First published 2014
Clark Ashton Smith crafted supernatural fiction unlike any other writer. This collection gathers his finest tales and poems, showcasing worlds that blur the boundaries between fantasy, horror, and science fiction. Smith's stories transport readers to bizarre alien landscapes and forgotten civilizations where ancient powers stir and reality bends toward nightmare. His protagonists encounter sorcerers in decaying cities, explorers who stumble upon cosmic horrors, and scholars who uncover forbidden knowledge that threatens their sanity. Each tale demonstrates Smith's unique ability to blend elaborate prose with inventive world-building. H.P. Lovecraft praised Smith as "perhaps unexcelled by any other writer, dead or living," while Fritz Lieber called his work sui generis. Scholar S.T. Joshi selected and introduced these pieces, presenting Smith's visionary approach to supernatural literature. The collection reveals an autodidact poet and philosopher who sculpted words as carefully as he shaped clay, creating phantasmagorical realms filled with terror and metaphysical wonder.
Genres: science-fiction, 20th-century, fantasy, horror
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, thought-provoking
Tropes: cosmic-horror, supernatural
Setting: Alien Landscapes, Decaying Cities, Forgotten Civilizations
Period: Ancient
370 pages · Paperback · Penguin Classics