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Edgar Allan Poe is a 19th century American writer whose spine-chilling gothic tales have inspired generations of horror and mystery fiction writers. His poem \u2018The Raven\u2019, and short stories such as \u2018The Fall of the House of Usher\u2019 and \u2018The Pit and the Pendulum\u2019 brought him international fame, and he is also thought to have invented the detective fiction genre with \u2018The Murders in the Rue Morgue\u2019. But his tumultuous life was beset by personal tragedy, poverty and artistic struggle which seemed to echo many of the dark themes in his work.

Bridget Kendall explores Poe\u2019s life and extraordinary work with J. Gerald Kennedy, Boyd Professor of English at Louisiana State University; Diane Roberts, Professor of English and Creative Writing at Florida State University; and Paul Collins, Professor of English at Portland State University.

Photo: Edgar Allan Poe (Corbis/Getty Images)