Ambrose Bierce’s Followers (1,223)

Ambrose Bierce

Born

in Meigs County, Ohio, The United States

June 24, 1842

Genre

Short Stories, Nonfiction, Poetry

Influences

Robert Ingersoll, H.L. Mencken, Voltaire, Joseph McCabe, Jack London, ...more

edit data

died perhaps 1914

Caustic wit and a strong sense of horror mark works, including In the Midst of Life (1891-1892) and The Devil's Dictionary (1906), of American writer Ambrose Gwinett Bierce.

People today best know this editorialist, journalist, and fabulist for his short story, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge and his lexicon.

The informative sardonic view of human nature alongside his vehemence as a critic with his motto, "nothing matters," earned him the nickname "Bitter Bierce."

People knew Bierce despite his reputation as a searing critic, however, to encourage younger poet George Sterling and fiction author W.C. Morrow.

Bierce employed a distinctive style especially in his stories. This style often embraces an abrupt begin ...more

Combine Editions
Ambrose Bierce’s books

Average rating: 3.89 · 91,787 ratings · 8,132 reviews · 1,970 distinct works • Similar authors

	An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge 4.02 avg rating — 25,422 ratings — published 1890 — 189 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary 4.05 avg rating — 10,822 ratings — published 1911 — 1280 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Ghost and Horror Stories of Ambrose Bierce 4.13 avg rating — 3,137 ratings — published 1964 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Complete Short Stories by Ambrose Bierce, Cathy N. Davidson (Foreword), Ernest Jerome Hopkins (Editor) 4.20 avg rating — 1,498 ratings — published 2000 — 19 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Civil War Stories 3.90 avg rating — 1,172 ratings — published 1956 — 14 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Damned Thing 3.54 avg rating — 1,257 ratings — published 1893 — 97 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Can Such Things Be? 3.69 avg rating — 1,090 ratings — published 1893 — 306 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Monk and the Hangman's Daughter 3.71 avg rating — 1,030 ratings — published 1892 — 164 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	An Inhabitant of Carcosa 3.69 avg rating — 861 ratings — published 1886 — 13 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Present at a Hanging and Other Ghost Stories 3.52 avg rating — 673 ratings — published 1913 — 125 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Ambrose Bierce…

Series by Ambrose Bierce

Collected Fiction (2 books)
by

Ambrose Bierce,

S.T. Joshi (Editor)

4.75 avg rating — 4 ratings

Quotes by Ambrose Bierce (?)

“Love, n. A temporary insanity curable by marriage.”
― Ambrose Bierce, The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary

tags: insanity, love, marriage

1731 likes

“Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret.”
― Ambrose Bierce

tags: anger, anger-management, remaining-silent

1645 likes

“The covers of this book are too far apart.”
― Ambrose Bierce

tags: attributed-no-source, books, criticism, humor, wit

1589 likes

See all Ambrose Bierce's quotes »

Polls

September 2021 Short Story/Novella Poll

The Misanthrope by Molière, 64 pages, 1666

58 votes, 26.5%

Wakefield by Nathaniel Hawthorne, 28 pages, 1835

32 votes, 14.6%

The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell, under 48 pages, 1924

32 votes, 14.6%

Bliss by Katherine Mansfield, 12+- pages, 1918

28 votes, 12.8%

Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo, 128 pages, 1955

28 votes, 12.8%

The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono, 74 pages, 1953

25 votes, 11.4%

A Horseman In The Sky: Short Story by Ambrose Bierce, under 25 pages, 1898

16 votes, 7.3%

219 total votes

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