The Carnelian Cube

core novel 1948 The Carnelian Cube

Record

First published	1948
Original language	EN
Work type	novel
Canon status	core
Reader rating	3.16 (55 ratings, collected 2026-10-29)
Internal chronology	1

Synopsis

While on an archaeological expedition, Arthur Finch discovers a magical cube of red stone that gives whoever holds it the power to dream himself into any world he pleases. Dissatisfied with his own world, Finch sets out in search of utopia, using the cube to enter one alternate society after another, among them a world of unrestrained individualism and a world ruled by science. Each turns out to have its own absurdities, and the comic adventures, written as social satire, carry him further from home while the question of whether he can ever find his way back to his own world runs beneath them all.

Where it sits

Universe: The Carnelian Cube
Series: The Carnelian Cube core; position 1 of 1 in the series' recorded order
Author: L. Sprague de Camp
Author: Fletcher Pratt

Notes

First edition Gnome Press, 1948, its first book; paperback Lancer Books, 1967. No ISBN: both predate the system.
From the series record (The Carnelian Cube): Standalone novel.

Sources

← The Carnelian Cube dossier · All universes

Part of the Library. Fields without an identified source are omitted, never guessed.