Scott, do you have the manuscripts for v. 5 yet?

Is it looking like March2010, May 2010, or Late 2010? (those are the dates floating around the forum section over at NSB).

I hope the library got the scans/scripts to you for the final volume!

This volume is it! The epic quest for CAS writings will finally be complete!

The Night Shade page for the book is still saying "September 2010".

I'm in the process of making photocopies from the CD-ROMs for Ron and myself at present. So we are making progress. (Gott sei Dank!)

Scott

Scott Connors Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm in the process of making photocopies from the
> CD-ROMs for Ron and myself at present. So we are
> making progress. (Gott sei Dank!)
>
> Scott

If you have the manuscripts, then that is good news indeed!

Six months have passed and September is only 4 months away!

Will this book be finished and ship in September?

Im looking forward for this.
I have volumes 1 2 and 3 i still need to get #4

:-)


-Jeremy

Night Shade books along with making some of the most amazing collections of all times, has taught me patients will pay off...
They've also turned me into a fricking poet.

Mortusslinea

Amorphic and changing always just out of sight
I change with the darkness extending each night
An illusion when seen, for I am seldom near
The closer I get the further away I appear
So search for your portents, Your omens, your signs
There's nothing so just that I can't undermine
Your hopes are but grapes that I crush to make wine
For I am Mortusslinea, Destroyer of Deadlines

Yea... I should write a book :)

Don't blame them. Mea culpa.

Scott

Scott Connors Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Don't blame them. Mea culpa.
>
> Scott

Scott, how is the work on volume five going? Will it be done by September? (Only 4 months away)

I think he just told you.

Jojo Lapin X Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think he just told you.

That is not what I want to hear!

I fear this set will not ever be complete. There is no excuse either!

This is my challenge to you, just put in one hour per night on this project and get it finished. Spend a few weekends and get it finished. Do what it takes! 5 years have passed!

Eldritch Frog Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> I fear this set will not ever be complete.

Don't be ridiculous. Work is being done on Vol. 5, yet you say you fear this set will not ever be complete?

> 5 years have passed!

I would say "only five years", but that's because there are some books that have kept me waiting much longer. Five years is nothing in my book.

Eldritch Frog Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jojo Lapin X Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I think he just told you.
>
> That is not what I want to hear!
>
> I fear this set will not ever be complete. There
> is no excuse either!
>
> This is my challenge to you, just put in one hour
> per night on this project and get it finished.
> Spend a few weekends and get it finished. Do what
> it takes! 5 years have passed!

And you have four wonderful books that probably wouldn't exist if Scott Connors hadn't devoted himself to them. Sorry, I never understand the rush, especially when four of five of the books have already appeared. Again, I have an apartment FULL of things to read, so I stay busy regardless of Vol. 5 or not, but will be very happy when it is in hand, whenever that is. (Just my unsolicited opinion.)

Well, I suppose that we all kind of pick and choose what we deem most important and relevant, eh, Rog? ;-)

While I can certainly understand the desire to have the thing as soon as possible, such a "challenge" strikes me as churlish at the very least, given the amount of work Scott has put in on all this. While the fiction itself has long been written, the other work entailed with this project is no small endeavor, and unforeseen events can slow things down a great deal, whether that be difficulty in obtaining the proper manuscripts, correlating various versions of a tale, alterations in publication scheduling, or any of the thousand-and-one details which can derail "the best laid plans", despite the best efforts.

And I, too, must admit that I'd rather it take time and be the very best it can be, rather than have it (comparatively) rushed through... I've seen too many examples of what happens with publishing in such an event. No, thank you. As for the "five years!"... Pffft! I waited twenty-five years for Moorcock to complete his Pyat sequence (Some Reminiscences of Mrs. Cornelius Between the Wars), and fourteen between the third and fourth (and final) books of the sequence... and it was worth the wait! There are quite a few other instances I can think of where five years is negligible in comparison... and in none of those I can think of has it not been worth the extra time. Frustrating it may be (at times), but the end product is generally quite enough to make it worthwhile.

In the past it has been not having the texts and that I understand. But in this case, they have had them for half a year and it is not sounding like this will even get done this year.

With the limited info at hand, it is easy to surmise its a matter of not getting worked on that is problem. Not a matter of devoting enough time to age this fine wine.

But hey, it's not as bad as Wildside Press's "Weird Works of Robert E. Howard". The texts were literally edited and handed in five years ago.

It's true that none of us will care about the delays or really even remember them after we get that final volume in our hands.

I do appreciate the work Scott has done on this project and will likely contribute to the rumored/upcoming Lovecraft/CAS Letters set from Hippocampus Press.

I seem to remember at least one member was concerned that he might not get the last volume before he died. If he is still with us, having thought long and hard about it I wish to say the following, in the hope that it may provide some comfort: Trust me, if you die it will not matter to you so much anymore. (This, I believe, should hold pretty much regardless of one's personal metaphysics.)

Jojo Lapin X Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I seem to remember at least one member was
> concerned that he might not get the last volume
> before he died. If he is still with us, having
> thought long and hard about it I wish to say the
> following, in the hope that it may provide some
> comfort: Trust me, if you die it will not matter
> to you so much anymore. (This, I believe, should
> hold pretty much regardless of one's personal
> metaphysics.)

Very true! rofl!

What if a Crazed CAS Fan used a copy of Vol. 5 to beat you to death?


Cathexis

cathexis Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What if a Crazed CAS Fan used a copy of Vol. 5 to
> beat you to death?
>
>
> Cathexis

As long as he gave you the option to read it before the beating then that wouldn't be quite so bad, I suppose...

Eldritch Frog Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> But hey, it's not as bad as Wildside Press's
> "Weird Works of Robert E. Howard". The texts were
> literally edited and handed in five years ago.

Remember when Wildside confidently promised "one volume every six weeks"? I laughed when I first heard it, and I'm still laughing.

cathexis Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What if a Crazed CAS Fan used a copy of Vol. 5 to
> beat you to death?
>
>
> Cathexis
What would result is the first "Splatterpunk" horror volume penned by CAS. A true one-of-a-kind collectible!

If mass-produced, this version of CAS might increase readership among the normal horror fanbase!

Wildside Press shipped the final volume of Weird Works of Robert E. Howard. It's crazy, but I never expected Wildside to finish before Nightshade.

Scott, how is the final volume coming along? Will it be finished by the new date stated at Nightshade?

Quote:

Nightshade Books
To be published November 2010.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 27 Jul 10 | 03:49PM by Eldritch Frog.

I started turning in texts today. We ran into some difficulties with "The Death of Ilalotha" and "The Primal City," and I'm still trying to pin down some information for the notes. Van Hollander is working on the dust jacket, and we still need an introduction.

Speaking og which: In "The Eyrie" for WEIRD TALES October 1936 Wright states that the most popular stories in the July issue were "Red Nails" and "Necromancy in Naat." Can anybody provide me with a page number? I don't have that particular issue.

Scott

Thanks to Doug and Greg, who supplied me with the page reference that I need (p. 384).

Scott

Scott Connors Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I started turning in texts today. We ran into
> some difficulties with "The Death of Ilalotha" and
> "The Primal City," and I'm still trying to pin
> down some information for the notes. Van
> Hollander is working on the dust jacket, and we
> still need an introduction.
>
> Speaking og which: In "The Eyrie" for WEIRD TALES
> October 1936 Wright states that the most popular
> stories in the July issue were "Red Nails" and
> "Necromancy in Naat." Can anybody provide me with
> a page number? I don't have that particular
> issue.
>
> Scott

Awesome!!!

I'm in no rush. This is a great project and one worth savouring... I'm only just starting on vol 4 - having been holding back for when I'm in the right CAS mood. So far, so good... indeed I'd say it contains some of his strongest writing. Keep up the great work, Scott :)

The Coming of the White Worm and The Garden of Adompha are absolute favorites. It was the reading of Garden of Adompha a few years back that re-immersed me into the love of Weird literature after a long hiatus. I can fully wait until November for these restored treasures. Actually, it sounds nice to anticipate, as it will be arriving just around the yule season, the perfect time of year to read this kind of work.

[www.viatoriumpress.blogspot.com] Dedicated to the Weird.

I won't guarantee Nov (once bitten, twice shy!) but now that we've turned in the texts to Night Shade, it could possibly be even sooner . . . Jason Van Hollander should finish the cover this month (we've been supplying him with photos of CAS sculptures, etc. and his conception for the cover sounds fantastic!) There was another snafu with the guest introduction, but having learned from the past we had a back-up plan (actually, my first choice) in place when John Klute fell through. Without mentioning any names, I can say he is an Arkham House author with a profound knowledge of things Lovecraftian and Klarkash-Tonian, and I expect another FINE introduction in the near future.

There have been many delays with THE LAST HIEROGLYPH, and Scott and I would like to thank our own Martin Andersson for helping to proof the final texts and to help minimize these delays. His enthusiasm and professionalism has helped immensely to ensure this final volume is a worthy culmination to the series.
-Ron

casofile Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> There have been many delays with THE LAST
> HIEROGLYPH, and Scott and I would like to thank
> our own Martin Andersson for helping to proof the
> final texts and to help minimize these delays. His
> enthusiasm and professionalism has helped
> immensely to ensure this final volume is a worthy
> culmination to the series.
> -Ron

*much blushing and mumbling and scraping of foot* It was a big pleasure. :)

Great news! :)

And is Tales of India and Irony going to be available at the same time? And is it still going to be available to non-subscribers too?

The bonus booklet will appear at the same time as THE LAST HIEROGLYPH. It will not be available from the publisher, but Ron and I will have a limited number of copies available, don't know for sure how many.

Scott

Great news, Scott. Please save one for me (as part of our old 2005 bargain, remember?). By the way, it seems that my last off-list messages didn't reach you. Could you please answer privately using my usual email address?

Phil

Scott Connors Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The bonus booklet will appear at the same time as
> THE LAST HIEROGLYPH. It will not be available from
> the publisher, but Ron and I will have a limited
> number of copies available, don't know for sure
> how many.
>
> Scott

Good news indeed! Well, I'd like to put my order in now. :)

Scott,

Quote:

It will not be available from the publisher

I am a little confused. Maybe my memory is misbehaving, but I thought that Night Shade announced that it would be selling a limited number of copies of Tales of India and Irony to non-subscribers, and that one should sign up for their mailing list to be notified when it is available. Am I mistaken, or has the plan changed again?

Also, should those of us who are interested contact you or Ron directly?

Absquatch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> I am a little confused. Maybe my memory is
> misbehaving, but I thought that Night Shade
> announced that it would be selling a limited
> number of copies of Tales of India and Irony to
> non-subscribers, and that one should sign up for
> their mailing list to be notified when it is
> available. Am I mistaken, or has the plan changed
> again?

Aye, that's what I thought

Ron and I are not taking orders for the bonus booklet. We do not know how many we will have available, and I plan on squirreling away a few of them for the retirement fund. But if we have some extras, we will let people know.

Thanks. The situation sounds pretty grim for us non-subscribers, as I, for one, have no intention of paying "collectors' prices" for this volume, but at least we'll get the essential material. With luck, maybe a few libraries will be able to buy it.

Wow lots of updates! I keep forgetting about the subscriber bonus! That final cover sounds interesting! Can't wait to see it!

Speaking of Night Shade and promises...
The reason I didn't buy a "Subscription" for the CAS collection was based on my experience with the William Hope Hodgson delays.
Question: Did Night Shade ever distribute the promised slipcase for the Hodgon collection? This is one of those small issues I never heard back on.

Still... I will support Night Shade, I LOVE my Hodgesons, Karl Edward Wagners, CAS, etc collections.

Thanks

Absquatch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Scott,
>
> It will not be available from the publisher
>
> I am a little confused. Maybe my memory is
> misbehaving, but I thought that Night Shade
> announced that it would be selling a limited
> number of copies of Tales of India and Irony to
> non-subscribers, and that one should sign up for
> their mailing list to be notified when it is
> available. Am I mistaken, or has the plan changed
> again?

I didn't buy a subscription because I was working my way through graduate school at the time, and I didn't have the money to spend. I guess that that means those who don't have a lot of money don't deserve to read the complete fiction of Clark Ashton Smith. I am sure that CAS would approve of the ideology behind this reader selection principle, were he alive today.

I cancelled my subscription because the company I bought it through (not Night Shade) didn't send copies for months after the volumes had already been released. But I'm happy with the five volumes and don't feel I have to have this volume of arguable ephemera.

I didn't buy a subscription because I'm tight-fisted and the extra cost of shipping to the UK from Night Shade made it a very expensive proposition, whereas its free postage via amazon - although I'd still like the extra book if possible. A classic case of having my cake and eating it really. Although I'd argue what's the point of having a cake and not eating it?

Quote:

A classic case of having my cake and eating it really.

The point, for me, is that the extra volume should not be dessert; it should be part of the main course.

Absquatch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A classic case of having my cake and eating it
> really.
>
> The point, for me, is that the extra volume should
> not be dessert; it should be part of the main
> course.

Well put!

Scott, I still haven't heard from you. Anything wrong?

Phil

I finished my check of the proof PDF yesterday. :)

And I'm mailing them back on Tuesday. Dick Lupoff wrote a fine introduction.

Philippe, did you get the email I sent to you? Or the package? Haven't gotten a response. I've gotten reports of emails to me being returned to sender.

Scott

Scott Connors Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Philippe, did you get the email I sent to you? Or
> the package?
Both, yes, many thanks. I did reply and I didn't get any error message so far.
Do you have an alternate email address?

Phil

No, alas!
Which volume was it, 3 or 4?
Scott

Too bad this forum doesn't include a "personal message" feature for members, as they often do. Or, does it? I can't find any.

Well, fellow members, sorry for the personal stuff, I'll keep it as short as possible (no big revelations anyway :-).

So, Scott, the book arrived last week, thanks a lot. It is CAS Collected Fantasies vol. 4, so the one I still miss is vol. 2.
I truly love this series. The scholar part of it manages to be both informative and entertaining, which is certainly what most readers are looking for, and the way texts are edited is exemplary.

Sorry to hear that you are still struggling with the problem you mentioned. I realize how true the say is: when you don't undergo such a thing, you can't really understand what it is like and you tend to think that it is something one can shrug off some way or another.

Silver Key Press is still alive and well. At least the French part of it, as we haven't published anything new in English since DSF's new edition of The Sorcerer Departs. But I have indulged myself into launching a new series in Esperanto, a surprisingly fascinating language I should have started learning and studying much earlier.
A Spanish series should soon follow.

Phil

I thought it was volume 3 you were missing.... Oh well, I'll get a copy of vol 2 off on Tuesday (Monday is the U.S. Labor Day holiday), if I have a copy that Ron signed on hand.

What email address are you using for me? (Mine is not a secret.)

Scott

Scott Connors Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I thought it was volume 3 you were missing....
No, you sent it back in December 2007. You intended to send it along with volume 2 but it seems you forgot.

> What email address are you using for me? (Mine is
> not a secret.)
Ok then, it's scottconnors01[at]comcast.net
It might just be that you have an antispam filter active directly on your provider's server. I know I have both: the one on my provider's server, which I configure online (I don't even hear of the messages it erases), and my own filters which I configure in the preference panel of my mailing program (this spam I can check in my "junk mail" folder).

I've heard from another friend in France that his emails were being bounced also. I'll check with my ISP to see what I can do to remedy this problem.

It might be that the domain free.fr being widely used, is automatically considered a potential source of spam, as most popular domains are, one day or another. Par la barbe d'un bouc vert !

Chipougne Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It might be that the domain free.fr being widely
> used, is automatically considered a potential
> source of spam, as most popular domains are, one
> day or another. Par la barbe d'un bouc vert !

Considering the nature of this board, shouldn't you be swearing by the thousand young of the black goat, and not the beard of a green one?

Scott

I've also had some trouble e-mailing Scott, but usually I've been able to solve it by rephrasing the e-mail until it no longer bounces (frustrating and tedious, but it works with shorter messages). (That's why my comments on the appended texts became briefer and briefer over time, Scott.)

You guys using the same server as Russian hackers and deposed Nigerian princes?

Scott Connors Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Considering the nature of this board, shouldn't
> you be swearing by the thousand young of the black
> goat, and not the beard of a green one?

Oops. Touché!

There is now cover art for vol. 5: [nightshadebooks.com]

What about the lettering on the spine---will it be white, like the first three volumes, or yellow, like the fourth, or some new color altogether? I need to know.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 19 Sep 10 | 10:27AM by Jojo Lapin X.

Quote:

There is now cover art for vol. 5.

Good to see that van Hollander has saved some of his worst for last. Can CAS cover artwork get any worse, or more undignified, I wonder? Van H. makes some of these Arkham House hacks that several here defend so breathlessly look like Michelangelo, by comparison.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 19 Sep 10 | 03:19PM by Absquatch.

In your opinion, no, the artwork cannot be "more worse" than it is for this volume. I find it interesting that Van Hollander has integrated Smith's portraits at different ages with a wide sampling of Smith's own sculptures into the background and foreground. Not to everyone's taste, but it does represent Smith.

Jim

Jim Rockhill,

The next time you want to try to score a cheap debating point using someone's typographical error as ammunition, you might want to wait a little while to see whether that person has used the "edit" function, as I did. For some reason, edits on this board tend to be slow in arriving.

The question, to my mind, is not whether the "artwork" in question "represents" Smith; the question is whether it does him justice.

Again, apologies for having once again offended the Eldritch Dark Thought Police with what is quite obviously only one person's opinion, however strongly expressed it may be.

Nice to see that you are still humorless, still defensive about your own positions or errors (though quick to point out the flaws in others), and still prone to loading your posts with rhetoric ("cheap debating point", "Thought Police") in an attempt to make those positions seem as if they were brave sallies against the status quo, instead of simple opinions, whenever someone else attempts to express their own opinion or make an objective point.

Does Karajan represent Beethoven's symphonies justly or Furtwangler, or Klemperer, or Szell, or Matacic, or Cluytens, or Abbado, or Barenboim, or Harnoncourt, or Mackerras, or Skrowaczewski, or (the list goes on and on and on)? The greater the artist, the more ways in which that artist can be represented and only a boor insists on outshouting everyone else, because only his or her opinion is valid. If our definitions of what fits the canon are too narrow, there would have been no room for Beethoven (compare his Eroica or the Ode to Joy structurally, gesturally, and orchestrally to even the most ambitious of their predecessors), just as there was no room for Smith for decades. The introduction to one of the recent Bison reprints refers to "outsider art" when describing Smith's stories.

I like both approaches to Smith. I suggested the cover illustration for THE FREEDOM OF FANTASTIC THINGS and approached the artist's estate for reprint rights; but I also like one or two of the Penningtons, all of the Gallardos, and the present set of covers by Van Hollander.

Each of these artists brings out something different to consider about Smith, and the thing I like best about the Van Hollander covers is that once one gets past the somewhat garish foreground figures, there is a myriad of more subtle things going on in the background. And is this not like Smith's own writing? We may initially be attracted (or repelled) by the plot or the jeweled language, but there is a deeper emotional undercurrent that holds our attention to the end, and ensures that we return.


There may be in the cup
A spider steep'd, and one may drink; depart,
And yet partake no venom (for his knowledge
Is not infected), but if one present
Th' abhorr'd ingredient to his eye, make known
How he hath drunk, he cracks his gorge, his sides,
With violent hefts. I have drunk, and seen the spider.

Is the spider (or as another person has suggested, the vomit) all you see? Are only your tastes valid? Only your arguments defensible? Only your motives untainted?

You are entitled to your opinions, but it seems more than a little odd to see you demanding that everyone else respect your opinions when you show so little respect for anyone else.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 20 Sep 10 | 07:19AM by jimrockhill2001.

There is a good slip for you - motifs instead of motives - adds a whole new dimension to the argument.;-)

I told a friend recently that the file he sent me to proof contained one of the most evocative typographical errors I had ever seen - "It was birthday, Iliad been promised the sea" - if one is going to replace "I had" with something "Iliad" is a better error than most, especially if "promised the sea".

Jim

Spine lettering will match vols. 1-3, sez NSB.

Ok, then my next question is, will replacement dustjackets for volume 4 be issued to subscribers, so that a consistent look may be achieved?

Please feel free to join their Facebook group!

Absquatch expressed an opinion, a legitimate use of this forum. Jim Rockhill exploited a grammatical error to ridicule Absquatch. Ridicule is an undignified use of this forum. Furthermore, it is a bullying tactic, such as might be practiced by Thought Police. Justice favors Absquatch in this instance.

Martinus Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Please feel free to join their Facebook group!

Join Facebook? Never!

My perception of Absquatch's opinions is that they are not merely strongly held, but consistently expressed in a manner that jeers at the opinions expressed by others on the forum. We do not all have to agree on this forum, but to see this same mode of address used again and again, whether someone expresses an interest in the work of Coye, has a new book coming out, or whatever reason seems to me to be rude and unconstructive.

"Van H. makes some of these Arkham House hacks that several here defend so breathlessly look like Michelangelo, by comparison." - What is wrong with this sentence and so many others that have preceded it (my real gripe is that this is the rule not the exception in Absquatch's posts) - the connotation is that Van Hollander is worse than a hack, and that those who had been defending the Weird Tales/Arkham House coterie of illustrators are tasteless idiots who would not know "true" art if it snuck up behind them and fastened its fangs into a buttock.

This consistently trollish "I like this" - "Then you are a fool" dialectic serves no useful purpose that I can determine.

I am sorry if I caused any offense, but I had had enough.

Jim

Just received word that advance reader copies for CAS5 are going out to reviewers, and that the book is on track for an early December release. OO-rah!

Scott

Looking forward to seeing it, Scott. The supplementary volume will follow shortly after that, I suspect?

Jim

There are some interesting developments on that front, but I'm not yet at liberty to discuss them on an open forum. Contact me via email or facebook messages.

Scott

I have no doubt that Scott's standards are as uncompromising as those of the standard-bearer himself, Mr. Mabbott. "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statemen" (Emerson referring to Obamaites).

Jim Rockhill writes:

Quote:

Nice to see that you are still humorless, still defensive about your own positions or errors (though quick to point out the flaws in others), and still prone to loading your posts with rhetoric ("cheap debating point", "Thought Police") in an attempt to make those positions seem as if they were brave sallies against the status quo, instead of simple opinions, whenever someone else attempts to express their own opinion or make an objective point.

Nice to see you evading the issue while simultaneously pretending to a moral superiority your own rhetoric belies. If trying to exploit a typographical error isn't a cheap debating point, by your definition, then I'd like to know what is.

And speaking of "humorless", your failure to recognize the humor behind some of my deliberately over-the-top rhetorical ploys suggests that your sense of humor is the one that needs tweaking, not mine.

Quote:

You are entitled to your opinions, but it seems more than a little odd to see you demanding that everyone else respect your opinions when you show so little respect for anyone else.

It seems more than a little odd that you mistake a request to recognize that I am merely stating an opinion for a demand that that opinion be respected. I merely find it funny that my opinions matter so much to some of you that you react in Pavlovian fashion. I would add that your "fastened its fangs into a buttock" remark is itself an over-the-top projection and misapprehension. I enjoyed the rhetorical overkill, though; it's good to see that you're learning. ;-)

Anyway, Rockhill, if you want to compare van Hollander to von Karajan, then knock yourself out. By doing so, you'll make my job easier, as you'll certainly not require my help to look silly. And if you don't like my posts, then here's a simple solution: Don't read them. I've made hundreds of posts here; that you recall only the "negative" ones is just a testament to your selective perception.

Scott Connors Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There are some interesting developments on that
> front, but I'm not yet at liberty to discuss them
> on an open forum. Contact me via email or facebook
> messages.
>
> Scott

I apologize to those who contacted me, but I thought that the context of this message indicated that it was directed at Jim, not the entire board! I still can't discuss what's in the works, but I assure all subscribers that they will receive what they were promised. The only question is if they receive a bit more than they were promised.

Scott

Jim Wrote:

I find it
> interesting that Van Hollander has integrated
> Smith's portraits at different ages with a wide
> sampling of Smith's own sculptures into the
> background and foreground. Not to everyone's
> taste, but it does represent Smith.

You're right Jim; I've just been looking over Jason Van Hollander's artwork in its entirety (front and back, without lettering) and this last cover represents the older Smith apparently giving homage to the gods of his own creation. Perhaps the child-creature represents a rebirth or transcendence for CAS. I very much like the crumbling ruins and idols beneath a vibrant night sky; this seems to me a wonderful evocation of Zothique.
It may be that I'm too close to this project to be truly objective, but I think this cover represents a wonderful culmination to the series.
--Ron

It would be interesting and amusing to have a forum poll on the subject of the van Hollander covers. In my own comments, I forgot to mention that I've seen high school students who have a better command of Photoshop or similar programs than van H.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 7 Oct 10 | 09:08AM by Absquatch.

De gustibus, non est disputandum.

Quote:

De gustibus, non est disputandum.

True, indeed. One merely shares perspectives, and the reasons for them.