"The Ninth Skeleton" is a short story by American writer Clark Ashton Smith. It was first published in the September 1928 issue of Weird Tales.[1] It was his first story for Weird Tales.[2]
Plot
editThe story tells of the experience of a man, Herbert, on his way to meet his girlfriend Guenevere, who experiences what seems to be a macabre vision of various skeletons, each of whom advances with a skeleton child in its arms. The ninth skeleton (of the title) has no infant skeleton, but is still in the grave, and attempts to pull the narrator in. However, he awakes to normal reality, apparently due to the touch of Guenevere on his arm.
The opening of the story features an accurate description of the area of Boulder Ridge in Auburn, California where Smith lived most of his early life.
Reception
editReviewing Genius Loci and Other Tales in the 1983 book The Guide to Supernatural Fiction, E. F. Bleiler recommended the "best stories are "The Ninth Skeleton", "The Phantoms of the Fire", which is well-handled if trite in theme, and "The Charnel God"."[3]
References
edit- Smith, Clark Ashton (2006) [1928]. "The Ninth Skeleton". In Scott Connors & Ron Hilger (ed.). The End of the Story Vol. 1 (First ed.). San Francisco, USA: Nightshade Books. ISBN 978-1-59780-028-0. Definitive version.
Footnotes
edit- ^ The Ninth Skeleton publication history at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- ^ Gahan Wilson (July 1971). "The Dark Corner". The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. Mercury Publications. p. 74. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
- ^ Bleiler, Everett (1983). The Guide to Supernatural Fiction. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press. p. 462. ISBN 0873382889.
External links
edit- Text of "The Ninth Skeleton"
- Publication history at The Eldritch Dark
 | This article about a fantasy short story (or stories) published in the 1920s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This article about a horror short story (or stories) published in the 1920s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |