Yesterday’s post on the dictionary word of the year reminded me of a recent book listing for the enduringly popular satirical book The Devil’s Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce.

Bierce was one of America’s most popular humorists, journalists, and short story writers from the 19th century. A veteran of the American Civil War, Bierce’s most anthologized titles include his war stories “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” and “Chickamauga”. Some of his other stories are classics of genre fiction, with the notable horror story “The Damned Thing” and the science fiction story “Moxon’s Master” both regularly appearing in genre anthologies. But his most popular book-length work is The Devil’s Dictionary, a classic satire of cynical and humorous word definitions. First published in 1906 under the title The Cynic’s Word Book, it is considered one of America’s best satires of its era. With it and his other works, Bierce made a lasting impact on American fiction. Bierce mysteriously disappeared in Mexico in 1913, so the actual date and circumstances of his death are unknown. To this day, no one has ever discovered what happened to him.

This edition was published in 1972 by the Limited Editions Club and features woodcut illustrations and devilish ornaments by German artist Fritz Kredel (1900-1973). The marbled paper used for the endpapers and the slipcase are patterned using a fantasy design in red and black that is described as a “harmonizing flame pattern” in the prospectus.