Joseph Ashton Books

Lost Worlds of Space and Time edited by Steve Lines was published by Rainfall Books in the UK in 2004, and is a collection of almost all newly published works based on or inspired by the works of Clark Ashton Smith. It is a handsome trade paperback, I think with the typical feel and look of small press publications these days. The cover art and interior art is also by Steve Lines; at least the cover is based on works by Clark Ashton Smith. It is an interesting depiction of two aliens and some weird plant like things suspending human skulls. Attractive but no wow factor. I enjoyed the interior art; it added to the overall quality of the book. There is a brief introduction by the editor and a few authors' notes after some of the stories. Otherwise there is no description of the authors', minibios or their thoughts about CAS. Page count is 205, so I thought it was a generous sampling of stories and poetry.

Contents:
Introduction by Steve Lines
Pegana:
The Empress Ygloriane by Robin Reed
Atlantis:
The Departure of Malygris by Steve Lines & John B. Ford
Hyperborea:
The Fear of Liqoimkh by Laurence J. Cornford
The Pool Above Nraqlommbeth by Simon Whitechapel
In the Court of the Crystal Flame by James Ambuehl
Star Spawn of Hyperborea by John Fultz
The Exorcism of Igsat by Joseph S. Pulver Sr.
The Forgotten Ritual of Mnar by Joseph S. Pulver Sr.
Fire by Randal D. Larson
Averoigne:
The Circumstances of Ghostly Cats by Mike Minnis
The Butcher of Vyones by Mike Minnis
Unhallowed Ground, Unholy Fetish by James Chambers
The Passing of Belzevuthe by Simon Whitechapel
Unknown Realms:
The Sorcerer Returns by Richard L. Tierney
The Oldest Dreamer by Walter C. DeBill
Rescue by Michael Fantina
Castle Keep by Michael Fantina
The Silver Cup by Michael Fantina
Villanelle of the Necromancer to His Love by Michael Fantina
Dream Lover by Michael Fantina

As you can see, the stories are grouped together by the particular realm of CAS in which they are set or that inspired them. Right from the get go the editor acknowledges the one problem for this collection that cannot be surmounted. That is, all of these stories are written in the incomparable shadow of the prose of Clark Ashton Smith, an inimitable master. Anyone who tries to adopt his style can end up reading like a bad mimic. I have A Rendezvous in Averoigne, the hardback by Arkham House as my basic Smith collection. I urge all readers who have not done so to seek out this volume. It has a cherished place of pride on my bookshelf. Of course there is the Nightshade books 5 volume collection of Smith's fantasies that is slowly being released. If it is anything like their William Hope Hodgson collection, then it will have all of CAS' works edited in the context of the most up to date scholarship, in utterly beautiful hardcover editions. However the subscriber price is pretty expensive. Lost Worlds of Space and Time is not the first such CAS inspired anthology. There is The Last Continent, in a gorgeous hardcover edition by Shadowlands press edited by John Pelan. It has stories set in Zothique. I had read 2-3 stories in that when I loaned it away; it is now next on my reading stack. Rainfall Books, publisher of this volume, has an interest in CAS inspired fiction and releases a few chapbooks per year devoted to such stories. I am grateful for collections like this packed with brand new stories of weird and wonderful fiction. Overall I was favorably impressed with this book. Note that many of the authors here have also witten Lovecraftian and Yello Sign fiction.

Minor spoilers may follow.

The Empress Ygloriane by Robin Reed - Enjoyable tale of an empress who maintains her power and youth with noxious magics, and whose downfall is plotted by her servitors. Meanwhile a patient, unaware and indifferent sentience takes no notice of her comings and goings.

The Departure of Malygris by Steve Lines & John B. Ford - A strange and nicely creepy tale of how the ennui of an ancient sorcer is finally overcome, not to the betterment of the surrounding city. Very engaging read.

The Fear of Liqoimkh by Laurence J. Cornford - Never underestimate a magician! A bold and scheming bandit overlooks one of the basic maxims of being an evil overlord and leaves his enemy alive to gloat at him. An engaging read.

The Pool Above Nraqlommbeth by Simon Whitechapel - Forlorn love story, with hope and love intermingled with death and dispair. Another good read.

In the Court of the Crystal Flame by James Ambuehl - I have read this before and this time around I enjoyed it even more. It is a sequel of sorts to the well know story by CAS of Satampra Zeiros' adventures in the temple of Tsathoggua. If REH, Fritz Leiber or anyone else had created such a marvelous thief, they would never have just used him in one story. He simply cries out for his own series of tales. So James Ambuehl takes up the gauntlet. What really set this story into its proper context for me was the author's note, acknowledging the more appropriate antecedents of REH and Sword & Sorcery as opposed to CAS. Vivid and fun to read.

Star Spawn of Hyperborea by John Fultz - this owes as much to HPL as CAS, as a little band of adventurers tries to prevent Cthulhu from gaining freer access to our world. Perhaps the canvas is too broad or the story too long. Also owes more to REH than CAS. Still a decent read.

The Exorcism of Igsat and The Forgotten Ritual of Mnar by Joseph S. Pulver Sr. - I think these 2 were supposed to be like brief excerpts from the Book of Eibon. They did nothing for me.

Fire by Randal D. Larson Excellent story! A sorceror reaches into our time to find an ally.

Averoigne - This whole section was highly superior, moving from strength to strength, with great plotting and prose. I won't go into details but all 4 of these were outstanding, and probably had the most CAS-like feel, particularly the story by Whitechapel. I am also a big Mike Minnis fan.

Unknown Realms - This was all poetry. I think writing poetry is terribly difficult. In school we are weaned on the best the English language has to offer. Thus I mostly don't enjoy mythos poetry. Maybe someone else will like it.

So in summary a terrific anthology. Reasonably priced, with good production values, I found it a great way to while away some hours lost in worlds created by CAS, a true master. I heartily recommend it to all readers. Best of all, it is volume 1.

I got this to use the online tests to practice, but there were only 3 so that didn't help much. It also didn't explain why the ones I got wrong were wrong. I liked the Mosby computer practice tests better because they explained why the answer was wrong. This book was good for review though, I didn't study much but the questions were similar to the content and format of the Federation test. I didn't take the national, but I assume and have heard that the Mosby book & questions are more similar to the national test. I wish I had just borrowed a copy instead of spending money on it.

This is the PERFECT book to use for review/studying for the National test. I would recommend spending time looking up more info on the five element theory and the Chakras other than that there is nothing more needed and the free website was a great help. I passed the first time.!

This is the best book to buy to study for the exams..the best!!

Thank you so much!

Thank you so much for the FAST delivery. This book is AMAZING and I am happy it was recommended for the National Exam. A book everyone should have.

I used this book and did well on the nationals... the secret is that about a quarter of the questions on the actual test have to do with eastern modalities .. namely shiatsu and the chinese KO cycle... go to wikipedia and look up the KO cycle ... there it has a chart shaped like a star with a circle around it... print it out and come up with a way to memorize the chart (my secret was FEM Wild Woman.. like Fire Earth Metal Water Wood) then make word associations to remember the colors, (like water is blue, wood comes from trees that have green leaves, fire is red, dirt is yellow with some other colors mixed in and it comes from the earth)directions, organs, tastes, energies (like corporal soul, spirit soul etc), and emotions associated with each element...it sounds goofy but this technique saved me...memorize where and what each meridian is... MAKE SURE THAT YOU DO THIS!!! all of the things that i just listed ARE on the test.. other than the origins and insertions of the muscles it's the hardest thing about the test... i was shocked at how much of the test was this stuff that i was never going to use anywhere else! there was also a tiny bit on the chakras (a 5 minute review is probably enough)... ).. and a lot of the thinking questions (don't worry they're not as bad as the book put out by the national board makes them out to be) like "if an elderly person has a raised hip which muscles are weakened?" this exact question isn't asked but there are many like that..
the questions in the book are very similar to those on the boards...if you can pass the tests in this book the first time you should be able to pass the nationals (i thought that i was going to have a heart attack the day before the test because i was so overwhelmed.. i really didn't think that i'd pass because i'd only been cramming 8 hours per day for 2 weeks and didn't feel prepared and i actually, not only passed, but did well) .. just study this book and you'll be fine
i just thought that i'd write a little something to help out other people going through what i just went though... don't panic... i passed the first time and i attended a school that taught to the state boards and had no eastern modalities in it's curriculm ... if you study this book and the stuff that i just listed you'll be fine.. my mom also read that chewing gum helps when test taking because it helps the left and right hemispheres of your brain communicate better and i swear that it worked! Good luck!

Joseph Cornell was profoundly inspired by works of poetry, and other literature. In this beautifully written book, first published in 1974, the respected modern art historian, Dore Ashton, explores the relationship between Cornell's poetic art works and the works of poetry and literature (as well as opera, music, dance, and philosophy), which he held in such high esteem. Ashton's own astute observations are punctuated with examples of text by those authors Cornell most admired (including Gerard de Nerval, Emily Dickenson and Mary Baker Eddy), as well as by writing from Cornell himself. The result is an intimate look at the development of Cornell's thought and his unique poetic objects... much as if we were peering into his diaries or sneaking a peak into his working studio. If Cornell's work was clearly indebted to the writings of various poetic predecessors, then later poets more than reciprocate this admiration. The book ends with a special section of elegiac contributions in tribute to Cornell's art, by such esteemed poets as John Ashberry, Elizabeth Bishop, Richard Howard and Octavio Paz. Perhaps the sole flaw of this well-written book is its limited amount of reproductions of Cornell's work. There are several fine illustrations of rarely seen pieces, and a number of beautiful photographs of Cornell and his home taken by Duane Michals, but "lavishly illustrated" it is not. If you are looking for great color reproductions of Cornell's collages and boxes, look elsewhere; you will find this book quite inadequate for that purpose. If, however, you are interested in exploring the art and writings that inspired Cornell's work, this may be just the place to start.

Dore Ashton was the first writer to create a volume on this iconoclastic artist with his cooperation. It is not a biography nor is it a critical examination of his work. It is also not a "picture book." Instead, it is an early effort to explain the artist in the context of his world, not ours. Unusual photographs by Terry Schutte are the only extant images of Cornell "creating" his work. Images by Duane Michals are collaborative with Cornell which further serve to show the latter's varied interests and inspirations: toys in his make believe back yard, contemplation of objects incorporated into his constructed boxes, naked female photographs from a Michal's series likewise transformed into a collage. Add to this the complete text of two self-published pamphlets Cornell wrote on ballet, poems by Octavio Paz and Elizabeth Bishop motivated constructed objects, and other material Cornell used to inspire his work creates in this very early volume on the artist a book that is as unique in its perspective as the artist was in his era.
This is a reprint of what is an important, early contribution to the literature on the now much discussed American artist, Joseph Cornell.

I should have known better than to buy a book without actually holding it in my hands and giving it at least a cursory once through. One of the editorial reviews said that it was "lavishly illustrated", and that was good enough for me. There simply is not enough books with illustrations of the works of Joseph Cornell. Hence, I bought it, only to find that there's not a single color plate in the whole book. All the illustrations are B&W. Not only that, but most of the photographs of the works are not particularly well done. I admit, I haven't even looked at the text--so, call me provencial. Art books are about art. Art is colorful. In writing a review of a book, I would be ashamed to call it "lavishly illustrated" when not a single plate is in color. What, then, makes it lavish? You've got me. I'm going to bet that you're going to see a lot of used copies of this book in the near future. Frankly, if you need a fix of Joseph Cornell, buy the Prestel Post Cards of Cornell. You'll save money and actually get some idea of what his creative work was about.

Joseph & Mary: A Love Story by Nathan A. Lewis is a tribute to the ultimate love story depicted in the Bible between Joseph and Mary. It is a fictionalized story of one of the greatest loves known, yet with a twist. Lewis has taken the story and brought it to the 21st Century. As told in the Bible, Mary, a virgin, is carrying the child of God and shares the news with Joseph, the man she plans to marry. He accepts the gift and helps raise Jesus as his own child, yet he has feelings of inadequacy and questions if he can even compare his love to that of God. The story continues through Jesus' life and Joseph's death, with the focus on the love and relationship between Joseph and Mary.

This is one of those books that may leave a big question mark once finished. While I knew the story from my teachings of the Bible, I still felt a bit weird reading a fictionalized account, with dialogue to match. It didn't seem quite right in a way, but I did enjoy reading the story for the most part. I would have liked to have seen more interaction between Joseph and Mary.

The dialogue, while perhaps close to the story, seemed a bit forced and simplistic at times. The characters were not given the depth needed to fully carry off this revised version of the story. Overall, it was okay, but I think the book would be better served as a teaching aide to those not familiar with the Bible instead of a stand-alone story. To someone who studies the Bible, the story may be viewed as blasphemous.

Reviewed by Mz. Melody for Loose Leaves Book Review

Perhaps one of the most well-known and beautiful of the biblical stories is that of the birth of Jesus. The story as we are told begins with an Angel relaying a message to Mary regarding a miracle that will forever change her, the world and the faith of millions. This blessed event has been read about, celebrated, debated and re-enacted throughout the centuries. Author Nathan A. Lewis has taken on the daunting task of re-telling the story by delving into the relationships between Mary, Joseph and Jesus. In JOSEPH & MARY: A Love Story, Lewis chronicles the courtship of the two from the immaculate conception to the raising of Jesus. Lewis also deviates from the biblical story by setting his novel in the modern world.

As with any re-telling of a known story, the present author carries a great burden. Although Lewis does not stray from the original message of love, family, and faith, he does not make the story his own either. It would have been great if there were more in-depth probing of the possible feelings that Joseph and Mary had for one another, their reaction to raising the child of God and the relationship they had with Jesus. As a work of fiction, there was a license to truly do more of a re-telling than to simply re-cast the characters in the 21st century. The scene where Joseph learns that his supposedly virginal fiancée is carrying a child that is not his, but also claiming the child to be that of God, could have been dramatic and heartfelt, yet I found it a bit unemotional and flat.

I find the biblical version beautiful and heartfelt. I didn't see it here. I do think that JOSEPH & MARY: A Love Story would be a good supplement to the teaching of the biblical story, for it is told in a straightforward manner, and being set in the modern world gives the story a bit of a more personal feel and it is easy to comprehend. However, as a novel, it unfortunately, falls short. The dialogue and interactions between the characters just felt too restricted and unemotional for such a grand story of love and faith. (RAW Rating: 2.5)

Reviewed by L. Raven James
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers