At the heart of Dark Romanticism is its brooding, pessimistic tone, its emphasis on the supernatural and the sins of humanity, and its use of iconic symbols and horrifying imagery. The classic Dark Romantic authors (Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville) are represented in the stories and poems in this volume, as well as some authors who are not commonly included in this genre. And then there are the poets and folklorists momentarily dabbling in the themes of death, loss and the supernatural, resulting in a collection of classic tales that will chill the listener to the bone.