In the Shadow of the Master

Few have crafted stories as haunting as those by Edgar Allan Poe. Collected here to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Poe's birth are sixteen of his best tales accompanied by twenty essays from beloved authors, including T. Jefferson Parker, Lawrence Block, Sara Paretsky, and Joseph Wambaugh, among others, on how Poe has changed their life and work.Michael Connelly recounts the inspiration he drew from Poe's poetry while researching one of his books. Stephen King reflects on Poe's insight into humanity's dark side in "The Genius of 'The Tell-Tale Heart.'" Jan Burke recalls her childhood terror during late-night reading sessions. Tess Gerritsen, Nelson DeMille, and others remember the classic B-movie adaptations of Poe's tales. And in "The Thief," Laurie R. King complains about how Poe stole all the good ideas... or maybe he just thought of them first.Powerful and timeless, In the Shadow of the Master is a celebration of one of the greatest literary minds of all time.The Mystery Writers of America, founded in 1945, is the foremost organization for mystery writers and other professionals dedicated to the field of crime writing. [A descent into the maelstrom]( On Edgar Allan Poe / by T. Jefferson Parker [The cask of Amontillado]( Under the covers with Fortunato and Montresor / by Jan Burke The curse of Amontillado / by Lawrence Block [The black cat]( Pluto's heritage / by P.J. Parrish [William Wilson]( Identity crisis / by Lisa Scottoline Manuscript found in a bottle In a strange city : the Poe toaster and me / by Laura Lippman [Fall of the House of Usher]( Once upon a midnight dreary / by Michael Connelly [Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar]( The Poe effect / by Laurie R. King Ligeia Poe and me at the movies / by Tess Gerritsen [The tell-tale heart]( The genius of the tell-tale heart / by Stephen King The first time / by Steve Hamilton [Pit and the Pendulum]( The pit, the pendulum, and perfection / by Edward D. Hoch The pit and the pendulum at the Palace / by Peter Robinson [Masque of the Red Death]( Edgar Allan Poe, Mark Twain, and me / by S.J. Rozan The murders in the Rue Morgue The quick and the undead / by Nelson DeMille The gold-bug Imagining Edgar Allan Poe / by Sara Paretsky [Raven]( Rantin' and ravin' / by Joseph Wambaugh A little thought on Poe / by Thomas H. Cook The bells Poe in G minor / by Jeffrey Deaver Excerpt from The narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym How I became an Edgar Allan Poe convert / by Sue Grafton.