Ambrose Bierce’s Followers (1,348)

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: 3.87 · 101,863 ratings · 9,516 reviews · 2,533 distinct works • Similar authors

	An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge 4.01 avg rating — 27,683 ratings — published 1890 — 3 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 — 11,184 ratings — published 1911 — 787 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 4.12 avg rating — 3,217 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 of Ambrose Bierce by Ambrose Bierce, Ernest Jerome Hopkins (Editor), Cathy N. Davidson (Foreword) 4.19 avg rating — 1,568 ratings — published 2000 — 20 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 3.52 avg rating — 1,589 ratings — published 1893 — 111 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 — 1,241 ratings — published 1956 — 40 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 3.70 avg rating — 1,262 ratings — published 1886 — 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
	Can Such Things Be? 3.68 avg rating — 1,192 ratings — published 1893 — 322 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 3.73 avg rating — 1,131 ratings — published 1892 — 171 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 Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge and Other Stories 3.80 avg rating — 675 ratings — 159 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)

4.50 avg rating — 6 ratings

Quotes by Ambrose Bierce (?)

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

tags: insanity, love, marriage

1735 likes

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

1660 likes

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

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

1602 likes

See all Ambrose Bierce's quotes »

Polls

What is the best love quote?

You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.Dr. Seuss

148 votes 44.8%

Love is a circular emotion that surrounds you, like a hug. Or a noose. Jarod Kintz

41 votes 12.4%

Love is like the wind, you can't see it but you can feel it.Nicholas Sparks

40 votes 12.1%

Love seeketh not itself to please, nor for itself hath any care, but for another gives its ease, and builds a Heaven in Hell's despair. ― William Blake (write-in)

34 votes 10.3%

"You can close your eyes to the things you do not want to see, but you cannot close your heart to the things you do not want to feel" - Forbidden by Tabitha Sazuma (write-in)

26 votes 7.9%

Love, n. A temporary insanity curable by marriage.Ambrose Bierce

23 votes 7.0%

You can only give your heart away once, after that, everything else will chase your first love. - Tarry Fisher - The Opportunist (write-in)

8 votes 2.4%

"Centrum Permanebit" -The Fiery Heart (write-in)

7 votes 2.1%

Blake (write-in)

3 votes 0.9%

330 total votes

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