The First Modern Ghost Story

Written in 1706, this pamphlet is considered the first modern ghost story. It was designed to look like a factual news report to convince skeptics that a woman had truly visited her friend after death.

Published anonymously by Daniel Defoe, the story reads like a gritty piece of journalism rather than a fairy tale. By including precise dates, specific locations, and mundane details about daily life, it blurred the line between reality and fiction for early readers. This clever approach set the blueprint for how authors create believable supernatural horror today. It remains a landmark bridge between historical non-fiction and the birth of literary suspense.