The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar, was taken to be factual upon its publication in 1845. This short story by American author Edgar Allan Poe is about a hypnotist whose subject is a man on death's doorstep. Full of real suspense and horror, Poe played along with the idea that the story was real for a time before admitting it was a work of pure fiction. The story is notable for a relatively high level of gore and medical detail.