Horror and science fiction tales have always been a popular staple in American literature. No one has ever mastered the art like the great poet and short story writer Edgar Allen Poe. Poe's incredible talent for writing short horror stories is abundantly evident in "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar" (1845), the tale of a dying man who was mesmerized and then preserved for seven months after death. By using creative writing narration techniques, eerie word choice, and by giving the story a sudden, abrupt ending, Edgar Allen Poe involves the reader in the text, which in turn creates a more intense sense of fear and a strong horror story.

This story was originally published as a true scientific account and without an author. As it is now known, the story is in fact fiction and written by Edgar Allen Poe (Cummings). The story would have been more believable if it contained the full introduction ofcharacters, because Poe never reveals several individuals full names. The only fully named character is M. Earnest Valdemar, the man to be mesmerized. The narrator himself, who is supposed to be a great doctor, is simply named, P. The narrator introduces those who accompany him as "Doctors D -- and F -- " (Poe 14). Using this technique to introduce characters takes away Poe's scientific accountability because no one can identify with the doctors. But in the fictional sense, it adds ambiguity for the exact same reason. If the reader cannot identify the individual, than all they have to base their knowledge on is Poe's horrific account of the experiment. Another unique feature of this story is how often he talks about the fact that people will not believe the story. By setting up the account this way, it instills an initial sense of fear in the reader. The first line reads, "Of course I shall not pretend to consider it any matter of wonder, that the extraordinary case of M. Valdemar has excited discussion" (Poe 13). This immediately causes the reader to wonder what kind of crazy event had to have ensued in order to create such disbelief in a writer. Even more fundamentally, Edgar Allen Poe's decision to write from the first person perspective allows the narrator's thoughts and ideas to be considered fact instead of an outside observer making possibly incorrect observations. The narrator's fears become ours as the story unravels. The narrator's thoughts from this incredible account are transcribed using strong descriptive imagery and eerie words.

Word choice for a horror story is unique from any other form of writing. The author has to use dark and complex words that will scare the reader without making it cheesy. Often author's chose long and uncommonly used words because it pulls on elements of the unknown, which is something, readers and people generally do not like. Edgar Allen Poe follows this form by choosing to use complex words with dark connotations, and many of these were not translated from their original Latin form.  For example, rather than saying that there has never been someone mesmerized in a dying state, he instead says, "...no person had as yet to be mesmerized in articulo mortis" (Poe 13). While both sentences have the same meaning, Poe's version provides a sense of suspense and more than just simply states that the man was dying by using a medical term to describe the patient. Poe also uses descriptive imagery to explain his actions and place us in the room with him. This technique is particularly evident when he describes the first signs of Valdemar being in a mesmeric state. He says, "with a few rapid lateral passes I made the lids quiver, as in incipient sleep, and with a few more I closed them all together" (Poe 16). The use of complex words and descriptive imagery allows Poe to pull us into the story and scare us even more. Although Poe beautifully illustrates all the details within the story, he ends it abruptly and without many facts.

Finally, considering the length of time dedicated to explaining the entire case, it was ended rather quickly. One moment Valdemar was mesmerized and the next he was "a nearly liquid mass of loathsome- of detestable putrescence." (Poe 19). By ending the story abruptly, Poe adds elements of ambiguity and self-reflection. The reader is then left to decide whether this is a true account, if Valdemar was really kept among the living, and what the repercussions were. The narrator never answers all the questions proposed within the work. The story is suspenseful because Poe does not provide all the answers, which attributes to elements of the unknown. Not knowing information about something creates a definite sense of fear despite if it is simply whether or not there is a paper due the next day, or if it's the possibility of conserving a dying person using mesmerization. Using this technique to end the story allows the reader to create unique personal endings to the story as they see fit.

Edgar Allen Poe has managed to successfully write multiple short horror stories by using elements of the unknown, unique narration techniques, and creative word choice. Poe's extraordinary imagery allows the reader to be thoroughly involved in the journey and make some assumptions for themselves. "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar" demonstrates all of these great writing techniques and is considered to be one of Poe's best horror and science fiction stories.
