Ambrose Bierce 
The Damned Thing: 1898, From ‘In the Midst of Life’ 

Ambrose Bierce was an American writer who is best known for his realism. Often compared to Poe for the dark, realistic nature of his short stories, Bierce drew upon his Civil War experience as a soldier to write on a wide variety of subjects, and stories like
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge are still widely read.