In The Shadow Of The Master: Classic Tales by Edgar Allan Poe

In January and February 1837, twenty-five chapters of this narrative appear in the Messenger, meticulously detailing a voyage to the South Pacific, which results in the alleged discovery of a new land, complete with the specifics of climate, atmosphere, water, novel plants, and strange animals, capped by a description of the inhabitants, who differ from all other races of men.

The response is unexpected.

As convincing as the author (Poe) has hoped to be in persuading the public that the tale is mere fable, letters are sent to Mr. Poe’s address “distinctly expressing a conviction to the contrary.” Far from viewing these exploits as fiction, the public believes them to be true. Edgar Allan Poe is forced to confess that the tale is not his, but is an unexpurgated and completely factual account of actual events that happened to Arthur Gordon Pym. Arthur Gordon Pym, in turn, is finally convinced to step forward and acknowledge the reportage as his own. He then proceeds to dictate his experiences in such an authoritative tone that the whole of it is accepted as gospel. So much so that a publishing house in London commences arrangements to reprint the work as a bona fide history.

Having established this dazzling turnabout premise, Poe now faces the tricky issue of how to bring the tale to a conclusion without leaving himself open to the very scientific scrutiny he’s hoping to avoid. In order to sustain the authenticity of his deception-posing as Pym and limning a supposed fiction whose outing as truth motivates Pym to affirm his role as author and participant (whew!!)-Poe must find a means of completing the yarn without tipping his hand.

For a few moments, I put myself in Poe’s shoes and pondered the possibilities. My temptation would have been to chuck the whole scheme as a rebellion of plot and character now desperately in need of quashing.

His solution was to make the following announcement:

The circumstances connected with the late sudden and distressing death of Mr. Pym are already well known to the public through the medium of the daily press. It is feared that the few remaining chapters which were to have completed his narrative, and which were retained by him… for the purpose of revision, have been irrecoverably lost through the accident by which he perished himself. This, however, may prove not to be the case, and the papers, if ultimately found, will be given to the public. The loss of two or three final chapters… is the more deeply to be regretted, as it can not be doubted they contained matter relative to the Pole itself, or at least to regions in its very near proximity; and as, too, the statements of the author in relation to these regions may shortly be verified or contradicted by means of the governmental expedition now preparing for the Southern Ocean.

In support of this, Poe attaches a number of footnotes in which he clarifies and annotates the veracity of Pym’s assertions in all of their particulars.

The elaborate and ingenious conceit of this story (which is, by the way, executed with unfaltering confidence) was finally sufficient to arouse my admiration and elevate my prior opinion of Edgar Allan Poe… at least in terms of this one stunning testimonial to his skills. I’m delighted to recommend The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket as exemplary of Poe’s powers of invention. I do this with a clear conscience and in sincere support of this anthology honoring his work. Personal integrity aside, there is one more important point to be made: now Michael Connelly owes me.

Sue Grafton entered the mystery field in 1982 with the publication of “A” Is for Alibi, which introduced female hard-boiled private investigator Kinsey Millhone, who operates out of the fictional town of Santa Teresa (a.k.a. Santa Barbara), California. “B” Is for Burglar followed in 1985, and since then she has added eighteen novels to the series now referred to as “the alphabet mysteries.” At the rate she’s going, she’ll reach “Z” Is for Zero in the year 2020, give or take a decade. She will be much much older than she is now.

About the Editor

MICHAEL CONNELLY is one of the most prolific and bestselling writers of suspense at work today. He lives with his family in Florida.

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Credits

Designed by Jennifer Ann Daddio / Bookmark Design & Media Inc. Cover design by Ervin Serrano

Cover illustration created from photograph by Stan Osolinski/Oxford Scientific/Jupiterimages

Interior images from Tales of Mystery and Imagination by Edgar Allan Poe, illustrated by Harry Clarke. London: Harrap, 1919. Images obtained from the Rare Book Department, the Free Library of Philadelphia. Reproduction by Will Brown, Will Brown Photographer.

Copyright Information

“About Edgar Allan Poe,” copyright © 2009 by Mystery Writers of America, Inc.

“About the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Award,” copyright © 2009 by Mystery Writers of America, Inc.

“About the Illustrator,” copyright © 2009 by Mystery Writers of America, Inc.

“What Poe Hath Wrought,” copyright © 2009 by Michael Connelly.

“On Edgar Allan Poe,” copyright © 2009 by T. Jefferson Parker.

“Under the Covers with Fortunato and Montresor,” copyright © 2009 by Jan Burke.

“The Curse of Amontillado,” copyright © 2009 by Lawrence Block.

“Pluto’s Heritage,” copyright © 2009 by P. J. Parrish.

“Identity Crisis,” copyright © 2009 by Lisa Scottoline.

“In a Strange City: Baltimore and the Poe Toaster,” copyright © 2009 by Laura Lippman.

“Once Upon a Midnight Dreary,” copyright © 2009 by Michael Connelly.

“The Thief,” copyright © 2009 by Laurie R. King.

“Poe and Me at the Movies,” copyright © 2009 by Tess Gerritsen, Inc.

“The Genius of ‘The Tell-Tale Heart,’ ” copyright © 2009 by Stephen King.

“The First Time,” copyright © 2009 by Steve Hamilton.

“The Pit, the Pendulum, and Perfection,” copyright © 2009 by Patricia M. Hoch.

“The Pit and the Pendulum at the Palace,” copyright © 2009 by Peter Robinson.

“Edgar Allan Poe, Mark Twain, and Me,” copyright © 2009 by S. J. Rozan.

“The Quick and the Undead,” copyright © 2009 by Nelson DeMille.

“Imagining Edgar Allan Poe,” copyright © 2009 by Sara Paretsky.

“Rantin’ and Ravin’,” copyright © 2009 by Joseph Wambaugh.

“A Little Thought on Poe,” copyright © 2009 by Thomas H. Cook.

“Poe in G Minor,” copyright © 2009 by Jeffery W. Deaver.

“How I Became an Edgar Allan Poe Convert,” copyright © 2009 by Sue Grafton.