Daniel Defoe 
True Relation of the Apparition of One Mrs. Veal [PDF ebook] 
The Next Day After Her Death, to One Mrs. Bargrave, at Canterbury, the 8th of September, 1705; Which Apparition Recommends the Perusal of Drelincourt’s Book of Consolations Against the Fears of Death

English writer Daniel Defoe was an important early figure in the development of the novel, and his works Robinson Crusoe and Moll Flanders are key examples of his influence. This short piece, originally published as an anonymous pamphlet, recounts a reportedly true encounter with the spirit realm.