Edgar Allan Poe, born Edgar Poe, was an influential American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic, best known for his poetry and short stories, especially his tales of mystery and the macabre. Acknowledged as a pivotal figure in Romanticism and Gothic fiction in the United States and of American literature, Poe was among the nation's first practitioners of the short story and is heralded as the inventor of the detective fiction genre and a significant contributor to the emerging science fiction genre.

His life was marked by financial struggles, primarily due to his attempt to live solely through his writing. Born in Boston to actor parents, Poe faced early life challenges, including his father's abandonment and his mother's death, which led to his care by Frances and John Allan of Richmond, Virginia. Despite their support, Poe encountered difficulties with his education and finances, leading to a brief stint in the United States Army and a failed venture at West Point.

Poe's literary career began with the publication of Tamerlane and Other Poems. His works, known for their elegant style and caustic wit, forced him to move between cities, including Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York. Poe married his 13-year-old cousin, Virginia Clemm, who died of tuberculosis, deeply affecting him. His poem The Raven brought him instant success, but his ambition to start his own journal, The Stylus, was unfulfilled due to his untimely death in Baltimore at the age of 40 under mysterious circumstances.

Poe's work and persona left an indelible mark on global literature, influencing a wide array of fields, from cosmology to cryptography. His legacy is celebrated in various forms of popular culture and through dedicated museums, ensuring his lasting impact on mystery genre literature and beyond.