The Sphinx

Title: The Sphinx

Author: Edgar Allan Poe

Narrator: Jonathan Dunne

Original Publication: 1846

Public Domain: Yes

Series Placement: Timeless Terrors No. 74

Description:

The Sphinx is one of Edgar Allan Poe’s lesser-known yet profoundly unsettling tales — a dark meditation on memory, identity, and the uncanny persistence of the past. Poe crafts a story of a man confronted with a mysterious sphinx-like figure, whose cryptic riddles and ominous presence provoke both fascination and dread.

Rather than relying on overt horror, Poe’s tale explores a psychological tension, blurring the line between reality and imagination. The sphinx becomes a symbol of enigma and inevitable truth, forcing the protagonist — and the reader — to confront hidden fears, obscure knowledge, and the haunting persistence of time. The story’s subtle terror lies in its atmosphere: a precise interplay of shadow, silence, and the inexorable pull of an unknowable intellect.

Narrated by Amazon-bestselling horror author Jonathan Dunne, this performance imbues Poe’s prose with a hypnotic cadence, heightening the story’s mysterious and claustrophobic ambiance while preserving its elegant, cerebral horror.

Part of Timeless Terrors, a series dedicated to resurrecting classic horror, The Sphinx exemplifies Poe’s mastery of psychological unease — a reminder that some of the most enduring horrors come not from monsters, but from enigmas that defy understanding.