An unnamed narrator performs a remarkable experiment when he hypnotizes a man who is In Articulo Mortis—at the point of death. Because the story wasn’t identified as fiction when it was first published in 1845, many readers believed Edgar Allan Poe’s sensational work to be a true account. The writing style Poe adopts for this story, as well as its many references to medically-trained people, lends authenticity to it. He is writing about mesmerism, an early form of hypnotism.

Librarian's note: this entry is for "The Facts of the Case of M. Valdemar." Collections of short stories by the author can be found elsewhere on Goodreads.