The Gold-Bug and Other Tales (Dover Thrift Editions)

Recognized today as the undisputed master of the American Gothic horror story | Edgar Allan Poe (1809&;1849) 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.