The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar is a suspense horror Short Story written by Edgar Allan Poe, published in 1845.
The narrator expresses an interest in experimenting with mesmerism on a subject at the point of death, and his idea is to test this on an acquaintance of his, Ernest Valdemar, who is dying of phthisis. With Valdemar's consent, the mesmerist proceeds with the experiment with witnesses to observe.
While in a trance, Valdemar confirms that he was dying, and then has died. Seemingly succeeding in the experiment, the mesmerist and physicians begin their daily examinations for seven months on the results of the experiment before deciding to attempt to waken him from his hypnotic trance...
This story was adapted as the third segment of the Roger Corman film Tales of Terror.
"Valdemar tropes, are you asleep?"
- Body Horror: One of the most disturbing cases of this in the story. Valdemar's deceased corpse, during the mesmerist's attempt to awaken him, undergoes a rapid rotting process, leaving behind "a nearly liquid mass of loathsome - of detestable putrescence".
- Bungled Hypnotism: The mesmerist wanted to experiment with hypnosis on a subject at the point of death, and his acquaintance Valdemar agreed to be tested on the night of his predicted death. The experiment actually worked, leaving him in a hypnotic state with paled skin and scarcely a pulse. However, when attempting to awaken him, things go completely awry as Valdemar's corpse rapidly rots away while he repeatedly cries out "Dead! Dead!", leaving a "nearly liquid mass of loathsome putresence."
- The Case of...: A proto-example of this, before later stories would codify it.
- No Immortal Inertia: The unfortunate fate that befalls M. Valdemar when an attempt to waken him from his done to him - with horrific results.
- Rule of Seven: The mesmerist and their colleagues made further observations and monitoring the body of Valdemar for seven months before attempting to awaken him.
- Victorian Novel Disease: And not in a sentimentally romantic way, in the case of M. Valdemar. Plus, his death was more brutal compared to the women in Poe's works who undergo the same ailments.
