Edgar Allen Poe, a prolific writer of the early to mid-nineteenth century, penned the first modern detective story.  He was a master of the short story and delighter in the macabre and the bizarre.  His most famous work is the poem, "The Raven," but quite a few other works have become classics as well. To find out all about Poe, this is a good site to visit.

House of Usher: A web site containing writings and miscellaneous info about Poe.

Wikipedia's entry for Edgar Allen Poe.

E A Poe Society of Baltimore

Summaries, quotes, and a timeline at Poe Stories.