The narrator is invited by a doctor to witness the unwrapping of a mummy at a private residence. After arriving, he and the assembled group of excited men begin opening the sarcophagus and eventually unveil the mummified body, which appears to be surprisingly well-preserved. After some hours of examine the body, they decide to electrify the corpse, only to awaken the ancient personage, who then proceeds to converse with the men at great length about their ignorance and the true history of the Egyptians. Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849) was an American author, editor, poet, and critic. Most famous for his stories of mystery and horror, he was one of the first American short story writers, and is widely considered to be the inventor of the detective fiction genre. Many antiquarian books such as this are becoming increasingly rare and expensive. We are republishing "Some Words with a Mummy” now in an affordable, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.