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Poseidonis
In sheer daemonic strangeness and fertility of conception, Clark Ashton Smith is perhaps unexcelled by any other writer dead or living. - H.P. Lovecraft
Table of Contents:
"The Magic of Atlantis: An Introduction" (Editor)
Poseidonis
* Editor's Note
* "The Muse of Atlantis" (prose poem)
* "The Last Incantation"
* "The Death of Malygris"
* "Tolometh" (poem)
* "The Double Shadow"
* "A Voyage to Sfanomoë"
* "A Vintage from Atlantis"
* "Atlantis: a poem" (poem)
Lemuria
* Editor's Note
* In Lemuria (poem)
* An Offering to the Moon
* The Uncharted Isle
* Lemurienne (poem)
Ptolemides
* Editor's Note
* The Epiphany of Death
Other Realms
* Editor's Note
* In Cocaigne (prose poem)
* Symposium of the Gorgon
* The Venus of Azombeii
* The Isle of Saturn (poem)
* The Root of Ampoi
* The Invisible City
* Amithaine (poem)
* The Willow Landscape
* The Shadows (prose poem)
Cover art by Gervasio Gallardo
Table of Contents:
"The Magic of Atlantis: An Introduction" (Editor)
Poseidonis
* Editor's Note
* "The Muse of Atlantis" (prose poem)
* "The Last Incantation"
* "The Death of Malygris"
* "Tolometh" (poem)
* "The Double Shadow"
* "A Voyage to Sfanomoë"
* "A Vintage from Atlantis"
* "Atlantis: a poem" (poem)
Lemuria
* Editor's Note
* In Lemuria (poem)
* An Offering to the Moon
* The Uncharted Isle
* Lemurienne (poem)
Ptolemides
* Editor's Note
* The Epiphany of Death
Other Realms
* Editor's Note
* In Cocaigne (prose poem)
* Symposium of the Gorgon
* The Venus of Azombeii
* The Isle of Saturn (poem)
* The Root of Ampoi
* The Invisible City
* Amithaine (poem)
* The Willow Landscape
* The Shadows (prose poem)
Cover art by Gervasio Gallardo
210 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1973
3 people are currently reading
220 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 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 27, 2015
Clark Ashton Smith is not read much nowadays. Surprisingly, it is his former associate H.P. Lovecraft whose reputation continues unabated; but, except for a brief time during the 1970s when the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series issued four of his titles (of which Poseidonis is one), Smith outshines Lovecraft, who seems comparatively stuffy. Years ago, I had read and admired Zothique, published in the same Ballantine series; but I had never followed up on it.
Now, Poseidonis has renewed my interest. This volume collects stories and poems related to the mystical realms of Poseidonis, Lemuria, and Ptolemides, as well as a number of related stories about "other realms." Some of these are gems, such as the two Malygris stories that open the Poseidonis section. I also liked "The Uncharted Isle," "The Epiphany of Death," and the delightful "The Willow Landscape."
Smith's poetry is quite good, and I have seen two collections of it published within recent memory.
Now, Poseidonis has renewed my interest. This volume collects stories and poems related to the mystical realms of Poseidonis, Lemuria, and Ptolemides, as well as a number of related stories about "other realms." Some of these are gems, such as the two Malygris stories that open the Poseidonis section. I also liked "The Uncharted Isle," "The Epiphany of Death," and the delightful "The Willow Landscape."
Smith's poetry is quite good, and I have seen two collections of it published within recent memory.
April 23, 2020
The fourth of Lin Carter's Ballantine Adult Fantasy collections of Clark Ashton Smith's short fiction (following Hyperborea, Zothique and Xiccarph.
The actual Poseidonis section is maybe a quarter of the book -- Smith only wrote five stories set on the last isle of foundering Atlantis, plus a few poems -- but the stories are gems, particularly "The Death of Malygris".
The book is rounded out with other thematically-linked stories and poems -- a couple mentioning Lemuria (another lost continent) and others generally involving ancient Greece, other lost civilizations, etc.
As always, the delight is Smith's elegant, sardonic prose, although these stories aren't quite as ... decadent as, say, Zothique.
And of course the book opens with a typically-enthusiastic Lin Carter introduction.
The actual Poseidonis section is maybe a quarter of the book -- Smith only wrote five stories set on the last isle of foundering Atlantis, plus a few poems -- but the stories are gems, particularly "The Death of Malygris".
The book is rounded out with other thematically-linked stories and poems -- a couple mentioning Lemuria (another lost continent) and others generally involving ancient Greece, other lost civilizations, etc.
As always, the delight is Smith's elegant, sardonic prose, although these stories aren't quite as ... decadent as, say, Zothique.
And of course the book opens with a typically-enthusiastic Lin Carter introduction.
October 14, 2020
This collection published in the USA as part of the fantasy series edited by Lin Carter brought together the stories by Smith set in Atlantis and its remnants, and other lost lands such as Lemuria. This meant that I had already read quite a few of them in the Panther 1970s series books. These included "The Last Incantation", "The Death of Malygris", "The Double Shadow" and "A Voyage to Sfanomoë" of the Atlantian stories and "An Offering to the Moon" and "The Uncharted Isle" of the Lemuria and similar tales. Carter made up the material into book length by adding various assorted stories and poems which did not fit into any of the categories used in other Smith collections in his series so again "The Willow Landscape" was a previous read - however, I like this story except for the rather bathetic final paragraph- and "The Invisible City".
Overall I would rate this as a 3-star read as the stories I don't find interesting are balanced out by others I enjoyed.
Overall I would rate this as a 3-star read as the stories I don't find interesting are balanced out by others I enjoyed.
July 18, 2009
I've always kind of wanted to like Smith more than I do. I certainly admire him for an incredible vocabulary, perhaps one of the best of any writer ever. And I like the eerie, otherworldness of his work. However, I've always liked a heavier element of adventure in my writing than you usually find in Smith's work. Still, he was a writer well worth experiencing.
January 6, 2012
Smith's stories are more the constructions of mood and imagery than anything else, which may be a deal-breaker for some readers. The imaginary-setting ones in particular (the "Poseidonis" and "Lemuria" stories) fall into this category. They are heavy fare that can only be tackled in small doses.
The miscellaneous stories also collected in this volume are a grab-bag of more conventional writing, some of which border on what you would typically find in a pulp magazine of the era.
I keep finding that Smith's poetry doesn't work for me.
The miscellaneous stories also collected in this volume are a grab-bag of more conventional writing, some of which border on what you would typically find in a pulp magazine of the era.
I keep finding that Smith's poetry doesn't work for me.
April 14, 2025
Poseidonis, published in 1973, was the 59th volume of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy Series. Lin Carter edited the series as whole as well as individual volumes like this. Poseidonis was the fourth collection in the series by Clark Ashton Smith. It has excellent wraparound cover art by Gervasio Gallardo, an artist that Carter used for many Ballantine Adult Fantasy books.
Generally speaking, the four Ballantine Adult Fantasy books by Clark Ashton Smith each concerns the tales from a particular Smith location. This is certainly true of Zothique and Hyperborea, and to limited extent of Xiccarph. Like Xiccarph, however, only a few of the Poseidonis stories are actually set in Poseidonis, last island of the doomed and sinking Atlantis. Several other stories are set in Lemuria, and one in Ptolemides. Many stories after the first third of the book are what might be classed as "lost world" tales, in which a modern person (at least, of Smith's time) stumbles across a hidden realm of great antiquity and isolation.
Some of the stories in Poseidonis are good, and the best can stand with the best of the preceding three Clark Ashton Smith volumes in the series—I'm thinking in particular of the two tales of Malygris of Poseidon, "The Last Incantation" and "The Death of Malygris." These two are classic Smith, horrific and fantastic, with an echo of irony. One can almost imagine Smith tittering gleefully, like the narrator in an old-time horror movie. Perhaps half the book, though, concerns "lost worlds" of various types. I sense the influence of Lovecraft in some of these, particularly in the discovery of ancient, alien horrors still inhabiting the modern world. In my view, Smith is not so strong when he ventures into the"lost world" subgenre. Somehow, his writing is not scintillating in his usual manner.
Moreover, sometimes Smith strays into racism in the "lost world" stories. For example, in "The Root of Ampoi," the English protagonist remarks of some indigenous people, "... their features were good even according to European standards" (p. 164). The same story is heavily misogynistic. Can we blame Smith's time and place for these attitudes or is he picking up ideas from Lovecraft? I'm not a scholar of Smith or Lovecraft, and so the influence of Lovecraft in this respect counts as a wild guess.
Poseidonis as a whole is nevertheless very good. Interspersed between the stories are several poems and prose poems, which are excellent, and give us a good sense of Smith's range as a writer of the fantastic. Lin Carter again does a spectacular job of bringing together and organizing these stories. The book is worthwhile also for Carter's knowledgeable and thoughtful introduction and notes between sections of the book.
Generally speaking, the four Ballantine Adult Fantasy books by Clark Ashton Smith each concerns the tales from a particular Smith location. This is certainly true of Zothique and Hyperborea, and to limited extent of Xiccarph. Like Xiccarph, however, only a few of the Poseidonis stories are actually set in Poseidonis, last island of the doomed and sinking Atlantis. Several other stories are set in Lemuria, and one in Ptolemides. Many stories after the first third of the book are what might be classed as "lost world" tales, in which a modern person (at least, of Smith's time) stumbles across a hidden realm of great antiquity and isolation.
Some of the stories in Poseidonis are good, and the best can stand with the best of the preceding three Clark Ashton Smith volumes in the series—I'm thinking in particular of the two tales of Malygris of Poseidon, "The Last Incantation" and "The Death of Malygris." These two are classic Smith, horrific and fantastic, with an echo of irony. One can almost imagine Smith tittering gleefully, like the narrator in an old-time horror movie. Perhaps half the book, though, concerns "lost worlds" of various types. I sense the influence of Lovecraft in some of these, particularly in the discovery of ancient, alien horrors still inhabiting the modern world. In my view, Smith is not so strong when he ventures into the"lost world" subgenre. Somehow, his writing is not scintillating in his usual manner.
Moreover, sometimes Smith strays into racism in the "lost world" stories. For example, in "The Root of Ampoi," the English protagonist remarks of some indigenous people, "... their features were good even according to European standards" (p. 164). The same story is heavily misogynistic. Can we blame Smith's time and place for these attitudes or is he picking up ideas from Lovecraft? I'm not a scholar of Smith or Lovecraft, and so the influence of Lovecraft in this respect counts as a wild guess.
Poseidonis as a whole is nevertheless very good. Interspersed between the stories are several poems and prose poems, which are excellent, and give us a good sense of Smith's range as a writer of the fantastic. Lin Carter again does a spectacular job of bringing together and organizing these stories. The book is worthwhile also for Carter's knowledgeable and thoughtful introduction and notes between sections of the book.
November 29, 2023
Not one of the better collections of Smith's work. In the introduction, Lin Carter states that Smith's writing is far superior to Robert E. Howard or H. P. Lovecraft, but you would not guess that from these short stories and poems, which are (at best) fairly serviceable pulp fiction, and his attitudes towards race and gender are no more enlightened than either. Most of these stories are either fantasy set in the distant past or are "lost world"/time travel adventure and SF pulp. 2 stars.
May 12, 2023
Sublime
March 21, 2020
This is a very serviceable collection of Clark Ashton Smith's stories and poems. Most are linked with the legend of Atlantis and Lemuria; sometimes imagining the lands before they sunk into the ocean, and other times people encountering remnants of these lost civilisations. The title of this anthology comes from a reference Helena Blavatsky made on the existence of Atlantis in "The Secret Doctrine." Blavatsky believed that Atlantis did not sink all at once, but rather chunk by chunk. Poseidonis was supposed to be the name of the final piece of what was once the continent of Atlantis. The final section of the book seems to be a few stories that are unconnected, but are included by Lin Carter for the sake and putting them back into print. These are not Clark's best stories as a lot of them betray their pulpy origins, but they are still a cut above the average phantastical pulp fiction. This is party due to Clark's idiosyncratic and florid writing. As much of an antiquarian as his literary contemporary and friend H.P. Lovecraft, Clark is more of a fantasy than a horror writer but still very much in the Weird Fiction camp. I find that Clark's writing style feels more fluid than Lovecraft's, but due to the baroque stye of writing some might find the stories difficult to follow. The stories are less about the plot and more about the atmosphere and feeling the words conjure up. Very much a case of style over substance. I personally enjoyed the images that were conjured in mind's eye. The idea of an ancient but advanced civilisation on the brink of disaster, but unable to prevent it. Of unexpected ruins that are stumbled upon deep in the ocean where no islands should be, nor appear on any known map... Each story a glimpse at an ancient kingdom now lost to the ocean. It was a fun read.
October 10, 2019
C.A.Smith has always had a reputation for his archaic vocabulary, as many in the Ballantine Adult Fantasy did.
He also shares the wooden plots and predictable endings (by today’s standards); on the other hand, Smith, Lovecraft, and Howard defined the genre, so perhaps I’m merely judging because those that followed repeated their plots.
Definitely readable, but I didn’t find the pieces in this volume compelling.
He also shares the wooden plots and predictable endings (by today’s standards); on the other hand, Smith, Lovecraft, and Howard defined the genre, so perhaps I’m merely judging because those that followed repeated their plots.
Definitely readable, but I didn’t find the pieces in this volume compelling.
July 26, 2021
CAS has such a way with words, paints such vivid, arcane, and archaic worlds. The quality isn't as good in the second half of the book, but the first half more than balances it out. The Double Shadow is one of the most chilling Appendix N reads I've come across.
August 7, 2024
The Atlantis stuff is the best Clark I've come across....
May 6, 2014
Spoilers below. This is really more for my records than anything else. If you look at my ratings I really didn't like most of the poetry (which isn't surprising because I'm not a huge poetry fan). Some good stuff here and you can definitely improve your vocabulary by reading this (though some of the words are probably antiquated and out of use). I like the fact that CAS isn't just a clone of HPL. He seems to come up with strange stuff that sometimes crosses into HPL territory but he has his own thing.
A Voyage of Sfanomoe (6.5) Poseidonis, Beautiful imagery, cool exotic world but not much of a surprise ending. I can think of 2 or 3 better alternative endings.
In Cocaigne (1.5) Other Realms Crappy love poetry, not one cool thing in it but the writing wasn't dreadful.
The Double Shadow (8.0) Poseidonis
The Shadows (4.0) Other Realms Poetic darkness, no plot
The Willow Landscape (4.0) Other Realms. Kinda Lame
A Vintage from Atlantis (7.0) Poseidonis - Pirates find an ancient bottle of wine that leads them to their doom beneath the waves as they hallucinate the alls of Atlantis.
An Offering to the Moon (6.0) Lemuria - Kind of predictable, archeologists find temple and revert to spirits of old. Sacrifice themselves to the moon goddess.
Syposium of the Gorgon (6.5) Other Realms, this one was actually kind of funny. He gets drunk ends up at some rich party with a mythological theme then ends up on some island with cannibals.
The Death of Malygris (7.5) Poseidonis - He's a the most powerful wizard but they think he's dead. They all die horribly but I think it was the famliar who killed them because Malygris also appears to be dead. Beautiful writing.
The Epiphany of Death (6.0) Ptolemides. Knows this guy who ends up being walking dead. Dead guy finally put himself in a sarcoughagi and shows the guy that he's been dead for a long time. Ends rather abruptly.
The Invisible City (6.5) Other Realms: Archeologists find an invisibile city populated by Aliens. The aliens won't let them go so they take their powersource hostage. Then they blow up the city.
The Last Incantation (7.0) Poseidonis - Malygris is dying and wants to see his lost love from youth. Summons her from the realms of the dead. But it only makes him feel worse. She's the same but he has changed and she no longer makes him feel the same way.
The Muse of Atlantis (7.0) Poseidonis - Less than a page, just a kind of intro to Poseidonis but nice writing.
The Root of Ampoi (6.0) Other Realms: A circus freak giant tells the story of how he got to be a giant in the land of the amazons.
The Uncharted Isle (6.5) Lemuria, not that original, shipwreck ends up on crazy island, makes it home, no one believes him but he has proof that proves it to himself.
The Venus of Azombeii (5.5) Other Realms: This one was too long and not that exciting. Man goes to Africa and falls in love with a priestess. Is poisoned and so she poisons herself to share his pain. The bad guys are fed to aligators.
Tolometh (7.0) Poseidonis - Short poem, beautiful, purple prose
Amithaine (5.0) Other Realms One good line, ok idea
Atlantis: A poem (5.0) Poseidonis:A couple good lines
In Lemuria (1.0) Lemuria Nonsense
Lemurienne (5.5) Lemuria Kind of cool imagery.
The Isle of Saturn (1.0) Other Realms Unreadable, mythical poetry
A Voyage of Sfanomoe (6.5) Poseidonis, Beautiful imagery, cool exotic world but not much of a surprise ending. I can think of 2 or 3 better alternative endings.
In Cocaigne (1.5) Other Realms Crappy love poetry, not one cool thing in it but the writing wasn't dreadful.
The Double Shadow (8.0) Poseidonis
The Shadows (4.0) Other Realms Poetic darkness, no plot
The Willow Landscape (4.0) Other Realms. Kinda Lame
A Vintage from Atlantis (7.0) Poseidonis - Pirates find an ancient bottle of wine that leads them to their doom beneath the waves as they hallucinate the alls of Atlantis.
An Offering to the Moon (6.0) Lemuria - Kind of predictable, archeologists find temple and revert to spirits of old. Sacrifice themselves to the moon goddess.
Syposium of the Gorgon (6.5) Other Realms, this one was actually kind of funny. He gets drunk ends up at some rich party with a mythological theme then ends up on some island with cannibals.
The Death of Malygris (7.5) Poseidonis - He's a the most powerful wizard but they think he's dead. They all die horribly but I think it was the famliar who killed them because Malygris also appears to be dead. Beautiful writing.
The Epiphany of Death (6.0) Ptolemides. Knows this guy who ends up being walking dead. Dead guy finally put himself in a sarcoughagi and shows the guy that he's been dead for a long time. Ends rather abruptly.
The Invisible City (6.5) Other Realms: Archeologists find an invisibile city populated by Aliens. The aliens won't let them go so they take their powersource hostage. Then they blow up the city.
The Last Incantation (7.0) Poseidonis - Malygris is dying and wants to see his lost love from youth. Summons her from the realms of the dead. But it only makes him feel worse. She's the same but he has changed and she no longer makes him feel the same way.
The Muse of Atlantis (7.0) Poseidonis - Less than a page, just a kind of intro to Poseidonis but nice writing.
The Root of Ampoi (6.0) Other Realms: A circus freak giant tells the story of how he got to be a giant in the land of the amazons.
The Uncharted Isle (6.5) Lemuria, not that original, shipwreck ends up on crazy island, makes it home, no one believes him but he has proof that proves it to himself.
The Venus of Azombeii (5.5) Other Realms: This one was too long and not that exciting. Man goes to Africa and falls in love with a priestess. Is poisoned and so she poisons herself to share his pain. The bad guys are fed to aligators.
Tolometh (7.0) Poseidonis - Short poem, beautiful, purple prose
Amithaine (5.0) Other Realms One good line, ok idea
Atlantis: A poem (5.0) Poseidonis:A couple good lines
In Lemuria (1.0) Lemuria Nonsense
Lemurienne (5.5) Lemuria Kind of cool imagery.
The Isle of Saturn (1.0) Other Realms Unreadable, mythical poetry
January 17, 2015
http://panopticonitalia.blogspot.it/2...
Poseidonis is an anthology edited by Lin Carter, who collects many fantasy novels and some poems by Clark Ashton Smith, published by Ballantine Adult Fantasy.
The author, probably influenced by Atlantis Ignatius L. Donnelly and The Secret Doctrine by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, wrote a series of short stories dedicated to Atlantis. In the work in question, Clark Ashton Smith imagines that in a distant past the Lost Continent has not been completely submerged by a natural disaster, but it has remained an island called Poseidonis ...
By references in the Work, we can put this series in a time period following the one of Hyperborea.
The inhabitants of Poseidonis, the Atlantean race, individuals are described as fair-skinned, tall with aristocratic features. The main cities are Susran, the capital, and Lephara.
Poseidonis is presented as a large island where there are thriving ports, millennial artistic and architectural monuments. The valleys of the interior are fertile and tropical vegetation. However, the population is aware that their civilization is about to be wiped out by a natural disaster, which will result in the sinking of the island.
Most people, encouraged by the public, try not to think about the sad fate that awaits them, drowning their despair in libations. Hotar and Evidon, two eminent scientists, instead studying how to escape the Island by building a spaceship that will lead them on Sfanomoë (Venus). The author speculates that the technology of the inhabitants of Atlantis is very advanced, so as to allow its residents to travel in space.
It must not lead us to think that this is an anthology of science fiction stories, as in all the other stories (but even in this), there are the typical elements of fantasy Smithian.
First the setting is an imaginary place. Poseidonis is an island that has never existed and that you do not make any reference to scientific / historical. Clark Ashton Smith speculates that it is the last portion of Atlantis, next to the sinking.
Second, as in other works (Zotique, Hyperborea, Averoigne), great importance is given to the magic. Are told the story of wicked sorcerers, which dominate in a draconian Poseidonis. Also in this series the spirits and demons supernatural deride men, playing their tricks. Paradigmatic in this regard is the figure of Malygris and the short story The Last Enchantment.
Third in the cycle you are not focusing on a single character (such as occurs in Conan), but the author prefers to tell stories of different individuals that populate Poseidonis.
Fourthly we beefy heroes, fighting to the death or pitched battles. Instead Clark Ashton Smith intends to lead the reader to more reflection, describing grotesque situations and paradoxical, behind which lie several mysteries.
Poseidonis is a marvelous work. The style of Clark Ashton Smith, visionary, baroque and decadent is unique and inimitable, and in my opinion makes the best writer of fantasy genre
Poseidonis is an anthology edited by Lin Carter, who collects many fantasy novels and some poems by Clark Ashton Smith, published by Ballantine Adult Fantasy.
The author, probably influenced by Atlantis Ignatius L. Donnelly and The Secret Doctrine by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, wrote a series of short stories dedicated to Atlantis. In the work in question, Clark Ashton Smith imagines that in a distant past the Lost Continent has not been completely submerged by a natural disaster, but it has remained an island called Poseidonis ...
By references in the Work, we can put this series in a time period following the one of Hyperborea.
The inhabitants of Poseidonis, the Atlantean race, individuals are described as fair-skinned, tall with aristocratic features. The main cities are Susran, the capital, and Lephara.
Poseidonis is presented as a large island where there are thriving ports, millennial artistic and architectural monuments. The valleys of the interior are fertile and tropical vegetation. However, the population is aware that their civilization is about to be wiped out by a natural disaster, which will result in the sinking of the island.
Most people, encouraged by the public, try not to think about the sad fate that awaits them, drowning their despair in libations. Hotar and Evidon, two eminent scientists, instead studying how to escape the Island by building a spaceship that will lead them on Sfanomoë (Venus). The author speculates that the technology of the inhabitants of Atlantis is very advanced, so as to allow its residents to travel in space.
It must not lead us to think that this is an anthology of science fiction stories, as in all the other stories (but even in this), there are the typical elements of fantasy Smithian.
First the setting is an imaginary place. Poseidonis is an island that has never existed and that you do not make any reference to scientific / historical. Clark Ashton Smith speculates that it is the last portion of Atlantis, next to the sinking.
Second, as in other works (Zotique, Hyperborea, Averoigne), great importance is given to the magic. Are told the story of wicked sorcerers, which dominate in a draconian Poseidonis. Also in this series the spirits and demons supernatural deride men, playing their tricks. Paradigmatic in this regard is the figure of Malygris and the short story The Last Enchantment.
Third in the cycle you are not focusing on a single character (such as occurs in Conan), but the author prefers to tell stories of different individuals that populate Poseidonis.
Fourthly we beefy heroes, fighting to the death or pitched battles. Instead Clark Ashton Smith intends to lead the reader to more reflection, describing grotesque situations and paradoxical, behind which lie several mysteries.
Poseidonis is a marvelous work. The style of Clark Ashton Smith, visionary, baroque and decadent is unique and inimitable, and in my opinion makes the best writer of fantasy genre
November 29, 2019
If you've never read anything by Clark Ashton Smith, Poseidonis is a terrific book to start with. Magnificently imaginative.
May 1, 2017
First off, is that not an awesome cover? Gervasio Gallardo does great work.
Overall, the anthology is, I think the weakest of Ballantine's Smith collections. The Poseidonis stuff is great, and there are several other good stories, but too many rather mundane contemporary ones -- contemporary horror was never Smith's best vein, and these are far from his best creations in that line.
Overall, the anthology is, I think the weakest of Ballantine's Smith collections. The Poseidonis stuff is great, and there are several other good stories, but too many rather mundane contemporary ones -- contemporary horror was never Smith's best vein, and these are far from his best creations in that line.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews