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A Horseman in the Sky

Ambrose Bierce

First published 1891
Type Short Fiction
Length Short Story

Synopsis

During the Civil War, a young man from the South joins the Union army, unlike the rest of his family. He sees a Confedwate scout on horseback, and recognizes his father. He is conflicted whether to shoot at him, but ultimately does.

Notes

Borderline fantastic story (a matter of atmosphere not supernatural events). First published as "The Horseman in the Sky" in the San Francisco Examiner, April 14, 1889.

External Links

Publications (39)

Date Publication Publisher Type Page
1891 Cover Tales of Soldiers and Civilians E. L. G. Steele Collection 9
1892 In the Midst of Life: Tales of Soldiers and Civilians Chatto & Windus Collection 15
1898 In the Midst of Life: Tales of Soldiers and Civilians G. P. Putnam's Sons Collection 3
1909 Cover In the Midst of Life: Tales of Soldiers and Civilians The Neale Publishing Company Collection 15
1910 In the Midst of Life: Tales of Soldiers and Civilians Chatto & Windus Collection 15
1918 In the Midst of Life: Tales of Soldiers and Civilians Boni & Liveright Collection 15
1918 In the Midst of Life: Tales of Soldiers and Civilians Boni & Liveright Collection 15
1930 In the Midst of Life: Tales of Soldiers and Civilians Chatto & Windus Collection 15
1930 American Short Stories of the Nineteenth Century J. M. Dent & Sons Anthology |11
1934 Cover A Century of Thrillers: From Poe to Arlen Daily Express Publications Anthology 1081
1934 Cover The Evening Standard Book of Strange Stories Hutchinson Anthology 501
1934 Cover A Century of Thrillers: From Poe to Arlen Daily Express Publications Anthology 1081
1941 In the Midst of Life: Tales of Soldiers and Civilians Chatto & Windus Collection 15
1943 Cover Tales of Soldiers and Civilians Heritage Press Collection 3
1944 Cover Pause to Wonder Julian Messner Anthology 100
June 1948 Cover The Unexpected Bantam Books Anthology 72
April 1949 Fancy Free George Allen & Unwin Anthology 14
December 1953 Cover Playboy, December 1953 HMH Publishing MAGAZINE 34
1962 Cover Nightmare Stories Horwitz Anthology 71
March 1963 Stories Selected from the Unexpected Bantam Books Anthology 55
1970 Cover The Complete Short Stories of Ambrose Bierce Doubleday Collection 357
1971 Cover Tales of Soldiers and Civilians The Easton Press Collection 3
November 1971 Cover The Complete Short Stories of Ambrose Bierce, Volume II: The World of War and the World of Tall Tales Ballantine Books Collection 124
September 1977 Cover Super Book of Ghost Stories Hamlyn Anthology 139
1979 Cover Super Book of Ghost Stories Hamlyn Anthology 139
1981 Cover The Treasury of American Short Stories Doubleday Anthology |119
1984 Cover The Complete Short Stories of Ambrose Bierce University of Nebraska Press Collection 357
1984 The Best of Ambrose Bierce Castle / Book Sales Omnibus 3
December 1987 Cover The Devil's Advocate: An Ambrose Bierce Reader Chronicle Books Omnibus 11|11.2
1988 Cover The Collected Writings of Ambrose Bierce Picador / Pan Books Omnibus 3
1990 The Treasury of American Short Stories Dorset Press Anthology 119
1994 Cover Civil War Stories Dover Publications Collection 27
November 1996 Cover Ghost Stories Bloomsbury Anthology 93
March 2012 Cover Civil War Stories Dover Publications Collection
March 2012 Cover Civil War Stories Dover Publications Collection
July 2012 Cover Ambrose Bierce: Masters of the Weird Tale Centipede Press Collection
February 2015 Cover 100 Great Short Stories Dover Publications Anthology
March 2015 Cover 100 Great Short Stories Dover Publications Anthology 304
April 2023 Cover The Ways of Ghosts: And Other Dark Tales British Library Publishing Collection 21