The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce was published in twelve volumes by the Neale Publishing Company in Washington, D.C., between 1909 and 1912. Bierce supervised the selection and arrangement himself — an unusual circumstance that gives the set the character of a deliberate self-monument. He was seventy years old when the first volume appeared, and he would disappear into revolutionary Mexico within a year of the final volume’s publication.
The volumes are organized thematically: Volumes I and II contain the fiction (In the Midst of Life and Can Such Things Be?), Volume III through VI contain journalism and essays, Volume VII is The Devil’s Dictionary, Volumes VIII through X contain more essays and satire, Volume XI is verse, and Volume XII is miscellaneous pieces. Bierce’s selection is ruthless: he excluded much of his early journalism and revised many pieces extensively, producing texts that differ significantly from their original newspaper versions.
The set is important for two reasons. First, it represents Bierce’s own judgment of his work — what he wanted to preserve and how he wanted it arranged. Second, it preserves material that might otherwise have been lost: much of Bierce’s newspaper journalism was ephemeral, published in papers that were not systematically preserved, and the Collected Works is the only source for many pieces.
The disappearance that followed the set’s completion has made it an inadvertent memorial. Bierce crossed into Mexico in late 1913, apparently intending to join Pancho Villa’s army as an observer, and was never seen again. The Collected Works, carefully prepared and arranged, stands as his self-chosen epitaph.
Collecting The Collected Works
First edition (Neale Publishing, Washington, D.C., 1909–1912): Twelve volumes, red cloth.
Market values:
- Complete set, fine: $2,000–$5,000
- Very good: $800–$2,000
- Individual volumes: $50–$200 depending on volume