Return of the Review

Hi,

Despite living with one of his biggest fans for several years, I've never read any Clark Ashton Smith. So I went to the libarary and fixed that by reading through The Return of the Sorcerer: The Best of Clark Ashton Smith by...uh, Clark Ashton Smith.

A collection of 18 short stories of the weird and fantastic, the most common stories involve Zothique (a Dying Earth-like setting), Averoigne (a medieval France setting) and Philip Hastane (a fantasy novelist encountering the fantastic in California). That last is especially interesting. It's hard to think of San Francisco or California in general as being the home to supernatural terrors. It's just not old enough, not dark enough, but Smith makes it work for him and develops the idea that evil can lurk even in small Californian towns.

Still, I find it's his Zothanique stories that are probably the best. Smith gives full reign to his imagination and it's all noble finery and dark sorcery and foul beings from beyond the stars. Not more than a few tales end badly for everyone and in the last story, it's not inconceivable that the protagonist throws in with evil.

All in all, a short peppy read and quick overview of a celebrated author's work.

later
Tom

Return of the Review

Hi,

Despite living with one of his biggest fans for several years, I've never read any Clark Ashton Smith. So I went to the libarary and fixed that by reading through The Return of the Sorcerer: The Best of Clark Ashton Smith by...uh, Clark Ashton Smith.

A collection of 18 short stories of the weird and fantastic, the most common stories involve Zothique (a Dying Earth-like setting), Averoigne (a medieval France setting) and Philip Hastane (a fantasy novelist encountering the fantastic in California). That last is especially interesting. It's hard to think of San Francisco or California in general as being the home to supernatural terrors. It's just not old enough, not dark enough, but Smith makes it work for him and develops the idea that evil can lurk even in small Californian towns.

Still, I find it's his Zothanique stories that are probably the best. Smith gives full reign to his imagination and it's all noble finery and dark sorcery and foul beings from beyond the stars. Not more than a few tales end badly for everyone and in the last story, it's not inconceivable that the protagonist throws in with evil.

All in all, a short peppy read and quick overview of a celebrated author's work.

later
Tom