Summary: A special treat for Halloween, a pair of tales by Poe. Edgar Allan Poe was an America's first master of the macabre. A poet, editor, and literary critic he is best known for his tales of dark mystery and sinister goings on. Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story, and is generally considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre. Poe's influence is felt, even today, in literature throughout the world, as well as in specialized fields, such as cosmology and cryptography. He inspired countless authors to follow (perhaps most notably H. P. Lovecraft) and the Mystery Writers of America present an annual award known as the Edgar Award for distinguished work in the mystery genre. Tonight we discuss two of Poe's best known thrillers. Welcome to the Sanctum Secorum podcast. In this episode (as suggested by Joseph Goodman) we examine two of the works by Proto-Appendix N author Edgar Allen Poe, with The Cask of Amantillado and Masque of the Red Death.
