“The Demon of the Flower” is a short story by Clark Ashton Smith. First published in the December 1933 edition of Astounding Stories, the story tells of a desperate king’s attempt to save his betrothed from an unusually macabre fate.
Bandcamp link: https://horrorbabble.bandcamp.com/album/the-demon-of-the-flower
00:00 – Introduction
00:46 – The Demon of the Flower
29:31 – Further Listening
How about some Lovecraftian artifacts?
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Narrated by Ian Gordon for HorrorBabble
Music and production by Ian & Jennifer Gordon
Imagery produced in MS Designer/Photoshop
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Another masterpiece from Clark. Great yarn! The flora and fauna of his worlds are so "lovely" and "benevolent."
As with every Monday offering, this one was listened to twice (back-to-back).
Amazing narration!
Well Warren, at least he tried.
Thanks, Ian! Another great offering! Very thankful for all the Clark Ashton Smith we get!
Ah good, Warren is right where I left him.
fromsoftware takes notes for the next game
You fool! Warren's in bed.
Warren tried the cheap Soju and now merely wishes he was dead.
Come to think of it, are the 'Zothique' books public domain yet?
Don't go into the light, Warren!
…The phallic, tentacular, oozing horrors of animé…😅
Bloody bastard Triffid gits!
Awesome story! C.A.S. was a genius, and most fully realized by HorrorBabble.😎☠👻
.. about that phobia I have? Demon Flower..I can handle! But my phobia is of a Tree! Just one species of Tree! I can't even tell you the name of it..or the Name you would know it by..so as I'm now dithering I will tell the name of it I can tappy w/o fainting! Chile Pine! Noe that's a phobia..an irrational fear! Despite the fact that there is nothing they can do to m..nope! You! There's a story about me that I think you'd find funny..cos of this ridiculous fear I have..but I can't even tell you it! Ffs..what am I like! Oi..I heard you think that! Hahaha! I'll eff offski now!Lurve & Peas! ❤ xx
The “Lords of Lo-Fi” was the name of my Hyperborean garage band.🎸
Another great story told. Thank you Ian!
By eck, Clark "I've got a thesaurus and I'm gonna use it" Ashton Smith doesn't half come out with some jaw breakers.
All hail High Priest Klarkash-ton!
Sacrifice the Warren!
Ewe fuel!
Stamen proud and waving high,
at the center of the eye.
Pistil round and colored brightly,
the flower sneered at things unsightly.
Ian treats his listeners well,
even those who ne'er-do-well.
Be carful what you wish for, I guess.
I have honestly never heard or read anything like this before. The experience for me is serendipitous, as I have been outlining a sci-fi story set in a star system within which flora are the dominant forms of sentience. This is much different than that but it reminds me to get busy! Vorpal is a word from Through the Looking Glass isn't it? mimsy Borogoves and such?This story has a very strange atmosphere about it almost like an altered state of human consciousness. God I'm rambling sorry
That was new to me.
🥀💀❤
Kept my attention
Uh, oh. Warren must have gone for a stroll in the greenhouse.
You fool! Warren is dead drunk again! You left the drinks cabinet unlocked!
Egads! His Flower Became A Flower! Talk About Unnatural Selection!
My all time favorite author, over Howard and lovecraft. No one is so abstract and metaphysical yet so filled with wonder and originality. His rejection of psychological realism in favor of his own high metaphysical fantasies made him great. Good schnitzel
Great read!! The Clark Ashton Smith gems just keep panning out. This and Yondo are two of my new all time favorites. Thanks Ian!!
Who is Warren ? I'm really enjoying this story Ian Gordon cheers and thankyou so much xo
This is the trippiest CAS story ever. Amazing. Hunters from Beyond is possibly his most terrifying, but this one is esoteric af.
You fool!
Warren is dead, slain by sibilant sinister swaying snakeplants.
Kudos to the narrator and author.🎉🎉