Rank your Top 10 Favorite Clark Ashton Smith Short Stories

[Die Math]

In this thread, please rank your ten favorite Clark Ashton Smith stories. Your favorite story should be numbered 1, while your less preferred stories should ascend down to the number 10. If you haven't read or like 10 of his stories, you don't have to fill out a complete list, but I will only include submissions for those who have ranked at least 5 stories. Here is a complete list of CAS's short stories.

Once I have sufficient results, I'll put the details into a spreadsheet and create a table to share with the respondents on this thread. I'll probably finalize the results sometime after December 20th. Thanks for participating!

 

[BAYLOR]

1.The City of the Singing Flame
2. The Vault of Yoh-Vombus
3. The Death of Malaygris
4. Double Shadow
5. The Last Hieroglyph

 

[Die Math]

1 Seed from the Sepulcher
2 City of the Singing Flame
3 Isle of the Torturers
4 Dark Eidolon
5 Mother of Toads
6 Double Shadow
7 Dweller in the Gulf
8 Vaults of Yoh-Vombis
9 Coming of the White Worm
10 Hunters from Beyond

 

[Bick]

Mods - this is in the wrong forum really, and wouldn't be found by those who don't the literary fiction subforum - should be in classic SFF.

 

[Extollager]

I agree with Bick.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Moved.

 

[BAYLOR]

Moved.

In terms prose style , storytelling, there is no one quite like CAS. I wonder if Tolkien knew of him and ever read anything by him. If so , What would have thought of his writings? And I If wonder of CAS ever read LOTR? and what he might have thought of Tolkien.

 

[Extollager]

Baylor, Tolkien probably read one story by Smith. See here:

"From Beyond" | Science Fiction & Fantasy forums (sffchronicles.com)

Somewhere I have seen an account of some notes Tolkien wrote on the book, but I don't believe Tolkien said anything specific about the Smith; he seems to have focused on the Dunsany selection. My impression is that he didn't much like any of the stories. However, the book seems to have been the grain from which a false pearl was generated, to the effect that Tolkien liked the Conan stories. It's important not to circulate such stuff unless it's from a reliable source, etc.

 

[Extollager]

Aha! I have found a little detail regarding Tolkien's thoughts on that anthology, including his dislike of the Smith story. Go here:

Critique of "Distressing Tale of Thangobrind the Jeweler" - Tolkien Gateway

 

[Extollager]

We have, then, two or three possible sources for Tolkien's estimate of "The Testament of Athammaus," the one story by Clark Ashton Smith he is known to have read: (1) his handwritten notes on the de Camp anthology in which it appeared; these notes have been sold at auction, I believe, and I don't know who has them; (2 and/or 3): Tolkien's remarks to de Camp, in person or by letter or both about the book.

All we have for certain seems to be the comment at the link given in my previous message. I think it is fair to extrapolate from it so much as to say it is unlikely that Tolkien would have liked anything by Smith, due to both the style and the matter of Smith's writing.

 

[BAYLOR]

We have, then, two or three possible sources for Tolkien's estimate of "The Testament of Athammaus," the one story by Clark Ashton Smith he is known to have read: (1) his handwritten notes on the de Camp anthology in which it appeared; these notes have been sold at auction, I believe, and I don't know who has them; (2 and/or 3): Tolkien's remarks to de Camp, in person or by letter or both about the book.

All we have for certain seems to be the comment at the link given in my previous message. I think it is fair to extrapolate from it so much as to say it is unlikely that Tolkien would have liked anything by Smith, due to both the style and the matter of Smith's writing.

Perhaps Tolkien should have read more CAS than he did.

 

[BAYLOR]

Aha! I have found a little detail regarding Tolkien's thoughts on that anthology, including his dislike of the Smith story. Go here:

Critique of "Distressing Tale of Thangobrind the Jeweler" - Tolkien Gateway

C L Moore, Lord Dunsany and Clark Ashton Smith were all very good writers so no, I think I would not agree with Tolkien on this .

 

[Extollager]

Perhaps Tolkien should have read more CAS than he did.

I doubt it, but what should he have read to change the impression from the one story?

 

[BAYLOR]

I doubt it, but what should he have read to change the impression from the one story?

Because one story is hardly the complete picture of CAS the writer.

 

[BAYLOR]

Baylor, Tolkien probably read one story by Smith. See here:

"From Beyond" | Science Fiction & Fantasy forums (sffchronicles.com)

Somewhere I have seen an account of some notes Tolkien wrote on the book, but I don't believe Tolkien said anything specific about the Smith; he seems to have focused on the Dunsany selection. My impression is that he didn't much like any of the stories. However, the book seems to have been the grain from which a false pearl was generated, to the effect that Tolkien liked the Conan stories. It's important not to circulate such stuff unless it's from a reliable source, etc.

Hm, Im trying to imagine a conversation involving Tolkien, REH , Lovecraft, CAS and Tolkien.

I would pay money to see that.

 

[Extollager]

Because one story is hardly the complete picture of CAS the writer.

But you're not answering my question, Baylor. What story or stories would you suggest that Tolkien should read to show him that Smith wrote things worth his time as someone who disliked the "Testament"?

A few years ago J. D. Worthington and I discussed the achievement of CAS here and JD suggested some stories to show that there is some degree of range in Smith. JD showed me there was more range in Smith than I thought, but, so far as I remember offhand, nothing that I thought indicated all that much range either. Get your Smith books down and name a story or two that you think good but significantly different from "Testament."

Otherwise you're doing little but to say, "Well, Tolkien didn't like Smith but I do."

 

[Extollager]

Hm, Im trying to imagine a conversation involving Tolkien, REH , Lovecraft, CAS and Tolkien.

You mentioned Tolkien twice.

 

[BAYLOR]

But you're not answering my question, Baylor. What story or stories would you suggest that Tolkien should read to show him that Smith wrote things worth his time as someone who disliked the "Testament"?

A few years ago J. D. Worthington and I discussed the achievement of CAS here and JD suggested some stories to show that there is some degree of range in Smith. JD showed me there was more range in Smith than I thought, but, so far as I remember offhand, nothing that I thought indicated all that much range either. Get your Smith books down and name a story or two that you think good but significantly different from "Testament."

Otherwise you're doing little but to say, "Well, Tolkien didn't like Smith but I do."

The City of the Singing Flame, The Last Incantation, The Death of Malygris , A Rendezvous in Averoigne, The Holiness of Azdararac ,The Maze of the Enchanter ,The Ice Demon ,The Seven Geases ,The Last Hieroglyph, The Vaults of Yoh-vombus, The Eternal World , The Return of the Sorcerer , The Kiss of Zoraida, The Enchantress Sylaire, The Theft of Thirty-nine Girdles

I could go on

 

[BAYLOR]

You mentioned Tolkien twice.

H P Lovecraft.

 

[Extollager]

The City of the Singing Flame, The Last Incantation, The Death of Malygris , A Rendezvous in Averoigne, The Holiness of Azdararac ,The Maze of the Enchanter ,The Ice Demon ,The Seven Geases ,The Last Hieroglyph, The Vaults of Yoh-vombus, The Eternal World , The Return of the Sorcerer , The Kiss of Zoraida, The Enchantress Sylaire, The Theft of Thirty-nine Girdles

I could go on

You think, after Tolkien’s objections to Testament,” that reading “Yoh-Vombis,” say, would change his mind? Look again at what Tolkien said by way of objection to the stories by Smith and others in the de Camp anthology.

I should say, though, that I won’t carry this discussion further on this thread, which the original poster specified as about readers’ favorites by Smith. But Tolkien was brought up and there was a bit of factual information to share about him reading Smith.