Edgar Allan Poe -- American literature's master of horror -- was uniquely captivated by the terrifying prospect of pandemic disease and the affect it can have not just on the body, but on the mind. Many of his most compelling works are set in times of plague -- times of cholera, tuberculosis, insect-born pestilence, or mysterious, unidentified epidemics -- and are centered on the terror of disease and the reaction of loved ones to sudden loss. This compact, beautifully laid-out volume contains eight such stories, including: The Masque of the Red Death King Pest Metzengerstein Ligeia Morella Berenice The Gold-Bug The Sphinx