Edgar Allan Poe

About

An American literary icon known for his macabre tales and poems, he is most famous for "The Black Cat," "The Cask of Amontillado," "The Tell-Tale Heart," and other works of Gothic fiction. His timeless poems include "Lenore," "The Raven," and "Annabel Lee."

Before Fame

After his mother died of tuberculosis in 1811, Poe was informally adopted by a wealthy Scottish merchant named John Allan.

Trivia

He was intensely interested in both cryptology and cosmology.

Family Life

The son of stage actors, he was named after a character in William Shakespeare's famous tragedy King Lear. He had a younger sister named Rosalie and an older brother named William. From 1836 until 1847, he was married to Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe.

Associated With

Gaston Leroux followed in Poe's footsteps, making huge contributions to the French detective fiction genre.