National Network for Equitable Library Service

First published in a 1843 edition of The Pioneer, The Tell-Tale Heart is one of Poe's best-known stories. In it, an unreliable narrator is increasingly troubled by the clouded eye of the old man he lives with. Similar to The Black Cat, The Tell-Tale Heart focuses on the effects of mental instability, crime, and guilt.

Stories include: The Raven; Hop-Frog; The Black Cat; The Cask of Amontillado; The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar; The Fall of the House of Usher; The Gold-Bug; The Masque of the Red Death; The Murders in the Rue Morgue; The Purloined Letter; The Pit and the Pendulum; and The Tell-Tale Heart.

First published in a 1842 literary annual The Gift: A Christmas and New Year's Present for 1843, The Pit and the Pendulum takes place during the Spanish Inquisition and follows the plight of a prisoner in a cell that has a pit and a pendulum. Unlike many of Poe's short stories, The Pit and the Pendulum does not rely on any supernatural elements to inspire fear but instead uses the narrator's heightened sensory experiences to do so.

First published in a 1842 edition of Graham's Lady's and Gentleman's Magazine, The Masque of the Red Death tells the story of Prince Prospero as he tries to avoid a plague by confining himself and his nobles to a masquerade in an abbey. Often considered a gothic allegory, the story reflects on not only life and death but also the illusion of control.

First published in a 1839 edition of Burton's Gentleman's Magazine, The Fall of the House of Usher is the story of the declining physical and psychological health of the residents of the House of Usher-and the way in which the house itself reflects that. Gothic in theme and style, the story is an exemplar of Poe's philosophy of composition, which dictates that literary works should be short, methodological, and have a unity of effect wherein all the elements of the story are related and relevant.

Several thousand years from now, advanced humanoids known as the Makers will implant clockwork devices into our heads. At the cost of a certain amount of agency, these devices will permit us to move unhindered through time and space, and to live complacent, well-regulated lives. However, when one of these devices goes awry, a 'clockwork man' appears accidentally in the 1920s, at a cricket match in a small English village. Comical yet mind-blowing hijinks ensue.

First published in a 1846 edition of Godey's Lady's Book, The Cask of Amontillado is widely considered to be one of the most perfect short stories ever written. Told by the unreliable narrator Montresor-a man who sought vengeance against his acquaintance for an insult that the reader is not privy to-the story details how Montresor accomplished his revenge.

First published in a 1843 edition of The Saturday Evening Post, The Black Cat tells the story of a man and his increasingly antagonistic relationship with his cat. Akin to The Tell-Tale Heart and The Cask of Amontillado, The Black Cat investigates the psychological effects of guilt as well as the potentially destructive and violent consequences of alcoholism.

After years of absence, Ruth leads her niece Cora on an odyssey across the entire state of New York. Where is Ruth taking them? Where has she been? And who--or what--is she hiding? In an ingeniously structured dual narrative, two separate timelines move toward the same point of crisis.

Une jeune femme aveugle reçoit en héritage d’un oncle marin une maison isolée sur la côte en Bretagne. Quittant son confort parisien, elle décide d’aller y vivre seule, mais très tôt elle découvre que la maison est… habitée. Le feu s’allume de lui-même dans l’âtre, des spectres se manifestent dans les chambres à l’étage, un autre prépare des plats dans la cuisine… Ces êtres immatériels qu’elle côtoie, les imagine-t‑elle ou se trouve-t-elle à la croisée de deux mondes ? Même ses yeux qui étaient morts semblent soudain percer l’obscurité.