How to Collect Clark Ashton Smith Horror Stories

Clark Ashton Smith, one of the "big three" Weird Tales authors.

Clark Ashton Smith was one of the “big three” of horror writers at the peak of "Weird Tales" magazine in the 1920s and 1930s along with his friends H.P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard. Today, he probably is the least remembered of the three, yet he was a great writer who produced many stories in the magazines of the time. His printed works, both in magazines and books have become highly collectible.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Smith was hailed as the new Keats when his first book of poetry, "The Star-Treader and Other Poems" appeared in 1912.

   Do some research into Smith’s history and his writing. A good place to start is at the website The Eldritch Dark. There is a biography, online versions of most of his writing and even some poetry readings by the man himself. Also check out “Clark Ashton Smith: The Sorcerer of Auburn” article by Alan Gullette on the website (see Resources). This site also has a selected bibliography.

2. "A Rendezvous in Averoigne" is the most recent collection of Smith's fiction from Arkham House.

   Start with the basic books that are in print. Most of Smith’s works are out of print, making them more collectible. Arkham House publishing does have a couple of hard cover books in print. These are “A Rendezvous in Averoigne” and “Selected Letters of Clark Ashton Smith.” There are many more not in print now, both from Arkham and from other publishers in hard cover and paperback. Paperback titles include “Out of Space and Time,” “Genius Loci and Other Tales,” “New Worlds for Old,” “Abominations of Yondo” and others.

3. Smith wrote several stories for the short-lived Strange Tales magazine in the early 1930s.

   Check the website that has Smith’s first story in "Weird Tales," “The Ninth Skeleton,” appeared in the September 1928 issue (see Resources). Smith’s works also appeared in Strange Tales magazine, the short-lived magazine of the early 1930s. His first story there was "The Return of the Sorcerer" in the first issue, September 1931.

4. While his name appears often on the cover of "Weird Tales" magazine, he only had two covers to himself.

   Read the stories if you’d like to get a sense of Smith’s style and quality before you begin collecting. They are available online at The Eldritch Dark and elsewhere.

5. This is the second Weird Tales cover devoted to a Smith story, September 1947.

   Scour and support any local science fiction/speculative fiction or just used book stores in your neighborhood. The Internet has made these stores few and far between, so if you have one near you, give them your patronage. The science fiction type book store owner also may help you work on your collection by searching specifically for books and magazines you seek.

Tips & Warnings

• Clark Ashton Smith’s heyday at "Weird Tales" and the other magazines of the time was from the late 1920s to the late 1930s. Some years, he appeared in almost every issue. After the deaths of the other two members of the “big three,” Robert E. Howard in 1936 and H.P. Lovecraft in 1937, Smith appeared far less in the magazines.

Resources

• The complete Clark Ashton Smith website
• Clark Ashton Smith information
• Collector's book sales website
• Smith’s first story in "Weird Tales"