This selection of Poe's critical writings, short fiction and poetry demanstrates his intense interest in aesthetic issues, and the astonishing power and imagination with which he probed the darkest corners of the human mind. The Fall of the House of Usher describes the final hours of a family tormented by tragedy and the legacy of the past. In The Tell Tale Heart a murderer's insane delusions threaten to betray him, while stories such as The Pit and the Pendulum' and 'The Cask of Amontillado explore extreme stales of decadence, fear and hate. These works display Poe's startling ability to build suspense with almost nightmarish intensity.

David Galloway's introduction re-examines the myths surrounding Poe's life and reputation. This edition includes a new chronology and suggestions for further reading.