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The Double Shadow
Clark Ashton Smith -- one of the "big three" classic authors from the legendary pulp magazine Weird Tales (the others being H.P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard) -- began writing early in the twentieth century. By the 1920s, he became a regular poet and author in Weird Tales magazine, helping to usher in its golden age. "The Double Shadow" was originally published by the Auburn Journal in 1933 in an oversized edition limited to only 1,000 copies. Smith carefully signed and hand-corrected many typographical errors for years to come. A collection of six stories ranging from contemporary horror to weird alternate-world fantasy, it remains a fascinating introduction and showcase to his decadently jeweled prose.
112 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1933
2 people are currently reading
123 people want to read
About the author
Clark Ashton Smith
720 books996 followersClark Ashton Smith was a 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 mainly 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.
His writings are posted at his official website.
His writings are posted at his official website.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
October 23, 2019
Another successful Halloweeny read!
The Double Shadow is my first foray into Smith’s wonderfully ghastly fiction. I’m reviewing a collection of short stories that fall under this title because I can’t find an entry for the specific book I read.
The titular story was fantastic! Smith busts out his arcane thesaurus, so it was a bit stiff and a challenging read. But it was also rewarding, especially if you’re into demons. And who doesn’t love a demon? While not action-packed, the detailed descriptions are top-notch. Creepiness abounds in the best ways!
Wizards appear through the various stories, but almost always they're nothing but damn dirty necromancers! Whatever they touch with their stinking paws goes awry, the dabbling m.f.ers. Always gotta dabble...
The collection includes the long short story The Voyage of King Euvoran. This gloriously gilded tale would have been more successful if the main character wasn’t a repugnant, self-righteous lover of torture. That kinda made me not care if he succeeded in his quest. Still, it's beautifully detailed and marvelous, fantastical creatures.
The Double Shadow is my first foray into Smith’s wonderfully ghastly fiction. I’m reviewing a collection of short stories that fall under this title because I can’t find an entry for the specific book I read.
The titular story was fantastic! Smith busts out his arcane thesaurus, so it was a bit stiff and a challenging read. But it was also rewarding, especially if you’re into demons. And who doesn’t love a demon? While not action-packed, the detailed descriptions are top-notch. Creepiness abounds in the best ways!
Wizards appear through the various stories, but almost always they're nothing but damn dirty necromancers! Whatever they touch with their stinking paws goes awry, the dabbling m.f.ers. Always gotta dabble...
The collection includes the long short story The Voyage of King Euvoran. This gloriously gilded tale would have been more successful if the main character wasn’t a repugnant, self-righteous lover of torture. That kinda made me not care if he succeeded in his quest. Still, it's beautifully detailed and marvelous, fantastical creatures.
February 16, 2021
On my diurnal commute, shortly after the hour when I am accustomed to delivering my one decade-old young progeny to her institute of learning this very morn, I had the pleasure of listening--not to the desultory hum of the expressway along which I sped with all dispatch--but rather to the modulating and hypnogogic tones of one William L. Hahn, as he read aloud a bleak tale that has darkened my horizons on more than a single, fateful occasion.
It has been said of Smith that he, "is perhaps unexcelled by any other writer dead or living" and that should you, "Take one step across the threshold of his stories ... you plunge into color, sound, taste, smell, and texture -- into language."
I find those statements, for me, to be true.
The Double Shadow, which has now been so expertly narrated by Mr. Hahn, has long for me been a favorite of Smith's yarns. The novice might be warned, however, that to immerse oneself into Smith is to dive into the use of language that a neophyte might find a scintilla overwhelming. But quail not before the masterful artistry of Smith's when it comes to assembling phrases and yarns; rather, persevere. And should you have to look more deeply into the meaning of a word, why--you'll only be the richer for it, not the poorer.
As to the chronicle itself, it is one of the best-told horror-narratives ever penned, detailing as it does a wizard's conjuration and the many necromantic things that gang aft agley in the course of the evocation of runic sorcery. Smith really dialed up the atmosphere for this story of his, which is a member of his Poseidonis cycle, with strong, descriptive passages like this:
For those familiar with both CAS and The Double Shadow, the thing to look for here is the element that I feel that Smith--who was fond of roaming out-of-doors, reading aloud his prose to test its meter--would enjoy were he still with us today: Hahn's equally masterful narration. I enjoyed it immensely, from that first utterance to that final denouement. I think anyone would.
Alas, poor Oigos.
It has been said of Smith that he, "is perhaps unexcelled by any other writer dead or living" and that should you, "Take one step across the threshold of his stories ... you plunge into color, sound, taste, smell, and texture -- into language."
I find those statements, for me, to be true.
The Double Shadow, which has now been so expertly narrated by Mr. Hahn, has long for me been a favorite of Smith's yarns. The novice might be warned, however, that to immerse oneself into Smith is to dive into the use of language that a neophyte might find a scintilla overwhelming. But quail not before the masterful artistry of Smith's when it comes to assembling phrases and yarns; rather, persevere. And should you have to look more deeply into the meaning of a word, why--you'll only be the richer for it, not the poorer.
As to the chronicle itself, it is one of the best-told horror-narratives ever penned, detailing as it does a wizard's conjuration and the many necromantic things that gang aft agley in the course of the evocation of runic sorcery. Smith really dialed up the atmosphere for this story of his, which is a member of his Poseidonis cycle, with strong, descriptive passages like this:
"...in my master's marble house above the loud, ever-ravening sea, I write this tale with a hasty hand, scrawling an ink of wizard virtue on the grey, priceless, antique parchment of dragons..."
For those familiar with both CAS and The Double Shadow, the thing to look for here is the element that I feel that Smith--who was fond of roaming out-of-doors, reading aloud his prose to test its meter--would enjoy were he still with us today: Hahn's equally masterful narration. I enjoyed it immensely, from that first utterance to that final denouement. I think anyone would.
Alas, poor Oigos.
April 13, 2018
'The Double Shadow' was published in 1933 before the 'The Death of Malygris' (1934) which seems to succeed it in terms of the internal chronology of the Poseidonis cycle although this may be down to later revisions.
Again, the basic horror story line is simple enough - an invocation of something demonic from the vastly distant past becomes a possessor of even the most powerful necromantic sorcerers and, implicitly, threatens the human race itself with a demonic (alien) invasion.
However, this story should be read for its intense and poetic style rather than for its substance. The narrator's despair at his impending fate captures the pessimism and depression of Ashton Smith in this cycle which is centred on corporeal loss.
One might think the story is on the edge of being Lovecraftian but, in fact, it is very much a creature of Ashton Smith's distinct sensibility - his own peculiar combination of horror and fantasy.
October 30, 2011
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.
Halloween is right around the corner, so I thought I’d get in the mood by reading a collection of spooky stories by Clark Ashton Smith, a writer and poet who’s known for his contributions to the pulp magazine Weird Tales. Smith was a friend of H.P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard and an influence on many of the later pulp writers.
The Double Shadow collects six of Clark Ashton Smith’s excellent short stories. You can read each of these at The Eldritch Dark, a website devoted to the writings of Clark Ashton Smith. They have posted the text of most of his stories online either because the story is in the public domain, or with permission from Smith’s estate. I don’t like to read stories from my computer screen, so I recommend the audio version I listened to by AudioRealms, which was beautifully narrated by Steve Cooper. But you can use the links below to at least read enough to determine whether you like Smith’s style:
* “The Double Shadow” — A necromancer is being followed by a sinister shadow.
* “The Devotee of Evil” — An eccentric rich man moves into a haunted house because he wants to study the physics of evil.
* “A Night in Malnéant” — Feeling guilty about his girlfriend’s suicide, a man can’t find the peace he seeks when he visits a city preparing for a funeral.
* “The Willow Landscape” — For financial reasons, a man is forced to sell his favorite possession – a painting of a willow landscape. Before the buyer takes it away, the man requests to spend one more evening with his beloved treasure. I knew where this was going from the beginning, but I loved it anyway.
* “The Maze of the Enchanter” — A man goes to a sorcerer’s house to retrieve the woman he loves.
* “The Voyage of King Euvoran” — King Euvoran’s famous crown has been carried off by a large exotic bird. To maintain his authority (and to cover his bald spot) the King needs to get it back. This story was quite humorous.
Writing about Clark Ashton Smith, L. Sprague de Camp said, "Nobody since Poe has so loved a well-rotted corpse,” but there’s more to Smith’s stories than evil, death, and rotting corpses. There’s so much beauty here, too. There are exotic landscapes, strange people and animals, chilling and ironic plot twists. The prose is rich, deep, and ornate:
With no other light than that of the four diminutive moons of Xiccarph, each in a different phase but all decrescent, Tiglari had crossed the bottomless swamp of Soorm, wherein no reptile dwelt and no dragon descended — but where the pitch-black ooze was alive with continual heavings and writhings.
If you’re in the mood for some spooky gothic tales, Clark Ashton Smith’s The Double Shadow may be just the right thing. The Double Shadow was my first exposure to Smith’s stories, but I have now made it a personal goal to read all of them.
Halloween is right around the corner, so I thought I’d get in the mood by reading a collection of spooky stories by Clark Ashton Smith, a writer and poet who’s known for his contributions to the pulp magazine Weird Tales. Smith was a friend of H.P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard and an influence on many of the later pulp writers.
The Double Shadow collects six of Clark Ashton Smith’s excellent short stories. You can read each of these at The Eldritch Dark, a website devoted to the writings of Clark Ashton Smith. They have posted the text of most of his stories online either because the story is in the public domain, or with permission from Smith’s estate. I don’t like to read stories from my computer screen, so I recommend the audio version I listened to by AudioRealms, which was beautifully narrated by Steve Cooper. But you can use the links below to at least read enough to determine whether you like Smith’s style:
* “The Double Shadow” — A necromancer is being followed by a sinister shadow.
* “The Devotee of Evil” — An eccentric rich man moves into a haunted house because he wants to study the physics of evil.
* “A Night in Malnéant” — Feeling guilty about his girlfriend’s suicide, a man can’t find the peace he seeks when he visits a city preparing for a funeral.
* “The Willow Landscape” — For financial reasons, a man is forced to sell his favorite possession – a painting of a willow landscape. Before the buyer takes it away, the man requests to spend one more evening with his beloved treasure. I knew where this was going from the beginning, but I loved it anyway.
* “The Maze of the Enchanter” — A man goes to a sorcerer’s house to retrieve the woman he loves.
* “The Voyage of King Euvoran” — King Euvoran’s famous crown has been carried off by a large exotic bird. To maintain his authority (and to cover his bald spot) the King needs to get it back. This story was quite humorous.
Writing about Clark Ashton Smith, L. Sprague de Camp said, "Nobody since Poe has so loved a well-rotted corpse,” but there’s more to Smith’s stories than evil, death, and rotting corpses. There’s so much beauty here, too. There are exotic landscapes, strange people and animals, chilling and ironic plot twists. The prose is rich, deep, and ornate:
With no other light than that of the four diminutive moons of Xiccarph, each in a different phase but all decrescent, Tiglari had crossed the bottomless swamp of Soorm, wherein no reptile dwelt and no dragon descended — but where the pitch-black ooze was alive with continual heavings and writhings.
If you’re in the mood for some spooky gothic tales, Clark Ashton Smith’s The Double Shadow may be just the right thing. The Double Shadow was my first exposure to Smith’s stories, but I have now made it a personal goal to read all of them.
December 6, 2021
The debut volume of six C.A.S. tales self published back in 1933.
I've not been the greatest fan of his as I am not a 'fantasy' reader per se and I can only accept so many names and places such as Cyntrom, Urovrau (son of Karpoom), all of which appear within the first two paragraphs of the first tale, and terms such as "away with these mackerel" (first page of the first tale) before I tire of it. That said, his fantasy reputation tends to overshadow his more straightforward 'weird horror' fiction and that does him a disservice as they really are very good, most of them having a gloomy atmosphere from beginning to end.
'The voyage of King Eurovan' is a fairly straightforward 'quest story' which if you like the tales of Sinbad as filmed with the Ray Harryhausen special effects, you will probably enjoy as there are a number of fantastic beasts and dramatic seafaring incidents en route. It had been so long since i have read Smith that I was able to repress my desire to move along to the next story 'The Maze of The Enchanter' set on the planet Xiccarph (sigh) where our hero Tiglari takes on the evil Maal Dweb to regain his lost girlfriend Athle. I actually enjoyed this a lot as the descriptions of the garden and its flowers "bronze-like stems and great yawning bells that seemed to be the mottled heads of bestial chimeras yawing to disclose their carmine throats" is very evocative.
I liked even more the titular tale which brings to mind John Dee and Edward Kelly and their experiments with Enochian a theme maintained in 'The Devotee of Evil' in which unholy beings are drawn to the narrator by the application of sound.
'A Night in Malneant' is another quest tale of sorts, the narrator attempting to find accommodation in a grey walled city at dusk, the sky equally leaden and filled by the tolling of funeral bells for the imminent funeral of Lady Mariel, an event which means all the inns are full. Our wanderer, is like Tiglari, destined to discover something that he would rather not. The final tale 'The Willow landscape' might, possibly, be seen as relatively optimistic compared to all that proceeded it but an air of melancholy nevertheless hangs over proceedings.
All these stories are strong on atmosphere and, as a debut volume, Smith already seems almost 'fully formed' as a writer. I think it something of a pity that his later work became so ornate and filled with gem-like glister so if you agree with then you will like this book.
I say 'book' but my edition (a first) is little more than a densely typed booklet. I believe everything in it is now readable online. I am tempted to revisit my Smith volumes as a result of this recent re-acquaintance with his work.
I've not been the greatest fan of his as I am not a 'fantasy' reader per se and I can only accept so many names and places such as Cyntrom, Urovrau (son of Karpoom), all of which appear within the first two paragraphs of the first tale, and terms such as "away with these mackerel" (first page of the first tale) before I tire of it. That said, his fantasy reputation tends to overshadow his more straightforward 'weird horror' fiction and that does him a disservice as they really are very good, most of them having a gloomy atmosphere from beginning to end.
'The voyage of King Eurovan' is a fairly straightforward 'quest story' which if you like the tales of Sinbad as filmed with the Ray Harryhausen special effects, you will probably enjoy as there are a number of fantastic beasts and dramatic seafaring incidents en route. It had been so long since i have read Smith that I was able to repress my desire to move along to the next story 'The Maze of The Enchanter' set on the planet Xiccarph (sigh) where our hero Tiglari takes on the evil Maal Dweb to regain his lost girlfriend Athle. I actually enjoyed this a lot as the descriptions of the garden and its flowers "bronze-like stems and great yawning bells that seemed to be the mottled heads of bestial chimeras yawing to disclose their carmine throats" is very evocative.
I liked even more the titular tale which brings to mind John Dee and Edward Kelly and their experiments with Enochian a theme maintained in 'The Devotee of Evil' in which unholy beings are drawn to the narrator by the application of sound.
'A Night in Malneant' is another quest tale of sorts, the narrator attempting to find accommodation in a grey walled city at dusk, the sky equally leaden and filled by the tolling of funeral bells for the imminent funeral of Lady Mariel, an event which means all the inns are full. Our wanderer, is like Tiglari, destined to discover something that he would rather not. The final tale 'The Willow landscape' might, possibly, be seen as relatively optimistic compared to all that proceeded it but an air of melancholy nevertheless hangs over proceedings.
All these stories are strong on atmosphere and, as a debut volume, Smith already seems almost 'fully formed' as a writer. I think it something of a pity that his later work became so ornate and filled with gem-like glister so if you agree with then you will like this book.
I say 'book' but my edition (a first) is little more than a densely typed booklet. I believe everything in it is now readable online. I am tempted to revisit my Smith volumes as a result of this recent re-acquaintance with his work.
February 18, 2021
What a creepy tale! This is the first Clark Ashton Smith short story I have ever listened to, but I’m going to have to seek out more. Smith has the gift of creating beautiful and yet sinister prose and narrator, William L. Hahn, has the chops to bring the story to eerie life. This story is a great length for enjoying in one sitting and will certainly help you to understand why Smith is considered a master of the pulp era. But beware—when you finish it you’ll be glancing over your shoulder to check out your own shadow.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
December 5, 2023
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“The Double Shadow” would eventually appear in Weird Tales with some alterations, mostly small changes in diction and minor deletions. The major change is the omission of a paragraph that links “The Double Shadow” to the events of the two Malygris stories, and thus weakens the sense of a Poseidonis cycle.
December 15, 2023
4.25⭐
November 5, 2024
Absolutely loved this short story. The prose was fully weird and the description of the shadow was delightfully deranged.
October 8, 2022
I’m not sure I went into this with the right mindset. This is my first set of Clark Ashton Smith stories, and I wasn’t quite prepared for how much Dark Fantasy there was. However, there are a few gems here, and I believe I will be seeking more out in the future.
“The Double Shadow” 2 Stars
It’s creepy, but I don’t think it’s a good introduction to Ashton Smith. It has more of his faults, wordiness and vagueness, and less of his strengths, imagination and wonder.
‘The Devotee of Evil” 2 Stars
It has a cool ending…
“A Night in Malneant” 4 Stars
Okay, I’m down for a creepy dark fantasy exploration of grief.
“The Maze of the Enchanter” 3 Stars
This one reminded me a lot of Conan the Barbarian at his best. A hero crawling through a crazy dark fantasy work with some neat ideas. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the ending, but it had other good qualities.
“The Willow Landscape” 3.5 Stars
I feel like I’ve heard a version of this story before, but it was enjoyable and well illustrated.
“The Voyage of King Euvoran” 3 Stars
An Arabian Nights pastiche with some cool ideas and an interesting take on morality.
“The Double Shadow” 2 Stars
It’s creepy, but I don’t think it’s a good introduction to Ashton Smith. It has more of his faults, wordiness and vagueness, and less of his strengths, imagination and wonder.
‘The Devotee of Evil” 2 Stars
It has a cool ending…
“A Night in Malneant” 4 Stars
Okay, I’m down for a creepy dark fantasy exploration of grief.
“The Maze of the Enchanter” 3 Stars
This one reminded me a lot of Conan the Barbarian at his best. A hero crawling through a crazy dark fantasy work with some neat ideas. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the ending, but it had other good qualities.
“The Willow Landscape” 3.5 Stars
I feel like I’ve heard a version of this story before, but it was enjoyable and well illustrated.
“The Voyage of King Euvoran” 3 Stars
An Arabian Nights pastiche with some cool ideas and an interesting take on morality.
September 1, 2019
Some soft endings, some long winded bemoaning and adjective serialization, but overall masterful and gripping prose. Deeply unsettling in turns, and grounded. Was surprised by how much I enjoyed the final story, so long and fleeting, but the Odyssean momentum of it won me over. Really enjoyed this, and would like to read more by him.
July 15, 2025
Im not sure I'm getting any better at understanding traditional classic horror. The more I read the more I am co fuses by the words they use however I will say this, compared to other horror I've read this one was more horror related. I don't think I've read this author before but this had a lot of words in it I've not heard or seen in a while which was enjoyable for me 🤣
November 8, 2018
Первый рассказ Смита, который я прочитала.
Если бы я не знала автора - подумала бы что это Лавкрафт.
Я знаю, что они состояли в переписке, но влияние, которое один оказал на другого тут очень хорошо прослеживается. Только вопрос кто на кого повлиял остался открытым.
Если бы я не знала автора - подумала бы что это Лавкрафт.
Я знаю, что они состояли в переписке, но влияние, которое один оказал на другого тут очень хорошо прослеживается. Только вопрос кто на кого повлиял остался открытым.
November 6, 2023
To start off you just get thrown into the hook. Really no explanation. Very confusing, maybe everything just went over my head. The book for being so short dragged and was very repetitive. In my opinion. I was very bored to be honest. So the two stars because of all of those reasons.
September 11, 2020
No me explico cómo es que nunca había leído yo nada de este señor, es que practicamente mi vida no era vida, que maravilla, sin palabras.
August 12, 2021
Добро, определено ще прочета и други неща на Аштън-Смит.
September 21, 2022
A nice collection of Clark Ashton Smith stories. It's nice that it's not all horror represented; there are some nice fairy tale themed stories, too.
November 11, 2023
I listened to this as part of the Classic Tales of Horror - 500+ Stories. It was very enjoyable 2023
December 12, 2023
Actually I kind of like the "try-hard" arcane and overwrought language.
September 7, 2024
Reminded me a lot of Lovecraft.
Gotta find more of this guy.
Gotta find more of this guy.
October 17, 2024
Always remember: your Wizards need supervision.
November 29, 2024
4/10
I listened to the audiobook in the middle of reading Frankenstein and I was just getting tired of the style of that book but this felt worse in every way with less to say.
I listened to the audiobook in the middle of reading Frankenstein and I was just getting tired of the style of that book but this felt worse in every way with less to say.
December 11, 2024
Solid 3.5 stars
June 7, 2013
The Double Shadow collects six of Clark Ashton Smith’s excellent short stories. You can read each of these at The Eldritch Dark, a website devoted to the writings of Clark Ashton Smith. They have posted the text of most of his stories online either because the story is in the public domain, or with ... Read More:
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
September 13, 2009
Scratched the CAS itch.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews