 " The Murders in the Rue Morgue " is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe published in Graham 's Magazine in 1841 . It has been recognized as the first modern detective story ; Poe referred to it as one of his " tales of ratiocination " . Two works that share some similarities predate Poe 's stories , including Das Fräulein von Scuderi ( 1819 ) by E. T. A. Hoffmann and Zadig ( 1747 ) by Voltaire . 
