Poe's "The Murder in the Rue Morgue," first published in 1841, has been called by one critic "the single most important story in the history of the genre." Subsequent literary detectives may have occasionally felt daunted by following the mystery story's inimitable forefather still, they have made their own distinctive contributions to this uniquely American literary form. He enhanced the elements in these negligible stories with such genius that he lifted his own tales to the level of art. Edgar Allan Poe, the creator of the short story form, based the world's first mystery tale on the crime story, a style of fiction that originally appeared in the beginning of the nineteenth century. In fact, it stands at the very center of a markedly American literary offering, the short story. Although the modern American mystery story has only recently gained respectability as the subject of academic study, the genre is an integral part of this country's literature. Other writers have given birth to characters who live only in one brief tale, making readers regret that they won't meet them again. The Saint, Lew Archer, Travis McGee, Uncle Abner - these names are real to mystery aficionados who know them well and have learned much about life from them. Some of these mystery masters have left an indelible mark on the reading public by creating characters that have entered the national consciousness. The authors in this collection have garnered innumerable honors, from myriad awards conferred by their own mystery-writing colleagues to the Nobel Prize in Literature they all share the writer's greatest reward, however, the broad readership and popular acclaim that can only come from creating superb, entertaining tales. These literary sleuths - American writers who hail from all over the United States and even abroad - offer stories that reflect the varied experiences of a vast and culturally diverse country. "Great American Mystery Stories of the Twentieth Century presents an impressive array of writers. Illustrated with a double-page color frontispiece painting and color illustrated front and rear endpapers. The volume also features gilt page edges on all three sides, a traditional 3-hubbed spine, and acid-free paper for permanence and durability. Includes Preliminary Page Note by The Editors Acknowledgments and About the Authors. Fine unread condition faux navy blue leather boards with a color illustrated front cover paste-down, with gold front cover and spine lettering. Ward, John (panel art and color frontispiece) (illustrator).
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