Abstract

Thanks for the Arkham Sampler and consignment of Genius Loci, which Smith is glad to hear is selling well, and asking after reviews other than John Haley's; praise for Derleth's poem and story (as by Stephen Grendon) "Open Sesame" in the Sampler, but not Ray Bradbury's "The Spring Night"; ruminations on A Basic Library of Science Fiction (mentioning Dr. David H. Keller in particular), and the lack of mention of Lucian, Apuleius (The Golden Ass) and Rabelais, and ethical biases by the authors, the prominence given to H. G. Wells and Charles Fort, the inclusion of Strange Ports of Call (with Smith looking forward to Dark Side of the Moon), some missing books (Aldous Huxley's After Many a Summer Dies the Swan, Leonard Cline's The Dark Chamber), and (as Wandrei notes) the lack of science fiction with permanent literary worth; the atom bomb to attract new writers. Postscript: Joke on Freud as a modern master of science fiction, and adding Lucian's True History.

Cited By

TBD

Included In

• Selected Letters of Clark Ashton Smith (unabridged)