Clark Ashton Smith (13 January 1893 — 14 August 1961) was an American poet, sculptor, painter and author of fantasy, horror and science fiction short stories. It is for these stories, and his literary friendship with H. P. Lovecraft from 1922 until Lovecraft's death in 1937, that he is mostly remembered today. With Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard, also a friend and correspondent, Smith remains one of the most famous contributors to the pulp magazine Weird Tales.

Biography more less

Early life and education

Smith spent most of his life in the small town of Auburn, California, living in a small cabin with his parents, Fanny and Timeus Smith. His formal education was limited: he suffered from psychological disorders and for this reason attended only eight years of grammar school and never went to high school. However, he continued to teach himself after he left school, learning French and Spanish, and his near-photographic memory allowed him to retain prodigious amounts from his very wide reading, including several entire dictionaries and encyclopedias.

Early writing and influences

Smith began writing stories at the age of eleven and two of them, The Sword of Zagan and The Black Diamonds, have recently been published by Hippocampus Press. Both stories use a medieval, Arabian Nights-like setting, and the Arabian Nights,like the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm and the works of Edgar Allan Poe, are known to have strongly influenced Smith's early writing.

In his later youth, Smith became the protégé of the San Francisco poet George Sterling, who helped him to publish his first volume of poems, The Star-Treader and Other Poems, at the age of nineteen. The Star-Treader was received very favorably by American critics, one of whom named Smith "the Keats of the Pacific." Smith made the acquaintance of Sterling through a member of the local Auburn Monday Night Club, where he read several of his poems with considerable success. The publication of Ebony and Crystal in 1922 was followed by a fan letter from H. P. Lovecraft, which was the beginning of fifteen years of friendship and correspondence.

Work and marriage

Smith was poor for most of his life and was often forced to take menial jobs such as fruitpicking and woodcutting in order to support himself and his parents. Following the death of his parents, he married Carol Jones Dorman on 10 November 1954 and moved to Pacific Grove, California, where he set up a household with their children.

Health and death

Smith suffered from eye problems throughout his life. He died in his sleep on 14 August 1961.

Artistic Periods more less

Bibliography more less

Night Shade Books

The Collected Fantasies of Clark Ashton Smith 5-volume work
Tales of India and Irony (collection of non fantasy/science fiction/horror tales, available only to subscribers of above collection)
Red World of Polaris (complete tales of Captain Volmar)

Hippocampus Press

The Complete Poetry and Translations of Clark Ashton Smith
The Black Diamonds
The Last Oblivion: Best Fantastic Poems of Clark Ashton Smith
The Sword of Zagan and Other Writings
The Shadow of the Unattained: Letters of George Sterling and Clark Ashton Smith
The Freedom of Fantastic Things: Selected Criticism on Clark Ashton Smith

Arkham House

Out of Space and Time (out of print)
Lost Worlds (o.o.p.)
Genius Loci and Other Tales (o.o.p.)
The Dark Chateau (o.o.p.)
Spells and Philtres (o.o.p.)
The Abominations of Yondo (o.o.p.)
Tales of Science and Sorcery (o.o.p.)
Poems in Prose (o.o.p.)
Other Dimensions (o.o.p.)
Selected Poems (o.o.p.)
The Black Book of Clark Ashton Smith (o.o.p.)
A Rendezvous in Averoigne
Selected Letters of Clark Ashton Smith

Ballantine Adult Fantasy series

Zothique (o.o.p.)
Hyperborea (o.o.p.)
Xiccarph (o.o.p.)
Poseidonis (o.o.p.)

Averoigne (reportedly compiled by series editor Lin Carter, but never released)

The Emperor of Dreams (not part of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy Series)

Wildside Press

The Double Shadow
The Maker of Gargoyles and Other Stories
The White Sybil and Other Stories

;Spearman (reprinted from Arkham House): *Lost Worlds hardcover 1971 ISBN 0-85435-111-6; *Out of Space and Time 1971 ISBN 0-85435-101-9; *Genius Loci hardcover 1971 ISBN 0-85435-381-X; *Abominations of Yondo 1972 ISBN 0-85435-371-2

;Panther (reprinted from Arkham House): *Lost Worlds (published in 2 volumes, o.o.p.); *Genius Loci (o.o.p.); *The Abominations of Yondo (o.o.p.); *Other Dimensions (published in 2 volumes, o.o.p.); *Out of Space and Time (published in 2 volumes, o.o.p.); *Tales of Science and Sorcery (o.o.p.)

Timescape Books

The City of the Singing Flame 1981 ISBN 0-671-83415-0 (o.o.p.)
The Last Incantation 1982 ISBN 0-671-83543-2 (o.o.p.)
The Monster of the Prophecy 1983 ISBN 0-671-83544-0 (o.o.p.)

HIH Art Studios

Shadows Seen and Unseen: Poetry from the Shadows 2007

Search - List of Books by Clark Ashton Smith

Biography more less

Early life and education

Early writing and influences

Work and marriage

Health and death

Artistic Periods more less

Poetry: Until 1925

Weird Fiction: 1926—1935

Sculpture: 1935—1961

Bibliography more less

Further Reading more less

Search - List of Books by Clark Ashton Smith

Biography more less

Early life and education

Early writing and influences

Work and marriage

Health and death

Artistic Periods more less

Poetry: Until 1925

Weird Fiction: 1926—1935

Sculpture: 1935—1961

Bibliography more less

Further Reading more less

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