Recognized today as the undisputed master of the American Gothic horror story,
Edgar Allan Poe (1809?1949) revealed his genius in tales of death, terror, evil,
and perversity. Highly skilled in achieving a calculated psychological effect,
Poe created chilling fictional nightmares permeated by mysterious forces,
grotesque creatures, and improbable hallucinations. Poe's immense powers as a
storyteller are at their peak in this anthology containing nine of his
best-known short stories. Among them are The Murders in the Rue Morgue, a
gripping 19th-century detective story that provided a model for future mystery
writers; The Fall of the House of Usher and The Masque of the Red Death,
pervaded with eerie thoughts, impulses, and fears; The Tell-Tale Heart and The
Cask of Amontillado, masterpieces of wickedness and crime; The Pit and the
Pendulum, with its agonizing specter of imminent and horrifying death; and The
Gold-Bug, a fascinating detective story that combines romance and adventure in
an absorbing tale of buried treasure. Mystery lovers and horror story
enthusiasts will find this inexpensive collection, by one of the great masters
of the form, an exciting addition to their personal libraries.