From The Library: Xiccarph

Xiccarph, by Clark Ashton Smith

I've started my reading of Clark Ashton Smith's works with Xiccarph because it was lent to me by a friend who lives far from Milan (in Naples, actually), and I don't want to hang on to his books for too long, as a sign of respect and gratitude. So far, I think I have done the right thing.

Xiccarph is a pleasant book, well written and, apparently, well translated by Marta Simonetti. It was published by Fanucci Editore in 1989, as part of a series named "I Miti di Cthulhu, precursori, contemporanei e successori di H. P. Lovecraft" (which is "Cthulhu Mythos, precursors, contemporaries and successors of H. P. Lovecraft"). Published in the same series are also many other works by Clark Ashton Smith, including Hyperborea, Zothique, Averoigne, Malneant and others. Only Zothique had already been published in 1977 by Editrice Nord, with the title of "Zothique, L'Ultimo Continente Della Terra" (which is "Zothique, Last Continent on Earth"), and none of these have ever been published again, as far as I know. Unlike the Ballantine edition, the italian edition doesn't contain The Doom of Antarion, but instead has a collection of short stories: La Gorgone (The Gorgon), La Città Fantasma (?) and Il Paesaggio dei Salici (?). The Doom of Antharion was published separately.

I've liked Xiccarph very much, especially the stories of Maal Dweb, The Demon of the Flower and From the Crypts of Memory. The ones I have enjoyed less are the three stories of the Aihai cycle, which I found a bit lacking in tone. If I'd say anything, I've noticed that Smith tends to be better at narration rather than with dialog, especially in The Monster of the Prophecy.