Here's a longshot, but I bet somebody here owns a copy of Crypt of Cthulhu #26 (1984) in their collection. It's a special CAS issue. My question: what's in it? I would ask the seller, but I'd rather hear from one of you if the stuff within is worthwhile. I can get it for about $17, a lot of money, but if it's really good I might do it. Anybody care to comment? Thanks.

There are two special Clark Ashton Smith issues of CRYPT. #26 has an excellent Allen Kozlowski cover illustrating "Mother of Toads." Contents are: "Clark Ashton Smith and his World of Fantasy" by Jean Marigny; "The Last Hieroglyphs" (on lost CAS stories) by Steve Behrends; "The Clark Ashton Smythos" by Will Murray; "An Annotated Chronology of Smith's Fiction" by Steve Behrends; "The Feaster from the Stars," a 'posthumous collaboration' by Lin Carter; "CAS & Divers Hands," on the cross-pollenization of ideas between CAS and fellow writers such as HPL and August Derleth, by Behrends; "The Price-Smith Collaborations" by Will Murray; "The History of Averoigne?", comparing Smith's imaginary province with the real Auvergne; and "Susran" by Lin Carter (alone this time). #27 is UNTOLD TALES by CAS, and contains a selection of unpublished stories, fragments, and synopses later collected in STRANGE SHADOWS. Incidentally, $17 is a decent price for either issue. Best, Scott

Thanks Scott! Sounds like a good issue. If only I had the money to not fret over $17 purchases... but I try to put things in perspective. I could buy the CAS poetry volume from Hippocampus with that $17 or I could buy (almost) one of the new Lovecraft Collected Essays. Or better yet I could buy a new shirt! Still debating it, thanks.

Roger

Go for THE LAST OBLIVION.
Incidentally, I have several copies of SLCAS available for sale at $36 plus $3.85 for priority mail postage. I will sign them, of course. First come, first serve! I take PayPal (bank transfer only, no credit cards) and personal checks/US postal money orders. Best, Scott

Dear Roger -

Take 50cents - go to the Salvation Army store - books are forever.
Whatever the cause for your present penury, my I suggest you purchase a
copy of "The wealthy barber" ($9 paperback), and follow its advice -
basically (textbook for Edward Jones co.), $1.00 a day in an equity
based mutual fund from age 18 to age 65 will provide an estate of about
$2.2 million - you can work for McDonald's your whole life bussing tables
and retire wealthy - this is basic stuff, but noone teaches it in school -
of course there is no reason to assume that school teachers or most
parents know squat about money - send me your address at remraf3@att.net
privately and I will send you a CAS book - enthusiam for the old master
such as yours deserves to be rewarded - I assume of course that you are
fairly young -
Enjoying myself immensely, I remain yours,
Dr. Farmer

calonlan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dear Roger -
>
> Take 50cents - go to the Salvation Army store -
> books are forever.
> Whatever the cause for your present penury, my I
> suggest you purchase a
> copy of "The wealthy barber" ($9 paperback), and
> follow its advice -
> basically (textbook for Edward Jones co.), $1.00 a
> day in an equity
> based mutual fund from age 18 to age 65 will
> provide an estate of about
> $2.2 million - you can work for McDonald's your
> whole life bussing tables
> and retire wealthy - this is basic stuff, but
> noone teaches it in school -
> of course there is no reason to assume that school
> teachers or most
> parents know squat about money - send me your
> address at remraf3@att.net
> privately and I will send you a CAS book -
> enthusiam for the old master
> such as yours deserves to be rewarded - I assume
> of course that you are
> fairly young -
> Enjoying myself immensely, I remain yours,
> Dr. Farmer

Dr. Farmer, you are too kind, and I'm probably not as young as I seem! I work in a struggling profession right now and for not a lot of pay. But I'm lucky enough to have my own apartment along with cable TV, computer, cable modem and a TON of books, movies and music. The only drawback of living alone is that ALL the bills are mine and after I write all those checks (today in fact), there won't be a lot of book-spending money left over.

So I'm not as bad off as the narrator of Hamsun's Hunger but I do need to pick and choose when it comes to book buying. The truth is, between my apartment and my mother's house, I have maybe a couple thousand books, the bulk of which I'm always trying to unload online. (Bookselling isn't an easy thing these days... too much competition.) But alas, I only have a few CAS titles.

The Wealthy Barber sounds interesting though I must admit I've never given any of these self-help/get rich books a read. I always figure the author is serving his own retire wealthy scheme by publishing the book. But I'll look out for The Barber. If I could recollect on my bar tabs over the past few years I think I might be able to afford the complete CAS in first edition! The barber should have a chapter on not drinking... that would be the first step to financial success!

I will email you my address (and age!) but I don't expect a book in return. As mentioned above, I'm not destitute, I'm just lacking much CAS! For now TALES OF ZOTHIQUE and THE BOOK OF HYPEBOREA are keeping me busy.

Roger