The Fall of the House of Usher.

Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, American Romantic writer and poet Edgar Allan Poe is credited with inventing the genre of detective fiction and contributing to the genre of science fiction, only just emerging at the turn of the 20th century. 'The Fall of the House of Usher' is a seminal work of Gothic fiction that explores themes of psychological decay, familial degeneration, and the uncanny. Through the decaying Usher mansion and the mental deterioration of its inhabitants, Poe constructs a symbolic landscape that reflects the inner turmoil of his characters. The narrative’s atmosphere of claustrophobia and dread is intensified by its intricate prose and use of doubling, particularly in the mirrored relationship between Roderick and Madeline Usher.