The Emperor Of Dreams: Best Fantasy Tales (Fantasy Masterworks)

The contribution to the `Cthulhu Mythos' by Smith is very evident in this collection of short stories, although his approach is very different to that of both Lovecraft and Howard. The writing is very intense, the stories cannot be read quickly- each sentence has a lot of weight behind it, considerable thought put into the sound of each word.

The stories, for the most part, are fantasies: similar to Lovecraft's dreamlands tales, and the faerie land stories of Lord Dunsany. Smith's approach, though, is very much his own. Happy endings do not exist, and bad things happen to everyone be they pleasant or not. The fantasy world herein is one that is very harsh to the curious, and unforgiving to those who intrude on it whether by accident or design.

A personal favourite is `The Seed from the Sepulcher', a story set in the '30s. This is a story that definitely out-Lovecrafts Lovecraft! it has cosmic implications, contaminating horror and dreadful, soul-destroying realizatons. It is also a very uncomfortable story to read: its final sequence is truly chilling.

Recommended to any fans of pulp, horror or fantasy. Particularly recommended to fans of Robert Howard and H.P. Lovecraft. A very good book.


A great overview of Smith's work   August 16, 2002
 11 out of 11 found this review helpful

I just wish it included some of his illustrations! If you have never read Clark Ashton Smith, this book will introduce you to one of the most amazing writers of the past century. Or of the current one, for that matter. He used words the way that Michelangelo used paint and marble; his prose is three-dimensional, and in the hands of anyone else it probably wouldn't work, would seem overblown and even silly. But Smith was truly a master, and his prose is simply gorgeous. Yes, the stories are all very good, and others have spoken of their content so I won't go on about that. I love the stories, the mythos, the fantasies, but even more I just love reading the very sentences and phrases penned by this wizard. It is a true pity that just because Smith wrote genre he is not considered to be a writer of literature.
I would very highly recommend this book both for the wonderfulness of the tales it contains and the great joy of reading some of the most beautifully executed prose ever written. Also, the book contains a short bio of Smith, which is quite interesting.


A fine collection of stories by Smith...   August 7, 2002
 9 out of 9 found this review helpful

Clark Ashton Smith is a writer whose work I've enjoyed for a few years now. I picked up this new collection as it contained several stories I hadn't read yet. I must say that the choices are excellent. Smith's wonderful, exotic tales of Zothique, Averoigne, Poseidonis, and Hyperborea are well represented, and his unusual stories set in the present-day (well, his present-day, the 1930's), are all well worth the read. Smith was also a poet, and his prose has a richness of language that makes it a pleasure to read. He is one of the most imaginative authors I have ever read. Highlights of this collection are "The Empire of the Necromancers", "Necromancy in Naat", "The Nameless Offspring", and "The Tale of Satambra Zeiros". In my opinion though, they are all great. This book gets a definite "thumbs up" from me. It's a good introduction for new fans and I think many familiar with his work will find some stories here new to them. A real plus is Stephen Jones' detailed, informative Afterword. Buy it and help keep Clark Ashton Smith in print!


Stunning!   July 3, 2002
 6 out of 7 found this review helpful

Clark Ashton Smith writes peotically of strange worlds, people and creatures. If you like Vance, Moorcock and Lovecraft, you will love this! Ashton Smith's visions are unifirmly dark, and you sometimes wish that he had turned his talents to slightly lighter topics. Still, these short stories are to be savoured.