Posted by Paris on July 07, 1999 at 03:09:39:
In Reply to: Clark Ashton Smith contest posted by David M. Rose on July 05, 1999 at 01:37:13:
Though I have not seen the discussion on the Vance V's Ashton
smith I must dissagree with you that there is no comparison. I
feel that after reading Ashton Smith (unfortunatly I don't
possess a coppy of lost worlds 1), Vance must have been
influenced by Smith to some degree. You only have to read storys
like 'The Weird of Avoosl Wuthoqquan' (Out of space and time 2)
to find the similarities in their humour.
Avoosl Wuthoqquan, the richist and most avaricious money-lender
in all the Commoriom, and, by that token, in the whole of
Hyperborea, was startled from his train of revery by the sharp,
eery, cicada-like voice. He eyed the supplicant with acidulous
disfavour. His meditations, as he walked homeward that evening,
had been splendidly replete with the shining of costly metals,
with coins and ingots and gold-work and argentry, and the
flaming or sparkling of many-tinted gems in rills, rivers and
cascades, all flowing towards of Avoosl Wuthoqquan. Now the
vision had flown; and this untimely and obstreperous voice was
imploring him for alms.
Superb; does it ring a bell?
In fact I would go as far as saying that I think Vance was
heavily influenced by Ashton Smith.
Check the quote by Nic