About the Eldritch Dark

The Eldritch Dark a website dedicated to one of the greatest and least recognized literary talents of the 20^th century -- Clark Ashton Smith. A labour of love that started in July 1997 and has been updated monthly ever since. This site has not been a solo effort, I owe an unmeasurable amount of gratitude to a large number of contributors.

If you are new to the works of Clark Ashton Smith, here are a few of over a thousands works I suggest you start with:

Quest of the Gazolba (Short Story)
Nyctalops (Poem)
The City of the Singing Flame (Short Story)
The Hashish Eater -or- The Apocalypse of Evil (Poem)
The Lotus and the Moon (Prose Poem)

I hope you enjoy your visit, and if you have any questions or comment about the site, please drop me a line,

-Boyd Pearson.

Perhaps you can help ?

A large number of jobs, big and small, need doing - contact me if you have some spare time.

I'm Looking for material from:

Neurotica by J.K Potter. Overlook Press 1996.

Translations:

Of CAS's stories, poems or prose poems in to another language. Make sure to include the English title with any submission. See what translations have already been done in the Translations of Clark Ashton Smith's works section.

Original Contributions:

The site is always looking for original articles on Smith, his work and life. Also original fiction, poetry and art in the vein of or inspired by a Clark Ashton Smith.

Proof Readers:

I'm looking for people with access to printed Smith who are available to proof read the material on the site. If interested please email me.

Other Site George Sterling:

I need some one with time on their hands to type up some material I have that is scanned so badly that the ocr software rejects it. Contact us

Submissions policy:

Material submitted to the site is never removed, unless by prior agreement.

In Case you were wondering:

eldritch adjective : Hideous; ghastly; as, an eldritch shriek or laugh

Eldritch perhaps derives from a Middle English word meaning "fairyland," from Middle English elf, "elf" (from Old English aelf) + riche, "kingdom" (from Old English rice).

1508 DUNBAR Gold. Targe 125 Thare was Pluto the elrich incubus. 1513 DOUGLAS Æneis VII. 108 Vgsum to heir was hir wyld elriche screik. 1535 STEWART Cron. Scot. II. 636 Thair cleithing quhilk wes of elritche hew. 1536 BELLENDEN Cron. Scot. I. 217 Mony haly and relligious men..fled in desertis and elraige placis. 1585 JAS. I. Ess. Poesie (Arb.) 68 The king of Fary..With many elrage Incubus rydant. 1598 J. MELVILL Diary 25 Feb. 320 The amazfull, ugly alriche darkness. 1789 BURNS On Capt. Grose, Ye'll find him snug in Some eldritch part. 1834 PRINGLE Afr. Sk. ii. 144 Loud bursts of wild and eldrich laughter. 1850 HAWTHORNE Scarlet Let. vii. (1879) 122 Pearl..gave an eldritch scream. 1860 LD. LYTTON Lucile I. iii. §I. 87 Truth is appalling and eltrich, as seen By this world's artificial lamplights. 1866 HOWELLS Venet. Life iii. 40 Joy that had something eldritch and unearthly in it.

- From the OED.

"The Eldritch Dark" A Poem by Clark Ashton Smith.

Notes on Copyright:

Most of theses items are copyrighted by the various authors, artists and companies where listed with the works when possible. They are used here with permission in most cases but any work will be removed if so requested by those copyright holders. Anything copyrighted prior to 1923 is in the public domain. The author of these pages encourages readers to purchase every piece of in print Clark Ashton Smith you can find. Anything with out an author, artist and company listed is copyrighted to The Eldritch Dark (Boyd Pearson) This includes the sites style and format.

Permission has been granted for the non-profit use of Clark Ashton Smith material on The Eldritch Dark website by - CASiana (the Estate of Clark Ashton Smith) and Arkham House.

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