The Last Incantation

by Clark Ashton Smith

This anthology gathers a number of shortstories written by the acclaimed master of Science Fantasy anf Horror, Clark Ashton Smith. Among the stories you'll find; The Double Shadow, The Death of Malygris, The Ice Demon, The Devotee of Evil and many many more.

Contents:

Introduction
The Double Shadow
The Last Incantation
The Death of Malygris
Seedling of Mars
The Ice-Demon
Ubbo-Sathla
The Plutonian Drug
The Colossus of Ylourgne
The Holiness of Azedarac
The End of the Story
The Vaults of Yoh-Vombis
The Devotee of Evil
The Root of Ampoi
Genius Loci

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Short Stories, Science Fiction, Lovecraftian, Cthulhu Mythos, Fiction

262 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 1, 1982

About the author

Clark 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.

Reviews

[Eloy Cryptkeeper · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*
"El poder que albergaban o simbolizaban constituían el terror de las gentes y la envidia de todos los magos rivales, los pensamientos de Malygris se veían ensombrecidos de inmitigable melancolía, y el abatimiento llenaba su corazón como las cenizas llenan el hogar donde un gran fuego se ha extinguido. Inmóvil se sentaba, implacable meditaba, mientras el sol de la tarde, declinando sobre la ciudad y sobre el mar que se hallaba más allá de la misma, hería con otoñales rayos a través de la ventana de vidrio amarillo verdoso, y tocaba sus apergaminadas manos con su fantasmal oro, encendiendo los morados balajes de sus anillos hasta hacerlos arder como demoníacos ojos...
En sus meditaciones no había luz ni fuego, y volviéndose desde la grisura del presente, desde la oscuridad que parecía ir acercándose de forma inminente al futuro, tanteó entre las sombras de la memoria, tal como un hombre ciego que ha perdido el sol y lo busca por doquier en vano"

Nos presentan a Malygris como el mas poderoso hechicero, Gran maestro de artes oscuras y Nicromancia. El mas funesto y temido por reyes, sacerdotes, otros hechiceros y cualquiera que haya pisado la tierra (hace ver a Voldemort como un bebe de pecho, a Sauron como un mago de feria y a OZ como un mago de salón de fiestas)
bromas aparte...
Esta en el ocaso de su vida y lo invade la nostalgia, se retrotrae a su juventud, a su amada la cual perdió tras una muerte repentina en la víspera de su casamiento. Por años la había mantenido el recuerdo enterrado en el olvido, oculto bajo sus responsabilidades.
Tras consultar a su fiel demonio/sudbito/mascota decide emplear su Nicromancia para devolver a la vida a la mujer.

Al margen de toda la exagerada reputación y oscuridad que precede y enaltece al hechicero... En realidad el autor se vale de una cautivante prosa, y nos deja algunas muy buenas reflexiones y moralejas.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

In reading H.P. Lovecraft and Robert Howard, Clark Ashton Smith's name has come up a number of times. I finally picked up a collection of his stories at Abraxus Books, a neat little used bookstore here in Ballard. The first story floored me, and the realization that I had my hands on a potential gem was confirmed by each successive tale.

Smith is, first and foremost, a writer's writer. His prose is excellent. It is said that he wrote with an ear for oratory, and I agree: his writing carries a fine sound when read aloud. In comparison with contemporary writers, Smith really shines. He has a lucid style that conveys beautiful imagery in deft, single-sentence strokes. For those readers who, like me, are tired of "doorstop" fantasy tomes, these tales are a delicious antidote.

The tales themselves are packed with wonders and myths and mysteries. Some of them gave me the thrill that only a well-wrought idea can. The fecundity of Smith's imagination is just astounding. Each tale he wrote is a complete, self-contained story, and each contains enough material for a proper novel. Yet Smith never leaves you wanting for more except in the best sense; each tale lingers in the mind with a pleasant echo.

I liked every story in this collection. The ones that stood out most were "The Last Incantation"; "The Death of Malygris"; "Seedling of Mars"; "The Ice-Demon"; "Ubbo-Sathla"; "The Colossus of Ylourgne"; "The Holiness of Azedarac"; "The Vaults of Yoh-Vombis"; and "The Root of Ampoi".

This particular edition is out of print, but you can pick up copies used at Amazon Marketplace for a good price. I recommend doing so.

[Michael Sorbello · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is for The Last Incantation alone. The story has a deep moral message about the burdens of change. Sometimes we distance ourselves from people and places that once filled us with feelings of joy because we feel like they've changed and they're not as they used to be. However, there are also times when we are the ones that changed without realising it, and people distance themselves away from us without us knowing why we went our separate ways. A harsh truth about growing old.

[Michael Ritchie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over the years, I have dabbled in Clark Ashton Smith, having read maybe 3 or 4 stories, but never stuck with him. In my retirement, I finally buckled down and read an entire collection. Most of the stories here are fairly short mood pieces of dark fantasy, often involving some horrific descriptions of evil and death, but also involving an overwhelming feeling of melancholy. Lovecraft was inspired by him, and I assume, vice versa. The stories in this collection are pulled from his loosely connected lost world story cycles (Hyperborea, Atlantis, and a fantasy version of 13th century France called Averoigne), but honestly, the similarities are more important than the differences. The cover illustration may lead you to think these are high fantasy stories, but more often horror tropes predominate. Every one of the fourteen stories was worth reading. The standout, simply because it is so different from the others, is the 40-page "Seedling of Mars" which is straight up science fiction with an almost breathtakingly apocalyptic ending. His writing style might be described as ornate or overwrought, with a mild Lovecraftian feel here and there. I'll hang on to this book for re-reading.

[Blake Tourville · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing old really sucks

[Stormbringer · Rating 5 out of 5]

***** Must Read
**** Excellent
*** Good
** At Your Own Risk
* Ive surely missed the point here

[Forked Radish · Rating 2 out of 5]

Titular story only.

[Kam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fave stories: The Double Shadow, The Last Incantation, The Holiness of Azedarac, The Vaults of Yoh-Vombis, Genius Loci.

[Nic · Rating 2 out of 5]

okayyy descriptive words
To put it very simply, it's a story on growing old and realizing you are the one that changed.

[Jesse Jester · Rating 1 out of 5]

The amount of times I fell asleep in the first 10 minutes of reading this book far outweighed the process of continuing to turn pages. I could not fathom getting through more than a chapter, and by the end of the day I still couldn't even make it that far. Yikes.

[Keith Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clark Ashton Smith was one of the three best of the Weird Tales writers, along with H. P. Lovecraft and Robert Howard. Smith is nowhere near as famous as the other two, but he was a much better writer. His style is kind of baroque and verbose, with a 19th century lost world orientalist feel. If you like Weird Tales I urge you to seek out one of Smith's collections.