Short Fiction
Appears in multiple stories as the first-person observer or participant in uncanny events.
Metzengerstein
The narrator recounts the story of the Metzengerstein and Berlifitzing feud, providing background and describing events.
The Duc de l’Omelette
The narrator recounts the tale of the Duc de l’Omelette's death and his encounter with the Devil.
A Tale of Jerusalem
The narrator recounts the story of the Gizbarim at the walls of Jerusalem.
Loss of Breath
The protagonist who loses his breath after a quarrel with his wife, later finds himself in a vault, and engages in a bizarre conversation with another corpse.
MS. Found in a Bottle
The rational, skeptical narrator who survives the initial shipwreck and boards a mysterious ghost ship, documenting his descent into the southern whirlpool.
The Assignation
The narrator meets the mysterious man in Venice, observes his art and demeanor, and witnesses his death by poison.
Berenice
Egaeus, the narrator; a reclusive scholar with a monomaniacal disorder; becomes morbidly obsessed with Berenice's teeth after her transformation.
Morella
The narrator is the husband of Morella, whose initial fascination turns to horror and alienation as he becomes obsessed with her mystical studies and the uncanny resemblance of their daughter.
Lionizing
The narrator, Robert Jones, is the protagonist who rises to fame through his nose and Nosology.
The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall
The frame narrator who reports the events in Rotterdam and introduces Hans Pfaall's story.
King Pest
The narrator describes the adventures of Legs and Tarpaulin, and the scene in the undertaker's shop.
Shadow
The narrator, identified as Oinos, leads the group and confronts the shadow.
Four Beasts in One
The narrator acts as a guide, describing the city of Antioch and the events unfolding, including the king's flight and the mob's behavior.
Mystification
The narrator recounts his friendship with the Baron Ritzner von Jung and his observations of the Baron's mystifications, including the incident with Hermann.
Silence
The narrator listens to the Demon's fable and cannot laugh at its end.
Ligeia
The grief-stricken husband who idealizes Ligeia and later marries Rowena, experiencing a supernatural event.
The Devil in the Belfry
The narrator describes the borough and its calamity, and appeals for aid.
The Man That Was Used Up
The narrator is obsessed with uncovering the mystery behind General Smith's remarkable appearance and heroic past.
The Fall of the House of Usher
The narrator arrives at the House of Usher, describes the oppressive atmosphere, and attempts to comfort Roderick Usher.
William Wilson
The first-person narrator, revealed to be William Wilson himself, reflecting on his past.
Why the Little Frenchman Wears His Hand in a Sling
The narrator and protagonist, a boastful Irish baronet who competes for the widow's attention.
The Business Man
The narrator, Peter Proffit, a self-proclaimed methodical business man who recounts his various trades.
The Man of the Crowd
The convalescent narrator who becomes obsessed with following the old man through London's streets.
The Murders in the Rue Morgue
The narrator reflects on analytical reasoning and accompanies Dupin to the crime scene.
A Descent Into the Maelström
The narrator accompanies the old fisherman to the summit of Helseggen and listens to his tale.
The Island of the Fay
The narrator is the sole human presence in the chapter, engaging in solitary contemplation of nature and recounting a visionary encounter with a Fay on a remote island.
Never Bet the Devil Your Head
The narrator tells the tale of Toby Dammit, defending his own moral storytelling and observing Toby's fate.
Eleonora
The narrator, a man of passionate and possibly mad lineage, recounts his life in two epochs: one with Eleonora, one after her death.
Three Sundays in a Week
The narrator, Bobby, is the young man seeking to marry his cousin Kate. He describes his granduncle's character and his own frustrations.
The Oval Portrait
The wounded narrator who seeks refuge in the château and becomes obsessed with the oval portrait.
The Masque of the Red Death
The narrator describes the events of the masquerade and the appearance of the Red Death.
The Landscape Garden
The narrator recounts his conversations with Mr. Ellison and reflects on the philosophy of landscape gardening as a poetic art.
The Mystery of Marie Rogêt
The narrator recounts the case and presents Dupin's reasoning.
The Pit and the Pendulum
The condemned prisoner who endures the horrors of the Inquisition's dungeon, the pit, and the pendulum.
The Telltale Heart
The unnamed narrator who insists on his sanity while detailing his obsessive murder of the old man.
The Gold-Bug
The narrator is Legrand's friend who accompanies him on the treasure hunt and documents the events.
The Black Cat
The narrator recounts his transformation from a gentle animal lover into a violent alcoholic who murders his wife and his cat.
Diddling Considered as One of the Exact Sciences
The narrator defines and analyzes the art of diddling, presenting himself as a philosophical observer of human nature.
The Spectacles
The protagonist, a young man with poor vision, who falls in love at first sight and is later deceived by his own vanity.
A Tale of the Ragged Mountains
The narrator who recounts Bedloe's story and interacts with both Bedloe and Templeton.
The Premature Burial
The narrator recounts his own catalepsy and obsessive fear of premature burial, detailing his precautions and a harrowing awakening.
Mesmeric Revelation
The mesmerist who conducts the experiment and records the dialogue with Mr. Vankirk.
The Oblong Box
The narrator is a former fellow student of Cornelius Wyatt, prone to morbid curiosity and obsession, who becomes fixated on the mystery of the oblong box.
The Angel of the Odd
The narrator, after a heavy meal and reading, becomes irate at a newspaper account of a strange death and is visited by the Angel of the Odd.
Thou Art the Man
The detective-like figure who uncovers the truth and orchestrates the confession.
The Purloined Letter
The narrator accompanies Dupin and recounts the detective's methods in solving the case of the purloined letter.
The Thousand-and-Second Tale of Scheherazade
The narrator who claims to have discovered the true account of Scheherazade's fate in the Tellmenow Isitsöornot.
Some Words with a Mummy
The narrator is awakened by a note from Doctor Ponnonner and joins the examination of the mummy.
The Imp of the Perverse
The narrator is the condemned murderer who explains the principle of perverseness and confesses to killing a man with a poisoned candle.
The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether
The traveler who visits the madhouse and recounts the events.
The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar
The mesmerist and narrator of the story, who conducts the experiment on M. Valdemar.
The Sphinx
The narrator is deeply affected by the cholera epidemic and prone to superstition; he sees a monstrous vision that terrifies him.
The Cask of Amontillado
Montresor, the vengeful narrator, meticulously executes his plan to murder Fortunato.
The Domain of Arnheim
The narrator recounts Ellison's theories and describes his own struggle to convey the marvels of Ellison's creation.
Mellonta Tauta
The narrator, Pundita, writes the letter from the balloon, sharing her observations and opinions on the journey and the state of the world.
Von Kempelen and His Discovery
The first-person narrator who had a casual acquaintance with Von Kempelen at Earl's Hotel in Providence, Rhode Island, and provides personal details and commentary on the discovery.
Landor’s Cottage
The narrator recounts his journey and observations of the landscape and cottage.
