"somewhere beyond Cathay or Taprobane"

[eldritchhobbit]

* Happy birthday to the wonderful thrihyrne, without whom I would never have come to LJ. Visit her website, Thevina's Mountainous Fanfiction Archive, here. I am sending best wishes to you for the most fabulous birthday - and best year - ever!

* Happy birthday also to the fantastic seemag. Visit her website, Unbound, here. Best wishes and many, many happy returns of the day!


* In other news, the British Science Fiction Association Awards finalists for the best works of 2006 have been named. The recommended reading list in non-fiction is particularly strong this year.


January 13 was the birthday of H.P. Lovecraft's friend and fellow fantasist Clark Ashton Smith (1893-1961), so I will use one of my favorite passages by him (which I've posted before, but I never mind repeating) for the quote of the day:

"The nostalgia of things unknown, of lands forgotten or unfound, is upon me at times. Often I long for the gleam of yellow suns upon terraces of translucent azure marble, mocking the windless waters of lakes unfathomably calm; for lost, legendary palaces of serpentine, silver and ebony, whose columns are green stalactites; for the pillars of fallen temples, standing in the vast purpureal sunset of a land of lost and marvellous romance. I sigh for the dark-green depths of cedar forests, through whose fantastically woven boughs, one sees at intervals an unknown tropic ocean, like gleams of blue diamond; for isles of palm and coral, that fret an amber morning, somewhere beyond Cathay or Taprobane; for the strange and hidden cities of the desert, with burning brazen domes and slender pinnacles of gold and copper, that pierce a heaven of heated lazuli."

from Clark Ashton Smith, "Nostalgia of the Unknown"

Comments

[thehornedgod.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you repeated that Clark Ashton Smith.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Oh, good! I hate to be repetitive, but sometimes I must go back to favorites.

[hapendfro.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for linking the website "Unbound" from there I found several other blogs that were great fun to read. I have added them to my favs and now I have even more stuff to read that I'll have to stress over not reading every day. OH God the anguish, lol.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

LOL! You're most welcome! It's a fantastic site that leads to all kinds of fascinating places. I hope you enjoy it!

[thrihyrne.livejournal.com]

Thank you, dear one!! I, too, hope this is a good year; the past have been rather bumpy, but I'm facing this year straight on and contentedly shrouded with the love and support of friends like you. Thank you so very much for the HUGE influence you've been on me, as well as the plug for my website!! ;)

(((massive hugs)))

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

(((massive hugs back at you)))
My pleasure! :)

[dodger-winslow.livejournal.com]

Totally off subject, but, you know, that's how I am. Just cause I thought you'd like the pretty, check this out ...

http://killabeez.livejournal.com/211655.html

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

You know me so well. :) Thanks!

[terrylj.livejournal.com]

Extremely OT here, but I saw a familiar name over on the Ambleside Online mailing list, which I just joined. Was that you?

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid that's not me - I'm sorry! :( Are there other eldritch hobbits running about, I wonder?

[terrylj.livejournal.com]

Whoops, sorry, my mistake; same first name, very similar last name, from TN, interested in education, multiple degrees. Understandable, yes? :)

[seemag.livejournal.com]

You're so sweet! Thank you for the birthday wishes!

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

You're most welcome! May you have a terrific year. :)

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