Index of the Project Gutenberg Works of Ambrose Bierce — Background and Themes

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Authors: Widger, David, 1932-2021 [Editor], Bierce, Ambrose, 1842-1914? Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2019 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Indexes Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

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Words 4,880

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Text sections 3

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Project Gutenberg metadata also associates the work with “Indexes,” connecting these edition facts with the source record’s subject description.

Source: Project Gutenberg record #58807

An index compiled by David Widger linking to Project Gutenberg editions of Ambrose Bierce's works, including The Devil's Dictionary, Fantastic Fables, and collected volumes, with linked tables of contents.

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Produced by David Widger

INDEX OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG

Compiled by David Widger

AN OCCURRENCE AT OWL CREEK

## THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY

## THE PARENTICIDE CLUB

## THE FIEND'S DELIGHT

## A SON OF THE GODS, AND A HORSEMAN IN THE SKY

## COBWEBS FROM AN EMPTY SKULL

## THE COLLECTED WORKS OF AMBROSE BIERCE, Vol. I

## THE COLLECTED WORKS OF AMBROSE BIERCE, Vol. II

A CYNIC LOOKS AT LIFE

## THE SHADOW ON THE DIAL, AND OTHER ESSAYS

THE LETTERS OF AMBROSE BIERCE

THE MONK AND THE HANGMAN'S DAUGHTER

## THE CYNIC'S WORD BOOK

PRESENT AT A HANGING AND OTHERS

## BLACK BEETLES IN AMBER

TABLES OF CONTENTS OF VOLUMES

THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY by Ambrose Bierce

CONTENTS AUTHOR'S PREFACE A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

THE PARENTICIDE CLUB By Ambrose Bierce

CONTENTS My Favorite Murder Oil of Dog An Imperfect Conflagration The Hypnotist

THE FIEND'S DELIGHT By Dod Grile CONTENTS PREFACE. SOME FICTION. The Glad New Year. The Heels of Her. CURRENT JOURNALINGS. MUSINGS, PHILOSOPHICAL AND THEOLOGICAL. POESY.

A SON OF THE GODS and A HORSEMAN IN THE SKY By Ambrose Bierce CONTENTS The Introduction A SON OF THE GODS A HORSEMAN IN THE SKY

COBWEBS FROM AN EMPTY SKULL By Dod Grile ILLUSTRATED WITH ENGRAVINGS BY DALZIEL BROTHERS.

CONTENTS Fables of Zambri, the Parsee. 1 Brief Seasons of Intellectual Dissipation. 90 DIVERS TALES 1. The Grateful Bear. 101 2. The Setting Sachem. 106 3. Feodora. 107 4. The Legend of Immortal Truth. 111 5. Converting a Prodigal. 115 6. Four Jacks and a Knave. 119 7. Dr. Deadwood, I Presume. 124 8. Nut-Cracking 126 9. The Magician's Little Joke 130 10. Seafaring. 135 11. Tony Rollo's Conclusion. 139 12. No Charge for Attendance. 143 13. Pernicketty's Fright. 148 14. Juniper. 152 15. Following the Sea. 157 16. A Tale of Spanish Vengeance. 162 17. Mrs. Dennison's Head. 167 18. A Fowl Witch. 171 19. The Civil Service in Florida. 176 20. A Tale of the Bosphorus. 179 21. John Smith. 184 22. Sundered Hearts. 187 23. The Early History of Bath. 192 24. The Following Dorg. 196 25. Snaking. 202 26. Maud's Papa. 205 27. Jim Beckwourth's Pond. 209 28. Stringing a Bear. 213

THE COLLECTED WORKS OF AMBROSE BIERCE Volume 1 1909 CONTENTS ASHES OF THE BEACON THE LAND BEYOND THE BLOW Thither Sons of the Fair Star An Interview with Gnarmag-Zote The Tamtonians Marooned on Ug The Dog in Gangewag A Conflagration in Ghargaroo An Execution in Batrugia The Jumjum of Gokeetle-Guk The Kingdom of Tortirra Hither FOR THE AHKOOND JOHN SMITH, LIBERATOR BITS OF AUTOBIOGRAPHY On a Mountain What I Saw of Shiloh A Little of Chickamauga The Crime at Pickett’s Mill Four Days in Dixie What Occurred at Franklin ‘Way Down in Alabam’ Working for an Empress Across the Plains The Mirage A Sole Survivor

COLLECTED WORKS OF AMBROSE BIERCE Vol 2, Soldiers and Civilians 1909 CONTENTS A HORSEMAN IN THE SKY 15 AN OCCURRENCE AT OWL CREEK BRIDGE 27 CHICKAMAUGA 46 A SON OF THE GODS 58 ONE OF THE MISSING 71 KILLED AT RESACA 93 THE AFFAIR AT COULTER'S NOTCH 105 THE COUP DE GRÂCE 122 PARKER ADDERSON, PHILOSOPHER 133 AN AFFAIR OF OUTPOSTS 146 THE STORY OF A CONSCIENCE 165 ONE KIND OF OFFICER 178 ONE OFFICER, ONE MAN 197 GEORGE THURSTON 209 THE MOCKING-BIRD 218 CIVILIANS THE MAN OUT OF THE NOSE 233 AN ADVENTURE AT BROWNVILLE 247 THE FAMOUS GILSON BEQUEST 266 THE APPLICANT 281 A WATCHER BY THE DEAD 290 THE MAN AND THE SNAKE 311 A HOLY TERROR 324 THE SUITABLE SURROUNDINGS 350 THE BOARDED WINDOW 364 A LADY FROM RED HORSE 373 THE EYES OF THE PANTHER 385

THE DAMNED THING By Ambrose Bierce

THE SHADOW ON THE DIAL AND OTHER ESSAYS By Ambrose Bierce 1909

CONTENTS A NOTE BY THE AUTHOR PREFACE THE SHADOW ON THE DIAL I. II. III. IV. V. CIVILIZATION I. II. THE GAME OF POLITICS I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX SOME FEATURES OF THE LAW I. II. III. IV. V. ARBITRATION INDUSTRIAL DISCONTENT I. II. III. CRIME AND ITS CORRECTIVES I. II. III. THE DEATH PENALTY I. II. III. RELIGION I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. IMMORTALITY OPPORTUNITY CHARITY EMANCIPATED WOMAN THE OPPOSING SEX THE AMERICAN SYCOPHANT A DISSERTATION ON DOGS THE ANCESTRAL BOND THE RIGHT TO WORK THE RIGHT TO TAKE ONESELF OFF

THE CYNIC'S WORD BOOK By Ambrose Bierce 1906

CONTENTS PREFACE A B C D E F Q H I J K L

SHAPES OF CLAY By Ambrose Bierce 1903

AT THE CLOSE OF THE CANVASS.

AN OFFER OF MARRIAGE.

ON A PROPOSED CREMATORY.

FOR A CERTAIN CRITIC.

THE HESITATING VETERAN.

THE FOUNTAIN REFILLED.

A "BORN LEADER OF MEN."

TO THE BARTHOLDI STATUE.

AN UNMERRY CHRISTMAS.

BY A DEFEATED LITIGANT.

FROM VIRGINIA TO PARIS.

A "MUTE INGLORIOUS MILTON."

THE FREE TRADER'S LAMENT.

SUBTERRANEAN PHANTASIES.

MR. FINK'S DEBATING DONKEY.

AN ENEMY TO LAW AND ORDER.

TO ONE ACROSS THE WAY.

THE PASSING OF "BOSS" SHEPHERD.

ONE OF THE UNFAIR SEX.

THE LORD'S PRAYER ON A COIN.

VANISHED AT COCK-CROW.

THE UNPARDONABLE SIN.

INDUSTRIAL DISCONTENT.

A PARTISAN'S PROTEST.

THE GOD'S VIEW-POINT.

WITH MINE OWN PETARD.

THE WOMAN AND THE DEVIL.

THE DIVISION SUPERINTENDENT.

TO A PROFESSIONAL EULOGIST.

THE SAINT AND THE MONK.

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This index, compiled by David Widger, serves as a navigational tool for the Project Gutenberg editions of Ambrose Bierce's works. Rather than a standalone text, it is a structured list of titles—from Fantastic Fables to The Devil's Dictionary—each linked to its online file and, where indicated by a ## symbol, to a linked table of contents. The catalog subjects list only "Indexes" and "general-literature;reference-general," but the excerpts reveal a more specific function: the index organizes Bierce's writings under pseudonyms like "Dod Grile" and includes volumes such as Cobwebs from an Empty Skull and The Fiend's Delight.

Structure and Navigation

The index is arranged as a simple list of titles, each followed by a clickable link. Many entries include a ## symbol, which, as the instructions explain, leads to a linked table of contents for that volume. For instance, The Devil's Dictionary entry shows a CONTENTS list from A to Z, while The Parenticide Club lists stories like "My Favorite Murder" and "Oil of Dog." This dual-level navigation allows readers to jump directly to a specific section or story. The index also groups works by volume, such as The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce, Vol. I and Vol. II, with their own sub-contents. Notably, some titles appear under Bierce's pseudonym "Dod Grile," as seen in The Fiend's Delight and Cobwebs from an Empty Skull, indicating the index covers works published under different names.

Scope of Works Included

The index covers a range of Bierce's output: fables, short stories, essays, poetry, and his famous satirical dictionary. Among the entries are An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, Write It Right, A Cynic Looks at Life, and The Shadow on the Dial. Also present are less-known works like The Monk and the Hangman's Daughter and Black Beetles in Amber. The inclusion of The Letters of Ambrose Bierce suggests the index aims to be comprehensive. However, the excerpts do not show every work Bierce wrote; the index is limited to those available in Project Gutenberg as of the compilation date. The editor, David Widger, has also included volumes of collected works, which gather multiple pieces under one cover. This structure implies the index is a finding aid for a digital library, not a critical edition.

Editorial Choices and Presentation

The index reflects editorial decisions by David Widger. For example, the contents of Cobwebs from an Empty Skull are listed with numbered tales, from "The Grateful Bear" to "Stringing a Bear," and include the note "ILLUSTRATED WITH ENGRAVINGS BY DALZIEL BROTHERS." This detail is metadata, not plot summary, but it indicates the index preserves paratextual information from the original editions. Similarly, The Fiend's Delight is divided into sections like "SOME FICTION" and "CURRENT JOURNALINGS," showing the index retains the original organizational categories. The presence of a full Project Gutenberg License at the end of the file underscores that this index is part of the PG ecosystem, designed for free distribution. The index does not offer analysis or commentary; it is a straightforward reference tool.

Relationship to Catalog Subjects

The catalog assigns this record the subjects "Indexes" and "general-literature;reference-general." The excerpts confirm it is indeed an index: a list of titles with links. However, the subject "Language Study" seems misapplied, as the index itself does not teach language. The secondary topics "general-literature;reference-general" are more accurate, but they are broad. The index's actual content—linking to Bierce's satirical, fictional, and journalistic works—suggests a more specific purpose: it is a bibliography of a single author's digital editions. The catalog does not capture the pseudonym "Dod Grile" or the inclusion of multiple editions. Users expecting a study of Bierce's language might be misled; instead, they will find a navigational aid. The index's value lies in its utility for accessing Bierce's texts, not in any interpretive content.

Readers using this index should note that it is a compilation of links to Project Gutenberg files, not a critical or annotated guide. The linked tables of contents (marked with ##) provide deeper navigation within each volume. For those interested in Bierce's work, this index offers a convenient entry point, but it does not replace reading the works themselves. The inclusion of pseudonyms and collected editions may help in locating lesser-known pieces.

For years I’ve kept company with Bierce’s index, where every dark title feels like a door left ajar. Somewhere nearby, though, I always set down The heathery; or, A monograph of the genus Erica. vol. 3 — Context and Discussion, its calm Latin names a soft ground for his sharp edges. They never speak, yet they rest well together.