Edgar Allan Poe (1809 - 1849) was an American poet, critic and writer of fiction, and is particularly well known for his morbid and supernatural stories.

"Never Bet the Devil your Head" is a tale which reveals Poe's sense of humour - a gruesome and fantastic humour. It is a witty take on the Faust theme - an anti-hero inadvertently enters into a terrible wager with the devil.