Selected Tales of Mystery and Imagination
Edgar Allan Poe · 1809–1849 · United States
Why it matters
'The Fall of the House of Usher,' 'The Tell-Tale Heart,' 'The Cask of Amontillado': Poe's stories of premature burial, guilt, and calculated murder invented psychological horror as a literary form in miniature.
At a glance
gothicshort story collection
Difficulty 6/10fast pace400 pagesOrnate period diction and elaborate sentence structures throughout.
Where to go next
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E. T. A. Hoffmann · 1816The SandmanLvl 6Medium pace
Horacio Quiroga · 1917Stories of Love, Madness, and DeathLvl 4Fast paced
Nathaniel Hawthorne · 1850The Scarlet LetterLvl 7Slow burn
Steven Millhauser · 1996Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American DreamerLvl 5Medium pace
Herman Melville · 1851Moby-DickLvl 8Slow burn