I grew up reading authors like Poe and his great tales of mystery and imagination. There was and is, none better. I am not going to attempt a deep literary analysis of his works because that is not what this blog is about. I write about entertaining pastimes,, not academic analysis, since I tend to believe that detracts from the sheer pleasure of reading.
Poe's stories are just plain odd, not at all like horror today. They are not especially bloody, nor are they filled with monsters. Poe, like the master of cinematic suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, new that true terror dwelled in the human mind. Yes, he did have terrible things happen to his characters as in The Pit and The Pendulum or the Cask of Amontillado, but it is the working of the characters minds that is paramount. There are supernatural occurrences as in The fall of the House of Usher and The Mask of the Red Death, but again, it is the masterful way his characters perceive the horror that captures the reader.
And, at his best, it is solely the mind of the character that creates the horror as in The Telltale Heart.
Poe was also the creator of 'detective' stories. The Gold Bug was a proto-detective thriller and The Murders in the Rue Morgue fully brought to life the detective as protagonist.
Then there is his sublime, mournful poetry such as The Raven and Annabelle Lee. We, as far as I know, don't read much poetry these days, but reading Poe's poetry can take you back, to a more elegant time when such things mattered.
Settle down on a chilly, rainy evening and read Poe. His works are generally available in collections and often can be found in the bargain bins of bookstores. They are a wonderful way to pass a few hours.
Without Poe, there may have been no Lovecraft or King, no Chandler or Hammett. He was a true original who live far too short a life.
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