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.
Re: Classic weird fiction by non-English speaking authors
29 Oct, 2024 6:59PM by Platypus
“I believe I have read "The White Dog" (1915) by Fyodor Sologub, first published in Russian in 1906. I'm not sure I have read any others, but I believe there may be a few more from the period.… ”
Re: Classic weird fiction by non-English speaking authors
29 Oct, 2024 6:17PM by Platypus
“"Leiningen versus the Ants" (1938) by Carl Stephenson, was first published 1937 in German as "Leiningens Kampf mit den Ameisen". It's about a gargantuan army of ants besieging a Brazilian plantation.
Or is this outside the range of "early decades" you are looking for?
Some might question whether it qualifies as a weird tale; and might… ”
Re: Classic weird fiction by non-English speaking authors
28 Oct, 2024 11:24AM by Minicthulhu
“Thanks. The Lighthouse story looks promising.
As for Brussof, he is a marvelous author. I have got a collection of his short storie, including "The Republic Of The Southern Cross." Another great story by him is "In The Mirror" about a woman who believes that she has exhanged her place with her reflection, that she is… ”
Re: Classic weird fiction by non-English speaking authors
28 Oct, 2024 6:07AM by Platypus
“"The Republic of the Southern Cross" (1918) by Valery Brussof (also spelled Valery Bryusov), first published in Russian in 1906.… ”
Re: Classic weird fiction by non-English speaking authors
27 Oct, 2024 4:36PM by Platypus
“"Three Skeleton Key" (1937) by George G. Toudouze, is a piece of lighthouse horror involving rats. It is a translation of "La Tour d'Epouvante" (1927) by Georges-Gustave Toudouze. The literal translation of the title is "The Tower of Fear".… ”