EDGAR ALLAN POE VA UNING ADABIY USLUBINING ZAMONAVIY AMERIKA ILMIY-FANTASTIK ADABIYOTIGA TAʼSIRI

Abstract

This article analyzes the role and systemic influence of Edgar Allan Poeʼs (1809–1849) literary heritage on the formation and development of modern American science fiction. The relevance of the study is determined by the need to explore the roots of the genre and understand how Poeʼs stylistic elements continue to hold conceptual significance for contemporary literature. The research employs a comparative-historical analysis method. Poeʼs Gothic elements, psychological realism, and innovative narrative techniques are studied in comparison with the works of subsequent authors, including Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, and William Gibson. Poeʼs early science fiction works, such as "The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall" and "Mellonta Tauta," are examined as the theoretical foundations of the genre. The analysis reveals that Poeʼs first-person narration, the "story within a story" structure, and the technique of retrospective plot development have become the narrative foundation of modern science fiction. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the "ratiocinator" type (the character of Auguste Dupin) and the complex anti-hero concept were successfully advanced by Philip K. Dick and cyberpunk authors. The study shows that Poeʼs depiction of technology as an element linked to human destiny and his dystopian satire served as a methodological basis for modern speculative fiction. The findings indicate that Edgar Allan Poe is not only the progenitor of the detective and horror genres but also a primary influential figure and intellectual source for modern American science fiction. His pessimistic narrative and aesthetic theory regarding the "unity of effect" remain highly relevant in the context of 21st-century mass culture and new media, including cinema and video games.