The Journal of Julius Rodman

An authentic description of an expedition across the heart of the Rocky Mountains that turned out to be an elaborate hoax.

"The Journal of Julius Rodman" is Edgar Allen Poe’s second attempt at producing a lengthier work and until recently even hardcore fans have missed out on this adventurous gem.

It tells the story of the first expedition over the Rocky Mountains conducted by "civilized man" and is packed with wild and vivid nature descriptions, encounters with Native American tribes and supreme emotions bringing Leonardo DiCaprio’s "The Revenant" to mind.

Intended as a serialized novel, it was published anonymously in six instalments in Burton’s Gentleman Magazine in 1839-40 while Poe was working as a contributing editor. This novel, though unfinished, is extremely enjoyable and even prominent Senators initially believed the expedition to be a true story. A must-read for bona fide Poe fans.


Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was an American poet, author, and literary critic. Most famous for his poetry, short stories, and tales of the supernatural, mysterious, and macabre, he is also regarded as the inventor of the detective genre and a contributor to the emergence of science fiction, dark romanticism, and weird fiction. His most famous works include "The Raven" (1945), 'The Black Cat" (1943), and "The Gold-Bug" (1843).