Andrew J. Offutt

Andrew J. Offutt (born August 16, 1934) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. His normal byline has his name in all lower-case letters.

Offutt began publishing in 1954 with the story "And Gone Tomorrow" in If. Despite this early sale, he doesn't consider his professional life to have begun until he sold the story "Blacksword" to Galaxy in 1959 His first novel was Evil Is Live Spelled Backwards in 1970.

He took twelve pseudonyms, including John Cleve, which were used for pornography. He also wrote a series of books based upon a lesser known character of Robert E. Howard, Cormac mac Art.

Offutt published numerous novels and short stories, including many in the "Thieves World" series edited by Robert Lynn Asprin and Lynn Abbey, which feature his best known character, the thief Hanse, also known as Shadowspawn (and, later, Chance). His "Iron Lords" series likewise was popular. He also edited a series of five anthologies entitled Swords Against Darkness, which included the first professional sale by Charles de Lint.

His son is the author Chris Offutt.