Clark Ashton Smith: Difference between revisions

From 2d4chan
Jump to navigation Jump to search
← Older edit
VisualWikitext
1d4chan>QuietBrowser
No edit summary
imported>Administrator
m 13 revisions imported
 
(13 intermediate revisions by 7 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
'''Clark Ashton Smith''' was an American writer of weird horror, pulp fantasy and science fiction novels, poems and serials. He is one of "The Big Three of ''Weird Tales''", the three men who published most prolifically in that most well-known and long-lasting of Weird Fantasy dedicated magazines, alongside the more famous [[H.P. Lovecraft]] and [[Robert E. Howard]], author of the iconic [[Conan the Barbarian]] tales. Although he isn't as well-known as them, he had a significant impact; Clark was a co-creator for the world of [[Hyperborea]], the primeval "lost past" world in which Robert's own Conan and King Kull [[Sword & Sorcery]] works were set, and corresponded frequently with Lovecraft, resulting in many of his weird races and deities being promoted in the latter's works.
[[File:Clark Ashton Smith 1912.jpg|thumb|Hailing from the weird and terrible land of, Ne'ew Engluund]]
'''Clark Ashton Smith''' was an American writer of weird horror, pulp fantasy and science fiction novels, poems and serials. He is one of "The Big Three of ''Weird Tales''", those men who published most prolifically in that most well-known and long-lasting of Weird Fantasy dedicated magazines, alongside [[H.P. Lovecraft]] and Robert E. "[[Conan the Barbarian|Conan]]" [[Robert E. Howard|Howard]]. Although Smith isn't (today) as well-known as them, he had a significant impact; Clark was a co-creator for the world of [[Hyperborea]], the primeval "lost past" world in which Robert's own Conan and King Kull [[Sword & Sorcery]] works were set, and corresponded frequently with Lovecraft, resulting in many of his weird races and deities being promoted in the latter's works. It is also worth noting that Lovecraft praised Clark Ashton Smith as one of the modern (early 20th century) masters of the weird tale.  


Clark's Hyperborean tales are more obscure than Howard's, and overlap in theme if not in setting with his Poseidonis novels, set in a remnant of the sunken continent of [[Atlantis]] that avoided sinking into the ocean; his stories for both of those settings revolve around a magical culture characterized by bizarreness, cruelty, death and postmortem horrors. Averoigne is Smith's version of pre-modern France, comparable to James Branch Cabell's Poictesme, taking place in an alternate Earth where magic is very real, just illegal, and cracked down upon by the church. Zothique exists millions of years in the future. It is "the last continent of earth, when the sun is dim and tarnished". These tales have been compared to the Dying Earth sequence of Jack Vance.
'''Poseidonis''' and '''Hyperborea''' overlap in theme if not in setting. The former is a subcontinental remnant of sunken [[Atlantis]] that ''avoided'' the ocean. Klarkash-Ton's stories for both of those settings revolve around a magical culture characterized by bizarreness, cruelty, death and postmortem horrors.


He is most of interest to /tg/ for his role in inspiring [[Gary Gygax]] to write [[Dungeons & Dragons]], as he has long been listed in the inspirations for D&D as a whole. The adventure module [[X2: Castle Amber]] invokes a cross-over between [[Mystara]] and [[Averoigne]], Clark's writings on the [[necromancer]]s of Zothique are cited as a direct inspiration in [[The Complete Book of|The Complete Necromancer's Handbook]], and his [[ghoul]]-worshipped Great Old One, [[Mordiggian]] from Zothique became a deity in [[Pathfinder]].
'''[[Averoigne]]''' is Smith's version of pre-modern France; at least of John the Magnificent's Berry-to-Auvergne part of it. It compares with James Branch Cabell's Poictesme: an alternate Earth where magic is very real, just illegal, and cracked down upon by the [[Catholic]] church.


[[Category: Writers]]
'''Zothique''' - debuting late in his career - exists millions of years in the future. It is "the last continent of earth, when the sun is dim and tarnished". This inspired [[Jack Vance]]'s Dying Earth series and then [[Gene Wolfe]]'s New Sun.
 
Smith is most of interest to /tg/ for his role in inspiring [[Gary Gygax]] to write [[Dungeons & Dragons]], as he has long been [[Appendix N|listed]] in the inspirations for D&D as a whole. The adventure module [[X2: Castle Amber]] invokes a cross-over between [[Mystara]] and [[Averoigne]].
 
CAS's D&D revitalisation was all super-annoying to 1980s kiddies who could never track down this man's much-hyped work at the bookstores or libraries. But then the Internet came along and [http://www.eldritchdark.com/ Eldritch Dark] posted whatever they legally could. Those mad lads at Nightshade Press recently Got Shit Done and edited every story the man ever wrote from the original manuscripts - definitely an improvement over ED's 1990s-flava webpages, much as they were appreciated then. Seriously, go out and buy all five Nightshade volumes, you will not regret it.
 
Perhaps ''because'' Eldritch Dark made Clark's Zothique writings (especially) more-or-less readily available, its [[necromancer]]s are cited as a direct inspiration in [[The Complete Book of|The Complete Necromancer's Handbook]]; [[Wolfgang Baur]] also quotes such content. And in [[Pathfinder]] Zothique's [[ghoul]]-worshipped Great Old One [[Mordiggian]] became a deity.
 
= Links =
* http://www.eldritchdark.com/ : a repository of Clark Ashton Smith writings that skirts on the public domain limitations.
* https://nightshade.start-publishing.com/author/722/clark-ashton-smith/ : the nicely printed books.
 
 
 
[[Category: Writers]] [[Category: Cthulhu Mythos]]

Latest revision as of 15:12, 20 June 2023

Hailing from the weird and terrible land of, Ne'ew Engluund

Clark Ashton Smith was an American writer of weird horror, pulp fantasy and science fiction novels, poems and serials. He is one of "The Big Three of Weird Tales", those men who published most prolifically in that most well-known and long-lasting of Weird Fantasy dedicated magazines, alongside H.P. Lovecraft and Robert E. "Conan" Howard. Although Smith isn't (today) as well-known as them, he had a significant impact; Clark was a co-creator for the world of Hyperborea, the primeval "lost past" world in which Robert's own Conan and King Kull Sword & Sorcery works were set, and corresponded frequently with Lovecraft, resulting in many of his weird races and deities being promoted in the latter's works. It is also worth noting that Lovecraft praised Clark Ashton Smith as one of the modern (early 20th century) masters of the weird tale.

Poseidonis and Hyperborea overlap in theme if not in setting. The former is a subcontinental remnant of sunken Atlantis that avoided the ocean. Klarkash-Ton's stories for both of those settings revolve around a magical culture characterized by bizarreness, cruelty, death and postmortem horrors.

Averoigne is Smith's version of pre-modern France; at least of John the Magnificent's Berry-to-Auvergne part of it. It compares with James Branch Cabell's Poictesme: an alternate Earth where magic is very real, just illegal, and cracked down upon by the Catholic church.

Zothique - debuting late in his career - exists millions of years in the future. It is "the last continent of earth, when the sun is dim and tarnished". This inspired Jack Vance's Dying Earth series and then Gene Wolfe's New Sun.

Smith is most of interest to /tg/ for his role in inspiring Gary Gygax to write Dungeons & Dragons, as he has long been listed in the inspirations for D&D as a whole. The adventure module X2: Castle Amber invokes a cross-over between Mystara and Averoigne.

CAS's D&D revitalisation was all super-annoying to 1980s kiddies who could never track down this man's much-hyped work at the bookstores or libraries. But then the Internet came along and Eldritch Dark posted whatever they legally could. Those mad lads at Nightshade Press recently Got Shit Done and edited every story the man ever wrote from the original manuscripts - definitely an improvement over ED's 1990s-flava webpages, much as they were appreciated then. Seriously, go out and buy all five Nightshade volumes, you will not regret it.

Perhaps because Eldritch Dark made Clark's Zothique writings (especially) more-or-less readily available, its necromancers are cited as a direct inspiration in The Complete Necromancer's Handbook; Wolfgang Baur also quotes such content. And in Pathfinder Zothique's ghoul-worshipped Great Old One Mordiggian became a deity.

Links[edit | edit source]

Retrieved from "http://2d4chan.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Clark_Ashton_Smith&oldid=127396"