The life of American writer Edgar Allan Poe was characterized by a dramatic series of successes and failures, breakdowns and recoveries, personal gains and hopes dashed through, despite which he created some of the finest literature the world has ever known. Over time his works have influenced such major creative forces as the French poets Charles Baudelaire and Andre Gide, filmmaker D.W. Griffith and modern literary legend Allen Ginsberg. Best known for his poems and short fiction, Poe perfected the psychological thriller, invented the detective story, and rarely missed transporting the reader to his own supernatural realm. He has also been hailed posthumously as one of the finest literary critics of the nineteenth century. In "Edgar Allan Poe: Complete Tales and Poems" fans may indulge in all of Poe's most imaginative short-stories, including "The Fall of the House of Usher, The Murders in Rue Morgue, The Tell-Tale Heart, Ligeia" and" Ms. In a Bottle." His complete early and miscellaneous poetic masterpieces are here also, including "The Raven, Ulalume, Annabel Lee, Tamerlane," as well as select reviews and narratives.