Edgar Allan Poe and his enduring hold on horror

Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most influential authors in history, with his love of the macabre influencing generation upon generation of horror fans.

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The writer's work has inspired countless TV shows, films, and more since he first began writing in the 1820s and 1830s, the most recent adaptation of which is Mike Flanagan's Netflix series The Fall of the House of Usher. Poe even became the inspiration for a song from 2023's edition of Eurovision.

But why does the author continue to have such an enduring hold on horror? And what is it about his life that continues to fascinate us so?

Who is Edgar Allan Poe?

Poe was a prolific author in the 19th century whose gothic tales of horror continue to terrify to this day.

The writer worked on poems, short stories, and a novel during his lifetime, influencing literature with his fascination with the occult and the supernatural.

He first began his journey as an author with the 1827 collection Tamerlane, and Other Poems, a series of byronic poems influenced by the engagement of his first love Sarah Elmira Royster to someone else.

Poe went on to initiate genres like the modern detective story in American fiction with The Murders in the Rue Morgue, while his story The Narrative of Arthur Pym is believed to be one of the influences for Herman Melville's Moby Dick.

The poet also wrote and edited many literary works over his lifetime, The Raven is his most beloved piece and it was also the work to earn him the most acclaim while he was alive.

Edgar Allan Poe's life story

Poe was born in 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts. His parents were both actors, however they both died before he was aged three leading him to be taken in by his foster father John Allan.

He lived in Scotland and England for a time, and studied at the University of Virginia until he was taken out of school by his guardian over his increasingly unmanageable gambling debts.

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After leaving the university Poe began working on his literary prose, first with his aforementioned poetry collection and then with short stories like MS. Found in a Bottle in 1833.

He later joined the army and was transferred to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point after his guardian helped him be appointed there. Part of his life in the military academy is explored in the Netflix movie The Pale Blue Eye, where actor Harry Melling portrays the author in a fictional story about a mysterious murder.

The author sought expulsion from the academy, which was a success, and then went on to work as an editor and critical reviewer. During this time he continued to write his own works, including The Fall of the House of Usher, The Goldbug, and, of course, The Raven.

He married his cousin Virginia Clemm, then aged 13, in 1835. They were married until her death in 1847, at which point Poe is said to have had many romantic affairs.

Poe died in 1849 at the age of 40 after falling semi-conscious four days earlier and repeating the name "Reynolds" in his delirium, the reason for his death remains a mystery and there is some speculation over whether it was due to alcoholism, heart failure, or something else. Society will never know, though, as the author's death certificate went missing.

The author's enduring hold on horror

Poe's continued hold on horror owes much to his profound and thought-provoking writing, which has been an influence to authors for generations, as well as his image as a tormented artist in popular culture.

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His character C. Auguste Dupin helped set the groundwork for the detective genre in American fiction, and Poe also helped create the modern horror story with his obsession with the dark and macabre — these stories have long terrified and impressed readers.

In both his poetry and story writing, Poe used beautiful prose to inspire vivid imagery and tap into humanity's deeper interest in terror and horror, and this was something that influenced future generations of writers like H.P. Lovecraft.

Poe's writing has helped inspire many film and television adaptations, including 2012 film The Raven starring John Cusack as a fictional version of Poe, the 1964 film The Masque of the Red Death starring Vincent Price, The Tell-Tale Heart which was adapted in 1953 and 2008, and of course Netflix's The Fall of the House of Usher.

Perhaps the mysterious circumstances around Poe's death has helped keep society fascinated with him and his work, as it brings to mind the horrors explored within his writing.

But, most of all, it is his unique prose and vividly imaginative stories that have helped Poe maintain such a strong grip on the horror genre.

The Fall of the House of Usher is available to watch on Netflix now.

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