A TALE OF THE X-RAY (1898) – Written by Clara H. Holmes. This short story was first published in her collection titled Floating Fancies Among the Weird and the Occult, but it’s more science fiction.
Wealthy Christopher Hembold, who dabbles in amateur psychological research, wants to prove his theory that emotional changes make physiological alterations in the brain and can be measured via x-rays.
So obsessed is he with gaining evidence to support his theory that he desperately convinces a well-established scientist to use him as a human guinea pig. Christopher gets the reluctant genius to x-ray his head over and over again for days, hoping for results that show evidence of our main character’s changing emotions.
Months later, Hembold has lost all his hair and his face is malformed and the consistency of dried leather. Not only has his theory not been proven, he now faces a life as a freakish outsider.
The story ends on that note, putting a reader in mind of much later anthology shows. Had the tale continued beyond this point, this original “Leatherface” may have made for an iconic horror figure as he fought hostility based on his monstrous appearance.
NOTE: This same collection also featured the Clara Holmes short story Nordhung Nordjansen. That work presented the Norwegian title character captaining a voyage to the North Pole. The pole turns out to be an actual object which is so magnetic that it attracts the ship’s hull and won’t let go.
That leads to Captain Nordjansen discovering an entrance to the Inner Earth. Upon exploring, our hero learns that the subterranean territory is inhabited by human-shaped mist people who communicate with him telepathically.
After years of living among the mist people and learning more about them, Nordhung longs to return to the Earth’s surface. His efforts lead him to another entranceway but this one opens up in Antarctica. Against astronomical odds, a ship happens by, rescues him from an icy island and takes him back to civilization.
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Balladeer's Blog 
Intriguing, but maybe a tad dated for me!
Thanks! I understand!
TIL that people knew about X-Rays in 1898, which is a little longer ago than I would have guessed (if somebody had asked me I would have said 1920s maybe).
Yeah, these old works of sci fi are fascinating for all kinds of reasons!
A great review of science fiction. I’ve never heard of this ancient tale before but found it fascinating. The stories of scientists have often made for strong movies that are engaging. For instance, the premise of “A Tale of the X-Ray” is reminiscent of the “Jurassic Park” film franchise. Both movies focus on driven scientists conducting experiments that involve dangerous creatures with grim consequences.
Recently, I had an opportunity to watch “Jurassic World: Dominion” and really enjoyed it. Nowhere near a great movie but also not as bad as critics had made it out to be. Here’s why it’s worth seeing:
Great science fiction stories. I have not heard of “A Tale of the X-Ray” before, but it definitely does sound fascinating. The story brings to mind great movies about physicists that I have seen and love. For instance, it reminded me of Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer”. The Oscar-winning biopic traced the life of a physicist that designed a bomb which was historic. One of the best movies of 2023. Oppenheimer bears similarities with Christopher in this story. Both are physicists seeking to conduct experiments that have a lasting impact on the world.
“Oppenheimer” was a worthy winner for Best Picture at last year’s Oscars. Here is why I loved it:
Thanks! I’m on my way to your review of Oppenheimer.