The Eldritch Dark
The Sanctum of Clark Ashton Smith
Clark Ashton Smith (1893-1961), perhaps best known today for his association with H.P Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos, is in his own right a unique master of fantasy, horror and science-fiction. Highly imaginative, his genre-spanning visions of worlds beyond, combined with his profound understanding of the English language, have inspired an ever -increasing legion of fans and admirers.
For most of his life, he lived in physical and intellectual isolation in Auburn, California (USA). Predominantly self-educated with no formal education after grammar school, Smith wore out his local library and delved so deeply into the dictionary that his richly embellished, yet precise, prose leaves one with the sense that they are in the company of a true master of language.
Though Smith primarily considered himself a poet, having turned to prose for the meager financial sum it rewarded, his prose might best be appreciated as a "fleshed" out poetry. In this light, plot and characters are subservient to the milieu of work: a setting of cold quiet reality, which, mixed with the erotic and the exotic, places his work within its own unique, phantasmagoric genre. While he also experimented in painting, sculpture, and translation, it is in his written work that his legacy persists.
During his lifetime, Smith's work appeared commonly in the pulps alongside other masters such H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, August Derleth, and E. Hoffmann Price and like many great artists, recognition and appreciation have come posthumously. In recent decades though, a resurgence of interest in his works has lead to numerous reprintings as well as scholarly critiques.
The Eldritch Dark is a site to facilitate both scholars and fans in their appreciation and study of Clark Ashton Smith and his works.
Graphic Classics: H P Lovecraft (Revised Edition - with 75 New Pages!)
The master of gothic horror presented in comics and illustration. Boyd's review: "Contains the most inspired illustration of Lovecrafts work I have ever seen". "Eureka Productions
Re: HPL & Nightmares -my essay
27 Jan, 2012 3:23PM by Knygatin
“Absquatch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Finally, amid all this flurry of enthusiasm for
> literary criticism and other pattern-seeking
> (actually pattern-making) activities, let's not
> forget the wise words of Clark Ashton Smith,
> himself:
>
> "Explanations are neither necessary, desirable,
> nor possible."
Compared to a century ago, I believe that today criticism dominates the social room much more. It causes an… ”
Re: Less Familiar Weird Literature
26 Jan, 2012 1:58PM by Jojo Lapin X
“The Everyman's Library Chandler collection contains "The Bronze Door."… ”
Re: Less Familiar Weird Literature
26 Jan, 2012 1:41PM by asshurbanipal
“Hi Sandor Szabo
Many thanks for the information. I have a couple of Chandler omnibuses, but neither contains The Bronze Door. I shall have to find this somewhere. Many thanks also to those who encouraged me with this idea, and now the deed is done - THE CHINESE BOX in 2000 words is complete. It isn't… ”
26 Jan, 2012 5:07AM by treycelement
“calonlan wrote:
> Interesting observations - one small reminder -
> nearly all of the mythology and proper names (like
> Conan) and toponymic references (like Cimmeria)
> were borrowed quite freely from Irish Mythology -
> no doubt a barbaric and demon haunted, sorcerer
> be-deviled time in history -- It is only recently
> that the rich history/mythology of Ireland… ”
25 Jan, 2012 2:53PM by Kipling
“The Miscellaneous Writings arrived two days ago; excellent in all aspects! Leaving the numerous fragmentary works out seems right-- as well as choosing original version of "The Hashish-Eater"... Arkham House would have done well to include "Fungi From Yuggoth" in Dagoninstead of the early tales, in my opinion… ”