The Professor Challenger Books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle is best known for his fictional stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, which are generally considered milestones in the field of crime fiction. He is also known for writing the fictional adventures of a second character he invented, Professor Challenger, and for popularising the mystery of the Mary Celeste. He was a prolific writer whose other works include fantasy and science fiction stories, plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction and historical novels.
The Lost World and the Poison Belt
I downloaded the first two of the Professor Challenger books (which are clearly in the sci-fi realm) in ebook form from Gutenburg and read them on a trip to Darwin in early October 2015. They were fantastic and hard to put down once I started. Doyle is dazzling in his imagination and in the scope of his stories and these two do not disappoint. They are classic examples of what might be called 'Ripping Yarns'.
The Lost World
Is a novel released in 1912 concerning an expedition to a plateau in the Amazon basin of South America where prehistoric animals (dinosaurs and other extinct creatures) still survive. It was originally published serially in the popular Strand Magazine and illustrated by New-Zealand-born artist Harry Rountree during the months of April–November 1912. The character of Professor Challenger was introduced in this book.
The Poison Belt
Is the second story, a novella, written about Professor Challenger. Penned in 1913, roughly a year before the outbreak of World War I, much of it takes place in a single room in Challenger's house in Sussex – rather oddly, given that it follows The Lost World, a story set largely outdoors in the wilds of South America. What a wonderfully creative mind he had. Nowadays we know that the "ether" does not exist but it was accepted scientifically at the time. This would have made a fantastic movie.
The Land of Mist, When the World Screamed and The Disintegration Machine
This would be the last story written about Challenger until the 1920s, by which time Doyle's spiritualist beliefs had begun to influence his writing. Then Challenger returned with 3 further stories which are discussed below. I downloaded and read them in January 2016. Once again, I was amazed by the imagination of Doyle, albeit
The Land of Mist (1926)
Although this is a Professor Challenger story, it centres more on his daughter Enid and his old friend Edward Malone. Heavily influenced by Doyle's growing belief in Spiritualism after the death of his son, brother, and two nephews in World War I, the book focuses on Edward Malone's at first professional, and later personal interest in Spiritualism. It is the most disappointing of the Challenger books as it is really just one long sermon about spiritualism.
During the last part of his life, he devoted much time and money to the cause of spiritualism. For instance he published The History of Spiritualism (Doyle, 1926), and he went on several lecturing tours in Britain, Australia and the U.S.A. as an advocate of the belief in a spiritual afterlife.
When the World Screamed (1928) and
Very much a short story, Professor Challenger, with the help of Malone and a new character, Mr Peerless Jones, drills into the earth until he reaches the mantle, convinced that it is a sentient being, akin to an echinus, and that by doing so he will be the first person to alert it to mankind's presence. You will have to read the story to see what happens - it is a superb read by this most imaginative of writers.
The Disintegration Machine (1929).
Another very short story which centres on the discovery of a machine capable of disintegrating objects and reforming them as they were. What should Challenger do about such an invention when it is shown to him. A most unexpected final few pages!
Arthur Conan Doyle is best known for his fictional stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, which are generally considered milestones in the field of crime fiction. He is also known for writing the fictional adventures of a second character he invented, Professor Challenger, and for popularising the mystery of the Mary Celeste. He was a prolific writer whose other works include fantasy and science fiction stories, plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction and historical novels.
The Lost World and the Poison Belt
I downloaded the first two of the Professor Challenger books (which are clearly in the sci-fi realm) in ebook form from Gutenburg and read them on a trip to Darwin in early October 2015. They were fantastic and hard to put down once I started. Doyle is dazzling in his imagination and in the scope of his stories and these two do not disappoint. They are classic examples of what might be called 'Ripping Yarns'.
The Lost World
Is a novel released in 1912 concerning an expedition to a plateau in the Amazon basin of South America where prehistoric animals (dinosaurs and other extinct creatures) still survive. It was originally published serially in the popular Strand Magazine and illustrated by New-Zealand-born artist Harry Rountree during the months of April–November 1912. The character of Professor Challenger was introduced in this book.
The Poison Belt
Is the second story, a novella, written about Professor Challenger. Penned in 1913, roughly a year before the outbreak of World War I, much of it takes place in a single room in Challenger's house in Sussex – rather oddly, given that it follows The Lost World, a story set largely outdoors in the wilds of South America. What a wonderfully creative mind he had. Nowadays we know that the "ether" does not exist but it was accepted scientifically at the time. This would have made a fantastic movie.
The Land of Mist, When the World Screamed and The Disintegration Machine
This would be the last story written about Challenger until the 1920s, by which time Doyle's spiritualist beliefs had begun to influence his writing. Then Challenger returned with 3 further stories which are discussed below. I downloaded and read them in January 2016. Once again, I was amazed by the imagination of Doyle, albeit
The Land of Mist (1926)
Although this is a Professor Challenger story, it centres more on his daughter Enid and his old friend Edward Malone. Heavily influenced by Doyle's growing belief in Spiritualism after the death of his son, brother, and two nephews in World War I, the book focuses on Edward Malone's at first professional, and later personal interest in Spiritualism. It is the most disappointing of the Challenger books as it is really just one long sermon about spiritualism.
During the last part of his life, he devoted much time and money to the cause of spiritualism. For instance he published The History of Spiritualism (Doyle, 1926), and he went on several lecturing tours in Britain, Australia and the U.S.A. as an advocate of the belief in a spiritual afterlife.
When the World Screamed (1928) and
Very much a short story, Professor Challenger, with the help of Malone and a new character, Mr Peerless Jones, drills into the earth until he reaches the mantle, convinced that it is a sentient being, akin to an echinus, and that by doing so he will be the first person to alert it to mankind's presence. You will have to read the story to see what happens - it is a superb read by this most imaginative of writers.
The Disintegration Machine (1929).
Another very short story which centres on the discovery of a machine capable of disintegrating objects and reforming them as they were. What should Challenger do about such an invention when it is shown to him. A most unexpected final few pages!
No comments:
Post a Comment