The Double Shadow: A Clark Ashton Smith Podcast

Posts Tagged "poseidonis"

Episode #20: Poetry of Atlantis

We’re ending this cycle with a little of Clark Ashton Smith’s poetry, read by Jordan Smith.

Next time, we start Hyperborea with “The Tale of Satampra Zeiros” and a special guest!

Music by Erdenstern.

Episode #19: “The Death of Malygris”

This week, we conclude the stories of Poseidonis with “The Death of Malygris.”

The story was originally rejected from Weird Tales because it (or that draft) too-closely resembled a prose poem, but it was accepted and published in April 1934.

Tim found this awesome track called “The Death of Malygris” by Aperion Project.

Next time, we’ll have readings of several Poseidonian poems by Smith.

Thanks to Erdenstern for the music and to Robert A Neri Jr for the Malygris art.

Episode #18: “A Vintage from Atlantis”

A transcription of this episode is available.

This week, we have a more modern pirate story in which a merry band encounter “A Vintage from Atlantis.”

This story originally appeared in the September 1933 issue of good ole Weird Tales, alongside stories by authors including: Robert E. Howard, Hugh B. Cave, and (we kid you not) Hung Long Tom.

Ager Falernus and Cecuba were known for Roman wines. Valdepeñas is a Spanish town with excellent soil for wine. We’ve learned in a note from a letter that this ending is a third rewrite, as requested by Farnsworth Wright.

In our next episode, we’ll wrap up the Poseidonis stories with “The Death of Malygris.”

Music by: Erdenstern

Episode #17: “The Double Shadow”

This week, The Double Shadow does…”The Double Shadow“!

This story was first accepted by Strange Tales, which then folded before publishing. Smith published it himself in 1933 in a volume titled The Double Shadow with “The Maze of the Enchanter,” “The Voyage of King Euvoran,” “A Night in Malnéant,” “The Devotee of Evil,” and “The Willow Landscape.”

Definitions from the first paragraph, as collected by Phil:

  • orichalchum – a type of Roman brass made of 80% copper and 20% zinc.
  • triremes – a ship with three rows of oars on each side.
  • seine – a fishing net.
  • byssus – a type of filament secreted from mollusks, sometimes used to make fabrics.
  • Lephara is a port city on Poseidonis mentioned in Sfanamoë.

(Ruth: Yes, I sent Phil his copy of The Double Shadow.)

For Phil, a history of Duncan Idaho. And, speaking of that, 42:00-44:00 contains some specific Dune spoilers re: Duncan Idaho.

Join us next time for “A Vintage from Atlantis.”

Music by: Erdenstern

Episode #16: “A Voyage to Sfanomoë”

A transcription of this episode is available.

This week, we escape the sinking continent of Poseidonis on A Voyage to Sfanomoë.”

Voyage is the second of Smith’s Poseidonis stories and the first we’ve had so far in the podcast with scientists instead of magicians or necromancers. It was published in the August 1931 issue of Weird Tales, just over a year after “The Last Incantation.” Lovecraft’s “The Whisperer in Darkness” was published in the same volume.

Join us next time, as we release our self-titled(????) episode, “The Double Shadow!”

Music by: Erdenstern

Episode #15: “The Last Incantation”

A transcription of this episode is available.

Welcome to Poseidonis! The About page has been updated with our new list of stories. Today we start off with “The Last Incantation.”


Unicorn head by Robert A Neri Jr. or Ranger Games

We’ve jumped back in time to June of 1930, when this story was published in Weird Tales and to an era after the glory of Atlantis, but before Averoigne. The series is bookended with stories about Malygris, possibly the greatest sorcerer/necromancer we’ve run across so far.

Next time, join us on “A Voyage to Sfanomoët;.”

Music by: Erdenstern