The Girl from Samarcand by E. Hoffman Price Vintage Weird Fantasy Short Story Audiobook human voice

Hammersmith Clarke is a collector of rare carpets from the near east, sitting for hours on end losing himself in them, to the detriment of his wife Diane who has come to view the rugs as rivals. One day he receives a special delivery; an old, golden silk carpet from Samarcand, one that evokes memories of lives lived and loves lost, and an apparition only he can see...

How would you classify this story? Weird? Fantasy? Magical realism? Comment below!

E. Hoffman Price (1898-1988) was a writer for the pulps across several genres, and a contemporary to, and good friend of, H. P. Lovecraft. His early stories, such as this one, seem to be better written, more imaginative and more poetic than what came later, as he turned to churning formulaic stories out by numbers to make a living. He seems to be remembered mostly for the two dozen or so stories he got published in Weird Tales magazine. In 1984 he was awarded the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement.

No background music, by popular demand. Only my voice, croaks, wheezes, and all. Enjoy!
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Stories of Futures Past presents a vintage science fiction short story, narrated by myself, Tom Trussel. An actual, real living human being, warts and all.

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Copyright notice:
The written text of this story is in the public domain, as determined by the researchers and transcribers at Project Gutenberg, or it has passed the 95-years-since-publication mark. The story is and should be free for anyone to enjoy.

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