Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Reviews

Book Review: The Last Hieroglyph

By Sandy Amazeen Dec 18, 2010, 22:36 GMT

The Last Hieroglyph is the fifth of the five volume Collected Fantasies series. Editors Scott Connors and Ron Hilger have compared original manuscripts, various typescripts, published editions, and Smith\'s notes and letters, in order to prepare a definitive set of texts. The Last Hieroglyph includes, in chronological order, all of Clark Ashton Smith\'s stories from "The Dark Age" to "The Dart of Rasasfa." ...more

Encompassing all his work in chronological order from “The Dark Age” and “The Dart of Rasasfa” this is the last of five compellations of Clark Ashton Smith’s short stories and a genuine treat. Born in Long Valley, California on January 13, 1893 Smith began writing at an early age and although he considered himself a poet, it is his visionary, absorbing short stories that brought him fame. Original, inventive and totally engrossing, Smith’s work represents the best of fantasy writing though some modern readers may find his vocabulary archaic, which is unfortunate because it is so good.

Themes of wizards and spells, ancient wars, space vehicles and strange beasts are explored in depth with the mercurial nature of good and evil playing in the background. If you have yet to discover this gifted author, run to your favorite bookstore and grab a copy. Just be sure to do it on a day off, preferably by yourself because before you know it, you will be drawn into fantastic worlds beyond your wildest imagination and yeah, it’s that good. Kudos to Night Shade Books for presenting Smith's collected works together and making them accessible to a new generation of fantasy/sci-fi fans.