Description

Clark Ashton Smith was masterful at inventing exotic fantasy realms, whether it be Hyperborea in the remote past, Zothique in the far future, or the medieval French province of Averoigne. An intriguing subset of tales take place in Atlantis, especially in Poseidonis, which Smith envisioned as the last portion of the continent to remain afloat after the rest of Atlantis had fallen into the waves. Such memorable stories as "The Death of Malygris" and "The Double Shadow" are set here, as well as some vivid poems and prose poems.

The Pacific continent of Lemuria also attracted Smith's attention in such tales as "An Offering to the Moon" and "The Uncharted Isle." Other tales set in remote corners of the Earth are also included here, such as "The Abominations of Yondo," "The Primal City," and "The Venus of Azombeii."

The Orient also held a fascination for Smith, and in "The Willow Landscape," "The Kiss of Zoraida," and others Smith evokes the ancient cultures of China and Japan and their vivid legendry. And in "The Third Episode of Vathek," Smith has completed a fragmentary tale by William Beckford with extraordinary skill and panache.

This volume continues Hippocampus Press's publication of Clark Ashton Smith's stories, poems, and prose poems in authoritative, textually accurate editions.