a master of

[whyflies]

"Bierce is a master of apprehension, always alert to threat. "

Bierce is a thrill tale writer.
The New York Times, Sunday Book Review: Ambrose Bierce: The Man and His Demons, by Terrence Rafferty.

What does 'a master of' mean here?
Any help would be appreciated.

 

[MilkyBarKid]

'master of' means that he is a skilled practitioner of his craft (in this situation, as a writer of thrillers, the ability to keep the readers in anxiety/fear that something bad or unpleasant is about to happen.

 

[whyflies]

I can assert it's a synonym of 'good at' now. Thanks a lot.

 

[sdgraham]

The dictionary hereto attached is quite good:

Under the entry master

2 a skilled practitioner of a particular art or activity. ■ a great artist, especially one belonging to the accepted canon.

As a side note, Bierce is probably better remembered for his cynical view of life as evidenced in the The Devil's Dictionary.