Happy 216th Birthday Edgar Allan Poe

'During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country; and at length found myself, as the shades of the evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher.'

Classic opening from The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe. He was born on this day in 1809. Best known for his Gothic horror short stories. If he was alive today he would be an impressive 216. Big cake! Imagine putting the candles on that - let alone blowing them out.

Usher is a truly haunting tale. Poe’s mastery in creating an atmosphere of dread and suspense is unparalleled. The story's eerie setting and psychological depth have a way of lingering in the reader’s mind long after the last sentence.

If you’re in the mood for more spine-chilling reads, Poe’s "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Masque of the Red Death" are also fantastic choices.

Picture from Wiki June 1849. Daguerreotype "Annie", given to Poe's friend Mrs. Annie L. Richmond; probably taken in June 1849 in Lowell, Massachusetts, photographer unknown.