Horror Writers of the Nineteenth Century

An essay on three influential and special horror writers during the 1800s.

Many people know that no speed can be compared to the speed of light, but how much do we really understand about the unmatchable speed. It is very difficult to understand it because it is such a phenomenal commodity. Like the speed of light, and its obscurity, we cannot understand how a genre can hold so much more than what people think is possible. A genre is mostly dependent on the interpretation of readers. In the US, however, people have come to an agreement on three writers of the 1800s who defined a specific genre. Horror. Over the years, the United States of America has gone through many unique stages of writing, but one very influential genre was horror. Specifically American horror writers of the 1800s made an impact not only for literature but for American culture as well. The writers Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and the infamous Edgar Allan Poe were three writers that helped shape the basis of the horror genre in the 1800s. Each with their unique styles provided a unique perspective to horror.

Ambrose Bierce

Ambrose Bierce is an American short story writer and Civil War veteran. He was born on June 24, 1842, in Meigs County, Ohio, and disappeared sometime after December 26, 1913, in Mexico, where he was covering the Mexican Revolution (Ambrose Bierce). Most of the experiences that Bierce had during the Civil War impacted his writing style which would be described as gloomy and stoic. In his writing he depicts realism and naturalism. One of Bierce’s most famous short stories are “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” and “The Haunted Valley,” (Magowan, Doug). Ambrose Bierce may be a name that is new to the ear of many people, but he had a significant impact on American horror stories of the nineteenth century. His use of psychological horror, supernatural elements, and gothic atmosphere make him an important figure in the horror genre. His influence on other writers has helped to shape the genre and inspire generations of horror fans and writers (Caltrider, Mac).

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Another incredibly influential horror writer of the 1800s would be none other than Nathaniel Hawthorne. Born on July 4th, 1804, in Salem, Massachusetts he is known for his daredevil writing style with his infamous stories such as “The Scarlet Letter” a maverick to society at the time, and “The House of the Seven Gables” a story that have inspired many writers for many decades since the time it was published (Nathaniel Hawthorne). One of the first novels he wrote was “Fanshawe” which was published in 1837. This story began his reign in popular horror of the time. He is very respected in the literary community because he was involved in the American Romantic era as well as one of the leaders of the Transcendentalist era. After being involved in two of the most significant eras in American literature, he is considered a pioneer of literature and the history it held in America (Nathaniel Hawthorne Biography).

Edgar Allan Poe

Finally, Edgar Allan Poe was the most significant horror writer of the nineteenth century. He was born on January 19, 1809, in Boston, Massachusetts, and died on October 7, 1849, in Baltimore, Maryland, at the age of 40. His death remains a mystery to the world to this day, making many people question his state. In his prime, he served in the U.S. Army, he worked as a literary critic and editor. Soon after, he married his 13-year-old cousin, Virginia, who had an illness known as Tuberculosis. This illness took her life and the sadness of the loss of his beloved wife shaped the grotesque horror stories that he wrote (Edgar Allan Poe). When he was alive, many people did not respect him as a writer, but through time his short stories and his poems gained a lot of attention, and he now is one of the pioneering writers of the gothic genre. His most famous works, such as “The Raven,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” and “The Masque of the Red Death,” continue to be studied today (Poe Biography).

To conclude, these three writers of the 1800s were individually changing American literature with their macabre stories that were a culture shock to most Americans at the time. Now, almost 200 years later, they are one of the most respected and intriguing writers of the horror genre. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Edgar Allan Poe were three writers that established the horror/gothic genre. After the lack of attention they got as writers in their generation, they have made themselves one of the best American writers of their time.