Clark Ashton Smith in Penguin Classics!

[w h pugmire esq]

In his newest blog, S. T. Joshi has announced that he has finally convinced Penguin Books to bring forth an edition of the poetry & prose of Clark Ashton Smith!!! CAS has long held reign as one of the three main writers of weird and fantastic fiction to emerge from the pages of Weird Tales (the other two writers being Robert E. Howard and H. P. Lovecraft). Night Shade Books has published, in five handsome volumes, the fantastic fiction of Clark Ashton Smith, and there have been various paperback editions from Panther Horror and others; but this Penguin Classics edition will bring Smith's work to his largest audience yet. Joshi is working closely with one of the co-editors of the Night Shade volumes, Scott Connors, who is also the co-editor of the volume of Smith's correspondence that was published by Arkham House. Scott is helping with the selection of texts for the Penguin edition, and is in fact the book's co-editor. The book will include the classic weird tales of Smith, plus a generous sampling of his fantastic poetry and prose-poems. Wow!!!!

 

[Fried Egg]

Well, that's good news. Thank for sharing it with us.

 

[Vince W]

Great news. My CAS fell apart long ago.

 

[Nesacat]

Very good news. His books will reach a much wider audience now and certainly become a lot more affordable. We've been seeing a flood of Wordsworth's efforts in this direction here and they are doing very well. It gives people a chance to try folk like Lovecraft without breaking the bank.

 

[thatollie]

Excellent news.

 

[Connavar]

Exellent news i couldnt afford as on my student economy the expensive second hand versions of Nightshade collections when i wanted to try a big volume of CAS stories,his poetry.

I really didnt want to pay alot when something like this was bound to happen. All the other fantasy classics of those times like Lord Dunsany,Robert E Howard is already in Penguin classics.

 

[thatollie]

Exellent news i couldnt afford as on my student economy the expensive second hand versions of Nightshade collections when i wanted to try a big volume of CAS stories,his poetry.

I really didnt want to pay alot when something like this was bound to happen. All the other fantasy classics of those times like Lord Dunsany,Robert E Howard is already in Penguin classics.

And, to be fair, CAS already got a Fantasy Masterworks volume.

 

[Connavar]

And, to be fair, CAS already got a Fantasy Masterworks volume.

That version is out of print. http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb...ywords=fantasy+masterworks+clark+ashton+smith

It is not expensive second hand but it wont give him a place to be visible in books stores. I always browse classics bookshelf in my fav bookstore that is dominated by Penguin classics,Oxford classic books.

Im not saying this is new volume is the only one i will get but its good new version at good price that will get him more readers to see him. Its good place to start for people like me who are interested. Hard to start with 60 dollar second books....

 

[thatollie]

I had no idea that it was out of print.

 

[Connavar]

I had no idea that it was out of print.

I didnt know either until i asked my fav bookshop to order it for me and saw it was available only as second hand. Gollancz dont care about Fantasy Masterworks lines of their most of the books are out of print, CAS,Lord Dunsany,Tim Powers books etc

Thats why i focused on buying the more expensive Nightshade books if they are both out of print anyway.

 

[w h pugmire esq]

We have a bit of a wait for the Penguin edition. S. T. came over the other night for dinner and we did a YouTube video in which he gave details about the book. It won't be published until March 2014. Penguin has insisted that it be 80% fiction (and that will include the prose-poems) and 20% poetry. It will probably be called The Dark Eidolon and Other Fantasies. Fiction will be published in chronological order. Penguin, feeling that CAS is so unknown, has requested that S. T. write an extensive Introduction. Cover art is being debated, but it seems unlikely that Penguin will want to use something by Smith.

 

[Connavar]

So unknown is a bit strong but from their POV who knows what they mean by known older author.

2014 i was hoping it was only less than a year away this collection.