Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) is one of America's greatest and best-loved writers.

Known as the father of the detective story, Poe is perhaps most famous for his short stories particularly his shrewd mysteries and chilling, often grotesque tales of horror he was also an extremely accomplished poet and a tough literary critic.

Poe's life was not far removed from the drama of his fiction. Orphaned at a young age, he was raised by a foster family. As a young man, he developed problems with gambling, debts, and alcohol, and was even dismissed from the army.

His love life was marked by tragedy and heartbreak. Despite these difficulties, Poe produced many works now considered essential to the American literary canon.

Stacy King is a freelance writer, editor and modiste based in Toronto, Ontario. Her main focus is writing for middle grade and young adult audiences, particularly fantasy and historical fiction. Her most recent work includes the Dungeons and Dragons’ Young Adventurer’s Guide series for Ten Speed Press, a new-player friendly introduction to the world and concepts of the iconic role-playing game.

She was the founding editor for the Manga Classics series, adapting western literary classics into Japanese graphic novel formats. She currently lives in downtown Toronto with her husband, comics writer Jim Zub, and has never quite gotten over her love of playing dress-up.