Collected into one volume are all of Clark Ashton Smith's short stories of Averoigne, the sinister, monster-haunted province of medieval France. Werewolves and satyrs stalk the dark forests, witches and necromancers lurk in the swamps, and gargoyles and giants terrorize the cathedral city of Vyônes in the heart of Averoigne. Even the holy Abbey of Périgon is defiled by cursed statues and demons from the stars. Come, explore the mysteries of Averoigne... if you dare.
Includes these stories by Clark Ashton Smith:
Mother of Toads
The Maker of Gargoyles
The Holiness of Azédarac
A Night in Malnéant
The Colossus of Ylourgne
The Enchantress of Sylaire
The Beast of Averoigne
The Mandrakes
A Rendezvous in Averoigne
The Disinterment of Venus
The Satyr
The End of the Story
Averoigne (poem)
...and a map of Averoigne by Tim Kirk!
Clark Ashton Smith is considered one of the best contributors to seminal pulp magazines such as Weird Tales. Along with his contemporaries H. P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard, he helped shape and define “weird fiction” in the early 20th century. Smith drew upon his background in poetry to portray an unparalleled richness of expression and imagination in his tales of the fantastical and bizarre. Not just any fantasy, horror, and science fiction author could impress H. P. Lovecraft into calling him “unexcelled by any other writer, dead or living”. A self-educated poet, sculptor, painter, and author, Clark Ashton Smith's short stories of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and weird fiction have influenced and inspired generations of writers.