Horror Classics
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The Oval Portrait
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
Perhaps fitting for a horror short story, the devil is in the details in Poe's "The Oval Portrait" (1842).
A benighted traveller finds shelter in an abandoned mansion in the Apennine Mountains of Italy. Inside he gets absorbed by a stunning painting and decides to delve into its origins with the help from a book he finds on a pillow.
The story revolves around the complex and often tragic relationship between life and art. As per usual Poe can't help himself to play with layers, and most of the story is told as an embedded narrative.
The intense emotional and psychological depths of the narrator's infatuation with the portrait and the enticing volume that helps to shed a light on the painting make this short story another fascinating and haunting and Poesque tale which succinctly glorifies the immortality of art.
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The Murders in the Rue Morgue
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
Often claimed to be among the first modern detective stories written, "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" exemplifies Poe's interest in the workings of the mind when facing cases that need to be solved. C. Auguste Dupin, the protagonist, is the forefather of all great detectives such as Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, and Philip Marlowe. Different from Poe's terror or horror-laden tales, the story nonetheless abounds in strange occurrences and horrific depictions. It has been made into several movie and TV adaptations, as well as radio programmes.
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The Mystery of Marie Rogêt
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
A classic detective short story shrouded in mystery, "Marie Rogêt" features Poe's famour investigator C. Auguste Dupin trying to solve a murder case. Based upon an actual murder, the short story is an intricate narrative revolving around floating dead bodies, strange suicides, phials of poison, and the power of newspapers to solve the gruesome murder. Cumbersome and rather slow-paced, the story is also often labelled as Poe's least successful among his detective works. On the other hand, it can easily be read as an episode from the CSI TV series, indulging in sneaky situations and hypothetical resolutions.
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Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque II
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
Teeming with melancholy and vampirism, verging on the sanity's uttermost rim, Poe's characters often fall victims to supernatural happenings. Men wishing for their wife's deaths, doppelgangers and hollow men, or bargains with the Devil – all these elements reveal the need for Poe's protagonists to discuss, mock, and curse their (ab)normal predicaments.
The reader is facing the second volume of E. A. Poe's tales.
E. A. Poe's immortal heritage in the horror genre is unquestionable and if the reader is not quite familiar with the atmosphere depicted, they could always give Roger Corman's movies from the Poe cycle a try: "House of Usher" (1960), "Pit and the Pendulum" (1961), "The Tomb of Ligeia" (1964) – all starring Vincent Price.
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Thou Art the Man
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
Poe is the master of unreliable narration and deceptive oratory. So, should we believe him when he professes to exonerate the innocent and illuminate the guilty?
"Thou Art the Man" (1844) is an early detective story by the man who is often accredited with inventing the detective fiction genre.
Alarm spreads when Barnabas Shuttleworthy's horse returns home without him. A search is commenced and soon follows an accusation. The tribulations of the accused man and his road to redemption are depicted in a macabre way inviting a good dose of gallows humour into the narrative mix.
This macabre Poe concoction has received little attention and less praise. "Thou Art the Man" clearly shows that artful rhetoric ultimately – and always – leads to truth.
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King Pest
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
What would you get if you take Lewis Carroll's fairy-tale imagination and filter it through Edgar Allan Poe's terror-ridden and grotesque vision? Add a tint of humour and a pinch of satire and voilà – an allegorically nightmarish Last Supper, situated in a house, previously occupied by an undertaker. Parodying the Black Death, the short story indulges in farcical situations, abnormalities, and a lot of puns. The characters exist in a misshapen, surrealist reality that embraces and caricatures London's immoral middle-class particularities and pleasures. Come for the author, endure the grotesque, and relish the ending!
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The Fall of the House of Usher
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
Considered one of Poe's most famous and best constructed terror short stories, "The Fall of the House of Usher" is most likely to grab the reader in its clutches and never let them go. Running along the "dull, dark, and soundless" corridors of Usher's mansion or conversing with the terror-stricken and husky voice of its master, Poe's story reeks of morbidity and schizophrenia. Though relying on already established characters and themes from his previous tales, Poe describes the workings of the psyche, the realm of dreams, and even the lands of madness in great detail, securing the story its rightful place and acclaim.
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The Devil in the Belfry
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
A classic horror story that follows the arrival of a fiendish figure in a small town, "The Devil in the Belfry" draws its potency from the amusing, ironic, and extremely creative atmosphere. An ordered and perfect city is disturbed, while the author pays exquisite attention to the smallest of details, offering memorable descriptions and narrations. Presented with a dose of sarcasm and comedy, the story is actually a great read exactly because it is so different from the characteristic, supernatural stories of Poe.
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Some Words With a Mummy
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
A biting satirical piece, this short story takes aim at modern societies superiority complex. Through poking, prodding and mindless electrocution , a group of bumbling friends awaken a mummy from its slumber. After an evening of discourse, these men will begin to understand just how little they truly know about themselves and the world around them. Poking fun at the Egyptmania, and the casual attitudes towards scientific practice of the day, Poe delivers a scathing, humorous critique of his contemporaries. With witty dialogue, fascinating character development and an interesting twist, this short is perfect for anyone in the mood for a laugh with a dash of self reflection.
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The Premature Burial
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
The story unanimously voices Poe's obsessive concern with premature burial. Dwelling on humanity's fear of being buried alive, Edgar Allan Poe provides not only examples of such dire practices, but engages the protagonist in a similar one as well. The story finishes with a plot twist – eerily claustrophobic and abnormally real for the narrator. And despite the fact that horror gives way to the voice of reason in the end, perhaps it is better to buy some cord and a small bell, just in case.
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A Tale of the Ragged Mountains
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
An example of Poe's mystery-laden and dream-oriented short stories, "A Tale of the Rugged Mountains" offers unique perspective on important notions at the time – mesmerism, alternative medicine, and time-travel. Throughout the narrative, the reader is constantly bombarded with picturesque descriptions, bizarre occurrences, and eerie sounds, turning the storytelling into some sort of a mesmeric procedure. Often criticized for its lack of lucidity and increasing reliance upon ambiguity, Poe's short story is a perfect supernatural work that can also trick the reader into believing that the happenings are quite real.
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The Business Man
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
For inventiveness and front, Slippin' Jimmy from 'Better Call Saul' takes some beating. He had at least his equal, though, way back in the 1840s - in the shape of Peter Profitt, the anti-hero of 'The Business Man'.
After a nurse cracked his head against a bedpost, young Profitt lost the capacity for regularity or systems.
Convinced that it is his fate, he becomes an entrepreneur after a fall-out with his employer over a penny
His first business is to build filthy, rundown hovels - spite houses - next to new mansions and then demand 500pc of their value to demolish them.
Next, he starts fights and sues the victim for attacking him before he demands money from people for him not to splash mud on them.
With a demanding dog becoming his partner, as well as deliberation on whether Profitt should run for office or not, the hilarious story careers through a host of businesses and wild ideas.
If you like Poe's crazy characters and comical street scenes, you will love 'A Confederacy of Dunces' by John Kennedy Toole.
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Eleonora
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
"Eleonora" is a short story that draws heavily from E. A. Poe's own life and marriage. Surprisingly optimistic and devoid of any real terrors, the tale, though dealing with similar topics from Poe's previous works, abounds in examples of madness, love, and paradisiacal existence. Once again, the female character is at the centre of Poe's world, structuring the rest around herself and navigating the other characters' lives. One can almost read the story as a poetic work, blending romance, sentimentality, and his all-time favourite: the return of the loved one.
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The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
A dark comedy, threaded through with an unsettling plot twist, "The System" follows a bumbling narrator through a tour of a mental institution in southern France. The peculiar Monsieur Maillard, architect of this institution, hosts his visitor to a most peculiar evening with the most unusual guests. The Monsieur and his extraordinary host of friends, provide an evening of unsettling, haphazard and absurd company, full of strange happenings, beautifully described through Poe's eye for detail. Poe's flair for the absurd and hilariously satirical shines bright in this short story, as evidenced by the numerous adaptations that have followed, most notably 2014s "Stonehearst Asylum" starring Kate Beckinsale and Sir Michael Caine.
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Tamerlane And Other Poems
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
Virtually ignored when first published and almost lost entirely, these are the first published works of one of America's great writers.
Edgar Allen Poe's 'Tamerlane and Other Poems' contains many early sparks of his creative genius and writing power.
The poems were inspired by a who's who of great poets: Percy Bysshe Shelley, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Lord Byron.
The main poem, 'Tamerlane', tells of a great conqueror on his death bed, wishing he had stayed with his childhood sweetheart and ignored his ambition.
Others focus on the themes of love, loss, rejection, egotism, and death.
Having been called "the trumpet blast announcing that a new poet has stepped upon the stage", Poe's entrance into the literary world is confident and filled with promise.
'Tamerlane and Other Poems' is ideal for those interested in reading Poe's first published work.
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Ms. Found In A Bottle
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
A representative of Poe's tales of the sea, "Ms. Found in a Bottle" follows the writer's infatuation with the horrific and unknown forces around us. An avid reader just like his creator, the narrator finds solace within books and ancient lore, thus testing the limits of one's imagination, and at the same time paving the road for further exploration of the unknown. Poe's otherworldly narrative could easily fall in the same category as the sea voyages and tribulations described by later authors such as Herman Melville and Joseph Conrad.
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A Predicament
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
The story is often labelled a sequel to "How to Write a Blackwood Article", and deals with Signora Zenobia, who comes across a stately cathedral and a giant clock, that soon will take her life. Both horrifying and hilarious, "A Predicament" is a bizarre story indeed, satirical in its entirety, verging on the nonsensical and the absurd. An extremely funny read, the story is definitely a dark comedy that continues the heroine's predicament from the previous tale.
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The Thousand-and-Second Tale of Scheherazade
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
Have you ever wondered what would have happened if Scheherazade had not ceased with her tales and told the king another story that is actually a retelling of a previous story, but with an unexpected twist? Humorous, naïve, and quite contemporary, Edgar Allan Poe's "The Thousand-and-Second Tale of Scheherazade" is a perfect example of how high can one's imagination soar when unfettered by the restrictions of modernity. What is more, the story can be read as an example of how unpleasant the 19th century in Europe and America can be for a foreigner, and also mocks the developments of the industrial civilization. The allegorical and humorous depictions are unforgettable, and it is no wonder if the reader asks for more.
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Morella
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
Poe's symptomatic need to portray dying or already dead women is evocative of his own failed and miserably spent marriage life to his young cousin. "Morella", in a way similar to "Ligeia", explores man's infatuation with fatal women, and how difficult one's life becomes once this woman gains access to knowledge and freedom. The vampiric Morella is a personification of the narrator's sin, and the themes of dying and resurrection reign supreme in other stories as well, such as "The Fall of the House of Usher" and "Berenice". The story is adapted into a movie by "the pope of popular cinema" Roger Corman in 1962.
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The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
When Hans Pfaal's creditors begin to circle, there is only one thing he can do. Construct a magnificent, science defying balloon and escape to the moon! Hans records the details of this voyage with vivid otherworldly description, and impressive scientific knowhow. This fascinating, hallucinatory adventure, is regarded as one of the first examples of the modern science fiction genre, inspiring works by later writers such as Jules Verne and H.G Wells.
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The Black Cat
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
Embarking upon a journey to discover the limits of one's sanity and guilty conscience, "The Black Cat" is a perfect example of how no bad deed goes unpunished. Obsessively dark and violent, the story draws a psychological portrait of Poe's own miserable life spent in depression and alcoholism. Together with the superstitious symbolism of the black cat, Poe's narrative teems with guilt, violence, and dark portents. Similar to "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Cask of Amontillado", the story shows to what extent can man's barbarity and viciousness go, and how dire the consequences for his sanity can be.
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The Spectacles
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
Ever wondered what would happen if Poe left his gloom and doom-hungry readers in the lurch to crack a few jokes?
The answer is Poe's rare comedy in the form of "The Spectacles" (1844). The main character, a shortsighted and dim-witted fool (perhaps aptly) named Napoleon, inherits a large amount of money. Unfortunately, it turns out that his short-sightedness is as symbolic as it is literal, and it quickly becomes the reason behind a series of humorous escapades.
While the story begins as romance, it goes through the pains of farce, only to end on note of morality. The readers will break into laughter as they learn that love at first sight isn't all it's cracked up to be.
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Never Bet the Devil Your Head
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
A satirical story with a moral tint, "Never Bet the Devil Your Head" follows a narrator, fashioned after Poe himself, who is attacked by critics for his inability to produce a moral literary piece. To counter his critics, the narrator tells the story of a friend fond for rhetorically invoking the Devil, and his unusual end. A blend of supernatural and the bizarre, make the story a light-hearted, provocatively funny read that is doomed to be loved by anyone.
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The Purloined Letter
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
C. Auguste Dupin, the amateur detective from "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" and "The Mystery of Marie Roget" returns for the last time to solve a mystery involving a stolen letter, some blackmail, and the queen. In a series of fortunate and elaborate endeavours, Poe's third detective story is an example of how professionals do not always have all the answers, and that from time to time one needs to think outside the box. The result is a complex situation that is resolved through clever and rational methods, illustrating Poe's predisposition to mockery and simplicity.
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The Angel of the Odd
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
In England, fans of Charles Dickens were gripped by the four ghosts that visited Ebenezer Scrooge in 'A Christmas Carol' to get him to change his mean ways.
At the same time, Edgar Allen Poe's 'Angel of the Odd', made out of a keg and wine bottles, drops in on the narrator, who does not believe in strange occurrences.
He chases the angel away and has a booze-induced afternoon nap.
When he wakes, his house is on fire. A ladder appears at the window and down he climbs - only to collide with a pig, fracturing his arm in the fall.
Things cannot get worse, can they? They sure can! For he is given the elbow by his would-be wife, who notices that he wears a wig because it was burnt off in the blaze.
The mishaps just keep coming. But when the 'Angel of the Odd' reappears, will the poor man swallow his pride and halt the barrage of blows?
'Angel of the Odd' is the ideal read for those interested in Poe's lesser-known works.
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Metzengerstein
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
This short story, told in the Gothic tradition represents Poe's first work to be printed, and represents the foundation of what would constitute much of his future work. The tale, set in Hungary, recounts the later years of an interminable feud between two noble houses, the Metzengersteins and the Berlifitzings. This third person narration follows the young orphaned Baron of the Metzengersteins, Frederick, as he inherits his family's fortune and their feud. An ancient prophecy is all that remains of the origins of this feud, one that has seemingly come true when Frederick is suspected of the murder of the Berlifitzings patriarch. It is this prophecy that drags these two families to a conclusion teeming with tragedy, mystery, violence, madness and the supernatural. For any fans of Poe, mystery or the supernatural it is a must read.
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The Imp of the Perverse
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
Ever wondered how to combat the deep-seated urge to do wrong? Maybe Edgar Allen Poe can help.
In "The Imp of the Perverse" (1845) Poe sets out to explain the Imp – the archetype responsible for persuading us to do what we know in our minds we shouldn't. Poe, supposedly distraught with his own self-destructive impulses, lets the story take place primarily in the narrator's mind as he frets the day he will have to come clean.
At the heart of this short story is the question of how far we can justify our wrongdoings. It explores our self-destructive impulses and urges, the abandonment of reason and our inherent wickedness.
Join Poe as he takes the reader from the sunny valleys of reason to the darkest regions of the human soul. A descent into madness.
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Bon-bon
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
"Bon-Bon", is a banterous, satirical tale synonymous of Poe's talents. It follows a famed chef and self-styled philosopher Pierre Bon-Bon, on a snowy winters night of solitary drinking, abruptly disturbed by the embodiment of evil itself, the Devil. A surprisingly pleasant house guest, Pierre invites the devil to a night of indulgent drinking in an attempt to extract some potent ethical statements he can publish as his own. This story is characterised by sharp satirical jabs at classical philosophers, genuinely witty exchanges and a healthy dose of euphemism, made all the more impactful by the absurdity of this chance encounter. This tale will leave readers with something to chew on.
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The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
One of E. A. Poe's more horror-oriented stories, "The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar" presents the author's obsession with death, scientific experiments, and resurrection. Playing around with forbidden and unscientific methods, Poe vehemently tries to exhibit his own medical knowledge to the reading public, asking for some sort of pardon for the horrific and disgusting end of his experiment. The depiction of gore and "detestable putrescence" paves the way for another master of American horror, H. P. Lovecraft, whose dream journeys and loathsome descriptions owe a great debt to Poe's story.
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The Gold-Bug
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
Inspired by the developments in cryptography and the gradually emerging detective fiction, "The Gold-Bug" surely got mixed critical reception from the public. Hailed as both "ingenious" and "trashy", the story's influence cannot be neglected, and surely Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure Island" can vouch for that. What is more, the use of cipher in the story brought to the fore the interest in puzzles and hidden objects that would later be developed into board and video games.
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The Masque of the Red Death
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
E. A. Poe's short story follows Prince Prospero and his friends' futile attempt to outrun and outsmart a deadly plague, called the Red Death. The heart of the story is presented as a masquerade where the guests revel in mirth and intoxication, oblivious of the horrors that await them. The author's narrative techniques revolve around symbolism (number seven, the clock, the black chamber) and provides an allegorical halo around the short story. Witnessing his wife's suffering from tuberculosis and the ravages of cholera in Baltimore at the time, Poe imbues "The Mask" with an air of veracity, but the supernatural reigns supreme.
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The Oblong Box
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
When the narrator boards the ship "Independence" for a summer trip from Charleston to New York City, the days ahead look idyllic. His old college friend Cornelius Wyatt is also aboard, with his wife and two sisters, so it promises to be a sociable journey.
However, there is one mysterious addition to the guest list - an oblong box measuring six feet by two-and-a-half feet. The box, which has a noisome odour, is kept in Wyatt's and his wife's room.
When the narrator hears nightly outbreaks of wailing and crying from Wyatt's room, he investigates. He is closing in on the terrible truth when a hurricane hits the ship - and Wyatt refuses to leave the box behind.
His heartbreaking secret will soon be revealed.
This book is ideal reading for fans of 'The Riddle of the Sands' by Erskine Childers.
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Ligeia
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
From time immemorial, men have trembled and withered before the power of the femme fatale. "Ligeia" is a story about a man, whose meeting with a strange, beautiful, and overly intellectual woman in an old city borders on the supernatural and even further into the realms of the unknown. Touching upon subjects like forbidden knowledge and bizarre beauty, Poe's story serves as an example of what awaits men who are easily led astray and then lost in the labyrinthine vistas of female beauty. Famous movie adaptations include Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo" (1958) and Roger Corman's "The Tomb of Ligeia" (1964).
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Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque I
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
From the mysterious marriage in "Morella", to the satirical and secretive vistas of "The Man That Was Used Up", or the depressed Roderick Usher, the reader is facing the first volume of E. A. Poe's tales. Teeming with melancholy and vampirism, verging on the sanity's uttermost rim, Poe's characters often fall victims to supernatural happenings. Men wishing for their wife's deaths, doppelgangers and hollow men, or bargains with the Devil – all these elements reveal the need for Poe's protagonists to discuss, mock, and curse their (ab)normal predicaments.
E. A. Poe's immortal heritage in the horror genre is unquestionable and if the reader is not quite familiar with the atmosphere depicted, they could always give Roger Corman's movies from the Poe cycle a try: "House of Usher" (1960), "Pit and the Pendulum" (1961), "The Tomb of Ligeia" (1964) – all starring Vincent Price.
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The Journal of Julius Rodman
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
An authentic description of an expedition across the heart of the Rocky Mountains that turned out to be an elaborate hoax.
"The Journal of Julius Rodman" is Edgar Allen Poe's second attempt at producing a lengthier work and until recently even hardcore fans have missed out on this adventurous gem.
It tells the story of the first expedition over the Rocky Mountains conducted by "civilized man" and is packed with wild and vivid nature descriptions, encounters with Native American tribes and supreme emotions bringing Leonardo DiCaprio's "The Revenant" to mind.
Intended as a serialized novel, it was published anonymously in six instalments in Burton's Gentleman Magazine in 1839-40 while Poe was working as a contributing editor. This novel, though unfinished, is extremely enjoyable and even prominent Senators initially believed the expedition to be a true story. A must-read for bona fide Poe fans.
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A Descent Into the Maelström
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
When Poe takes us to sea, we get sucked in.
In "A Descent into the Maelstrom" (1841) Poe's narrator recounts his horrific experience when he and his brother's boat get sucked down in the world's fastest moving current of water, the tumultuous maelstrom known as Moskenesstraumen.
Constructed as a story within a story, "A Descent into the Maelström" is a beautiful and gripping tale about the rough life on the seven seas told in the manner of Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner."
In 1980, the legendary American composer Philip Glass composed a much-praised 66-minute piece based on the short story.
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The Tell-Tale Heart
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
Poe's preference for not naming his narrators is potent once again in "The Tell-Tale Heart", a story that is trying so hard to appear sane, but fails miserably in the end. With minute preparations, perfect calculations, and even more precise execution of the conceived gruesome act, the narrator successfully fulfils his purpose, only to be lost in a battle with his sanity and guilt afterwards. Backed by the numerous movie and theatrical adaptations, the story is considered one of Poe's most popular and critically acclaimed.
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The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
A man stows away aboard a whaling ship and gets caught up in shipwreck, mutiny, cannibalism and, finally, utter weirdness.
Edgar Allen Poe's only novel, "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket" (1838) recounts the grim, violent and often bizarre story of Pym and his companions as they set adrift at sea and gradually descent from terror to absolute horror.
The novel makes for a riveting and gruesome tale that influenced writers such as Jules Verne and Herman Melville, and even H. P. Lovecraft and Jorge Luis Borges.
An engrossing tale that will speak to maritime and mystery enthusiasts alike. Poe at his best.
Listed on Robert MCCrum's '100 Best Novels Written in English' list published in The Guardian, January 2021.
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A Dream Within a Dream
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
An example of Poe's melancholic and morbid poetic pieces, "A Dream Within a Dream" is a poem that pitifully mourns the passing of time. The poet's own life, teeming with depression, alcoholism, and misery, cannot but exemplify the subject matter and tone of the poem. The constant dilution of reality and fantasy is detrimental to the poetic speaker's ability to hold reality in his hands. The quiet contemplation of the speaker is contrasted with thunderous passing of time that waits for no man.
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Berenice
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
Time and again called one of Poe's most brutal horror short stories, "Berenice" employs themes similar to Poe's previous works: death of a beautiful woman, premature burial, and mental disorder. Though some autobiographical elements can be felt, the story still remains one of horror and obsession. The dark and brooding atmosphere, together with the almost-maniacal obsession of the main character with his cousin, creates a story that is definitely not for the faint-hearted!
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William Wilson
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
Inspired by Poe's own tragic life, the short story clearly presages Freud's method of psychoanalysis. In a very Fight-club-like plot and situations, "William Wilson" is a journey within the mind. Some sixty years prior to Freud's clinical work and theoretical developments, Poe's story is an example of the rise of the psychological genre in literature.
A fruitful, and at the same time paranoid, the theme of the doppelganger runs strong in Edgar Allan Poe's fiction. From "The Fall of the House of Usher" to "Morella" and "Ligeia", Poe's characters are constantly harassed by conscious entities that mirror the chaos within the protagonists' unconscious. The influence of "William Wilson" can be felt in the proliferation of contemporary movies exploring the idea of the double, such as Hitchcock's "Vertigo" (1958), Basil Dearden's "The Man Who Haunted Himself" (1970) or Darren Aronofsky's "Black Swan" (2010).
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The Cask of Amontillado
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
"The Cask of Amontillado" is a classic revenge story where an insulted man, Montresor, exacts his vengeance upon the drunk Fortunato. Just like "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Black Cat", Poe offers the perspective to the perpetrator of the vile deed, who descends into madness with every step of his narrative. What begins like a normal wine-tasting journey is about to become a sinister plunge into oblivion, as Montresor's insulted, yet clearly mad psyche, leads his victim to the very bowels of hell. The story has inspired numerous adaptations in terms of movies, music, stage performances, and even children books.
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The Man of the Crowd
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
"The Man of the Crowd" is a story that deals with the influence of the big city upon the ordinary person. Obsessed with categorization, the protagonist feels baffled by his inability to piece together the situation in front of him. Moving from a state of contemplation and categorization, to a heightened state of mental pressure and desire to prove even further, Poe's protagonist embarks on a journey through London darkest streets and godforsaken slums. The story is a perfect example of what happens when our rational thoughts are replaced by the delirious and altered perceptions of the world that lies beyond the ordinary one.
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Hop-Frog
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
As with "The Cask of Amontillado", this story is centred around revenge as the only possible outcome for the insulted protagonist. Disrespect breeds revenge, which tinted with allegory and served with less terrific elements, manages to crown justice on top. It is a story about the triumph of the little people, acting in revenge for the violent and bestial needs of the big ones. And finally, when the masks are down, the reader can clearly see who the real monsters are and where evil resides.
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The Man That Was Used Up
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
A short story that is shrouded in mystery, "The Man that Was Used Up" follows a narrator who wants to learn more about an important military figure. A satirical tale that mocks a real person, its strengths as a literary piece lie in the grotesque and immensely humorous episode in which the General is presented. Comic and amusing, the story is a must for Poe fans, even though the supernatural element is left aside, while the paradoxical roams free.
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The Pit and the Pendulum
by Edgar Allan Poe
Part of the Horror Classics series
It is almost impossible to escape the Spanish Inquisition alive. However, Edgar Allan Poe's unnamed narrator, after suffering innumerable tortures upon his body and soul in the hands of his tormenters, sees the light of the day at the very end of his sanity's tether. Even despite the lack of supernatural elements, "The Pit and the Pendulum" (1842) has enjoyed and influenced several notable movie adaptations.
Animations such as The "Flinstones", TV series like "Crime Scene Investigation", to films like Roger Corman's "The Pit and the Pendulum" (1961), starring Vincent Price and some torture methods found in the "Saw" franchise, the story's famous pendulum scene is a rather fruitful source of inspirations. Yet, despite the terrific torments, the story focuses primarily on how terror is implicitly depicted through the workings of the mind.
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