The Last Continent - New Tales of Zothique

Rating:
Summary: New, compelling ideas inspired by the Master of strange!
Review: For an anthology "based" on the style and stories of CAS, I felt most of the stories in this book were as fascinating and strange as Smith's. Without the hamperings of technical descriptions and reasonings of a "Dying Sun" scenario, the stories just naturally fall into prosaic form, dealing in the macabre and and the darkly fantastic. Better than most of the "inspired by..." anthologies. A good read!

Rating:
Summary: New, compelling ideas inspired by the Master of strange!
Review: For an anthology "based" on the style and stories of CAS, I felt most of the stories in this book were as fascinating and strange as Smith's. Without the hamperings of technical descriptions and reasonings of a "Dying Sun" scenario, the stories just naturally fall into prosaic form, dealing in the macabre and and the darkly fantastic. Better than most of the "inspired by..." anthologies. A good read!

Rating:
Summary: A great collection!
Review: This is a tribute anthology inspired by the works of Clark Ashton Smith. Having not read one piece of fiction by Smith, I anticipated missing some of the underlying themes. This was not the case. John Pelan has selected stories that while being in the tradition of Smith's stylings is easily accessible to those of us not entrenched in the ways of Clark Ashton Smith's fiction. As in all anthologies there are gems, good stories and a few dogs. This collection has a higher incidence of the first two.

David B. Silva's "Where The Past Lay Buried" is an effective meditation on guilt and the price it extolls. Geoff Cooper's "The Jolerarymi's Rose", a sculptor is betrayed by his wife and he enacts revenge. Edward Lee & John Pelan's "The Scarlet Succubus" waxes poetic on politics, betrayal and some evil aquatic monsters. This one takes you one way then twists the ending so you don't know which way is up. "Ashes of Longing, Ashes of Lust" is a fast moving, beautifully written selection that made me feel I was beside the characters. Here you find a man on a mission and the toll an old girlfriend's last wish takes on him. Mark McLaughlin spins a tale of obsession in "The Vainglorious Simulacrum of Mungha Sorcyllamia". Brian Stableford turns in a stellar novella of passion, love and betrayal in "The Light of Achernar".

Other standout tales are written by Charlee Jacob, David Niall Wilson, Gerard Houarner, Dan Clore, and Gene Wolfe. The book contains some outstanding cover art by Rob Alexander and some nice interior illustrations by Fredrik King and Allen Koszowski. Highly Recommended.

Rating:
Summary: A great collection!
Review: This is a tribute anthology inspired by the works of Clark Ashton Smith. Having not read one piece of fiction by Smith, I anticipated missing some of the underlying themes. This was not the case. John Pelan has selected stories that while being in the tradition of Smith's stylings is easily accessible to those of us not entrenched in the ways of Clark Ashton Smith's fiction. As in all anthologies there are gems, good stories and a few dogs. This collection has a higher incidence of the first two.

David B. Silva's "Where The Past Lay Buried" is an effective meditation on guilt and the price it extolls. Geoff Cooper's "The Jolerarymi's Rose", a sculptor is betrayed by his wife and he enacts revenge. Edward Lee & John Pelan's "The Scarlet Succubus" waxes poetic on politics, betrayal and some evil aquatic monsters. This one takes you one way then twists the ending so you don't know which way is up. "Ashes of Longing, Ashes of Lust" is a fast moving, beautifully written selection that made me feel I was beside the characters. Here you find a man on a mission and the toll an old girlfriend's last wish takes on him. Mark McLaughlin spins a tale of obsession in "The Vainglorious Simulacrum of Mungha Sorcyllamia". Brian Stableford turns in a stellar novella of passion, love and betrayal in "The Light of Achernar".

Other standout tales are written by Charlee Jacob, David Niall Wilson, Gerard Houarner, Dan Clore, and Gene Wolfe. The book contains some outstanding cover art by Rob Alexander and some nice interior illustrations by Fredrik King and Allen Koszowski. Highly Recommended.