Clark Ashton Smith Books

Smith's vocabulary is something else again! He is showing off and no two ways about it, but Tennyson was not above similar exhibitionism. If you are a virtuoso with the language why not demonstrate it? I lap up this kind of horror-fantasy provided it is well enough written. For me it is escapist fun-reading. I can't take it 'seriously', I can't join in any cult of it and I can't say it frightens me the least little bit. The benchmark writer for the genre appears to be Lovecraft whose stuff I enjoy in much the way I enjoy Smith's, but it seems to me honestly that Smith is both a far better writer and a far better storyteller. He has more self-discipline and he is more of an artist than Lovecraft. Some of the effects are a bit cheap, but what would you expect? The pleasant thing for me about Smith is that he doesn't take himself as seriously as Lovecraft takes himself, especially with his tedious demonology of Cthulhu, Nyerlothatep, the Elder Gods and that boring lot. There is a fair amount of self-parody in Smith, but his imagination is strong, genuine and original and there is unmistakeably a dark side to it all.

American aficionados of Smith and Lovecraft are also recommended the stories of M R James -- not exactly the same kind of writer but likely to appeal to the same kind of reader, and in my opinion even more effective than either of these authors.

The Abominations of Yondo is a collection of short stories written by the late Clark Ashton Smith. It includes a variety of stories from the various worlds he created, such as Hyperborea, Zothique, and Averoigne. The stories tend to be very descriptive, and at times leave the reader wanting for more plot. On the other hand, the richness of the descriptions shows just what a master Smith was of the English language. There are turns of phrase that are beautifully unique and indicative of a creative master. In addition, these tales often reveal Smith's dark and sometimes bitter sense of humor. While most of the stories take place in a "fantasy" setting, "The Dweller in the Gulf" is truly terrifying, and worthy of the praise heaped upon Smith by the great H.P. Lovecraft. Overall, a disappointment if you're looking for horror (though the above mentioned story is thrilling), but for fans of Smith or descriptive fantasy, this is one worth owning.

I found these stories interesting primarily because of the vivid descriptions of the worlds that Volmar and his crew encounter. Sadly, there is very little to the stories other than that. There is really not much contained in these stories in the way of plot or character development. All three stories employ the same formula; the crew is stranded or captured on an alien planet, they encounter nightmarish flora and fauna, and then they escape. I liked the stories for what they are, but if you're looking for stories that contain an actual point (other than to freak the reader out with weird descriptions), these are probably not for you.

For those who wonder, this is NOT a work by the fantasist Clark Ashton Smith, as advertised by Amazon.. but rather it's a crime novel by the British writer Clark Smith.