Here's why:
* Early Detective Stories: Poe wrote several short stories featuring the brilliant but flawed detective C. Auguste Dupin, including "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," "The Mystery of Marie Roget," and "The Purloined Letter." These stories are considered to be among the first examples of detective fiction, establishing key elements like a brilliant detective, a puzzling crime, and a reliance on logic and deduction to solve the mystery.
* Focus on Atmosphere and Psychological Suspense: Poe's stories emphasized a dark and atmospheric setting, psychological suspense, and the exploration of the criminal mind. These elements became hallmarks of the genre.
* Influence on Later Writers: Poe's work heavily influenced later writers of detective fiction, such as Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes) and Wilkie Collins (The Woman in White), who further developed and popularized the genre.
While other writers, such as Wilkie Collins and Charles Dickens, also contributed significantly to the development of crime fiction, Poe's early influence and the enduring popularity of his detective stories solidify his claim as the "grandfather of crime fiction."