Bottomless Vales and Boundless Floods – Re-imagining Poe

by Kate O'Connor

October 7th marked the 163rd anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe’s death. After almost two centuries, his work is still loved, taught, portrayed in films, and, in the case of Penumbra’s October edition, re-imagined. So what is it about his stories that still make him relevant today?

I first heard The Masque of the Red Death read aloud when I was in middle school. The image of Death passing slowly through six brightly colored rooms is still the first thing that comes to my mind when someone mentions Poe. It discussed death and disease and poverty in ways that made me think hard about how my world worked.

Why and how did he come up with that story in the first place? It has certain folkloric hallmarks – death in physical form, a prince, and a masquerade ball, rich vs. poor – but there is more to it than a fairytale re-write. Prince Prospero isn’t an evil villain and neither is Death. The lesson isn’t about living a better life. Instead, the tale is a simple and subtle hint that Death is already with us no matter how hard we fight against it and how slow we are to recognize it. Typical Poe. But where did that profound understanding of humanity’s desire to deny and run from inevitability come from?

Whatever else may be said about him, Poe did not exactly lead a quiet, simple life. His father left, his mother died, he was in and out of jobs, schools, and the military. He travelled in a time when one couldn’t simply just get on an airplane and go. He struggled (and occasionally failed) to support himself working as a clerk, a newspaper writer, an editor, and a literary critic. There were so many chances in his life for questions about the world to come up. His experiences, like those of many other great writers, allowed him to glimpse the foundation of storytelling: helping people to understand aspects that cannot fit neatly into our daily life.

My story Red started with that middle school memory, but it didn’t stay there. In a time where the role government should play in protecting people is being debated in the U.S., I felt the story could speak to not just the inevitability of death, but to what happens to the people who get left behind when our leaders have to make seemingly impossible choices. “Greater good” is a hard thing to talk about – ideal for Poe-inspired story.

Poe’s writing changed the face of speculative fiction because of its subtle ferocity. His themes still have that potential. The questions he asks in his stories have certainly opened up new perspectives for me as a writer and as a person. I’m sure I’m not alone in that.

Each month, Penumbra’s variations on a theme also provide new and interesting ways to look at the universe. For me, re-imagining Poe challenges us to not just look at new and interesting perspectives, but to explore how profound questions of humanity will shape those perspectives – the perfect choice for celebrating Penumbra’s first year.

Kate O'Connor is a sometime pilot, archaeology field technician on off days, and occasional dog groomer. Her short fiction has appeared in Daily Science Fiction and Pressure Suite: Digital Science Fiction Anthology 3 and is forthcoming in Penumbra and Plasma Frequency. She currently lives in the New York area.