YOU KNOW THE TYPE. Face always trained on the inevitable Distraction Device-- anything to avoid introspective thought --spine permanently curved forward like a backwards question mark... yet Clark Aston Smith's THE HUNTERS FROM BEYOND got to some of 'em, we hear... Yes, poor Zombot, there may be other worlds than ours which lie very close by, alien and malignant. That loosely encapsulates the tenor of this particular episode, which includes Smith's entire story. Everyone seems to have heard of (H.P.) Lovecraft and (R.E.) Howard, but the amazingly poetic and brilliant autodidact Smith doesn’t have the same literary ubiquity. A talented poet, painter, and sculptor, Smith made his biggest impact with his macabre fantasy and science-fiction short stories. But his unique style and themes could never make him widely popular. One of his greatest admirers, Ray Bradbury, said that Smith was “a special writer for special tastes; his fame was lonely... Every writer is special in some way, and those who are more than ordinarily special are either damned or lost along the way.” Thankfully, Clark Ashton Smith has never been fully lost. Many modern fantasy writers list him as an influence, and a handful of publishers keep his stories in print. He is often featured right here via Dr. H. Owll's promotion via the reading of his works. Also, much of secret lore, for those who can take it...