A Horseman in the Sky
"A Horseman in the Sky" is a short story by Ambrose Bierce, first published in 1896. The story follows a man named Captain Craig, who is killed in a battle during the Civil War. However, instead of dying, he finds himself stuck in a state of limbo, unable to move on to the afterlife. He observes the world around him from this state, watching as his wife marries again and his home is sold. As time passes, Craig becomes increasingly disillusioned with his situation and begins to question the nature of life and death. Ultimately, he decides to take matters into his own hands and finds a way to move on to the afterlife, leaving behind the world he knew.
By Ambrose Bierce · First published 1878 · Genre: Short story, War fiction, Allegory · 2,849 words
First lines
One sunny afternoon in the autumn of the year 1861, a soldier lay in a clump of laurel by the side of a road in Western Virginia. He lay at full length, upon his stomach, his feet resting upon the toes, his head upon the left forearm. His extended right hand loosely grasped his rifle. But for the somewhat methodical disposition of his limbs and a slight rhythmic movement of the cartridge-box at the back of his belt, he might have been thought to be dead. He was asleep at his post of duty. But if detected he would be dead shortly afterward, that being the just and legal penalty of his crime.
What this Textopian page supports
A Horseman in the Sky is listed on Textopian as a short story by Ambrose Bierce, dated 1878 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Ambrose Bierce
- Date: 1878 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Short story, War fiction, Allegory, Adventure, Historical fiction
- Length: 2,849 words
- Structure: 1 section, 33 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for A Horseman in the Sky by Ambrose Bierce
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
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Similar titles
- The Secret Of The Growing Gold by Bram Stoker
- Fair Rosamond by Bernard Capes
- Creation by Ambrose Bierce
- Graves And Goblins by Nathaniel Hawthorne
- La Viuda Ching Pirata by Jorge Luis Borges
- The Legend by Edith Wharton
Genres
- Short story — The book is a small-scale narrative often dealing with a few characters and featuring a self-contained incident.
- War fiction — The short story centers around the Civil War, and the character's involvement in it
- Allegory — The story serves as an allegory about the human condition and the nature of war and conflict.
- Adventure — The story involves danger, risks and physical challenges in the context of war.
Tags
Fantasy · Horror · Supernatural · Short Story · Classic Literature · Gothic Fiction · Mystery · Suspense · Paranormal · Magical Realism · Surrealism · Symbolism