I enjoyed Poe’s work and Rue Morgue is one of my favourites. Despite having read Poe, despite having read the adventure of Chevalier C. Auguste Dupin and his nameless narrator I somehow missed the history of the short story.
In Rue Morgue Edgar Allan Poe invents the detective. He invents the detective before the word “detective” is even invented. This is the character that comes before Sherlock Holmes and must have helped inspire the Hercule Poriot adventures.
I don’t often re-read stories but didn’t mind starting this anthology with the original again. The collection of authors in this book is impressive. There’s Clive Barker, Weston Oschse (whom Geek Native has interviewed) and Yvonne Navvarro, Mike Carey, Simon Clark, Joe R. Lansdale, Jonathan Maberry, Elizabeth Massie, Lisa Tuttle and Stephen Volk stories in this collection.
The stories continue the adventures of “ratiocination” of Dupin. We also follow his grandson, who becomes a Pinkerton detective and even his great-granddaughter. Yes, there’s a Sherlock Holmes connection too.
This may upset some readers but Beyond Rue Morgue brings in the supernatural. In fact, we go a bit Cthulhu. I don’t mind at all. I feel it’s in keeping with the spirit of the character and of Poe. Besides, I enjoyed the story.
Beyond Rue Morgue: Further Tales of Edgar Allan Poe’s 1st Detective was put together by the editors Paul Kane and Charles Prepolec. Kane is a sci-fi, fantasy and horror author who co-edited the horror anthology Hellbound Hearts. Prepolec is a freelance writer (and reviewer!) who’s worked on the Sherlock Holmes anthologies Gaslight Grimoire and Gaslight Arcanum. If you combine all those genres then it’s little surprise you come up with an anthology like Beyond Rue Morgue. Beyond Rue Morgue manages to be tightly focused on Dupin and his line and yet broad in scope.
I’ve got to recommend this book.
My copy of the book was provided by the publisher. Beyond Rue Morgue, Titan Books, £7.99, Paul Kane, Charles Prepolec, et al.
