Lest Darkness Fall

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Lest Darkness Fall is a classic alternate history science fiction novel by L. Sprague de Camp in which a modern archaeologist is transported to the late Roman Empire and attempts to prevent the onset of the Dark Ages.

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Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf alternate history novel
science fiction novel
time travel fiction
author L. Sprague de Camp NERFINISHED
bookPublicationYear 1941
centralConflict attempt to prevent the collapse of civilization in Italy
countryOfOrigin United States of America
surface form: United States
criticalReception considered a classic of science fiction
firstPublicationYear 1939
genre alternate history
historical fiction
science fiction
hasCoverArtist various artists in different editions
hasHistoricalFigures Belisarius NERFINISHED
Theodahad NERFINISHED
Vitiges NERFINISHED
hasInfluenced The Guns of the South NERFINISHED
modern alternate history genre
hasMotiveForce use of modern knowledge to alter history
hasRelatedWork The Wheels of If NERFINISHED
hasSequel The Wheels of If and Other Science-Fiction NERFINISHED
hasTechnologyIntroducedByProtagonist distillation techniques
improved finance and banking methods
printing press
includedIn various science fiction omnibus editions
influencedBy A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court NERFINISHED
language English
libraryOfCongressClassification PS3507.E2344
literarySeries Lest Darkness Fall series NERFINISHED
mainCharacter Martin Padway NERFINISHED
mediaType print
narrativeDevice time travel
narrativePerspective third-person limited
notableFor detailed depiction of late Roman society
early example of alternate history in science fiction
originalMagazine Unknown
originalPublicationFormat magazine serial
plotSummary A modern archaeologist is transported to late antiquity and attempts to prevent the onset of the Dark Ages.
protagonistOccupation archaeologist
publisher Henry Holt and Company NERFINISHED
settingPlace Ostrogothic Kingdom NERFINISHED
Rome NERFINISHED
settingTime 6th century
targetAudience adult readers
theme individual impact on history
preventing the Dark Ages
technological change
timePeriodDepicted late Roman Empire

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

L. Sprague de Camp notableWork Lest Darkness Fall
Gnome Press publishedWork Lest Darkness Fall