Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer often credited with inventing the detective fiction genre. Born to two poor actors in 1809, Poe was orphaned by age two as his father left in 1810 and his mother died the following year. Edgar Poe was taken in by a wealthy family—John and Francis Allan—though he was never formally adopted. Poe’s desire to be a poet and writer eventually ended his relationship with John Allan and contributed to his lifelong struggle to find acceptance and financial stability.
Widely considered to be one of the most influential writers of the 19th century, Poe redefined many aspects of horror, science fiction, and mystery writing, especially with his introduction of the first written fictional detective character, C. Augustine Dupin, bestowing Poe with the title: “The Father of Detective Fiction.” In fact, many of the first readers of Poe’s detective stories were under the impression that Poe’s detective stories were nonfiction news articles because the analytical procession of this fictional genre was so unfamiliar.

It is not known exactly what caused Poe’s premature death at the age of 40 in 1849, though his impact on the literary world is undeniable.