The Double Shadow: A Clark Ashton Smith Podcast

Episode #25: “The Testament of Athammaus” pt. 1

This week we welcome Mike Bukowski, the illustrator behind Yog-Blogsoth, a site devoted to artistic renditions of Lovecraftian, Smithian, Howardian, and other Weird beings, to cover “The Testament of Athammaus” (part 1).

Mike has done hundreds of creatures by this point and put out three hard-to-snag volumes, which he periodically reprints. There are plenty of Smith characters on the site as well as your more classic Lovecraftian ones. Plus, he’s tackled things one doesn’t often see illustrated in Lovecraft. You may want to consider viewing them from home, however, as there’s a great deal of nudity.

The story takes us back to Commoriom before it was abandoned and tells of the horrifying circumstances that led its residents to flee and re-establish the city a day’s journey away…although none of us are sure we would’ve stopped after just one day.

Next week, we’ll be back with part 2 of the story!

Music by Erdenstern.

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  1. Ollie says:

    How about Knygathin Zhaum in his various resurrection/progressions from Mr. Bukowski?

  2. Genus Unknown says:

    I really like this story, so I can’t wait to listen to the episode.

    I keep picturing Knygathin Zhaum as… who are those guys in the later Star Trek series with the scaly skin and the spoons on their foreheads? One of those guys.

  3. Odilius Vlak says:

    A day’s journey away… Maybe they wanted to keep an eye on Knygathin Zhaum.

  4. Boneworm says:

    Decapitatioooooooooooooooon! I can’t decide whether I view Zhaum as corpulent, muscular, or even like something from an abstract/cubist/surrealist painting.

  5. Rob P says:

    The snake thing put me in mind of RE Howard’s The Worms of the Earth, or The People of the Dark. I guess there are also the Serpent Men from the Kull stories. Anyhoo the image of a man unhinging his jaw snake-style and ingesting a man alive is a pretty cool / gruesome one! Lovin the show!