Poe was a literary pioneer, one of the first American writers to make a living from his work, during the 1830s and 1840s. Known for penning gothic tales of the macabre and some of the first known detective mysteries, his influence extends through the penny dreadful fiction of the Victorians and weird tales of the 1930s right through to the best horror and crime writers of today. Although I'd like to report that I was dazzled, thanks to Poe's peculiar early nineteenth century style of writing and rather long-winded method of storytelling I found this collection to be more of an enjoyable exercise in literary archaeology than a revelation. Most of the classic tales are in there, including ' The Pit and the Pendulum', 'The Masque of the Red Death' and the eponymous title, but it's a shame that his most famous story 'The Raven' isn't included. If I were to pick a favourite, 'The Masque of the Red Death' manages to convey a brilliantly original idea with more flair and brevity than the rest. Worth reading for literary completion.
Read: In bed before lights out.
Filed alongside: Wilke Collins, HP Lovecraft
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