Edgar Allan Poe

I have been listening to a series called NBC Presents: Short Stories this morning, and the first few shows were written by the master of horror, Edgar Allan Poe.

The name Poe usually brings to mind images of murderers and madmen, premature burials, and mysterious women who return from the dead, but in my rather senior, sweet and innocent mind - it simply reminded me that 19th January 1809, was actually Edgar Allan Poe's birthday. 

What a coincidence!

So, I decided to quickly put together a little editorial, and add all of those shows to RUSC today. If you'd like to read a little biography, about the man himself, I wrote one previously, which you can find on the RUSC site here; Edgar Allan Poe.

Here's the shows from the new series, NBC Presents: Short Stories.

The Fall of the House of Usher

A short story from Poe's Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque. It was written by the ancestors many years ago, that when the rains are blood red, the house of Usher will crumble to the earth. Now, there are three members of the Usher family who are still living - two in direct descent; the Lady Madeleine and her twin brother Roderick. However, the Lady Madeleine has been confined to her bed these last few weeks, waiting for death…

The Cask of Amontillado

The Cask of Amontillado has been universally referred to as Poe's most perfect short story, and is widely considered to be one of the world's most perfect. It was also his last. It's a tale of murder, revenge, torture and addiction, set in a vast underground Italian catacomb, and involves the gentlemen, Fortunato and Montresor.

The Oblong Box

In the realm of horror and mystery, or perhaps I should say the macabre, Edgar Allan Poe has few equals - and many of the classic stories he has created, are written in this vein. Today's presentation, the Oblong Box, first published in 1844, certainly takes its rightful place among this impressive collection. 

The Tell-Tale Heart

Just how strong, how powerful is that force within us we call our conscience. Where does imagination end, and fear begin? And where does the combination of all three completely destroy all reason? We'll find some answers in today's short story. It's eight o'clock in the evening, and the house is quiet - deadly quiet...Charles cannot bear to be in the company of his uncle, his only relative, because he cannot bear to look at his ugly vulture like eye. He is plagued by voices in head...

Happy listening my friends,