Edgar Allan Poe's novel The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym was published in 1838.
The full book appeared in July 1838 under the title The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. Harper & Brothers published it in one volume, presenting the story as an authentic account written by Pym rather than openly identifying Poe as its author on the title page.
The novel follows a young Nantucket sailor who stows away aboard the whaler Grampus. Its increasingly strange voyage includes shipwreck, mutiny, starvation, cannibalism, hostile encounters, and an unexplained journey toward the South Pole. Poe drew on contemporary travel narratives and exploration writing, especially material associated with J. N. Reynolds.
A few installments had appeared earlier in the Southern Literary Messenger, but that serialization was never completed. The 1838 book edition was Poe's only completed novel. Its abrupt ending and unsettling imagery helped make it an influential early example of American adventure and horror fiction.