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.
4 Jul, 2026 10:05AM by Adam Michael Reynolds
“Joe Biden used EXTORTION/BRIBERY to force Gov. Albert Bryan to fire his Attorney General so that an investigation into J.P. Morgan Chase and Jeffrey Epstein would be halted. An investigation which would have implicated James Biden (Joe Biden's brother) and numerous high ranking executives at J.P Morgan Chase, and the Virgin Islands Governors office in… ”
4 Jul, 2026 10:01AM by Adam Michael Reynolds
“ link
1. Epstein flew a helicopter sharing a covert US military plane's tail number used by DynCorp.
2a. DynCorp has a history of child trafficking in many countries.
2b. DynCorp is owned by Steve Feinberg (current US intelligence board) and composed of many elite politicians.
3a. Epstein bought his Zorro Ranch from New Mexico governor Bruce King.
3b. Zorro Ranch… ”
4 Jul, 2026 9:58AM by Adam Michael Reynolds
“Whistleblower
Bedford Va… ”
Re: Question about CAS literary circle
3 Jul, 2026 4:06PM by thosragns
“Thank you so much for your helpful response-do you think that the 1949 letter cited below might have been your source or something else? As I mentioned above, it’s mildly amusing that Yasuda’s translations are Smithier than Smith’s own attempts at English language haiku, eg check out this translation from Yasuda
Beyond cherry brumes,
Is the… ”
Re: Question about CAS literary circle
3 Jul, 2026 3:47PM by thosragns
“Very interesting snippet-the 1949 timeframe is pretty significant, in Yasuda’s most famous book written much later (basically his doctoral dissertation) he credits his adviser at Tokyo University with the idea of using the resources and conventions of English poetry, like rhyme, for translating haiku, I hadn’t really thought to question his claim, but it looks… ”