Clark Ashton Smith

Clark Ashton Smith (1893–1961) was an American poet, sculptor and author known for baroque, decadent prose and his cycles Zothique, Hyperborea, Averoigne and Atlantis. He published in Weird Tales and maintained a formative correspondence with H.P. Lovecraft.

Born in 1893 in California and deceased in 1961, Clark Ashton Smith began his career as a poet (collections include The Star-Treader and Ebony and Crystal) and worked as a sculptor. From the early 1920s he corresponded with H.P. Lovecraft and published many stories in Weird Tales (notably between 1928 and 1935). He created elements later incorporated into the Cthulhu Mythos (including deities such as Tsathoggua and references to Ubbo-Sathla) and wrote the major cycles Atlantis, Hyperborea, Averoigne, Xiccarph and Zothique. Arkham House issued his first hardcover collections (e.g., Out of Space and Time in 1942). He also produced Italian translations and is known for translations of Baudelaire.

Clark Ashton Smith is presented as an American poet, sculptor and writer of weird fiction whose baroque, decadent prose created the cycles Zothique, Hyperborea, Averoigne and Atlantis. Reviews emphasize his poetic origins, his correspondence with H.P. Lovecraft, and his reputation among weird-fiction collectors. The volumes on DeBaser collect major cycles and translations into Italian. His work is described as richly imaginative and not to every taste.

For:Readers of weird fiction, cosmic horror, decadent fantasy, and poetry enthusiasts.