Vanished at Cock-Crow by Ambrose Bierce
"Vanished at Cock-Crow" is a short story by Ambrose Bierce, first published in 1893. The story follows a man who wakes up one morning to find that his wife has disappeared, along with the entire town of San Francisco. The man searches for his wife and the missing town, but finds only empty streets and buildings. As he searches, he begins to question his own sanity and the nature of reality. The story is a classic example of Bierce's dark humor and his ability to create suspenseful and thought-provoking tales.
By Ambrose Bierce · First published 1892 · Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Historical Fiction · 46 words
First lines
"I've found the secret of your charm," I said, / Expounding with complacency my guess.
Alas! the charm, even as I named it, fled, / For all its secret was unconsciousness.
What this Textopian page supports
Vanished at Cock-Crow is listed on Textopian as a short story by Ambrose Bierce, dated 1892 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: 1892 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Historical Fiction, Crime
- Length: 46 words
- Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Vanished at Cock-Crow 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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Genres
- Mystery — The title indicates a sudden, unexplained disappearance, a typical premise for mystery stories.
- Thriller — The element of disappearance possibly indicates suspense and excitement, hence qualifying this book for the thriller genre.
- Historical Fiction — The use of 'cock-crow' in the title may indirectly suggest a historical setting, possibly making it a historical fiction.
- Crime — If the vanishing act in the title is associated with a criminal act, this book could be classified under crime genre.
Tags
mystery · thriller · horror · gothic · supernatural · fantasy · magical realism · surreal · psychological · suspenseful · spooky · haunting