Clark Ashton Smith Review: The Secret of the Cairn

I wrote several times of Smith’s formula in which an individual mysteriously vanished but later a manuscript was found explaining what happened. “The Secret of the Cairn” doesn’t quite fit. The first-person narrator, Dorian Wiermoth, is writing the manuscript as the story progresses. He may vanish sometime in the future but only after the ending of the story.

One fine day, Dorian noticed an alluring smell, heard faint music, and saw a strange light in the Sierras where he lived. He discovered a cairn made of granite but as he walked towards it, he could get no closer to it. It was as if he was walking on a treadmill.

Later examination revealed strange creatures above the cairn, somehow giving Dorian access to a realm where physical laws behave in alien ways. He went through an odyssey of sensory impressions which transformed him physically and mentally. Afterwards, Dorian changed from being an isolated hermit to someone alone in a crowd. Writing down his experiences may help make sense of them.

Is this science fiction or fantasy? Smith blends the concepts until we reach a world where categories hold no meaning. I am surprised that this story wasn’t big with hippies and psychedelic culture of the 60s.

The vocabulary word for this story is “supernal” which I guessed meant magical or supernatural. I was wrong. It actually means “related to the sky or the heavens.” Smith’s vocabulary is so extensive and esoteric that I’m surprised his work isn’t assigned in high schools for word-building exercises.

Overall, while Smith was pleased with “The Secret of the Cairn,” I didn’t care for it as much. The sensory images reminded me of “A Star-Change”, only that story explained what was happening and this one gave less exposition. If I hadn’t already read “A Star-Change,” I probably would react differently. It might have a better impression on a fresh audience.

I’ve been binge-reading Smith’s stories but a fan who spaced his work out would probably enjoy this more than I did.