this volume of the 10 volume series is subtitled "Tales of Horror and Death"

- includes some of Poe's most famous works including "The Pit and the Pendulum", "The Cask of Amontillado", "The Fall of the House of Usher" and 10 others

Acclaimed American writer, Edgar Allan Poe (1809 to 1849) was known particularly for his mysteries and tales of the macabre. He was one of the country's earliest practitioners of the short story, and is considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre.

Poe's father abandoned the family when he was just 1 year old and his mother died the following year. He was taken in by John and Frances Allan and lived with them into young adulthood. Poe attended the University of Virginia but had to leave due to lack of money. He quarreled with John Allan over the lack of funds for his education. In 1827, Poe enlisted in the United States Army under an assumed name and also published his first collection. Poe failed as an officer cadet at West Point, decided to be a full-time writer, and thus the relationship with the Allans was severed.