I've just started "Out of Space and Time", the first collection of Clark Ashton Smith stories published by Arkham House in 1942 (my copy is a 2006 reprint by Bison). I've read a few of his stories before but this is the first dedicated compilation. Last night I finished the first of three included "Hyperborean Grotesques", the excellent "Testament of Athammaus", about a headsman with troubles at work. : )
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Out_of_Space_and_Time
I'll add this quote from the Wiki page: "The stories for this volume were selected by the author and were considered by him to be his best fantasy and horror stories to date."
ReplyDeleteA classic!
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All of the Lovecraft Brotherhood are wonderful, but i urge you to try Fritz "Fahfrd" Leiber when you can.
ReplyDeleteI have that, and the other one Bison printer, 'Lost Worlds'. Both are excellent.
ReplyDeleteI love HPL and CAS both, as well as Robert E Howard, Algernon Blackwood & William Hope Hodgson. Writers of this time period really have something that draws me in. Kemen, my campaign, has elements of both
ReplyDeleteIf you can get a hold of any of the Collected works- Hyperboria, Poseidonis
ReplyDelete, Zothique etc. Both the Lin Carter compiled versions and the ones put out by Necronomicon Press are a great way to read through CAS's stories although I favor the Lin Carter version due to the attempt at placing the stories in chronological order, the Necronomicon Press books have the stories in real world chronology from when they were written/published. Both are good reads. On another note the Collected Fantasies of CAS are going to be reprinted in paperback starting with Vol 1 in Sept.(the first 2 volumes have been out of print for a few years).
Michael Pace Thanks for the info! I just ordered the last two Collected Fantasies last night, the only two still in print. Good to hear I will be able to get the earlier ones in PB.
ReplyDeleteMark Tygart I have the first six books of the Gray Mouser/Fafhrd, though I've only read the first 2-3. Definitely need to get back to those. I also read The Big Time years ago, but didn't like it that much.
ReplyDeleteZach, I envy you the stories you are about to discover. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteZach H Fafhrd and Gray Mouser are a S&S must. Our Lady of Darkness is also very cool.
ReplyDeleteJulian Levallon Thank. The Double Shadow was so good I read it again the next morning!
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