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Out of Space and Time (Panther Books)
Out of Space and Time: Volume 1
Fantasmagical voyages into alien landscapes!
Incredible worlds, impossibly beautiful cities, and still more fantastic creatures-
Forays into the unnameable beyond the tomb-
Macabre and ghoulish tales of weird-heroic fantasy and sheer terror-
Clark Ashton Smith
None strikes the note of cosmic horror as well as Clark Ashton Smith. In sheer daemonic strangeness and fertility of conception, Smith is perhaps unexcelled by any other writer. - H.P. Lovecraft
Take one step across the threshold of his stories and you plunge into colour, sound, taste and texture; into language. - Ray Bradbury
a monstrously vivid imagination, a keenly ironic sense of humour, and an uninhibited bent for the macabre...a giant in the weird-heroic field. - L. Sprague de Camp
Incredible worlds, impossibly beautiful cities, and still more fantastic creatures-
Forays into the unnameable beyond the tomb-
Macabre and ghoulish tales of weird-heroic fantasy and sheer terror-
Clark Ashton Smith
None strikes the note of cosmic horror as well as Clark Ashton Smith. In sheer daemonic strangeness and fertility of conception, Smith is perhaps unexcelled by any other writer. - H.P. Lovecraft
Take one step across the threshold of his stories and you plunge into colour, sound, taste and texture; into language. - Ray Bradbury
a monstrously vivid imagination, a keenly ironic sense of humour, and an uninhibited bent for the macabre...a giant in the weird-heroic field. - L. Sprague de Camp
204 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 1942
3 people are currently reading
557 people want to read
About the author
Clark Ashton Smith
713 books979 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 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 11, 2020
This collection of short stories seems to have been a reprint of the first collection of Smith's work, published by Arkham House in 1941. In this first volume, his first ever published story, 'The End of the Story' appears and a couple of other stories set in Averoigne, his imaginary province of France which I've encountered in collections read previously. In that first story a scholarly young man at the end of the 18th century has left behind an account which explains his disappeance after he was lost in the woods travelling to his father's house and was put up by a hospitable monastery. Unfortunately, the very select library, shown to him by the abbot, included a manuscript which the abbot warned him not to read because it was accursed and this acted on the young man's curiousity until the inevitable happened.......
In 'The City of the Singing Flame' Smith's imagination is given full rein, in an account of a man who inherits a manuscript left behind by his friend who has vanished, and who follows him through a gateway to another dimension. Strange wonders and creatures abound in this tale, but unlike some similar stories by Smith, this one has more of a proper plot and is less of a travelogue/description of odd lifeforms.
On the whole I liked the stories in the first part of the book better. One in the second half, 'The Dark Eidolon', was reminiscent of some of the very over the top tales of evil sorcerors which I have previously encountered in this writer's work. The last story, however, told by the apprentice of a wizard, has a creepier effect. Altogether, given the mix of effective and not so effective tales I rate this as a mid-range 3 star read.
In 'The City of the Singing Flame' Smith's imagination is given full rein, in an account of a man who inherits a manuscript left behind by his friend who has vanished, and who follows him through a gateway to another dimension. Strange wonders and creatures abound in this tale, but unlike some similar stories by Smith, this one has more of a proper plot and is less of a travelogue/description of odd lifeforms.
On the whole I liked the stories in the first part of the book better. One in the second half, 'The Dark Eidolon', was reminiscent of some of the very over the top tales of evil sorcerors which I have previously encountered in this writer's work. The last story, however, told by the apprentice of a wizard, has a creepier effect. Altogether, given the mix of effective and not so effective tales I rate this as a mid-range 3 star read.
June 7, 2015
This was the first time I dipped my toes into the work of Clark Ashton Smith and, being a huge Lovecraft fan, I can say that I was not disappointed! It's winter right now in Australia, and the past couple weeks I've hurried home from work, shaking the rain off my back before putting the kettle on. Each evening I've settled in by the fireplace with a nice hot mug of tea, my cat purring nearby and rain belting violently on the windows while I settle in to absorb these spooky tales. It's the perfect atmosphere and weather for enjoying a book like this.
What makes these books special is how strange the stories are: they're rarely about vampires or ghosts or anything simple like that, but instead about ideas far more complex and often sinister.
It's difficult to judge which story was my favourite, but I can say that I enjoyed 'The City of the Singing Flame' and 'The Uncharted Isle', both of which were very peculiar and otherworldly. I can say that I enjoyed every story in this little volume, each has their perks.
The writing style is really beautiful and almost poetic, which isn't surprising since CAH is more of a poet than a storyteller. In many ways his writing is actually more beautiful and pleasing to read than even Lovecraft. I won't ramble on in this review, except to say that if you like Lovecraft or old spooky stories in general (especially the cosmic horror variety) then you should definitely read this book.
I'd give it 4.5 stars if it were possible.
What makes these books special is how strange the stories are: they're rarely about vampires or ghosts or anything simple like that, but instead about ideas far more complex and often sinister.
It's difficult to judge which story was my favourite, but I can say that I enjoyed 'The City of the Singing Flame' and 'The Uncharted Isle', both of which were very peculiar and otherworldly. I can say that I enjoyed every story in this little volume, each has their perks.
The writing style is really beautiful and almost poetic, which isn't surprising since CAH is more of a poet than a storyteller. In many ways his writing is actually more beautiful and pleasing to read than even Lovecraft. I won't ramble on in this review, except to say that if you like Lovecraft or old spooky stories in general (especially the cosmic horror variety) then you should definitely read this book.
I'd give it 4.5 stars if it were possible.
February 12, 2008
A very creepy book of stories filled with vampires, hidden planes of existence, secret arcane and occult ceremonies and eerie fantasy. Who could possibly want more? There are 10 stories in this book, divided into 2 categories: out of space and time (stories of spatial and temporal dislocation) and judgments and dooms (stories where evil catches up to those who shouldn't have meddled where they did). Each and every one of these stories was effectively creepy and there was definitely never a moment where I wanted to skim because I got so caught up in the details.
Of the 10 stories, I enjoyed Smith's Averoigne stories (The End of the Story; A Rendezvous in Averoigne)and one entitled The City of the Singing Flame the best. The stories are all a masterful mix of fantasy and horror, but the type of horror that you won't find on your grocery store's shelf. This is totally horror at its best, up there with the work of HP Lovecraft. In fact, HPL vastly admired Clark Ashton Smith, which is how I came to be reading these stories.
Would I recommend it? Most definitely, but to people who want their horror on an intellectual plane.
Of the 10 stories, I enjoyed Smith's Averoigne stories (The End of the Story; A Rendezvous in Averoigne)and one entitled The City of the Singing Flame the best. The stories are all a masterful mix of fantasy and horror, but the type of horror that you won't find on your grocery store's shelf. This is totally horror at its best, up there with the work of HP Lovecraft. In fact, HPL vastly admired Clark Ashton Smith, which is how I came to be reading these stories.
Would I recommend it? Most definitely, but to people who want their horror on an intellectual plane.
July 20, 2013
A wonderful and weird collection of tales. Being self-educated, best to read this with a dictionary to hand as, in the same way that Thomas Hardy was largely self-educated, there are plenty of near obsolete words utilised.
Sometimes the descriptions are so florid it can be difficult to keep up with the narrative flow, but this is by no means a negative thing and will no doubt find repeated readings more rewarding. The language in the Hyperborean tales is a little more archaic and I can imagine his writing being an influence on Michael Moorcock.
All stories are very fresh and arguably evidence that talking pictures and later television have had a negative impact upon the imaginative qualities of popular culture.
Sometimes the descriptions are so florid it can be difficult to keep up with the narrative flow, but this is by no means a negative thing and will no doubt find repeated readings more rewarding. The language in the Hyperborean tales is a little more archaic and I can imagine his writing being an influence on Michael Moorcock.
All stories are very fresh and arguably evidence that talking pictures and later television have had a negative impact upon the imaginative qualities of popular culture.
November 14, 2024
Don't perform witchcraft.
Read
September 24, 2018I still have my Panther paperback from the 70s, with that great cover. Now I'm too old to deal with Smith's prose though.
January 23, 2012
As with most collections of short stories, this volume has some varying quality, the stand-outs being "The End of the Story", "The Second Interment", and "A Night in Malneant".
Smith was a close contemporary of Lovecraft, and contributed several books to the Mythos, but this collection is not a Mythos collection, but would still be classed as a collection of "eldritch horror" stories. However, whilst arguably a better wordsmith than Lovecraft, I find that Smith does not capture the reader to the same extent.
Smith was a close contemporary of Lovecraft, and contributed several books to the Mythos, but this collection is not a Mythos collection, but would still be classed as a collection of "eldritch horror" stories. However, whilst arguably a better wordsmith than Lovecraft, I find that Smith does not capture the reader to the same extent.
November 1, 2015
A reprint of a collection Smith personally selected as his "Best Of." This half of the collection includes several of his stories of demon-haunted Averoigne, a Zothique and a Poseidonis story, and a few set more-or-less in the modern world. Effective if you enjoy Smith's style (and I certainly do) and "A Night in Malneant" is particularly chilling as a metaphor (whether or not Smith meant it that way) about losing your spouse.
September 22, 2020
So creepy, so good! Smith is a master of language in evoking wonder and horror. Instead of Smith being understood as part of the Lovecraft circle, maybe Lovecraft should be understood as part of the Smith circle!
February 3, 2019
Absolutely read this. Brilliant work from the master.
April 23, 2025
Clark Ashton Smith is primarily known as a pulp writer for magazines such as Weird Tales in the 1930's. From the 1940's, much of his work was collected and published in book form by Arkham House. Then in the 1970's two further publishers reissued much of Smith's best work. Between 1970 and 1973, Ballantine put out Zothique, Hyperborea, Xiccarph, and Poseidonis in their Adult Fantasy Series edited by Lin Carter. The content of these four books was selected by Carter largely based on Smith's settings for his stories.
Later in the 1970's, Panther republished many of the original Arkham House books. The Panther edition of Out of Space and Time was published in two paperback volumes in 1974 with spectacular cover art by Bob Haberfield. The original 1942 edition had cover art by Hannes Bok, but I far prefer Haberfield's work.
Reprinted in Out of Space and Time: Volume 1 is the original prologue by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei. They state that the stories were selected by Clark Ashton Smith as being some of his best. Moreover, they expected this was just the first such collection and that more would follow.
Out of Space and Time: Volume 1 Is split into two sections, "Out of Space and Time" and "Judgments and Dooms." The first three stories are placed in Smith's invented medieval French province of Averoigne and involve ghosts, lamias, and vampires. Carter was planning a fourth collection of tales set in Averoigne, but the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series ceased before he got around to it. "A Rendezvous in Averoigne" is a particularly fine example of the Averoigne stories. I wonder if Smith was inspired by James Branch Cabell's invented medieval French province of Poictesme?
Also in the first section is "The City of the Singing Flame," a novelette "lost world" story. The perspective of the story is of a modern person (of Clark Ashton Smith's time) who stumbles upon another world hidden within our own. The fantastic world, in other words, is accessible from our own. The "lost world" mechanism has been used successfully many times, before and after Clark Ashton Smith. H. Rider Haggard started the genre, and A. Merritt later wrote some popular "lost world" novels. Notably, Lovecraft used the same perspective for many of his stories. The first section finishes with a second "lost world" story, "The Uncharted Isle," which had been revived by Lin Carter in Poseidonis a year earlier. I prefer Smith's stories of pure fantasy, such as those set in Zothique or Xiccarph, and his "lost world" tales are less successful, in my opinion. Nevertheless, "The City of the Singing Flame" is very good and has a pseudo-spiritual aspect, perhaps like William Morris's The Well at the World's End or David Lindsay's A Voyage to Arcturus.
"Judgments and Dooms" begins with a Poe-like straight horror story, "The Second Interment," and continues with a "lost world" horror story, "The Chain of Aforgomon." The book is completed with a Zothique story, "The Dark Eidolon," and a Poseidon story, "The Double Shadow." These two were both revived by Carter in their respective Ballantine volumes. "The Dark Eidolon,"in particular, is told with restrained irony, and is perhaps one of the very best of all the Clark Ashton Smith tales.
I wouldn't put all of Out of Space and Time: Volume 1 at the forefront of Clark Ashton Smith's work, but much of it is. "A Rendezvous in Averoigne," "The City of the Singing Flame," "The Dark Eidolon," and "The Double Shadow" together account for well over half the book, and all four are very good tales of horror fantasy.
Later in the 1970's, Panther republished many of the original Arkham House books. The Panther edition of Out of Space and Time was published in two paperback volumes in 1974 with spectacular cover art by Bob Haberfield. The original 1942 edition had cover art by Hannes Bok, but I far prefer Haberfield's work.
Reprinted in Out of Space and Time: Volume 1 is the original prologue by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei. They state that the stories were selected by Clark Ashton Smith as being some of his best. Moreover, they expected this was just the first such collection and that more would follow.
Out of Space and Time: Volume 1 Is split into two sections, "Out of Space and Time" and "Judgments and Dooms." The first three stories are placed in Smith's invented medieval French province of Averoigne and involve ghosts, lamias, and vampires. Carter was planning a fourth collection of tales set in Averoigne, but the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series ceased before he got around to it. "A Rendezvous in Averoigne" is a particularly fine example of the Averoigne stories. I wonder if Smith was inspired by James Branch Cabell's invented medieval French province of Poictesme?
Also in the first section is "The City of the Singing Flame," a novelette "lost world" story. The perspective of the story is of a modern person (of Clark Ashton Smith's time) who stumbles upon another world hidden within our own. The fantastic world, in other words, is accessible from our own. The "lost world" mechanism has been used successfully many times, before and after Clark Ashton Smith. H. Rider Haggard started the genre, and A. Merritt later wrote some popular "lost world" novels. Notably, Lovecraft used the same perspective for many of his stories. The first section finishes with a second "lost world" story, "The Uncharted Isle," which had been revived by Lin Carter in Poseidonis a year earlier. I prefer Smith's stories of pure fantasy, such as those set in Zothique or Xiccarph, and his "lost world" tales are less successful, in my opinion. Nevertheless, "The City of the Singing Flame" is very good and has a pseudo-spiritual aspect, perhaps like William Morris's The Well at the World's End or David Lindsay's A Voyage to Arcturus.
"Judgments and Dooms" begins with a Poe-like straight horror story, "The Second Interment," and continues with a "lost world" horror story, "The Chain of Aforgomon." The book is completed with a Zothique story, "The Dark Eidolon," and a Poseidon story, "The Double Shadow." These two were both revived by Carter in their respective Ballantine volumes. "The Dark Eidolon,"in particular, is told with restrained irony, and is perhaps one of the very best of all the Clark Ashton Smith tales.
I wouldn't put all of Out of Space and Time: Volume 1 at the forefront of Clark Ashton Smith's work, but much of it is. "A Rendezvous in Averoigne," "The City of the Singing Flame," "The Dark Eidolon," and "The Double Shadow" together account for well over half the book, and all four are very good tales of horror fantasy.
June 16, 2022
This was written for readers from another time and more fluent in old English than me. I find myself struggling to comprehend the overdescriptive language and the strangeness felt more present than the horror. Horror is written so differently today that this feels dates and hard to engage in for me as a child of the 1970s.
May 22, 2024
I prefer the more 'magical' stories but, once again, C.A.S. shows what you can write if you have swallowed a dictionary.
And a thesaurus...
And a thesaurus...
February 8, 2025
A great bunch of stories of strange encounters with unknown and disturbing things and journeys into strange lands
July 30, 2019
Smith was nothing less than a pure visionary. Such dreamlike, evocative wonders in his worlds, I just can’t believe a human mind could conceive them.
December 17, 2011
The very first story -from Smith's Averoigne cycle- won my enthusiasm from page 1: lone rider, storm coming, knocking on an abbey's door for shelter, great library, hidden books... The archtype of Gothic fiction.
August 27, 2009
Good stuff, but a little goes a long way
November 22, 2024
The 2nd interment
Ehh, you've read one buried alive story, you've read them all.
Ehh, you've read one buried alive story, you've read them all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2011
Brilliant. Read it. Haven't read this since about 12 y.o. - this man is incomparable.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews