The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket

Book excerpt: Rum, a sailing ship, and a dare... ...What could go wrong? Edgar Allan Poe’s only complete novel, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket is one of the first adventure stories set in and around the Antarctic, which at the time was a place of mystery and the unknown. Pym takes us on an adventure across the seas to uncharted southern lands that are fraught with danger. With shipwrecks, murder, mutiny, and, yes, cannibalism, this tale has it all. First published in 1838, midway between Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe and Stevenson’s Treasure Island, Poe’s Pym echoes one and presages the other while delving even deeper into the darkness of men’s souls. This new edition, with a new Foreword by New York Times best-selling author and Bram Stoker Award winner Jonathan Maberry, brings the classic tale back to life. Not for the faint of heart, Poe’s novel, which inspired H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, H.P. Lovecraft, and many others, reflects the wonder and dangers of exploring the unknown.