An American satirist, critic, poet, short story writer, editor, and journalist, Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) was admired and feared by his peers in his role as literary despot of the West Coast. Known best for the pithy and acerbic Devil's Dictionary, excerpted in this anthology, Bierce is also regarded as one of the finest storytellers of the nineteenth century. His war and horror stories are especially compelling, while his essays and journalism round out this selection from one of California' s most noteworthy authors.