by Laurence J. Cornford
originally published The Book of Eibon, Chaosium, 2001
While traveling, Eibon hears of an abandoned temple haunted by a demon, once summoned to protect the sacred ground but now overzealously keeping away all comers. Eibon tricks the demon and binds it into a ring.
This is another Smith pastiche, but is particularly clever and enjoyable. I liked this one!
by Clark Ashton Smith
originally published Strange Tales, January 1932
Morghi, high priest of Youndeh, comes to arrest Eibon, but finds him absent. A search of the premises reveals a mysterious metal plate. This plate is a doorway to the planet Cykranosh, known to us as Saturn. It turns out Eibon has fled there. Morghi follows him.
Morghi and Eibon are adopted by a friendly race called the Bhlemphroims, who have their faces in their abdomens. Soon Eibon and Morghi learn that they are intended to be the mates, and then meals, of the literal mother of the race. They escape and are taken in by the Ydheems, a similar race with more normal reproductive practices. They live out their days there.
This is one of Smith's more humorous stories. Quite absurd, but funny in its very weirdness and shaggy-dog punchline involving the god Hziulquoigmnzhah and his instructions to Eibon on their first meeting.
by Robert M. Price
originally published Cosmic Visions #7, September 1997
Klarkash-Ton, a reincarnation of Eibon, learns to astrally project himself into the bodies of others. He uses this talent to get inside the bodies of men while they're screwing, thus enjoying himself with the Queen of the king who is is patron.
The court magician Mozillan takes note. When K-A tries to take his woman, he traps K-A in a bottle of Atlantean wine.
Another amusing bit of Smith-iana.
by Lin Carter
originally published Crypt of Cthulhu #36, Yuletide, 1985
Athlok, a member of the Pnakotic Brethren, comes to believe he is the subject of a prophecy who will save Hyperborea from the encroaching ice age.
Through his hubris, he ends up releasing the Great Old One Aphoom Zhah, who only hastens the ice age.
Another minor Smith pastiche from Carter.
by C. Hall Thompson
originally published Weird Tales, July 1947
Richard Ashur had it made. Family money, an old manse, the beginnings of a successful literary career. But then there was always his younger brother, Claude.
Claude was a problem from his entrance, which cost the mother her life. Dad doted on him, but while Richard was ultra-ordinary, Claude was weird weird weird. Solitary, secretive - and waaaaaay too interested in the Black Arts(!) We all know where that leads in a Cthulhu story, right kiddies?
Richard tried to be buds, but Claude wasn't having it. It didn't help when Richard discovered Claude had killed his dog - by black magic(!!)
Finally, Richard goes off to college. And soon, Claude does too - to Miskatonic U., natch.
Things don't go well. Claude wants to quit college, against their father's wishes. Soon after, dad snuffs it mysteriously, and Clause is kicked out (of Miskatonic U. - for spending too much time studying the black arts!!! At Miskatonic????). Richard finds evidence that black magic was the murder weapon, but of course he can't prove anything.
Richard gets on with life while Claude heads off to the Indies and more dark deeds. Occasionally Richard hears word of Claude's nefarious doings. Then one day he gets a letter - Claude's coming back to live in the family manse - with his wife!
Claude turns up something a changed man. And his wife, Gratia Thane, is one hot little number! It soon turns out (of course) that Claude has her mind-controlled with his magic. But that ain't all!! No, it seems Claude is gradually working on switching bodies with her. "Think of what I can do with her loveliness!" he exults.
Well, Richard does his bestest to stop the whole proceedings. After Claude attacks him, he manages to get Claude committed for good. But no, that's not where it ends. Claude's still got the wherewithal to do his body-exhange magic, and this time, he does it on Richard! Who soon finds himself inhabiting the body of Claude, locked away in an insane asylum - but what's more - it turns out ol' Claude had caught himself a baaaaaad case of leprosy while in the islands, and the docs deem him not only hopelessly insane, but dying fast....
This is Weird Tales pulp horror with a capital "P". But that's not to say it isn't a fun read. As some others have pointed out, Thompson has essentially assembled a recipe made up of Lovecraft-ian and pulp horror tropes and stirred them into a story. But its a coherent and entertaining enough story, with some genuinely gruesome touches, and he doesn't pour on the Lovecraftian cliches to the extent that more accomplished authors such as, say, August Derleth did.
Speaking of Augie, for some reason he took a particular dislike to Thompson's Lovecraftain writhings and slapped him with a cease-and-desist, thus ending the Cthulhoid career of Mssr. C. Hall Thompson. No one seems to know what this was about, given that Thompson's stuff, though hardly classic, was no worse than any number of HPL-pastiches sanctioned by Derleth and Arkham House over the years.
