Rockport, Texas - One of the world’s unsolved mysteries began a few years after the death of the great novelist Charles Dickens.

A young printer from Brattleboro, Vermont, named Thomas P. James made the incredible claim that he was talking to Dickens’ ghost.

When Dickens died suddenly in 1870, it was a catastrophe for his publishers. The had already serialized the first six installments of his final work - The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

Now millions of fans on both sides of the Atlantic were expectantly waiting for the rest of the story, which had grown more mystifying with each installment.

Trying to capitalize on the situation, half a dozen writers rushed into print with their own version of Edwin Drood. But their solutions all left loose ends dangling, and no one was able to successfully match Dickens’ style.

Young James made his extraordinary claim at the very peak of the excitement, on Oct. 3, 1872. He told newspapers there was no need to despair about The Mystery of Edwin Drood because Dickens was writing the final installments from beyond the grave - and would dictate them to James.

Thomas James seemed an unlikely medium since he claimed no previous contacts with spirits.

Newspapers had their fun with the story, and then let the matter drop. But on Oct. 31, 1873. the story exploded into a world-wide sensation.

An amazed published read James’ complete manuscript - grudgingly at first, then with growing excitement.

The Mystery of Edwin Drood, in book form, was published “as dictated by the late Charles Dickens” to the unknown printer.

Critics in the US and England were stunned. Not only did the book unravel the Drood mystery, but it was written in Dickens’ unmistakable style.

To publishers, what followed was even more incredible.

Convinced the young man was a literary genius, publishers rushed to sign Thomas James to a writing contract. His signature on any of them would have brought him instant wealth.

But James declined any offers. He claimed he was no writer, and never had been.

“Now that Dickens has finished his book,” he said, “I won’t be writing another line.”

Five years after the book hit bookshelves, James disappeared.

Later, after attempts to locate him proved futile, some came to the conclusion that the strange young man had at last met Charles Dickens face-to-face.

Dean Terry for Our Strange World