"Proof Positive" is a short story by

Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading English novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquir ...

written in 1930 and first published in 1931 as the winner of the first prize (10 Guineas) in a newspaper ghost story competition. .

Publication

The story was collected in Greene's 1947 collection ''

Nineteen Stories Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20 * one of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (film), a 1987 science fiction film Music ...

''.

Inspiration

The story was inspired by

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wide ...

's short story " The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar" (1845).

Plot

The story concerns a meeting of the 'local

Psychical A psychic is a person who claims to use extrasensory perception (ESP) to identify information hidden from the normal senses, particularly involving telepathy or clairvoyance, or who performs acts that are apparently inexplicable by natural laws, ...

Society' at which guest speaker, Major Weaver, claims to have 'proof positive' that 'the spirit does not die when the body dies'. The Major appears ill and carries a handkerchief with an overpoweringly sweet odor. As he speaks his words become increasingly disjointed until finally it degenerates into an 'odd jangling note' as he collapses back into his chair. A doctor from the audience rushes onstage, discards the handkerchief and pronounces him dead. As another more unpleasant smell can be detected the doctor whispers "The man must have been dead a week..."

Radio adaptation

The story was dramatized for ''

The Black Mass ''The Black Mass'' was a horror-fantasy radio drama produced by Erik Bauersfeld, a leading American radio dramatist of the post-television era. The series aired on KPFA (Berkeley) and KPFK (Los Angeles) from 1963 to 1967, on an irregular schedule. ...

'' radio series broadcast on

KPFA KPFA (94.1 FM) is an American listener-funded talk radio and music radio station located in Berkeley, California, broadcasting to the San Francisco Bay Area. KPFA airs public news, public affairs, talk, and music programming. The station sig ...

on June 3, 1964.Black Mass
''My KPFA — A Historical Footnote''

References

External links

mp3 audio file of radio play
1930 short stories Short stories by Graham Greene Works originally published in Harper's Magazine 1964 radio dramas Fiction about psychic powers {{1930s-story-stub