Today, January 19, is the birthday of Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849).

One of the forerunners of gothic, weird, and horror fiction, Poe also wrote early detective and science fiction stories.

His writing style might be a bit challenging to modern readers, but he is worth the work and effort. His influence his still being felt today. Lovecraft and Bradbury both list him among the writers they admired.  Richard Matheson adapted a number of his stories to screenplays that were filmed by Roger Corman. Vincent Price stared in most if not all of them.

A numbre of years ago, i reviewed a book with  the title In the Shadow of Edgar Allan Poe. The premise of the book was that a number of writers who followed in his footsteps have been forgotten because they worked in his shadow. While the premise might be accurate, and the anthology was definitely worth reading, it speaks to the power of Poe’s work.

Poe’s death is shrouded in mystery. I have several Poe biographies on the shelf. One of the reading projects for this year is to read at least one of them.

And to read more of his work. I’ve got  his collected works in audiobook. I’ll be dipping into it over the next semester as i drive back and forth to work.

What is your favorite Poe story, especially if it isn’t as well-known as some of the others? Let us know in the comments.