*"A Word of Explanation" (introduction) *Probability Zero **"The Effects of Time Travel" (story in the "Drinkwhiskey Institute" series) **"The Negative Wugug" (story in the "Drinkwhiskey Institute" series) **"The Moveable Ears" (story in the "Drinkwhiskey Institute" series) **"The Lusts of Professor Adams" (story in the "Drinkwhiskey Institute" series) *Jingles **"Preferences" (poem) **"Carnac" (poem) **"The Elephant" (poem) **"Leaves" (poem) **"The Trap" (poem) **"The Newt" (poem) **"African Night" (poem) **"A Night Club in Cairo" (poem) **"Xeroxing the Necromonicon" (poem) *It Might Interest You to Know **"How to Hunt Dinosaurs" (essay) **"Pfui on Psi" (essay on psychic powers) **"Lost Cities" (essay) **"Government Bug-Hunter" (essay on

Clinton Hart Merriam Clinton Hart Merriam (December 5, 1855 – March 19, 1942) was an American zoologist, mammalogist, ornithologist, entomologist, ecologist, ethnographer, geographer, naturalist and physician. He was commonly known as the 'father of mammalogy', a ...

) **"Three Thirds of a Hero" (poem) **"Books That Never Were" (essay on lost and imaginary books) *"Aphorisms" (

aphorism An aphorism (from Greek ἀφορισμός: ''aphorismos'', denoting 'delimitation', 'distinction', and 'definition') is a concise, terse, laconic, or memorable expression of a general truth or principle. Aphorisms are often handed down by ...

Notes

1972 short story collections Science fiction short story collections by L. Sprague de Camp American poetry collections Essay collections Poetry by L. Sprague de Camp NESFA Press books {{sf-book-stub

Contents

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