Monday, September 19, 2011

Nothing Creepier Than Poe

Halloween is right around the corner. That got me thinking about my favorite creepy writer, Edgar Allen Poe. In this blog I'm going to tell you why I think he's the best horror writer of all time. In the comments section below, tell me who your favorite is. It might win you a copy of Eve by Anna Carey.

For me Poe is the king of all horror stories because of two things: pacing and symbolism. The pacing in his poems and short stories adds to the dread you feel for the characters and the end of the work. His use of symbolism is special because it's rare in horror writing, provides an interesting look at narcissistic or brutal personalities and it raises the horror genre to art.

I like Poe so much that I pay homage to him in my book. Alex, one of my characters, has an elderly great aunt Eulalie (named after an Edgar Allen Poe poem). Also, his grandfather owns an advertising company and writes jingles. This is a reference to Mark Twain who called Poe the “jingleman."

Who is your favorite horror writer? Why? Post in the comments below (don't forget your email) and you could win a copy of Eve by Anna Carey.

3 comments:

  1. I'm a Poe fan too. I to this day get freaked out by remembering The Tell-Tale Heart!

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  2. poe is definitely a creepy author but i think stephen king is definitely an interesting author too!

    spicedice45@gmail.com

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  3. Another Poe fan here. I read The Imp of the Perverse about 35 years ago and it's still hanging around in my head.....!

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