The Beast of Averoigne by Clark Ashton Smith
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ส.ค. 2024
- Clark Ashton Smith (1893-1961) was an accomplished American author and artist known for his influential contributions to literature and art. Raised in the small town of Auburn, California, Smith's formal education was limited due to personal challenges, but his insatiable appetite for reading and his extraordinary memory paved the way for his creative endeavors. His early literary pursuits included poetry, and he gained international acclaim for works like "The Star-Treader and Other Poems."
Smith's literary journey evolved into distinct phases. He transitioned to weird fiction in the late 1920s, where he crafted eerie and imaginative tales set in fictional realms like Averoigne, Hyperborea, and Zothique. His unique storytelling, marked by a rich vocabulary and cosmic perspectives, left a lasting imprint on the genre. In the latter part of his life, Smith turned to sculpture, creating striking works from soapstone. His legacy endures through his literary and artistic contributions, captivating readers and art enthusiasts with his unparalleled creativity.
Clark Ashton Smith's artistic legacy is a testament to his versatile talent and creative genius. His journey encompassed poetry, where he earned recognition for his verse, and weird fiction, where he conjured otherworldly landscapes and creatures. In his later years, he sculpted masterpieces from soapstone. His work, characterized by its vivid imagery, cosmic themes, and sardonic humor, continues to inspire and enchant readers and art enthusiasts alike, solidifying his place as a celebrated figure in the realms of literature and art.
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I grew up on a farm in the middle of nowhere. I had school friends, but I was often lonely and bored on weekends and summer holidays. My great solace was a weekly trip to the library. I brought home every collection of horror stories i could find. More years later than I care to recall, I found you and a few others reading these stories, and it's a wonderful reminder of that time. Thank you for sharing your talent
The joys of public libraries:)
C.A.S. is hugely underrated.
Agreed!
Psyco😊dellic" Glowing like coals from a wizards brazier " lines like that are why CAS is so great. His Mars cycle is awesome .Especially The Vaults of Yoh Vombis.
No one used "sepulchre" to as an effective effect as CAS. 🤭
Laying on the sofa after a hard day's work listening to your superb narration thanks !!!
Nailed it
Read as much C.A. Smith as you like. Also I enjoy hearing pages turning amid the reading.
And yes, his writing is so much fun to read or hear.
I love word nerds who can write extremely well.
i used to think the page turning was a flaw to be eradicated but so many people say they like it
One of my most favorite short stories along with Pringle's Mansion 😁 I'll always come back to this classic! A direct punch to the supernatural gut😅
That ending was so perfectly performed. Bravo!
one of my favourite stories. Beautifully read, Tony. Thanks. I loved the image of the beast too. what a great choice.
An absolutely fantastic story, I thoroughly enjoyed it! Thank you so much for reading it.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Perfect channel to be listening to during Spooky season! 🎃🍂 So glad I found it!
This was a very good reading. I have been a Smith fan for over 50 years.
Demon imprisoned in ring by wizard for untold centuries: "Look, the ONLY possible way to defeat this creature is to release me so I can kick his ass. Yes, I know that sounds like a heck of a coincidence. It is what it is. Do you wanna do this or not?"
Fantastic! I love Clark Ashton Smith!
Me too!
Wonderfully done. You capture the spirit well.
Great story for Halloween 🎃
Omg that picture!!!
if you see one of those run
Man I have to tell you that finding your channel has been akin to falling into a mine whose rich veins had never been exposed, thereby enriching my life for having been lucky enough to fall into it. I am so grateful to you for making insomnia something that I no longer look upon as a curse.
I hope i put you to sleep. it’s weird how the library has grown just by keeping in doing it. I’m quite proud now of all the stories . When do I stop ?
@@ClassicGhostWell selfishly, I hope you do it as long as you keep finding these jewels of literature to share with us. You are a very gifted orator, and I can honestly say that in my experience, you are without peer when narrating a story.
Again, thank you for all the effort you put into this, and I hope my previous comment was not interpreted as your channel putting me to sleep. My intent was to thank you for making the hours I used to spend staring at the ceiling a thing of the past, and filling my nights instead with remarkable tales, many of which I would have never heard but for you.😏
I think I'm about to be really spooked out, especially hearing Tony Walker's scary voice, but I'm ready! Here we go! That's some beast!
I really enjoyed this story and was unfamiliar with this author. Thanks!
Glad you liked it Holly
I listen to TH-cam on a tv I’m not signed into. I hope you still get credit for them. Really enjoyed this one. I’m working my way thru these and I just love them. Chilling, but not revolting. And your voice is very pleasing and works well with these stories.
I don’t know but it’s all fine. just as long as you enjoyed it
A view from any screen still counts, regardless of being signed in☺️
My favorite reader and my favorite author. More CAS! 💜
I know literally nothing about this author or story, but I love the art and the narrator, so exploring I go.
Elegant, captivating, shuttting off Logic, entralled by the vivid word-images painted by your, as always, masterful narration. Too good to do anything but listen. Again, again, Thank you, Tony for all your hard work for us.
you are very welcome
One of my favorite from CAS!
Hi, Tony. I really enjoyed this story, and especially your narration. Reminds me of the French Delsarte method of acting used in theatre and Silent Film. Many enjoyed this "larger than life" style as they felt they got their money's worth!
He's expressive but you can feel the intelligence in the inflections. That's the draw for me. He sounds intelligent as well as dramatic. You can hear that he understands the stories unlike other readers and reads them at an intelligible pace.
@@implodingsoftly You're so right.
i’m very intrigued by that comment. i will research
Totally one of your all time best reads. Great choice. Zothique is full of so many great stories too.
This is a just-right story for heading into autumn 🍂 🍂
wait til next week
Great stuff. I've always loved CAS's Averoigne setting.
Same here! it’s my favourite of his places
Clark Ashton Smith has always been my favorite of the Lovecraftian school (for lack of a better term). I thought your reading of this one was excellent!
Brilliant adaptation and reading! Thanks for bringing back one of the dark and beautiful works of the great Clark Ashton Smith.. Please consider more Weird Tales. Your voice has a mythic quality that illuminates these stories. One suggestion for your reading consideration is The Skull in the Stars by Robert E. Howard. It fits in well with the atmosphere and historical landscapes of your channel. ✨🌙💀🌠
+Scott Free Very interesting suggestion. I haven’t done any Robert E. Howard though I read a lot when i was younger
I'm not a huge fan of the Atlantean high priest "Klarkash-Ton", but you got me with that thumbnail.
This will be my bedtime story tonight.
Excellent choice of artwork, I love it so much. Very well done, sir.
Enjoy!
The thumbnail is AI generated.
Absolutely classic scary tale!
I love the wonderfully, descriptive language, it brings images clearly to my mind. I was reminded of the huge Tiger snakes we get here; their scales look almost exactly like woven carbon fibre, (some tropical snakes have a rainbow, opalescent sheen).
Faultlessly read and delivered.
" How many bros you know quote like this"
"Not many, if any"
Remarkable how this one gave you palpatations. I got a bunch of bad luck after reading "The King in Yellow". My cat is a psycho, I found him just after reading "The Mender of Reputations"
Spooky stuff!
Thanks Tony.
The Repairer of Reputations... you have seen the yellow sign. 😂
@@implodingsoftly Oh yeah, that was it. I haven’t read it in six years; I don’t need any more bad luck!
Don’t get me wrong though I feel really lucky in finding my cat, but even all this time later he still pounces on my head while I sleep and pulls out patches of hair sometimes. Or takes a flying leap from behind and sinks his teeth in. 😼😬
Love the written poetry of the words! His photographic memory imbued his literature with historical imagination, bringing the past into his present with a visceral spellbinding. I love how you described his writing as a conjuring of deep imagination.
Thank you again for your willingness to engage in the writing, as we listeners can do- for no artificial intelligence can bring that witch comes from our human bones. Cheers!💙🖤💙
I always like me some Clark Ashton Smith! He is excellent and one of my favorites.
This is a great story, and your narration is flawless. It is one of your best!
I like how C.A.S. wrote like he was in an older time in history.
I called it when I heard "the window was left open."
Great job. Keep it up! I love hearing the pages turn!
A favorite story by a favorite author read by a favorite narrator!
Also the art chosen is incredible, any idea of the artist? I love it.
Agreed on all accounts.
It was a Midjourney. i prompted: chimera from a medieval bestiary
@@ClassicGhost Unsubscribed.
I was trying to figure out why then I saw your comment about the AI generated thumbnail, so I think that’s why
@@ClassicGhost Yep. Congratulations, you figured it out. Someone with a Patreon who uses AI art instead of human artists does not deserve subscribers.
You also cheapened the story by using the published version instead of the author's extended version, which is twice as long and much better. An AI probably would have done better research.
Bravo!!👏👏👏👏👍👍👍❤️❤️
Scary!
Wonderful start to the weekend thanks Tony
Enjoy!
Love CAS he is always welcome.
Keen on the weirder settings, too.
I wonder what of his isn't up on TH-cam yet?
tell me and i’ll consider doing it
You would absolutely knock The Abominations of Yondo out of the park and The Uncharted Isle suits your dreamy voice. I've asked on r/clarkashtonsmith if there is a story they want narrated, though. I feel like a pleb as I've only discovered CAS through narrations, never owned a book except in Cthulhu anthologies. I'm trying to avoid anything covered by HorrorBabble or Librivox...a lot of the necromancer stuff could threaten your monetization...luckily Librivox don't care :)
Great stuff. I was just wondering if there was owt new or interesting going on for my bedtime listening - and this will do nicely. I think my favourite CAS is ‘maker of gargoyles’. I think it’s him anyway :)
I’ve done that one I think
@@ClassicGhostYou definitely have. It's really good.
@@ClassicGhostyes you have done it - it’s a cracking story and beautifully narrated as well. Many thanks
Oooh! Truly creepy! Good choice . (Love the cover art and hope the dogs enjoyed the food, lol!)
Another author and story I haven't heard of. Very unique story and as always your narration brought it to life.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐❤️
Have you ever narrated, An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge?
By Ambrose Bierce.
I love that story. Brings out several emotions. At least it does for me. ❤
i’ve never done it but i know if
New Subscribe Here!!
Lol!! I did my work experience at blendbetters kennel,,,many,many years ago!!
Andréa and Jasper. ...XxX...
Blendbetters is where we get our dogfood
Who did the wild illustration you show here?
It is a good choice indeed.
MidJourney. i think I prompted: chimera from a medieval bestiary
Where did you get the cover art?? It's pretty epic
This art has caused ructions
@ClassicGhost I know it's Ai, but I still like it
The picture looks like it’s by an artist who was trying to draw a lion, only he’d never actually seen one, and all he had to go off of was a description from a young child. 😂
That's exactly it. My cousin Ronald is a talented artist who has, sadly, through no fault of his own, been confined to his lonely tower on the Northumberland moors all his life. As such, though he has spied deer, blackbirds and the odd squirrel from his lofty window, he has never seen a lion. As a bit of a prank, I took my grand-nephew Toby to the zoological gardens at Chester and made him pay especial notice to the lions in their run. I did not tell him why and then I contrived a visit to Ronald, who is always glad to see his family (however extended). I said to Ronald, "I say, old chap. Little Toby here has seen a lion at the Zoo'"
"Alas, something my condition has always prevented me from doing," said Ronald.
"Just so. Just so."
(I should also here tell you that Ronald does not use screens, neither computers, tablets nor TVs as the flickering sets off his vertigo, so neither has he seen a depiction of a lion. It occurs to me that he may have seen a photograph of a lion in a book or magazine, but he had never remarked upon it, and I do not think he has. But I digress.)
"Do you think, Ron, that you could draw such a beast from little Toby's description alone?"
"I venture I could," said Ronald.
"Well have at it then." I then turned to Toby and said, "Toby, my lad, describe the lion you saw at Chester Zoo to Great-Uncle Ronald, and he'll draw it for you."
Ronald kindly allowed me to use his work for this thumbnail and so there you have it.
Well guessed, young Skeleczar, well guessed.
@@ClassicGhost , 😂😂😂 I don’t know how I missed this notification. This made me giggle so hard.
Looks exactly like my pug, Mojo. Hi, Mojey! [¡Achtung: Attempt to slay him at your own risk!]
"Them big words?"
Big
Did the Brits ever roll the "r" at any time in history, or is that mainly a thespian affect?
locally here we used to roll r. The scots and welsh do too though it is dying out
so when i was growing up the old folk and some of my friends would say irrron for iron and thrrreee . but the end -r hasn’t been pronounced in my lifetime in england. in wales yes
I wish it wouldn't die out...I quite like it
me too
Is this Sean Bean reading?
+Andrew Dornan . not
for nowt it isn’t. Sean’s got a good agent
10:45 🤣Took me a minute.💩
K
You’re great at this, but it would be very helpful if you’d
write a small description of story’s plot.
You could google it ...
Maybe Ibon was reaching into your brain 🧠…. Trying to snatch it.
something weird was going on. i felt spaced out and anxious for 2 days! fine after that
@@ClassicGhost are any of the mythos books based on factual evidence…. Worm, lovecraft’s deal…. The necropsy. 😹 If all those guys were using the same lingo, who was the originator of most of the stuff. Texas created the toad god…. Those mfz
Lovecraft , Howard , CAS and others swapped ideas and developed the mythos. I remember reading ' Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos' when I was thirteen( a long time ago!) and wondering if the Necronomicon was real ( so convincing was Lovecraft's account of its history) ; apparently I wasn't alone as numerous people have tried to find it in library's. CAS's style is unique though-like drinking a vintage wine. I recommend in particular: 'The last incantation' ( which gets better and better the older one gets), ' The death of Malygris' , all the Zothique stories but most especially ' The Dark Edolon' , 'The Charnel God', ' The Isle of the Torturers', 'Xeethra' and 'The Last Hieroglyph'. Draw the curtains, pour a glass of red and enjoy. @@Bbergster