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The Averoigne Chronicles #3
A Rendezvous in Averoigne
From the vampire-cursed realm of medieval Averoigne to the time-ravaged spires of dying Zothique, the works of Clark Ashton Smith comprise a unique and imperishable legacy. A major pillar of Arkham house since 1942, Smith was a member of the Weird Tales triumvirate, including H. P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard, who created a non-legendary golden age of American dark fantasy during the 1930s. Of these three authors, Clark Ashton Smith was the master literary sorcerer, presiding over a vast verbal apothecarium of piquant savors and precipitates. The author once defined fantastic literature as being “akin to sublime and exalted poetry, in its evocation of tremendous, non-anthropomorphic imageries,” and the stories collected herein seem to defy the capacity of the English language to render sonorous rhythms, subtle shades and nuances of meaning, awesome conjurations of exoticism and mystery. In employing his prismatic prose to erect edifices of wonder, Smith became a seminal figur
472 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 1931
11 people are currently reading
2865 people want to read
About the author
Clark Ashton Smith
731 books1,023 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 - 30 of 38 reviews
December 11, 2014
Smith is better than Lovecraft. There. I said it. Don't believe me? Get your hands on this and see for yourself. It's a bit of a splurge, but it's worth it - or you could just borrow mine, if we're friends.
January 13, 2011
I have been a fan of the fantastic fiction of Clark Ashton Smith (1893-1961) ever since I read his short story "The Uncharted Isle" when I was in my early teens. Smith, or CAS, is primarily remembered today, if at all, for his association with his literary pen-pal H P Lovecraft and the so-called Cthulhu Mythos. CAS was a master storyteller and wrote excellent weird fantasy and horror. In some respects, I even prefer his work to that of Lovecraft. In addition being a well-regarded poet, CAS was also an artist and sculptor.
At the age of 14 I found that my local public library had copies of "Lost Worlds" and "Out of Space and Time", two of the Arkham House collections of CAS's short stories, and I checked them out over and over again. Eventually I committed the unforgivable biblio-sin of keeping the books for a year, but paid off the fine when there was an amnesty at the library! I also found a Ballantine paperback collection called "Poseidonis". CAS wrote stories set in exotic locations such as lost Poseidonis (his version of Atlantis), Xothique (the last continent on Earth in the far future), Hyperborea (prehistoric tropical Greenland), in Averoigne (a fictional region of medieval France), and our world.
Eventually my interests changed and forgot CAS. His books were out of print and were very difficult to find. In 1989, I found an Arkham House hardback collection titled "A Rendezvous in Averoigne", and snapped it up. It had a wonderful forward by Ray Bradbury and unusual photo artwork by Jeffrey K Potter. For lack of a better word I would call it a "best of", as it included wonderful stories like the title, "The City of the Singing Flame", "The Death of Malygris", "The Maze of Maal Dweb", "The Colossus of Ylourgne", "The Empire of the Necromancers", and many others.
This book is out of print, and I do not know if there is a more recent one volume collection of CAS short stories. Night Shade Press is publishing a five volume complet set of his stories, and I own the first three in that series. You can find his works online at http://www.eldritchdark.com/.
At the age of 14 I found that my local public library had copies of "Lost Worlds" and "Out of Space and Time", two of the Arkham House collections of CAS's short stories, and I checked them out over and over again. Eventually I committed the unforgivable biblio-sin of keeping the books for a year, but paid off the fine when there was an amnesty at the library! I also found a Ballantine paperback collection called "Poseidonis". CAS wrote stories set in exotic locations such as lost Poseidonis (his version of Atlantis), Xothique (the last continent on Earth in the far future), Hyperborea (prehistoric tropical Greenland), in Averoigne (a fictional region of medieval France), and our world.
Eventually my interests changed and forgot CAS. His books were out of print and were very difficult to find. In 1989, I found an Arkham House hardback collection titled "A Rendezvous in Averoigne", and snapped it up. It had a wonderful forward by Ray Bradbury and unusual photo artwork by Jeffrey K Potter. For lack of a better word I would call it a "best of", as it included wonderful stories like the title, "The City of the Singing Flame", "The Death of Malygris", "The Maze of Maal Dweb", "The Colossus of Ylourgne", "The Empire of the Necromancers", and many others.
This book is out of print, and I do not know if there is a more recent one volume collection of CAS short stories. Night Shade Press is publishing a five volume complet set of his stories, and I own the first three in that series. You can find his works online at http://www.eldritchdark.com/.
April 23, 2018
Este señor mola un montón. Es la pura fantasía oscura, mucho mejor que Conan, al que considero más acción y aventura. Es el terror en un mundo fantástico. Nos cuenta distintos relatos en mundos diferentes. En ellos los monstruos están por todos los lados, y no conseguirán nunca huir, ni encontrar zona tranquila.
September 28, 2024
The short story "A Rendezvous in Averoigne" is the weird fiction precursor to a Hammer vampire horror film. Two dopey young lovers want to meet up for some flirting fun in the woods, but decide (of all places) to hook up in the haunted forest of Averoigne (pronounced "ah-ver-OWN"). Not a good idea. They fall quickly under the enchantment of a vampire couple who live in a creepy castle in the forest. The vampires seem like damn good hosts, though. I'd be tempted to go to one of their parties. But is there a sinister motive behind the hospitality of the undead? Of course there is!
This simple story is about as cliche as you can get, but what elevates it is the fact that it was written by friggin Clark Ashton Smith, who fans refer to affectionately as CAS. Being one of the giants of weird fiction literature, many readers can't help but compare him to Lovecraft. I think that if you go into his work expecting Lovecraft, you'll be disappointed. CAS is definitely his own unique thing, and if you have never experienced him before, this story is a nice entry level appetizer.
Why? Because the plot is so familiar that everyone knows it. It's a meme, an archetype dark fairy tale. So the reader doesn't have to follow the action at all, and only needs to relax and enjoy Smith's prose. It's stunningly beautiful. He wields an entire thesaurus of words like an elegant swordsman, a true master of the English language. The result is not just a story, but an EXPERIENCE. You can actually feel the magic in the air as you read these pages. You'll vividly imagine the shadowy splendor of the vampire castle, the clammy stone walls bathed in orange by candle and torch light, smelling of caves, mice droppings, old wood, and incense. You'll see fairy lights among the trees in your backyard, and the smoke from your neighbor's chimney wafts from a witch's brew. This is a fantasy lover's delight!
The tale is actually part of a series. CAS wrote tons of short stories as part of various "cycles" set in fictional worlds and lands. Some, like the "Xiccarph" series, are completely divorced from everyday reality, while others feel a little more familiar but are none the less fantastic. The "Averoigne" series is very much in the later camp, consisting of twelve stories and some poetry all set in a fictional medieval France. If you are a fan of James Branch Cabell, the setting will remind you of Poictseme from his Dom Manuel series.
"A Rendezvous in Averoigne" is also the title of a omnibus first published in 1988, and now out of print, which collects the titular story and three others from the cycle: "The Holiness of Azédarac", "The Colossus of Ylourgne", and "The End of the Story". Also appearing in this volume are stories from Smith's "Hyperborea," "Atlantis," "Zothique," and "Lost World" cycles, so this is a smorgasbord of his short fiction. It also has an introduction by the great Ray Bradbury.
There have been many such books that have published smatterings of the Averoigne stories here and there. But these days, if you are interested in reading all of the complete Averoigne entries in isolation, you can easily do so. I recommend "The Averoigne Chronicles" edited by Edward Stasheff and published by CASiana Enterprises, which is the literary estate of Clark Ashton Smith. And if you want a quick synopsis of each individual story in the cycle, I will leave individual reviews for them on Goodreads.
SCORE: 4 cressets in a creepy basement mausoleum out of 5
This simple story is about as cliche as you can get, but what elevates it is the fact that it was written by friggin Clark Ashton Smith, who fans refer to affectionately as CAS. Being one of the giants of weird fiction literature, many readers can't help but compare him to Lovecraft. I think that if you go into his work expecting Lovecraft, you'll be disappointed. CAS is definitely his own unique thing, and if you have never experienced him before, this story is a nice entry level appetizer.
Why? Because the plot is so familiar that everyone knows it. It's a meme, an archetype dark fairy tale. So the reader doesn't have to follow the action at all, and only needs to relax and enjoy Smith's prose. It's stunningly beautiful. He wields an entire thesaurus of words like an elegant swordsman, a true master of the English language. The result is not just a story, but an EXPERIENCE. You can actually feel the magic in the air as you read these pages. You'll vividly imagine the shadowy splendor of the vampire castle, the clammy stone walls bathed in orange by candle and torch light, smelling of caves, mice droppings, old wood, and incense. You'll see fairy lights among the trees in your backyard, and the smoke from your neighbor's chimney wafts from a witch's brew. This is a fantasy lover's delight!
The tale is actually part of a series. CAS wrote tons of short stories as part of various "cycles" set in fictional worlds and lands. Some, like the "Xiccarph" series, are completely divorced from everyday reality, while others feel a little more familiar but are none the less fantastic. The "Averoigne" series is very much in the later camp, consisting of twelve stories and some poetry all set in a fictional medieval France. If you are a fan of James Branch Cabell, the setting will remind you of Poictseme from his Dom Manuel series.
"A Rendezvous in Averoigne" is also the title of a omnibus first published in 1988, and now out of print, which collects the titular story and three others from the cycle: "The Holiness of Azédarac", "The Colossus of Ylourgne", and "The End of the Story". Also appearing in this volume are stories from Smith's "Hyperborea," "Atlantis," "Zothique," and "Lost World" cycles, so this is a smorgasbord of his short fiction. It also has an introduction by the great Ray Bradbury.
There have been many such books that have published smatterings of the Averoigne stories here and there. But these days, if you are interested in reading all of the complete Averoigne entries in isolation, you can easily do so. I recommend "The Averoigne Chronicles" edited by Edward Stasheff and published by CASiana Enterprises, which is the literary estate of Clark Ashton Smith. And if you want a quick synopsis of each individual story in the cycle, I will leave individual reviews for them on Goodreads.
SCORE: 4 cressets in a creepy basement mausoleum out of 5
September 22, 2022
Clark Ashton Smith tiene ciertas características que lo hacen un autor muy singular. Primero, desarrolla una prosa barroca llena de adjetivos, que exacerba emociones, agiganta acciones y sobre todo eleva la maldad a niveles infernales. Segundo, despliega un horror más directo que HPL, asqueroso, abominable, incluso desagradable. Tercero, tiene un alto porcentaje de finales crueles donde los protagonistas sufren destinos espantosos sin esbozos de salvación; y finalmente es un autor bastante dúctil, moviéndose bien en relatos clásicos, reinos fantásticos, aventuras exóticas e incluso en esbozos de ciencia ficción.
Esta antología, que busqué durante décadas, es un claro ejemplo de lo anterior. Sin negar que hay relatos más flojos que otros, mantiene un nivel más que aceptable, te sumerge en un sinfín de aventuras y sorprende en varias oportunidades. Respecto a los apartados, Averoigne es algo diferente, ya que tiene finales más “felices”, sin tanto horror desatado y con mayor preponderancia al deseo en un ambiente medieval. Por su parte en Atlantis/Poseidonis se adentra en un reino fantástico, al estilo Hyperborea, lleno de magos, nigromantes, demonios y sabios, dando rienda suelta a su imaginación más pérfida, la fantasía terrorífica, lo que más me gusta de su producción. Por último, los cuentos de mundos perdidos traen en su mayoría a personajes normales que se ven arrastrados a mundos paralelos donde se enfrentan a peligros desconocidos. Al final la fórmula termina cansando, pero hay cosas muy buenas, como los de ciencia ficción en Marte.
Mis relatos favoritos a continuación:
"El coloso de Ylourgne": terrible venganza del nigromante Nahaire contra la ciudad de Vyones. Predecesor de Attack of Titans, aquí se animó CAS en Averoigne con algo más largo y diferente.
"El final de la historia": obvio pero seductor. Atención esas mujeres encantadoras, cualquiera esconde una lamia por dentro.
"La muerte de Malygris": excelente fin para el mago más poderoso de Poseidonis. Muy entretenido.
"Un viaje a Sfanomoe": parece más normal hasta un desenlace ensoñador. CAS tiene otro cuento similar pero mucho más terrible, “Semillas del sepulcro”
"La sombra doble": lo leí en inglés hace más de 25 años y me hizo fan incondicional de CAS. La fatalidad cae sobre un mago curioso y su aprendiz.
"El habitante de la sima": lo había leído en la antología de Ackerman de Bruguera, pero esta traducción está mucho mejor. Tenebroso descenso a las profundidades de Marte.
"Las criptas de Yoh-Vombis": tremendo, un horror asqueroso que paraliza. Contiene una de las escenas más terroríficas que he leído. Claro predecesor de Alien.
"Siembra de Marte": distinto, más pulp que los anteriores ofrece una versión CASiana de la divinidad.
"Señor del asteroide": me gustó bastante, sobre todo el conflicto de los personajes y su final.
"La ciudad de la llama que canta": buena idea para este típico relato de aventuras en un mundo paralelo.
"Genius Loci": mas en línea clásica, da un nuevo ejemplo de maldad en la campiña.
"La isla que no estaba en los mapas": un naufragio muy particular.
Esta antología, que busqué durante décadas, es un claro ejemplo de lo anterior. Sin negar que hay relatos más flojos que otros, mantiene un nivel más que aceptable, te sumerge en un sinfín de aventuras y sorprende en varias oportunidades. Respecto a los apartados, Averoigne es algo diferente, ya que tiene finales más “felices”, sin tanto horror desatado y con mayor preponderancia al deseo en un ambiente medieval. Por su parte en Atlantis/Poseidonis se adentra en un reino fantástico, al estilo Hyperborea, lleno de magos, nigromantes, demonios y sabios, dando rienda suelta a su imaginación más pérfida, la fantasía terrorífica, lo que más me gusta de su producción. Por último, los cuentos de mundos perdidos traen en su mayoría a personajes normales que se ven arrastrados a mundos paralelos donde se enfrentan a peligros desconocidos. Al final la fórmula termina cansando, pero hay cosas muy buenas, como los de ciencia ficción en Marte.
Mis relatos favoritos a continuación:
"El coloso de Ylourgne": terrible venganza del nigromante Nahaire contra la ciudad de Vyones. Predecesor de Attack of Titans, aquí se animó CAS en Averoigne con algo más largo y diferente.
"El final de la historia": obvio pero seductor. Atención esas mujeres encantadoras, cualquiera esconde una lamia por dentro.
"La muerte de Malygris": excelente fin para el mago más poderoso de Poseidonis. Muy entretenido.
"Un viaje a Sfanomoe": parece más normal hasta un desenlace ensoñador. CAS tiene otro cuento similar pero mucho más terrible, “Semillas del sepulcro”
"La sombra doble": lo leí en inglés hace más de 25 años y me hizo fan incondicional de CAS. La fatalidad cae sobre un mago curioso y su aprendiz.
"El habitante de la sima": lo había leído en la antología de Ackerman de Bruguera, pero esta traducción está mucho mejor. Tenebroso descenso a las profundidades de Marte.
"Las criptas de Yoh-Vombis": tremendo, un horror asqueroso que paraliza. Contiene una de las escenas más terroríficas que he leído. Claro predecesor de Alien.
"Siembra de Marte": distinto, más pulp que los anteriores ofrece una versión CASiana de la divinidad.
"Señor del asteroide": me gustó bastante, sobre todo el conflicto de los personajes y su final.
"La ciudad de la llama que canta": buena idea para este típico relato de aventuras en un mundo paralelo.
"Genius Loci": mas en línea clásica, da un nuevo ejemplo de maldad en la campiña.
"La isla que no estaba en los mapas": un naufragio muy particular.
April 7, 2018
'A Rendezvous in Averoigne' was published in Weird Tales in 1931 and was part of a series of stories which Ashton Smith set in a mythical country based on twelfth century French and Provencal culture but one where magic, sorcery and devilry are very real and taken at face value.
Each story is really a transposition of either a standard pulp horror fiction motif or expands a motif of the era into the pulp genre but always remaining within this closed world where the typical tale involves youthful erotic desire, enchantment and shifts in time to an older pagan era.
The resolutions tend not to be very Christian (the central assumption of Averoigne itself) but pagan in their acceptance of fantasy eroticism as a conclusion - at least in some stories. Others have lovers triumphing over the dark forces that co-exist with freedom in the alternate pagan world.
Ashton Smith develops a writing style that suggests the medieval while still being wholly accessible - more discursive than most pulp fiction, building atmosphere in a tale where you are as 'enchanted' with the fantasy as the heroes are enchanted by the fantastic.
In this story, the fantasy encases a standard pulp vampire story but within the context of sorcery creating an alternate grey and miserable world into which our young hero and heroine (and their servants) are drawn by their attempt to have a private rendezvous in the forest.
It ends well. The horror is Gothic and creepy rather than visceral but it is interesting to see Weird Tales having a place for its young male readers that is essentially romantic with a carefully drawn yearning for sexual freedom and its anxieties.
Although the Averoigne stories risk a certain sameness, the imaginative power of the best of them captures perfectly an erotic longing beyond time and space. Ashton Smith may be a less interesting character than Howard perhaps but he is the more consistently good writer
January 9, 2020
3,5/5
Cuando conocí los trapicheos de la extinta Pulp Ediciones, perdí el respeto por ellos, o, al menos, considerablemente. Si hubiesen actuado con mayor honradez, se habrían convertido en una editorial de género de referencia. Bueno, eso y si tuviesen mejor gusto para las portadas; hacía tiempo que no veía una tan fea. Como amante de la obra de Clark Ashton Smith, necesitaba leer su tercer ciclo más famoso, el situado en la ciudad medieval francesa y ficticia de Averoigne. Además, la presente edición contiene cuatro relatos más cercanos al terror cósmico de Lovecraft, aunque he de decir que Smith donde realmente destacaba era en sus propios universos. Si no hubiese sido por la inclusión de estos últimos relatos, habría puntuado el libro con cuatro estrellas.
En general, considero que el ciclo de Averoigne tiene gran calidad, aunque no iguala al de Zothique, para mí, su obra maestra. Invito al lector que aún no haya descubierto los maravillosos mundos de Clark Ashton Smith a que lo haga empezando por Zothique e Hiperbórea. He decidido puntuar individualmente cada uno de los relatos, cosa que dejo por escrito a continuación:
Averoigne
- El escultor de gárgolas. (4/5). El protagonista talló su salvación pero también su condena.
- La santidad de Azedarac. (3/5). Un monje y una druida juegan con el tiempo.
- El coloso de Ylourgne. (3/5). Un nigromante hace uso de sus oscuras artes para ejecutar una venganza.
- La Madre de los sapos. (3,5/5). Una mujer, a veces seductora, a veces sapo.
- La hechicera de Sylaire. (4,5/5). Una hechicera apresa a un ermitaño. Magnífico relato y desenlace.
- La bestia de Averoigne. (3,5/5). Una bestia informe que llega con un cometa.
- Las mandrágoras. (3,5/5). Un hombre halla similitudes entre su mujer asesinada y unas mandrágoras.
- La exhumación de Venus. (4,5/5). Unos monjes desentierran una estatua de Venus en el jardín del monasterio. Brillante relato con el exotismo y erotismo propios del autor.
- Una cita en Averoigne. (4/5). Una cita acaba con imprevistos.
- El sátiro. (4/5). Este ser mitológico presencia una escena de infidelidad. Se han hallado dos finales de esta obra, el lector deberá decidir con cuál se queda...
- El final de la historia. (4/5). Un castillo abandonado es visitado por un viajero tras ser acogido en un monasterio.
California
- El devoto del mal. (3,5/5). Una historia muy lovecraftiana.
- La raíz de Ampoi. (2/5). La extraña historia de un gigante. Primer relato de Clark Ashton Smith que no me convence de todos los que he leído.
- Genius Loci. (4/5). Un pintor retrata un misterioso paisaje.
- La Ciudad de la Llama Cantarina (3,5/5). Unos pedrejones dan paso a otra dimensión.
Cuando conocí los trapicheos de la extinta Pulp Ediciones, perdí el respeto por ellos, o, al menos, considerablemente. Si hubiesen actuado con mayor honradez, se habrían convertido en una editorial de género de referencia. Bueno, eso y si tuviesen mejor gusto para las portadas; hacía tiempo que no veía una tan fea. Como amante de la obra de Clark Ashton Smith, necesitaba leer su tercer ciclo más famoso, el situado en la ciudad medieval francesa y ficticia de Averoigne. Además, la presente edición contiene cuatro relatos más cercanos al terror cósmico de Lovecraft, aunque he de decir que Smith donde realmente destacaba era en sus propios universos. Si no hubiese sido por la inclusión de estos últimos relatos, habría puntuado el libro con cuatro estrellas.
En general, considero que el ciclo de Averoigne tiene gran calidad, aunque no iguala al de Zothique, para mí, su obra maestra. Invito al lector que aún no haya descubierto los maravillosos mundos de Clark Ashton Smith a que lo haga empezando por Zothique e Hiperbórea. He decidido puntuar individualmente cada uno de los relatos, cosa que dejo por escrito a continuación:
Averoigne
- El escultor de gárgolas. (4/5). El protagonista talló su salvación pero también su condena.
- La santidad de Azedarac. (3/5). Un monje y una druida juegan con el tiempo.
- El coloso de Ylourgne. (3/5). Un nigromante hace uso de sus oscuras artes para ejecutar una venganza.
- La Madre de los sapos. (3,5/5). Una mujer, a veces seductora, a veces sapo.
- La hechicera de Sylaire. (4,5/5). Una hechicera apresa a un ermitaño. Magnífico relato y desenlace.
- La bestia de Averoigne. (3,5/5). Una bestia informe que llega con un cometa.
- Las mandrágoras. (3,5/5). Un hombre halla similitudes entre su mujer asesinada y unas mandrágoras.
- La exhumación de Venus. (4,5/5). Unos monjes desentierran una estatua de Venus en el jardín del monasterio. Brillante relato con el exotismo y erotismo propios del autor.
- Una cita en Averoigne. (4/5). Una cita acaba con imprevistos.
- El sátiro. (4/5). Este ser mitológico presencia una escena de infidelidad. Se han hallado dos finales de esta obra, el lector deberá decidir con cuál se queda...
- El final de la historia. (4/5). Un castillo abandonado es visitado por un viajero tras ser acogido en un monasterio.
California
- El devoto del mal. (3,5/5). Una historia muy lovecraftiana.
- La raíz de Ampoi. (2/5). La extraña historia de un gigante. Primer relato de Clark Ashton Smith que no me convence de todos los que he leído.
- Genius Loci. (4/5). Un pintor retrata un misterioso paisaje.
- La Ciudad de la Llama Cantarina (3,5/5). Unos pedrejones dan paso a otra dimensión.
April 17, 2014
It is amazing to me that more people aren't aware of/in love with Clark Ashton Smith's short stories. I'm amazed so few were adapted to other media (thank you, Richard Corben!) because I kept thinking about what great horror movies a lot of them would make. His command of the English language is impressive. I could expand my vocabulary two-fold by studying his writing. And his ideas are twisted and original. Not every one lands well, but even the ones that aren't great still have a very real WTF element to them. And his endings are wonderful. Very rarely happy, very often unsatisfying (like something you ate isn't agreeing with you), but very unique in terms of the reading experience they offer. It took me a few years to get through this book, but I'm really glad I pushed through to the end. The Zothique stories (as is generally agreed) are some of the best, and they're not until the end. I want my own copy of this, but it's out of print (and expensive)! so, once again, I very reluctantly return it to the care of the Rochester Public Library.
If you can get your hands on a copy and like gothic horror, this is a great collection of stories!
If you can get your hands on a copy and like gothic horror, this is a great collection of stories!
April 5, 2013
This is a great collection of Clark Ashton Smith's short weird horror stories set in the eponymous region of France. The stories weave together a cohesive region of rural France forgotten by the 'modern' world of the 1930's... Indeed, many of the stories contained within are set in the Middle Ages and make excellent fairy tales.
In all a great read for just about anyone fond of myth, magic and weird horror.
In all a great read for just about anyone fond of myth, magic and weird horror.
January 4, 2016
Possibly the best collection of work from an author that I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Poetic and morbid at turns; beautiful and remote at others. Clark Ashton Smith was and is one of the most unique and talented voices to write in Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, or the Weird.
March 13, 2012
I have a particular fondness for this book, because I'm the model for several of the illustrations.
September 10, 2018
Two lovers attempt to meet in secret, but are intercepted by vampires and are held captive.
The narrative’s style is poetic and beautifully written, but very much follows the standard vampire fairytale plot and is a little too brief for the reader to feel much attachment towards the victims.
The narrative’s style is poetic and beautifully written, but very much follows the standard vampire fairytale plot and is a little too brief for the reader to feel much attachment towards the victims.
July 1, 2009
A wonderful collecton of CAS tales; eerily illustrated with black and white photos by J. K. Potter; for these alone the books is worth the price.
September 13, 2009
If you're going to have any CAS book, it should probably be this one. The Averoigne stories are great fun.
July 18, 2010
Read: A Rendezvous in Averoigne. Great vampire story set in France during the medieval period.
January 15, 2014
Great Weird tales in the Lovecraft tradition.
February 4, 2025
It took a while to get through this, but it was worth the ride. Smith’s style of writing is not for everyone, but his Zothique universe is so elegantly expansive, that you get immersed in the stories to no end. I am not too much a fan of fantasy, but these are top notch story telling. Don’t expect heroes and damsels in distress (all the time, that is), but exciting, unexpected outcomes to protagonist and antagonist alike. It is easy to see why he was one of the masters of the Weird Tale.
November 12, 2018
Two lovers trapped within the confines of an abandoned castle with two bloodthirsty vampires. What could possibly go wrong? The elegant descriptions of the castle's decrepitness and the vile charm of the vampires was very sinister, and the protagonist dealt with them in a satisfying manner. Reminiscent to the story Princess of Darkness by Frederick Cowles.
September 24, 2023
3.5⭐
A Rendezvous in Averoigne is one of the stories from a collection of science fiction, fantasy and horror stories of the same name. The story appeared in Weird Tales April 5, 1931.
"An unusual host was the Sieur du Malinbois—a strange story of the Undead"
The troubadour, Gerard de L’Automne is off to meet his sweetheart Fleurette Cochin on a secret rendezvous. On the way through the woods, he sees a beautiful woman being attacked by strange men. When he tries to help her, he finds they disappear. He realizes he was the victim of an evil enchantment, and he now finds himself mysteriously near an ancient castle. When he enters, he finds the master, Sieur de Malinbois, a wizard and sorcerer who died hundreds of years ago. He also finds Fleurette and her two servants who came with her, Angelique, and Raoul. They find they have been entrapped by Malinbois and his chatelaine Agathe. Gerard was upset with himself that he disregarded the legends and stories of werewolves and goblins, of fays and devils and vampires that infested these woods of Averoigne along with the double tomb, within which the Sieur Hugh du Malinbois and his chatelaine, who were notorious for sorcery had lain unconsecrated for more than two hundred years. A very traditional vampire story yet steeped in gothic ambience to keep it interesting.
A Rendezvous in Averoigne is one of the stories from a collection of science fiction, fantasy and horror stories of the same name. The story appeared in Weird Tales April 5, 1931.
"An unusual host was the Sieur du Malinbois—a strange story of the Undead"
The troubadour, Gerard de L’Automne is off to meet his sweetheart Fleurette Cochin on a secret rendezvous. On the way through the woods, he sees a beautiful woman being attacked by strange men. When he tries to help her, he finds they disappear. He realizes he was the victim of an evil enchantment, and he now finds himself mysteriously near an ancient castle. When he enters, he finds the master, Sieur de Malinbois, a wizard and sorcerer who died hundreds of years ago. He also finds Fleurette and her two servants who came with her, Angelique, and Raoul. They find they have been entrapped by Malinbois and his chatelaine Agathe. Gerard was upset with himself that he disregarded the legends and stories of werewolves and goblins, of fays and devils and vampires that infested these woods of Averoigne along with the double tomb, within which the Sieur Hugh du Malinbois and his chatelaine, who were notorious for sorcery had lain unconsecrated for more than two hundred years. A very traditional vampire story yet steeped in gothic ambience to keep it interesting.
September 18, 2017
Pocos comentarios más elogiosos puedo lanzarle a la obra de Ashton Smith que poner ante cualquier pequeño defecto que pueda tener su prosa o narración la apabullante capacidad de arrastrarte en la dirección que pretende como único guía de sus mundos mágicos o alienígenas. Poco importa que las premisas de algunos de sus relatos resulten un tanto ridículas al principio o que en ocasiones se deje llevar por un torrente de adjetivos hacia sus vástagos, todo eso queda olvidado cuando su pasión por lo que cuenta y su vehemente creencia en ello como autor hace que te dejes llevar y en menos páginas que muchos capítulos de escritores de tremenda popularidad ya estés metido hasta el cuello en su creación.
Y cuando llega el final de lo contado, cuando te das cuenta de que la gran mayoría de sus historias (ya sean fantasía más mundana como en el ciclo de Averoigne, la ciencia ficción más oscura delas aventuras en Marte o el terror de muchos de sus otros relatos) tienen finales que no lo son, que te retorcerán las tripas por lo abrupto de su llegada o la falta de lo que se considera un final con mayúsculas, nunca sentí que fuera un defecto de la obra de Ashton Smith. Solo me dejó la vaga melancolía de que había perdido ese mundo, esos mundos a los que hace referencia el título de la colección y la imperiosa necesidad de quitarme el imaginario sombrero ante su desbordante talento.
Y cuando llega el final de lo contado, cuando te das cuenta de que la gran mayoría de sus historias (ya sean fantasía más mundana como en el ciclo de Averoigne, la ciencia ficción más oscura delas aventuras en Marte o el terror de muchos de sus otros relatos) tienen finales que no lo son, que te retorcerán las tripas por lo abrupto de su llegada o la falta de lo que se considera un final con mayúsculas, nunca sentí que fuera un defecto de la obra de Ashton Smith. Solo me dejó la vaga melancolía de que había perdido ese mundo, esos mundos a los que hace referencia el título de la colección y la imperiosa necesidad de quitarme el imaginario sombrero ante su desbordante talento.
November 24, 2017
A fairly traditional vampire tale, set in Smith's fictional historical setting of Averoigne, a fictional province in France.
From wikipedia: "Averoigne is located in the southern half of France. The northern half of the territory is dominated by the walled city of Vyones, site of an impressive cathedral. In the southern half is located the town of Ximes; the main road of Averoigne runs between Ximes and Vyones, straight through the thick, dark forest that blankets the province. A river called Isoile flows from the mountains in the northern part of the province to feed into a swamp in the south".
Like many vampire tales this relies on sexual tension and a strong feeling of terror and entrapment. It's not bringing anything particularly new to the genre, but is well crafted and enjoyable, as are most of Smith's short stories.
From wikipedia: "Averoigne is located in the southern half of France. The northern half of the territory is dominated by the walled city of Vyones, site of an impressive cathedral. In the southern half is located the town of Ximes; the main road of Averoigne runs between Ximes and Vyones, straight through the thick, dark forest that blankets the province. A river called Isoile flows from the mountains in the northern part of the province to feed into a swamp in the south".
Like many vampire tales this relies on sexual tension and a strong feeling of terror and entrapment. It's not bringing anything particularly new to the genre, but is well crafted and enjoyable, as are most of Smith's short stories.
February 3, 2016
Doomed, all doomed!
November 20, 2019
The wood, it seemed, was full of execrably sighing voices, and weird whimpers and little moanings as of imp-children astray from Satanic dams.
This collection reprints a wide variety of Smith’s stories, leaving out only, as far as I can see, any stories from The World’s Rim. But it includes Averoigne, Atlantis, Hyperborea, the Lost Worlds, and Zothique.
Publication dates range from May 1930 (“The End of the Story”) to May 1953 (“Morthylla”).
From my very limited experience (having read only Hyperborea and The Monster of the Prophecy so far) they are some of his best, though I’d strongly recommend seeking out his World’s Rim stories, especially “The Abominations of Yondo”.
From a gaming standpoint, reading the Averoigne stories was an eye-opener, especially in regards to TSR’s very weird module X2, “Castle Amber”. Despite never having read these stories before it was all very familiar: the time travel potion, the viper-encircled mirror, the sorceress, and the colossus.
Many of these stories, especially Hyperborea, Lost Worlds, and Zothique, are classical dungeon adventures, even sometimes including multiple protagonists. The Hyperborean “Tale of Satampra Zeiros” even starts in a bar. But there are so many weird underground crypts and caverns traversed, I could almost hear the roll of dice as the characters saw or missed seeing something dangerous and mysterious.
There are strange romances, such as “Morthylla”, and “The Planet of the Dead”, in which we’re never sure what really happened.
A lot of people turn into statues, and there are dreams a-plenty.
“The Last Hieroglyph” is fascinating because it’s a standard adventure where fate in the form of prophecy has decreed the events, but here, fate is never in doubt and the protagonist is unable to deviate from it no matter how hard he tries. The twist in “The Isle of the Torturers” is both well-forecast and very different from the standard as well.
There are several full-page photograph-semi-negative-like drawings inserted into the books, which look almost computer-rendered, but this is unlikely for 1988 when the book was published.
January 7, 2018
The entire reason I bought this collection was for one story. I'd read this book before, it was borrowed from a friend, and there was one story that stuck with me. Just one. And then I was fifteen, so I skimmed the rest. So now, as a twenty-year-old, I figured that, not only would I enjoy the other stories more, but I could re-enjoy this weird story that I remembered as being totally horrifying, but I must've just made it up or something, because it wasn't in there. So that was disappointing and sad. Also I still only liked the Averoigne stories. Once they got more science fiction-y and stuff... echhh. Not a science-fiction person. Except that one with the dead bodies in space. That one was pretty cool.
October 7, 2024
Overview: Gerard is a bard on his way to a romantic rendezvous near Averoigne. However, this young woman is being attacked by ruffians. What's a man to do, other than help?
Likes: This is a pretty good description of chivalry. Gerard might be having a hard time with a ballad, yet he does what he can for those in need.
Conclusion: This story was fun. Enjoy it as part of your Hallowe'en reads.
Likes: This is a pretty good description of chivalry. Gerard might be having a hard time with a ballad, yet he does what he can for those in need.
Conclusion: This story was fun. Enjoy it as part of your Hallowe'en reads.
November 11, 2022
From a post I wrote in '92 on rec.arts.sf.written:
It's a hard cover containing short stories occurring in Averoigne (4), Atlantis (3), Hyperborea (4), Zothique (10), and nine assorted others. ...if you can't find the Balantine paperbacks it's worth it IMHO. Also, the dozen or so J. K. Potter illustrations are excellent.
It's a hard cover containing short stories occurring in Averoigne (4), Atlantis (3), Hyperborea (4), Zothique (10), and nine assorted others. ...if you can't find the Balantine paperbacks it's worth it IMHO. Also, the dozen or so J. K. Potter illustrations are excellent.
May 19, 2019
All the fucking stars. Particularly for the Zothique stories. "Morthylla" with its references to a sputtering, decaying sun, might be an inspiration for Vance (?). The best part of finishing this book is being able to start it over again.
February 21, 2025
Aunque algunos cuentos me han gustado mucho, especialmente los de ciencia ficción y terror, los de brujos y encantamientos, o sea. los de fantasía, me han parecido aburridos y situacionales, con poca acción y descripciones recargadas.
November 8, 2018
Great anthology. It's been awhile since I've read CAS, like visiting an old friend. If they had included "Monster of the Prophecy", I would've given it 5 stars
January 5, 2022
Classic horror short stories in the way of Clark Ashton Smith. But one the pulpy side and enjoyable.
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