At the age of fourteen, Clark Ashton Smith wrote an Arabian Nights adventure novel called The Black Diamonds. At nearly 90,000 words, it is the longest work of fiction he would ever write in his long career. The thrilling and fast-paced story of seventeenth-century Bagdad deals with two mysterious black diamonds and the conflict they engender between an Arab family and the powerful thief who seeks to regain them. Kidnapping, piracy, and even a possibly supernatural “Lake of Fire” are all involved in this vibrant and well-crafted narrative. Although a work of Smith’s youth, The Black Diamonds can withstand comparison with any of his later tales of Zothique, Hyperborea, and Atlantis for compelling readability. This never-before published novel has been meticulously edited by leading fantasy scholar S. T. Joshi.
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About the Author
Clark Ashton Smith was born on January 13th, 1893, and began writing fiction and poetry in his early teens. His first publication came in 1910, at the age of seventeen, when the Overland Monthly published two of his adventure tales set in the Orient. One of the "Lovecraft circle" and a regular contributor to Weird Tales in the 1930s, he is highly regarded today for his works of exotic fantasy. Smith died in his sleep on August 14, 1961.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Words from an old friend,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Black Diamonds (Paperback)
As one of the last people alive who knew Clark Ashton personally, it gives me great pleasure to see his juvenile work in print at last. That a boy of fourteen could write like this suggests that such a book might be a powerful teaching tool in the public schools - Even at this early age, he was able to construct a coherent story which carries the reader necessarily to the conclusion. Also, the elevated and extraordinary vocabulary he manifested in his later works is evident here. The early glimmerings of his matchless capacity to create mood and environment is also present here. Thoroughly delightful, and should lead readers to explore his amazing later works and astonishing poetry.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
an exciting swashbuckler,
This review is from: The Black Diamonds (Paperback)
Considering that Smith was 14 when he wrote this, it is amazingly good. Although it doesn't have the atmosphere or otherworldly quality of his later work, it is full of vivid action and very well plotted. I found it hard to put down.
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