Showing posts with label edgar allan poe ghost tales. Show all posts
Showing posts with label edgar allan poe ghost tales. Show all posts

Monday, November 7, 2011

4th Best Ghost Story from 1800-1849 is The Mask of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe




Edgar Allan Poe, the early master of horror short stories, has been relatively quiet in my countdown of the Top 40 ghost stories for the 1st half of the nineteenth century. That is primarily because he didn't write many ghost stories. In my estimation "The Mask of the Red Death" is Poe's best ghost story. It is written at a high level, chock full of symbolism, and a truly frightening tale of a visit by the dead.

Background information on "The Mask of the Red Death" and annotations can be found in my new book on the best ghost stories (Amazon.com) or the best ghost stories (Barnes & Noble) for this crucial period in the life of scary ghost stories.