Review of “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar” (1845)
Edgar Allan Poe (writer).
Read in 2022.
Ernest Valdemar, a man condemned to die by a pulmonary disease, requests hospice care by a hypnotist.
The earlier “Mesmeric Revelation” (1844) is superficially similar, but is almost pure exposition. “The Facts” has minimal worldbuilding and more drama, despite being cast in the mold of non-fiction for a hoax. It’s fine supernatural horror.
References here: “Von Kempelen and His Discovery” (1849), “Cool Air” (1928), The Beast in the Trenches (2019).