[CAS] Return of the Sorcerer

[Finarvyn]

I've only read a little bit of Clark Ashton Smith, but I've enjoyed what I have read. I've hunted for Return of the Sorcerer for a while on e-bay and Amazon but haven't gotten around to buying a copy, mostly because I'd rather have hardback than paperback.

Imagine my surprise to look at the newest newsletter for the Science Fiction Book Club. In the "coming soon" section it mentions CAS's Return of the Sorcerer!

Just thought I'd mention it for any SFBC members out there.

[Ghul]

That's good news. I like to hear that a decent segment of genre fiction fandom will be exposed to CAS's works. Excellent.

[Finarvyn]

I just got onto the SFBC webpage and they claim that this book is a preorder but will ship on October 10th.

I haven't bought it yet becasue I want to be sure to have a full order to optimize shipping costs, but it's cool that the book is nearly here.

[Vile Traveller]

Still splurging my way through the collected fantasies - I think Ashton Smith has become my new favourite old school author.

[rjkuntz]

Oct 4, 2012 7:31:44 GMT -6 Vile Traveller said:

Still splurging my way through the collected fantasies - I think Ashton Smith has become my new favourite old school author.

Only a man with ultimate great taste would admit to that!

He has been my favorite for years unrecorded: Before Yoth set between the blue and red tinted suns and Atlantis was but a dream vision wavering moth-like before the first human's eyes, and long before Tulu thrust his abysmal form upon the Earth, stirring a foment that would doom the future race of man to an unyielding dread, all of which lurks below and seethes above one's brow, but is never in plain view.

[Ghul]

Dec 23, 2012 20:21:08 GMT -6 rjkuntz said:

Oct 4, 2012 7:31:44 GMT -6 Vile Traveller said:

Still splurging my way through the collected fantasies - I think Ashton Smith has become my new favourite old school author.

Only a man with ultimate great taste would admit to that!

He has been my favorite for years unrecorded: Before Yoth set between the blue and red tinted suns and Atlantis was but a dream vision wavering moth-like before the first human's eyes, and long before Tulu thrust his abysmal form upon the Earth, stirring a foment that would doom the future race of man to an unyielding dread, all of which lurks below and seethes above one's brow, but is never in plain view.

It's difficult for me to select a favorite between CAS, HPL, and REH. I'm too erratic; I'd likely change my mind every month. Each possesses such unique strengths, but I can say with some measure of certainty that of the three, Smith was the finest practitioner of the written word.

[rjkuntz]

Finest practitioner of the written word seems rather round-about. Do you mean that through his words that he wove superior stories (which I'd agree with), or something else altogether?

In all it does come down to many avenues of tastes and moods and most often sides with, "You are what you consume so you gravitate to what you are."

[Deleted]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you were writing that CAS wrote the best prose (though not necessarily best plot, characterization, etc.).

[rjkuntz]

Well I stand corrected due to my initial phrasing, then, and thanks for the polite reminder.

The matter was muted by my last sentence regarding it all, anyway. It's rather subjective; and such things could be argued and discussed 'til Doomsday without finding any definite agreement.

Cheers!

[Deleted]

You're welcome. It is indeed subjective, though fwiw I agree with you that of the Great Three writers for 'Weird Tales'–-REH, HPL, CAS––CAS is my favorite.