Is there room for a volume of annotated CAS texts, and what would you like to see in such a volume?

*Author of Strange Gardens [www.lulu.com]


*Editor of Calenture: a Journal of Studies in Speculative Verse [calenture.fcpages.com]

*Visit my homepage: [voleboy.freewebpages.org]

I didn't think much of the Joshi's annotated Lovecraft. I felt the notes more often than not got in the way of the story. A few of the notes were perhaps interesting but most of them seemed way to trivial.

We'rd including notes on each individual story in the Night Shade set (in an appendix), and we're thinking of including a glossary of CAS' more esoteric vocabulary usages, but we're not going to do a full tilt monty annotation like Joshi did. There aren't too many contemporary or historical references in Smith's stories, so any attempt at explication would involve the imposition of a third viewpoint between the author and the reader.

Scott

I agree with Scott on this. A glossary at the end of each volume should be sufficient. Contrary to Lovecraft's striving after the semblance of verisimilitude by grounding as many details in a work in historical events and actual locations, Smith prefers to invent as much in his tales as he can. An occasional note may be helpful when Smith refers to an artist or a real location in one of the contemporary tales, but I would not consider such glosses obligatory in Smith, as they sometimes are in HPL.

Jim


P.S. I like what looks like Scott's new way of spelling WE'RD TALES.

What about, then, as a modified idea, a critical edition of some of CAS' poetry? There may be scope in some poems for annotations rather than a glossary at the end, for example, but I'd like also to see bibliographic and textual data where appropriate.

Of course, selection criteria is important, and I would probably plump for pleasure as the first and foremost one. If so, how would that affect a reading of the contents?

*Author of Strange Gardens [www.lulu.com]


*Editor of Calenture: a Journal of Studies in Speculative Verse [calenture.fcpages.com]

*Visit my homepage: [voleboy.freewebpages.org]

Phillip,

It would be a huge step in Smith studies. I mentioned this idea in passing, when I wrote a letter to Connors for LOST WORLDS.

A glossary wouldn't be too hard to create. There's a wealth of other information to be annotated though.

Great idea...
:)

John Hitz has prepared such a glossary, which we may include as an appendix to the Night Shade CAS set.
Scott