The Fall of the House of Usher

"I must perish in this deplorable folly. Thus, thus, and not otherwise, shall I be lost. I dread the events of the future, not in themselves, but in their results." Edgar Allan Poe's short story, The Fall of the House of Usher, was originally published in 1839 and is widely regarded as a masterpiece of gothic horror. The story follows the unnerving experience of a nameless narrator who is summoned to care for his reclusive friend, Roderick Usher, and his sister, Madeline, in a decrepit old mansion. Brother and sister are mentally and physically unwell, their paranoia and agitation being exacerbated by strange happenings in and around the house. As eerie sounds echo through the halls and Madeline succumbs to a mysterious illness, the lines between hallucination and reality become blurred and the narrator begins to experience for himself the chilling fear and sense of impending doom that pervades the crumbling old house—and to fear for his own sanity. Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849) was an American writer, poet, editor and literary critic known for his dark, atmospheric tales and haunting poetry. Widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in American literature, Poe helped shape the horror and science-fiction genres and is widely credited with inventing detective fiction in his 1841 short story, Murders in the Rue Morgue. Despite a life marked by personal tragedy and financial hardship, Poe produced a number of enduring classics such as The Raven, The Tell-Tale Heart, and The Fall of the House of Usher, and since his somewhat mysterious death, he and his writings have had a wide-ranging influence in popular culture, and in 1946, the Mystery Writers of America established the annual Edgar award, which honour the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction, and film.