Clark Ashton Smith Books

I've been an avid CAS reader for over 30 years. I happened on the Ballantine Books "Fantasy Series" paperback edition ZOTHIQUE when it was first released in the 70s, and have long wished for a compendium of his work.

CAS's style is very dense, and reflects very careful construction of prose as well as plot. His style is as evolved as Lord Dunsany, Morris, and Tolkien, and is entertaining in it's own right. Don't let this scare you off - his stories are all eminently accessible to casual readers, and numerous wry turns of phrase indicate a well-honed (but bone dry) sense of humor.

When compared to his better-known contemporaries, H.P. Lovecraft (Cthulu) and Robert E. Howard (Conan) I find CAS to be more a "readers writer." CAS is a master of phrasing surpassing HPL - his stories are less eerie than HPL, and don't slather on the dread as heavily. CAS is (usually) less swash-buckling blood-and-gore than REH, but doesn't shrink from characters hacking each other to bits when the story requires.

The only fault I can find with this series is that stories are ordered by date of publication. (Perhaps this was required by the copyrights issued to the three Ballantine collections assembled by Lin Carter.) My preference, though less academic, would be to collect the tales by story cycle to facilitate READING rather than STUDYING. Nevertheless, these volumes are without question well worth the investment - like a collection of Poe, you will find yourself returning to them many times.

I love the writings of Clark Ashton Smith. He was the quintessenstial poet. BOW DOWN, I AM THE EMPEROR OF DREAMS. I Crown me with the million-colored suns of secret worlds incredible and take their trailing skies
for vestment. His fiction is also clothed in words that are poetry. His only peer is Lord Dunsany.I corresponded a little with Smith and owned one of his strange sculptures. I welcome this renaissance of interest in Smith (if that is what it is).I wrote a short story influenced by his writings which he critiqued and added one sentence. I lost it, if you ever come across it, the title is THE COMING OF THE BLACK NEBULA.

This first volume in what promises to be the definitive collection of short fiction by Clark Ashton Smith is nothing short of a literary treasure. For those who have previously had to satisfy their craving for Klarkashtonia by seeking it out in scattered and hard-to-obtain tomes, The Collected Fantasies of Clark Ashton Smith is a blessing nonpareil. Do yourself a favor and get it while it lasts.

`The End of the Story' is the first of five volumes of Clark Ashton Smith's short stories. The stories are arranged chronologically by composition. The stories in this volume were written between 1925 and 1930. The stories are:

The Abomination of Yondo
Sadastor
The Ninth Skeleton
The Last Incantation
The End of the Story
The Phantoms of the Fire
A Night in Malneant
The Resurrection of the Rattlesnake
Thirteen Phantasms
The Venus of Azombeii
The Tale of Satampra Zeiros
The Monster of the Prophecy
The Metamorphosis of the World
The Epiphany of Death
A Murder in the Fourth Dimension
The Devotee of Evil
The Satyr
The Planet of the Dead
The Uncharted Isle
Marooned in Andromeda
The Root of Ampoi
The Necromatic Tale
The Immeasurable Horror
A Voyage to Sfanomoe

Most of the stories are of the `weird tale' sort, but some veer to straight Horror and some can be classified as Science Fiction (although always with a horror angle). Smith was a very flowery writer, and some of the stories can be tough going, but that's the beauty of short stories, they're short.

As established here and reinforced by the second volume, all five books in this series are essential to anyone interested in Smith's work and literate fantasy as a whole. Connors and Hilger have followed earlier textual studies by Donald Sidney-Fryer, Steve Behrends, and others with extensive studies of their own to restore as much of the glory to Smith's texts as is currently possible - and what glory! Smith is one of the few fantasists capable not only of creating multiple fantasy cultures, but with investing each of those worlds with its own distinct atmosphere, tone, and use of language. Many earlier versions of these texts toned down the richness, eroticism, and grotesquerie of these stories in order to appeal to what Smith's editors deemed was acceptable to the lowest-common-denominator among its readership. Scores of deletions, simplifications, bowdlerizations, and other alterations which have served to remove the sheen from these works have here been corrected through painstaking attention to all available manuscripts and correpondence. Here, at long last, is Smith in all his mordant, coruscating splendor. If one considers all of this, along with intelligent introductory material; alternate endings; unpedantic notes to each story detailing its composition, publication history, and its place within the larger context of Smith's work; as well as Jason Van Hollander's inspired integration of Smith and his sculptures into the macabre and affectionate cover art; Night Shade and these editors have presented to all lovers of fantasy an edition of the master's prose fiction which will serve as the benchmark for many years to come.

This fun little graphic novel is a collection of some twelve short stories and poems that were all written by the greats of modern horror literature - H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe, Saki (pen name of Hector Hugh Munro), Jack London, and others. Just as heterogeneous as the authors are the illustrators. Each of the stories was illustrated by a different artist, who drew the story as he or she saw fit, each different from the others and each excellent.

Overall, I thought that this was an excellent book, with great stories and wonderful illustration work. I think that my favorites were Lovecraft's The Thing on the Doorstep, W.W. Jacobs' Monkey's Paw, and Clark Ashton Smith's The Beast of Averoigne, with Bret Harte's Selina Sedilia being too funny to miss. Yep, this is a great book, one that my fourteen-year-old daughter and I both enjoyed and both highly recommend!

Horror Classics is a graphic novel anthology that brings to vivid life those great tales of terror by Edgar Allan Poe, H. P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, and others. Each individual story is skillfully rendered into comic book format by a different artist, who uses black-and-white imagery to perfectly capture moments of terror. An engrossing introduction to the classics of horror for those new to the literary experience, and an exciting fresh take on great stories for those who have read them a hundred times before.

Horror has done well for the modern incarnation of the Graphic Classics, whose series has seen such luminaries as Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe and HP Lovecraft brought to life by some extremely talented cartoonists. Whether it is the short-story nature, or the ready-made visually splendid imagery, there is something in the classic horror tales thats makes them well suited to the Graphic Classics treatment. Here, in the 10th volume, they have wisely continued this tradition, and assembled an anthology of classic horror stories to chill and delight.

"Horror Classics" brings together 12 authors, some of which, like HP Lovecraft , Jack London and Ambrose Bierce, have been previously honored with their own Graphic Classics collections. Others, like Clark Ashton Smith and Honre de Balzac, appear for the first time. All of the stories are well-chosen, and the artists's styles are well-matched.

This collection contains:

"The Mummy" - Ambrose Bierce - A short and witty poem, with a sharp illustration to match it.

"The Thing at the Doorstep" - HP Lovecraft - A brilliant take on one of my favorite Lovecraft stories. The artist manages to capture the "Innsmouth look" perfectly, and uses the author's original text combined with illustrations to great effect. "glub..glub...glub-glub..." You know what I mean.

"Some Words with a Mummy" - Edgar Allan Poe - A clever and light adaptation of a resurrected mummy bantering with a few scientists over which has the superior society.

"In a Far Off World" - Oliver Schreiner - An excellent, melancholy tale. One I have never read before, but am glad to be introduced to.

"The Thing at Ghent" - Honre de Balzac - Entirely dialog free, I am at a bit of a loss as to the actual story. Unfortunately, it is not such a familiar tale as to be able to divine the story from illustrations alone. The only disappointment in the lot.

"The Monkey's Paw" - WW Jacobs - Any fan of "The Simpsons" will recognize this one, although they may have never seen the original. The artist JW Pierard maintains the full weight of the original cautionary tale. Be careful what you wish for, and don't mess with unfamiliar magiks.

"The Open Window" - Saki - Another familiar tale, one that I have heard told but never knew the origin of. A clever almost-ghost story, well adapted in a simple Victorian style.

"A Day Dream" - Fitz-James O-Brien - Cartoonish musings on murder, and the high class going slumming in the Five Points.

"Keesh Son of Keesh" - Jack London - A dark and powerful tale of barbarian culture and blood-rights amongst the Native American tribes. Ryan Inzana's heavy woodblock illustrations perfectly compliment this heavy story.

"Professor Jonkin's Cannibal Plant" - Howard R. Garis - "Feed me, Seymour!" Another comedic adaptation, featuring a foolish professor and his frightening child.

"The Beast of Averoigne" - Clark Ashton Smith - A contemporary of Lovecraft, this tale of a wild comet, a haunted abbey, and the Ring of Eibon, is adapted with appropriate style.

"Selina Sedilia" - Bret Harte - A humorous look at love ever-after between two base villains. And of course, there is only one way to achieve love "ever-after."

Editors Connors and Hilger have succeeded once again in producing more of the ultimate Clark Ashton Smith collection of fantastic prose. As in volume one, they have corrected the tales using Smith's original manuscripts, published here in chronological order according to when they were written, not by subject or date of publication. At times the changes are minor, but in some instances the publisher forced Smith to butcher his own work or, even worse, altered the text without Smith's permission. Now they are restored to original form, the way the author meant them to be!

The editors have also provided histories of the writing and publishing of all of the stories, a Smith bibliography and an alternate ending to "The Return of the Sorcerer."

I eagerly await the next installment in this 5-part collection, as this is the definitive Smith, in many cases unseen since the author first wrote the tales herein!

although not all of clark ashton smith's weird tales are classics, almost all of them are worth reading. his best stories are terrific. this volume contains two of his very best; "THE CITY OF THE SINGING FLAME" and "THE TESTAMENT OF ATHAMMAUS". both stories rank with (smith's good friend) h.p. lovecraft's finest. "THE CITY OF THE SINGING FLAME" in particular is one of the most devastating short stories i've ever read. it will knock you out. many such stories (in volumes like this) promise weirdness, this one really delivers. it may also say something (by implication) about the source of weird tales in general. "THE TESTAMENT OF ATHAMMAUS" on the other hand, is a hilarious account of an executed criminal who won't stay dead. many of the other tales in this volume are quite good as well. CLARK ASHTON SMITH at his best is one of the greatest writers of weird tales that ever lived. this volume contains some of his very best. don't miss it.

I'm glad someone finally brought this great fantasy writer back so others can enjoy his fantastic journeys. Thanks!

This is an extraordinary collection of fantasy (and sometimes horror) masterpieces by a much-neglected, but very influential author. Smith published mostly in WEIRD TALES in the Twenties and Thirties but also published in the occasional science fiction pulp magazine as well. This is fantasy before Tolkein and has nothing of the Arthurian mold to it. Smith writes of weird worlds, strange sorcerers, men who set out to explore the ruins of a dead city of antiquity only to unleash some horror on the world. Lovecraft is the one author who lurks in the background, but Smith is really a writer all of his own. The other factor that is important here is Smith's use of language. It's very poetic and rich, perhaps over the top at times. But this is the attraction of this kind of literature; the very language itself is what evokes these weird worlds and strange landscapes. I can highly recommend this book, especially if you are a fan of fantasy. But be forewarned: This isn't the sword-and-sorcery of Robert Jordan or David Eddings. These stories are dark are the kind that gave WEIRD TALES its power and uniqueness. The editors at Bison should be commended for bringing these stories back out into the open.

The memoir by Dr. Farmer is the most profound and moving essay I have ever read on Smith - his editing is insightful as well and carefully done.
As one of the very last persons who knew Smith personally, his insights are of enormous value. Smith devotees should be beating down his door to pick his brain while he still lives.

Clark Ashton Smith's Arabian Nights novel, The Black Diamonds, published by Hippocampus Press in 2002, was thought to be the most significant of Smith's juvenile writings. But the revelation that Smith wrote another full-scale novel, The Sword of Zagan, shortly after The Black Diamonds, underscores the prodigious fecundity of Smith's teenage years. This volume contains a sheaf of never-before published material by Smith: The Sword of Zagan, another thrilling Arabian Nights adventure featuring two janissaries who experience numerous close brushes with death and engage in battles with swords and fists in quest of the affections of Fatima, the Sultan's niece; nearly a dozen short stories set in India or the Middle East; and an array of poems and fragments that reveal Smith's youthful immersion into exotic realms of wonder and fantasy. Original illustrations by artist Jason C. Eckhardt capture the action and evoke an Oriental setting.
--- from book's back cover

Dark, horrific, funny, bleak, richly jeweled and ragged in a rotting shroud.

Prayers would be out of place under Clark Ashton Smith's sinister, dying red sun, but let us cast some spell that may lead to a new edition.

Very memorable anthology of short horror/fantasy stories set in the mythical continent of Zothique. Elaborate, embellished
prose but they still retain a certain "Twilight Zone" quality.
Well worthwhile if you can find a copy of this scarce volume.

This volume includes a transcription of Clark Ashton Smith's "Black Book", a notebook in which he kept story ideas and plot germs, invented names, story titles, possible content tables for story collections, and so on. This makes for fascinating reading, as it reveals the author's creative process at work, with variants on the finally published stories, unused ideas, and so on. There are also a number of CAS's poems in draft form, along with the final versions -- and several of these are among his best. Also included are some interesting memoirs of meetings with CAS. All in all, this is an essential item for CAS fans.

Lost Worlds of Space and Time, Volume Two is the eagerly (well, by me) awaited second volume of fiction written based on, in tribute of or using themes and characters by the incomparable Clark Ashton Smith. I very much enjoyed Volume One. Just like its predecessor, Volume Two is a handsome trade paperback. Page count is 230, very generous, a little higher than Volume One. Like before the cover art is by Steve Lines, and is based on works by CAS. The aliens are different and facing a different direction. I like it better than I did Volume One a year ago; it's grown on me. The interior art was most welcome and also by Mr. Lines, who did the editing honors. On the whole, I am glad to have this book although I think Volume One is clearly stronger than Volume Two. Maybe the prose was more derivative across the board in Volume Two? Here is a bone I have to pick with these genre anthologies in general, not just with this book in particular. It is about publication history. Who is responsible for the copyright info and publication history? For example, Black Massif by Stanley Sargent is listed as a first publication, and © 2005. But I have a copy of Ancient Exhumations +2 by Sargent from Elder Signs Press, © 2004, and it contains Black Massif. Hmph.

Here are the contents. Again the atories are divided based on what work by CAS influenced them:
Introduction by Steve Lines
Xiccarph
The Lord of Xiccarph by Ron Shiflet (poem)
The Maze of Maal-Dweb by Steve Lines (poem)
The Reprisals of Maal-Dweb by Henry J. Vester III
The Death of Maal-Dweb by C. J. Henderson
The Legacy of Maal-Dweb by Ron Shiflet
Earth
The Gordian Knot by Robert M. Price
Orpheus at Sea by Mark Francis (poem)
The Cave Wizard by Richard L. Tierney (poem)
The Letter by Warlock G. Vance
The Night that Wins by Joel Lane
Aihai
Cavern of the Golden Fleece by Edward P. Berglund
Yihh
The Sarcophagus of Yiolh-Ngwehh by Simon Whitechapel
Xulthoom
The Xulthoom Dispatches by Scott Urban
Zothique
The Vainglorious Simulacrum of Mungha Sorcyllamia by Mark McLaughlin
The Fane of Mordiggian by Ann K. Schwader (poem)
At the Yielding of Twilight by Ann K. Schwader (poem)
Maraeva by Ran Cartwright
Plagues by Franklyn Searight (poem)
The Storming of Vrookhal by Laurence J. Cornford
Cincor During Necromantic Rule by Ron Shiflet (poem)
Deepness by Phillip Ellis (poem)
Gylas' Hymn to Mordiggian: A Fragment (poem)
The Villanelle of the Last Days by Phillip Ellis (poem)
The Black Massif by Stanley Sargent

I freely admit I was not won over by any of the poetry. Regarding the stories, they are each set in some corner of CAS' fantastical worlds. For example, note all the Xiccarph stories written loosely as sequels to The Web of Maal-Dweb.

The Reprisals of Maal-Dweb by Henry Vester was set in the future time when an earthly spaceship comes to Xiccarph and humans try to outwit/out fight the potent old sorcerer. This was OK, easy to read if not too inspired.

The Death of Maal-Dweb by C. J. Henderson is a direct sequel to The Web of Maal-Dweb. Again, reasonably engaging, not disagreeable. CJ Henderson has written many other fine stories.

The Legacy of Maal-Dweb by Ron Shiflet is also a sequel to The Web of Maal-Dweb, although in a very different way than the Henderson tale. For whatever reason, this was my favorite of all the Maal-Dweb stories. The mordant twist would likely have brought a smile to CAS' face.

The Gordian Knot by Robert M. Price - Not bad! Price gives a very readable story of the real history behind the Gordian Knot, with some OK CAS imagery.

The Letter by Warlock G. Vance - OK! Now we're getting somewhere! A detective on a murder scene finds a letter written to him, years ago
by CAS. I found this story evocative and effective.

The Night that Wins by Joel Lane was a creepily effective story about a man who loses his family and seeks to understand what happened, and maybe get revenge.

Cavern of the Golden Fleece by Edward P. Berglund - Now here is a story that is a clear winner. I really enjoyed this from start to finish; Mr. Berglund really delivers the goods, with humor, grotesque touches and nifty prose.

The Sarcophagus of Yiolh-Ngwehh by Simon Whitechapel - an acolyte plans to steal a relic from a priest and doesn't realize that spells may be effective even if their caster moulders in his sarcophagus. Decent read, didn't knock my socks off.

The Xulthoom Dispatches by Scott Urban - Better than most of the other stories here, a young girl visits Xulthoom and does not enjoy the trip. I liked this story rather well but I found the mock photo at the end didn't really have much impact. Maybe a prose finish would have been better.

The Vainglorious Simulacrum of Mungha Sorcyllamia by Mark McLaughlin - Another nicely evocative tale about a man who longs for woman he cannot have, and then tries to cross to her dimension. This brief description does not do justice to the prose or world painting.

Maraeva by Ran Cartwright - I really wish I liked this story better. For me it was too derivative and the prose didn't hold up to the better stories here. On the other hand, the time travel paradox and denouement were handled nicely.

The Storming of Vrookhal by Laurence J. Cornford - Good story of a wizard and the advisors of a vain and foolish king who seeks to find an ancient magic that will give him eternal life. OK, the prose is no match for CAS but whose is? I liked it.

The Black Massif by Stanley Sargent - A decent effort by Sargent about wizards trying to circumvent the end of humanity in the last days of Zothique.

Am I being too harsh? I dunno, another person might be more favorably inclined. For the most part I just happened to like the stories in Volume One quite a bit better than most of the ones here. Certainly the Berglund story made me smile. There was nothing here I disliked; every story had some merits. I was engaged for the whole book and never set it aside until I was done, so there is some charm to it; I can safely recommend it to all CAS fans and fans of weird fiction. I just wish I liked it better. In any event, I sincerely hope Rainfall will give us a volume Three in the future.

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.

This provides the only unexpurgated publication of this excellent fantasy/horror tale. Highly recommended.