Edgar Allan Poe bibliography

The works of American author Edgar Allan Poe (January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) include many poems, short stories, and one novel. His fiction spans multiple genres, including horror fiction, adventure, science fiction, and detective fiction, a genre he is credited with inventing.^[1] These works are generally considered part of the Dark romanticism movement, a literary reaction to Transcendentalism.^[2] Poe's writing reflects his literary theories: he disagreed with didacticism^[3] and allegory.^[4] Meaning in literature, he said in his criticism, should be an undercurrent just beneath the surface; works whose meanings are too obvious cease to be art.^[5] Poe pursued originality in his works, and disliked proverbs.^[6] He often included elements of popular pseudosciences such as phrenology^[7] and physiognomy.^[8] His most recurring themes deal with questions of death, including its physical signs, the effects of decomposition, concerns of premature burial, the reanimation of the dead, and mourning.^[9] Though known as a masterly practitioner of Gothic fiction, Poe did not invent the genre; he was following a long-standing popular tradition.^[10]

Poe's literary career began in 1827 with the release of 50 copies of Tamerlane and Other Poems credited only to "a Bostonian", a collection of early poems that received virtually no attention.^[11] In December 1829, Poe released Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane, and Minor Poems in Baltimore^[12] before delving into short stories for the first time with "Metzengerstein" in 1832.^[13] His most successful and most widely read prose during his lifetime was "The Gold-Bug",^[14] which earned him a $100 prize, the most money he received for a single work.^[15] One of his most important works, "The Murders in the Rue Morgue", was published in 1841 and is today considered the first modern detective story.^[16] Poe called it a "tale of ratiocination".^[1] Poe became a household name with the publication of "The Raven" in 1845,^[17] though it was not a financial success.^[18] The publishing industry at the time was a difficult career choice and much of Poe's work was written using themes specifically catered for mass market tastes.^[19]