Clark Ashton Smith (I 893-196 I )— one of the "big three" classic authors from the legendary pulp magazine Weird Tales (the others being H.P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard)— began writing early in the twentieth century. By the late 1920s, he became a regular contributor to Weird Tales, helping to usher in its golden age.

The Double Shadow was originally published by the Auburn Journal in 1933 in an oversized edition limited to only 1,000 copies. Smith carefully signed and hand-corrected many typographical errors for years to come.

A collection of six stories ranging from contemporary horror to weird alternate-world fantasy, it remains a fascinating introduction and showcase to Smith's decadently jeweled prose.