In the Midst of Life

Drawn from Bierce’s own service in the Union Army, the war stories here strip the glory from combat and leave fear, chance, and sudden death in its place, with “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” and “Chickamauga” among the most anthologized in American literature. The collection pairs these soldiers’ tales with a set of civilian stories that turn toward the eerie and the grotesque. First published in 1891, the book made Bierce’s reputation as a master of the tightly controlled short story, each one built toward a hard final twist. His clear, unsentimental prose still feels startlingly direct. Available free as a PDF and EPUB edition.