Paul Fryer's first collection of poems is illustrated with keen insight by Damien Hirst. Together they have produced a beautiful diatribe against current complacencies that, remarkably, also show a precious tolerance and love for their fellow men and women. They have concocted an acute distillation of manners, cultures and prejudices, a polemic, even, that reflects a light suffused with a powerful disinterest, a disturbing sine qua non.

‘And much of Madness and more of Sin
And Horror the Soul of the Plot’

This selection of Poe’s critical writings, short fiction and poetry demonstrates an intense interest in aesthetic issues and the astonishing power and imagination with which he probed the darkest corners of the human mind. The Fall of the House of Usher describes the final hours of a family tormented by tragedy and the legacy of the past. In the Tell Tale Heart, a murderer’s insane delusions threaten to betray him, while stories such as The Pit and the Pendulum and the Cask of Amontillado explore extreme states of decadence, fear and hate. These works display Poe’s startling ability to build suspense with almost nightmarish intensity.

David Galloway’s introduction re-examines the myths surrounding Poe’s life and reputation. This edition includes a new chronology and further reading by Tatiana Rapatzikou.

Originally published under the title Selected Writings