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Zothique
''Zothique'' is a collection of fantasy short stories by Clark Ashton Smith, edited by Lin Carter. It was first published in paperback by Ballantine Books as the sixteenth volume of its Ballantine Adult Fantasy series in June 1970. It was the first themed collection of Smith's works assembled by Carter for the series. The stories were originally published in various fantasy magazines in the 1930s, notably ''Weird Tales''. Background The book collects one poem and all sixteen tales of the author's Zothique cycle, set on the Earth's last continent in a far distant future, with an introduction, map, and epilogue by Carter. They were originally written and published between 1932 and 1951. Most were written in a tar paper and wood cabin in Auburn, California. All were first published in the magazine ''Weird Tales'' with the exception of "The Voyage of King Euvoran" which first appeared in the 1933 book ''The Double Shadow and Other Fantasies'' and later republished under the title "The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zothique
''Zothique'' is a collection of fantasy short stories by Clark Ashton Smith, edited by Lin Carter. It was first published in paperback by Ballantine Books as the sixteenth volume of its Ballantine Adult Fantasy series in June 1970. It was the first themed collection of Smith's works assembled by Carter for the series. The stories were originally published in various fantasy magazines in the 1930s, notably ''Weird Tales''. Background The book collects one poem and all sixteen tales of the author's Zothique cycle, set on the Earth's last continent in a far distant future, with an introduction, map, and epilogue by Carter. They were originally written and published between 1932 and 1951. Most were written in a tar paper and wood cabin in Auburn, California. All were first published in the magazine ''Weird Tales'' with the exception of "The Voyage of King Euvoran" which first appeared in the 1933 book ''The Double Shadow and Other Fantasies'' and later republished under the title "The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Clark Ashton Smith
Clark Ashton Smith (January 13, 1893 – August 14, 1961) was an American writer and artist. He achieved early local recognition, largely through the enthusiasm of George Sterling, for traditional verse in the vein of Algernon Charles Swinburne, Swinburne. As a poet, Smith is grouped with the West Coast Romantics alongside Joaquin Miller, Sterling, and Nora May French and remembered as "The Last of the Great Romantics" and "The Bard of Auburn". Smith's work was praised by his contemporaries. H. P. Lovecraft stated that "in sheer daemonic strangeness and fertility of conception, Clark Ashton Smith is perhaps unexcelled", and Ray Bradbury said that Smith "filled my mind with incredible worlds, impossibly beautiful cities, and still more fantastic creatures". Smith was one of "the big three of ''Weird Tales'', with Robert E. Howard and H. P. Lovecraft", but some readers objected to his morbidness and violation of pulp traditions. The fantasy critic L. Sprague de Camp said of him th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Empire Of The Necromancers
"The Empire of the Necromancers" is a short story by American author Clark Ashton Smith as part of his Zothique cycle, and first published in the September 1932 issue of ''Weird Tales''. Background When editing the 1970 Smith collection ''Zothique'', Lin Carter noted "The Empire of the Necromancers" as "the first to be published" of the Zothique cycle. Plot Two necromancers, Mmatmuor and Sodosma, from the land of Naat, travel to Tinarath to exhume and reanimate the dead. However, they are soon shunned by its inhabitants and the two have to go elsewhere to continue their necromancy. Thus they go to Cincor where they continue their practice. They begin with a dead traveler and his horse they find on a road. Later, they begin reanimating more of the dead as they travel through Cincor until they arrive at what was once its capital Yethlyreom. There they take refuge in its palace as they reanimate everyone who died. While the dead serve them, one begins to remember his past life. Illeir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Xeethra
"Xeethra" is a short story by American author Clark Ashton Smith as part of his Zothique cycle, and first published in the December 1934 issue of ''Weird Tales''. Background When editing the 1970 Smith collection ''Zothique'', Lin Carter placed "Xeethra" as chronologically "the true beginning of events." Plot In pastoral Cincor, the young Xeethra wanders his goat herd to an unknown plain. Despite it being late in the day, Xeethra decides to explore. Finding a cave, he follows it through a tunnel to a hidden valley. There he finds a weird field with unusual flora and two giants guarding it. Amid the flora, Xeethra takes a bite of strange fruit and realises he was long ago King Amero of the far-off Calyz. Returning to his guardian Pornos, he admits this realisation while admitting he strayed too far and quite late. While Pornos refutes this thought, he admits there are certain passageways to the underworld of Thassaidon, an evil god. The next day, Xeethra begins his journey to find ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Necromancy In Naat
"Necromancy in Naat" is a short story by American author Clark Ashton Smith as part of his Zothique cycle, and first published in the July 1936 issue of ''Weird Tales''. Plot Nomad prince Yadar finds his betrothed Dalili taken up by bandits during his hunt for gazelles in the "half-desert" region Zyra. Yadar begins a quest to find Dalili. With four of his men, they search the capitals of Zothique. While fever takes Yadar's men, Yadar finds that Dalili was sold as a slave girl to the king of Yoros as settlement for a treaty. Taking passage on a galley carrying grain and wine to Yoros, the ship is whisked off in a current called the Black River. Far from shore, Yadar learns from the galley crew that between there and the edge of the world is a land called Naat ruled by necromancers. As the galley shipwrecks onto Naat, Yadar is rescued by an undead woman. Yadar learns that the undead woman is Dalili. Initially happy, Yadar finds that undead Dalili does not reciprocate. On the beach, Y ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Voyage Of King Euvoran
"The Voyage of King Euvoran" (or "Quest of the Gazolba") is a short story by American author Clark Ashton Smith as part of his Zothique cycle. It was first published as "The Voyage of King Euvoran" in the 1933 book ''The Double Shadow and Other Fantasies''. It was republished as "Quest of the Gazolba" in the September 1947 issue of ''Weird Tales'' where it was the cover story with art by Boris Dolgov. Plot King Euvoran of the Ustaim city Aramoam grows weary of overseeing justice for petty criminals. When one proves worthy of torture or execution, they animate the stuffed bird on the king's crown which flies far from Euvoran. Euvoran implores the god Geol in a temple about his predicament. The voice of Geol tells him he will slay the bird far from home. Euvoran then assembles a fleet of ships to find the bird as the kingdom's peoples would not respect a king without the crown. They sail east. They stop a moment in Sotar but find the so-called Gazolba is rather a local bird. They trav ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Charnel God
"The Charnel God" is a short story by American author Clark Ashton Smith as part of his Zothique cycle, and first published in the March 1934 issue of ''Weird Tales''. Plot The innkeeper tells Phariom, an outlander from Xylac traveling with his bride Elaith to Yoros, about the god of Zul-Bha-Sair, Mordiggian. Mordiggian devours all the dead in Zul-Bha-Sair. However, Phariom points out that Elaith is not dead but suffers from a malady that renders its victim near deathlike. Despite this, the innkeeper already informed the priests as they prepare to deliver her to the temple. Phariom tries to defend Elaith but is quickly matched by the priests in his defences. Phariom pays the innkeeper for his stay and decides to try to find where Elaith is kept. He learns from merchants in the bazaar that she is in the temple of Mordiggian. On his way to the temple, he notices a beautiful but dead woman is being delivered to the temple. He learns that the victim is princess Arctela. Planning on stea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hyperborea (collection)
''Hyperborea'' is a collection of fantasy short stories by Clark Ashton Smith, edited by Lin Carter. It was first published in paperback by Ballantine Books as the twenty-ninth volume of its Ballantine Adult Fantasy series in April 1971. It was the second themed collection of Smith's works assembled by Carter for the series. The stories were originally published in various fantasy magazines from the 1930s to the 1950s, notably '' Weird Tales''. Summary The book collects one prose poem and ten tales of the author's Hyperborean cycle, set on a prehistoric lost northern continent Smith named for the mythological land of Hyperborea, with an introduction and map by Carter. One story from the sequence, the fragment "The House of Haon-Dor," is omitted. The editor also includes in the collection four additional tales of Smith's from what he took to be a similar but more fragmentary sequence of stories. Contents *"Introduction" (Lin Carter) *''Hyperborea'' :*"The Muse of Hyperborea" (p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Death Of Ilalotha
"The Death of Ilalotha" is a short story by American author Clark Ashton Smith as part of his Zothique cycle, and first published in the September 1937 issue of ''Weird Tales''. Plot Amid festivities, Ilalotha who is next in succession to Queen Xantlicha dies of fatal passion. Lord Thulos who is in love with the queen discovers the body. Thulos is suspect since the queen poisoned King Archain and other lovers who do not please the queen. While servants dispatch the body to a necropolis near the palace, the queen and Lord Thulos plan to meet later. However, Thulos is concerned Ilalotha might be a witch. Later that night, Thulos awakes and remembers his appointment but worries he might be late. When he finds he is early, he decides to check the necropolis as he has suspicions Ilalotha might not be dead after all. Something dispatches Lord Thulos. Later, Queen Xantlicha goes to meet Lord Thulos but finds he is absent. Deciding he may have gone to check on Ilalotha, she goes to her to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Weaver In The Vault
"The Weaver in the Vault" is a short story by American author Clark Ashton Smith as part of his Zothique cycle, and first published in the January 1934 in literature, 1934 issue of ''Weird Tales''. Plot The king of Tasuun, Famorgh, sends three henchmen (Yanur, Grotara, Thirlain Ludoch) from Miraab to Chaon Gacca to deliver the remains of King Tnepreez. As they journey from the city in a caravan of camels, they note in the past a similar task. Yanur notes two centuries ago King Mandis asked two of his men for the golden mirror of Queen Avaina as a gift for his favourite leman. However, those two never returned and the king offered a different gift instead. The three remark that Chaon Gacca is occupied by shadows from the desert Dloth. Thirlain Ludoch points out that the shadows would appear in palaces and when touches would render the skin withered. King Ameni suffered an injury to his hand due to this. Yanur remarks Chaon Gacca was also besieged by earthquakes. The three find the t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ballantine Adult Fantasy Series
The Ballantine Adult Fantasy series was an imprint of American publisher Ballantine Books. Launched in 1969 (presumably in response to the growing popularity of Tolkien's works), the series reissued a number of works of fantasy literature which were out of print or dispersed in back issues of pulp magazines (or otherwise not easily available in the United States), in cheap paperback form—including works by authors such as James Branch Cabell, Lord Dunsany, Ernest Bramah, Hope Mirrlees, and William Morris. The series lasted until 1974. Envisioned by the husband-and-wife team of Ian and Betty Ballantine, and edited by Lin Carter, it featured cover art by illustrators such as Gervasio Gallardo, Robert LoGrippo, David McCall Johnston, and Bob Pepper. The agreement signed between the Ballantines and Carter on November 22, 1968, launched the project. In addition to the reprints comprising the bulk of the series, some new fantasy works were published as well as a number of origin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Witchcraft Of Ulua
"The Witchcraft of Ulua" is a short story by American author Clark Ashton Smith as part of his Zothique cycle, and first published in the February 1934 issue of ''Weird Tales''. Plot Sabmon lives in a house made of bones on the edge of a northern desert of Tasuun. He was famous for his dark arts and many sought his advice and divination. Amalzain, a great nephew of Sabmon, visits him and he tells that he will be chosen as cupbearer for king Famorgh in Miraab. Sabmon recommends an amulet that contains the ashes of Yos Ebni who weathered temptation until death. Sabmon tells him to abstain from temptation but should it prove too great he should return to Sabmon and work as his apprentice. Amalzain travels to Miraab and finds much decadence in the court of the king Famorgh. Amid his work, he finds that princess Ulua has inherited some of the sorcery from her mother queen Lunalia. While princess Ulua seeks after Amalzain, Amalzain refutes her advances. However, at night, Amalzain is visi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
