Andrew Barger's Blog

The world of horror fiction has long fascinated readers with its ability to evoke fear, suspense, and curiosity. From the eerie tales of Edgar Allan Poe to the forgotten gems of 19th-century gothic literature, horror stories offer a unique window into the darker corners of human imagination. For those who appreciate classic gothic and horror fiction, finding accessible and well-curated collections can be a challenge. Fortunately, the internet provides a vast repository of fre

A week ago I attended Peter Hook @peterhook and the Light’s concert in Dallas. The first set was a complete New Order album and the second set was a mix of Joy Division and New Order hits. Below is my favorite photo that I took of Hook! The crowd was really into the concert. I was fortunate to be on the third row. A lady next to me had her three year old strapped to her back (with headphones on, thankfully). At the end of the concert Hooky took off his sweaty T-shirt and thre

A rumor found its way into romantic and Gothic literature during the 18th and 19th centuries that involved Venice’s world renowned Murano glass. Fiction authors claimed it was so pure that if it came into contact with a poison impurity, the glass would break. One of the most popular Gothic authors to extoll this supposed virtue of Murano glass was Ann Radcliffe in her best-selling novel The Mysteries of Udolpho. The Gothic novel was published in 1794 and in its pages Emily, t

Years before the black raven was engrained into the minds of Americans as a reminder of lost love, another sable animal gained Poe fame. “The Black Cat” ranks as one of Poe’s best tales. Poe actually owned a black cat in 1840 when he published a short article entitled “Instinct vs. Reason.” The writer of this article is the owner of one of the most remarkable black cats in the world – and this is saying much; for it will be remembered that black cats are all of them witches.

Brave New World by Englishman Aldous Huxley is a science fiction concept novel published in 1932. In Huxley's future world, the people of today are portrayed as savages and modern people are controlled by groupthink and a designer drug--soma. In the novel the people of today feel love, believe in God and pray. Base savages! The novel has taken on a life of its own and is often read in high school and college classrooms. Many bands have created songs about it. “Brave New Worl

Last week I revealed the cover for this fall’s hottest academic book. Below is the Table of Contents. The Scarlet Letter is Nathaniel Hawthorne’s most beloved novel. Published in March of 1850, it quickly sold out of its first two printruns. It is still widely discussed in classrooms worldwide and taught as a moral allegory that warns against the mental and physical tolls of infidelity. Attorney Andrew Barger has uncovered another allegorical layer of The Scarlet Letter—the

In her debut novel, Ayn Rand has penned a masterpiece of literature simply titled, We the Living. The novel likely did more to weaken the early foundations of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.) than any waving of guns or thumping of politicians’ chests, and this is why. Published in 1936, We the Living has it all—intrigue, one of the strongest female characters ever created in literature, and a tight plot that will leave readers guessing until the end. I won’t

"The Lighthouse," a fine tale of madness, was first published in the London magazine with the cumbersome name, The Log Book; or Nautical Miscellany. The year was 1826. The anonymous author was George Soane. He later printed the short story in his three-volume collection titled, The Last Ball, and Other Stories, published in 1841. The story was listed under the new, benign title, “Lucy Ellis.” Despite the varying titles and fifteen years of anonymity, this is the finest lighth

On a rainy day last weekend I was sitting around with nothing much to do and I started thinking about the origins of a now common term--hell's bells--thanks to a ringtone I heard go off. I began wondering from whence it came. And having the sometimes curse of a quizzical nature, and much time on my hands, I set about to find out. For the risk of sounding like the title of an Ayn Rand novel, we the living have heard the popular AC/DC rock tune "Hell's Bells." Surely AC/DC was

The Scarlet Letter is Nathaniel Hawthorne’s most beloved novel. Published in March of 1850, it quickly sold out of its first two printruns. It is still widely discussed in classrooms worldwide and taught as a moral allegory that warns against the mental and physical tolls of infidelity. Attorney and scholar Andrew Barger has uncovered another allegorical layer of The Scarlet Letter—the rumored love affair between Edgar Allan Poe and popular author Frances Osgood. In over 500

"The Lonely Man of the Ocean" is a fine horror tale of pestilence on the high seas was first published anonymously in Whitaker’s Monthly Magazine for February 1831, and soon thereafter in The Antheneum, or Spirit of the English Magazines, Volume I, covering the period from April to October of the same year, specifically on page 40. The only hint given as to the authorship of “The Lonely Man of the Ocean” comes from The Antheneum, which states that it was “by the author of ‘Th

In a lost 1972 road trip interview, Ray Bradbury told a couple of college journalists his thoughts on like minded friends, never driving a car, and why his science fiction stories were frequently set on Mars. If Bradbury had lived long enough to meet Elon Musk, they would have become close friends. Mars all around! In the first half of the nineteenth century, however, the moon was all the rage for science fiction short stories. Check out "A Visit to the Lunar Sphere" of 1820

Few works of gothic and horror fiction have left as enduring a mark as The Hound of the Baskervilles. This novel, penned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, continues to captivate readers and scholars alike with its blend of mystery, suspense, and atmospheric storytelling. The Enduring Appeal of Hound of the Baskervilles - A Hound of the Baskervilles Analysis At its core, The Hound of the Baskervilles is a masterclass in suspense and gothic atmosphere. The novel’s setting on the bleak

There was amazing news in the book publishing world during 2015. It seems that every month we learned of another new book by a famous author, which has been discovered and will be published for all the world to read. First, we heard about the great J.D. Salinger and his rumored five novels that he wrote for so many decades in obscurity at his modest home in Cornish, New Hampshire. Next, a prequel of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird titled Go Set a Watchman was announced. Ho

Vampires have long fascinated the human imagination, weaving their way through folklore, literature, and popular culture. These enigmatic creatures, often depicted as undead beings who feed on the blood of the living, have inspired countless stories and superstitions. Yet, beneath the layers of myth and legend lies a complex tapestry of cultural beliefs and historical contexts that shaped these vampire tales. The Origins of Vampire Myths and Legends The concept of vampires is

James Patterson announced in 2015 the sale of his new book that would self-destruct within 24 hours. The details were scant as to how, exactly, it would destroy itself, but the joke remains: "Don't we wish all James Patterson's books would self-destruct?" The real issue here is the permanency of art. How long should it be around? How many times should the public be able to enjoy it before it returns to dust? If a sculptor creates a bronze bust of Edgar Allan Poe, they want th

The first rule of Fight Club is you don’t talk about Fight Club, but I am going to anyway (or at least the novel ). Chuck Palahniuk is the author with the unpronounceable last name who penned the wildly successful “Fight Club.” The book has taken on something of a cult status in dark corners of the reading world, due in large part to the movie of the same name starring Brad Pitt. MY IMPRESSION “Fight Club” is a fistful of fun and an enjoyable read that will punch you in the f

I’ve just spent the last three months reading The Stand Uncut and I want Stephen King to know that I magnanimously forgive him. REASON FOR READING I took up "The Stand" for two reasons. First, I like the stuff King wrote in the 1970s and second, the novel is widely believed to be his best book. SPOILER ALERT The Stand is a pre-apocalyptic novel that quickly becomes an apocalyptic novel, which quickly turns into a post-apocalyptic novel when the world dies off from a very bad

Leo Tolstoy's 5 Greatest Novellas Annotated, which I was fortune enough to edit, is now published in both ebook and print formats. The cover is not too shabby, either. After reading "War & Peace," Fyodor Dostoevsky put the book down and said, "The fool hath said in heart there is no God." Yet, Tolstoy's shorter novels (i.e., novellas) are filled with all the war, adventure, comedy, religion, tragedy, and Russian tradition that inhabit the longer novels of the Russian bear of