The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar

Name: The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar
Price: 6.99 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9781515377849

✍️ Edgar Allan Poe

Reader Score

4.6

(1 review)

$6.99

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Horror Fiction

📚 EDITORIAL REVIEW

“Seekers of Gothic dread and psychological terror will find this tale irresistible. If you prefer lighthearted adventures or realistic medical dramas, look elsewhere. This is for those who crave the intersection of science and the macabre.

— Editorial Team

Author

Edgar Allan Poe

📚 all books by this author (544) →

🏛 Createspace Independent Publishing Platform 📅 2015 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781515377849

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📚 Horror Anthologies & Story Collections 📜 Classic Horror Novels 💵 Horror Paperbacks Under $10

📝 Description: The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar

Edgar Allan Poe's short story about a mesmerist who hypnotizes another man right before his death in order to see what affects it will have on him.

💎 Our verdict on The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar

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Horror Reads editorial team

Horror desk

Edgar Allan Poe crafts a chilling atmosphere in this unsettling tale of scientific ambition pushed past its natural limits, following a mesmerist who places a man under hypnosis at the exact threshold of death. Rather than relying on traditional jump scares, the narrative cultivates a creeping, clinical dread, exploring the eerie grey zone between mortality and consciousness with meticulous detail. The profound sense of unease builds steadily as the experiment defies the natural order, leaving readers to ponder the terrifying possibilities of suspended animation. This grim exploration of the human psyche suits readers who appreciate classic psychological horror, slow-burning suspense, and tales where intellectual curiosity gives way to macabre discovery.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

⭐ HorrorReads editorial review Editorial rating 4.6/5

★★★★★

Seekers of Gothic dread and psychological terror will find this tale irresistible. If you prefer lighthearted adventures or realistic medical dramas, look elsewhere. This is for those who crave the intersection of science and the macabre.

Reader rating

4.6

Based on 1 reviews

❓ Frequently asked questions

Not in the traditional slasher sense. The horror stems from psychological unease and the unnatural suspension of death rather than visceral gore.

No background is required. Poe explains the concepts within the narrative, allowing readers to experience the eerie implications without prior academic knowledge.

📖 Who should read this

📜 Historical context

Pioneering the science-fiction horror subgenre, Poe’s 1845 narrative introduced mesmerism to American letters before such concepts were mainstream. It bridges Romantic Gothic traditions with early speculative fiction, influencing later vampire myths and scientific horror. The story remains a foundational text for understanding how 19th-century anxieties about death and consciousness shaped modern supernatural literature.