The Carnelian Cube
#7603.16 adjusted 3.90 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 1948 Reading commitment Low L. Sprague de Camp, Fletcher Pratt Last reviewed 2026-10-29
Overview
L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt’s 1948 comic fantasy, the first book published by Gnome Press, follows the archaeologist Arthur Finch, who finds a magical red stone cube that lets its owner dream himself into any world he wishes. In search of a better world he passes through a series of alternate societies, each a satire of an ideal taken to extremes. It is a standalone, separate from the authors’ other fantasies.
Portal fantasy, Comic fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
The Carnelian Cube L. Sprague de Camp, Fletcher Pratt
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Carnelian Cube; First edition Gnome Press, 1948, its first book; paperback Lancer Books, 1967. No ISBN: both predate the system. | 1948 | 1 | core | 3.16 (55 ratings) |
Standalone novel.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Carnelian Cube? The Carnelian Cube's Core Canon is 1 book.
- Is The Carnelian Cube finished? Complete (1948).
- How much reading does The Carnelian Cube take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book).
- How is The Carnelian Cube ranked? #760 in this site's official ranking, based on 55 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #760?
Ranked #760 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.16 across 1 core book.
- A smaller readership (55 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- 0.74 behind #759, The Weirdstone of Brisingamen.
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Modestly rated · 1 book · Complete · 55 ratings · Ranks #760 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment portal fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- No awards found for this universe.
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Suggestions computed from what The Carnelian Cube and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- The Band Sword & sorcery / Comic fantasy · Ongoing · Low commitment · 4.23
- The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox Historical fantasy / Comic fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.20
- Villains by Necessity Comic fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.19
- Imajica Dark fantasy / Portal fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.17
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.16 across 55 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon Extension: The Carnelian Cube (de Camp and Pratt), The Storm Runner (Cervantes, with Shadow Bruja), The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel (Scott) accepted 2026-10-29
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Last reviewed: 2026-10-29
Rule: Core Canon = The Carnelian Cube (1948), a single standalone novel.