Line #32 Creator/ArthurConanDoyle


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/conan_doyle.jpg]]
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3	->''"I should dearly love that the world should be ever so little better for my presence. Even on this small stage we have our two sides, and something might be done by throwing all one's weight on the scale of breadth, tolerance, charity, temperance, peace, and kindliness to man and beast. We can't all strike very big blows, and even the little ones count for something."''
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5	Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was the creator of Literature/SherlockHolmes and Literature/ProfessorChallenger. He wrote many other stories, but mostly only the ones regarding the famous detective are remembered now. Anyone with an interest in medieval history and historical fiction should read his novel ''Literature/TheWhiteCompany'', providing both a fairly accurate depiction of the subject for its time (and the knowledge they had), and a fine insight into A.C.D.'s own time; British Imperialism, The Empire (after all, it was the largest ever), and the mentality that justified and drove it.
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7	[[HeAlsoDid He started his career]] as a physician and took advanced degrees in medicine and opthalmology, but found much more success from his literary pursuits than in medical practice. One of his medical professors, Joseph Bell, is said to be the inspiration for Sherlock Holmes, with his uncanny knack for observation and deduction. Doyle was also a keen amateur athlete, taking respectable turns in cricket [[note]] he played a handful of first-class matches for the MCC, his only wicket at that level being that of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._G._Grace W.G. Grace]] [[/note]], boxing, football [[note]] under the pseudonym "A.C. Smith", he played in goal for [[UsefulNotes/BritishFootyTeams Portsmouth]], back when they were an amateurs-only side [[/note]] and golf. ''[[RenaissanceMan And]]'' he dabbled successfully in architecture, supporting the preservation of historic buildings and providing a design that was used for the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasshayes Lyndhurst Park Hotel]].
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9	More controversially, he had a pronounced mystical streak, becoming a prominent advocate for [[PsychicPowers psychical research]] and [[SpookySeance Spiritualism]]. This led to many disputes with other public figures such as Creator/HarryHoudini and Joseph [=McCabe=] who took a more skeptical view. In the case of the former, it cost Doyle his friendship with Houdini after a time. Houdini would explain exactly what he was doing with regards to cold reading, psychics, seances, et cetera, all so that Doyle could see that self-professed psychics were fraudsters that preyed on the vulnerable. However, Doyle ended up telling Houdini that he clearly had a spiritual gift that should be shared with the world. Despite several of his claims being debunked, Doyle remained a staunch believer and advocate, even having some of his fictional characters such as Literature/ProfessorChallenger turn to Spiritualism. (Interestingly though, the famously rational Holmes and Watson never gave credence to the paranormal; make of that what you will.)
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11	An early film interview from 1927 in which the man himself discusses the origins of Sherlock Holmes and his interest in Spiritualism can be seen [[https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/sir-arthur-conan-doyle-interview-1927 here]].
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13	!!Works by Arthur Conan Doyle with their own trope pages include:
14	[[index]]
15	* ''Literature/JohnBarringtonCowles''
16	* ''Literature/SherlockHolmes'' series
17	* ''Literature/ProfessorChallenger''
18	** ''Literature/{{The Lost World\|1912}}'' (his most famous non-Holmes novel)
19	** ''Literature/ThePoisonBelt''
20	* ''Literature/TheTerrorOfBlueJohnGap''
21	* ''Literature/TheWhiteCompany''
22	* ''Literature/TheWarInSouthAfrica''
23	* ''Literature/LotNo249''
24	[[/index]]
25	!!Provides the TropeNamer to:
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27	* WatsonianVersusDoylist
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29	----
30	!!Other works by Arthur Conan Doyle provide examples of:
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32	* ArtisticLicenseGeography / ArtisticLicenseGeology: ''The Terror of Blue John Gap'' has the titular cave (a source of the semi-precious stone [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_John Blue John]]) several miles from Castleton in Derbyshire. Blue John is in fact only found in the immediate vicinity of Castleton.
33	* BloodStainedLetter: "The Horror of the Heights" is about an aviator who discovered fantastic creatures living high in the atmosphere, but who later crashed and all that was recovered from the wreckage was a torn and bloody journal telling of something that had been following him.
34	* TheCameo: While not explicitly named, "The Lost Special" feature an "amateur reasoner" with a complicated theory [[spoiler:that turns out to be wrong]], while the entire plot ([[spoiler:hijacking a train and diverting it into an abandoned mineshaft]]) is the idea of "[[EvilGenius one of the acutest brains in England]]".
35	* CavalryOfficer: The ''Brigadier Gerard'' stories, which to a large extent were based on the memoirs of the French Colonel Marbot.
36	* ColdBloodedTorture: A few horrifying descriptions of the fate of anyone captured by the Iroquis can be found in ''The Refugees''.
37	* CreatorBreakdown: His friend Harry Houdini believed this had happened after the deaths of several of his loved ones, including his son Kingsley in WWI, following which Doyle became a devout believer in [[SpookySeance spiritualism]] and the supernatural and made his rationalist character Professor Challenger follow the same route. Houdini unsuccessfully tried to show him it was false by [[DoingInTheWizard debunking spirit mediums]], but to no avail. Doyle instead started to believe that Houdini ''himself'' had PsychicPowers, which he used to [[AntiMagic "disrupt"]] others, and perform some of his most hard-to-figure-out magic tricks.
38	* CreepyCave: the one in ''The Terror of Blue John Gap''.
39	* DeathByIrony: In ''The Firm Of Girdlestone'', [[spoiler:both Girdlestones deliberately run under-repaired ships to trade with Africa, so they can save money and collect on the insurance, and don't give a rap about the lives they risk. They also try to deceive everyone throughout the book, out of selfishness and pride. Their downfall comes when someone selfish and proud fools ''them'', and they run from the cops...[[ChekhovsGun to the under-repaired ship from earlier in the book]]. The boat sinks, and both formerly-rich men fight over a single natural object; a ledge that could save their life from the stormy sea, but it can only hold one. Ezra wins. We don't learn exactly what happens to him, but Tom hears a story about a poor, broken man who matched Ezra's description, who died in a random drunken gambling brawl. Long way to fall for a rich man-about-town.]]
40	* DeathSeeker: "The Captain of the Pole-Star".
41	* DysfunctionalFamily: Doyle accumulated a huge archive of letters, journals, stories and notes for stories. Rumored to be worth about four million dollars, it disappeared after his death. It seems that most of his kids were complete JerkAss wastrels who wanted to sell it to maintain their IdleRich lifestyles. Jean Conan Doyle DBE, the steadiest of the children, apparently got hold of it and willed it all to The British Library. Instead, after her death the massive collection somehow turned up at auction -- [[https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2004/12/13/mysterious-circumstances and this is where the story really starts]], including the weird death (murder or suicide?) of one of the world's foremost Holmes scholars.
42	* EnlightenedAntagonist: In "The Mystery of Cloomber", three Buddhist priests use their supernatural abilities to murder the British General Heatherstone and Colonel Rufus as payback for Heatherstone and Rufus killing their mentor during the First Afghan War.
43	* FlyingSeafoodSpecial: ''The Horror Of The Heights''.
44	* {{Hypocrite}}: Played with in ''The Firm Of Girdlestone''. The founder of the firm has no problem committing fraud and other deceptions, , risking his employees' lives by running under-repaired ships, and a displays staggering lack of charity to the needy[[note]]He does contribute to "fad" charities to get a good rep with the influential "friend" who asks for the money, but when a man dies in Girdlestone's employ, his penniless widow with kids comes to him for a pension or assistance. Girdlestone says she was drawing half-pay, so she owes ''him'' money.[[/note]], all while claiming to be a devout Christian. His own son isn't sure if dad's a knowing hypocrite, or just a "religious monomaniac". The narrator tells us it's worse; he's so twisted he can rationalize almost anything, up to and including [[spoiler:cold-blooded murder.]] This is contrasted with the Dimsdales, who are more flawed and human, but better Christians (and people) overall, and Major Clutterbuck, who has no religious inclination whatsoever, but still has a strong sense of honor and charity despite his own poverty and lies.
45	* {{Irony}}:
46	** In ''The Firm Of Girdlestone'', John Girdlestone is an ascetic "religious monomaniac" who can rationalize anything as long as it's For The Good Of The Firm. His son Ezra is known to gamble, play the ladies, and hang out with low company, much to John's frustration.
47	** [[spoiler:Also, when Ezra tries to enlist poor retired Major Clutterbuck in their international fraud scheme, he grossly offends the Major. He may make up stories (as he does later in the book to charm a charming widow), but he refuses to be drawn into outright fraud. When he blackmails John, he considers it fair play, and immediately shares the money with his equally poor roommate, with no thought of payback. He's ultimately a better person than both Girdlestones, despite his much worse rep.]]
48	** Also, [[spoiler:the Girdlestones tricked Tom into paying a "buy in" for the Firm (which they needed to stay afloat), but when they run from the noose, the junior partner actually manages to save it, and do what the experienced traders couldn't.]]
49	* MasqueradingAsTheUnseen: The short story "A Night Among the Nihilists" centers on an ordinary English merchant, who is mistaken for an agent of a terrorist cabal, since the cabal in Solteff, Russia knows only that their agent is an Englishman. He gets taken before their leaders to report on the progress of their "secret weapon". Despite knowing nothing about the terrorists or their plans, the good fellow is able to sustain a facade of competency.
50	* MonsterDelay: The creature in ''The Terror of Blue John Gap'' is not actually seen until the very end, with the protagonist’s first encounter with the creature being in total darkness.
51	* {{Mummy}}: ''Lot 249'' is about a man siccing a mummy on his enemies.
52	* MyCard: Common due to the Victorian setting.
53	* NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer: In his autobiography Doyle, several times, lists something absurdly ridiculous, and notes the reader ''will'' find it absolutely ridiculous, but comments that it's 100% true.
54	* OddFriendship: In "My Friend the Murderer". Holmes and Watson, at least to an extent, count too.
55	* OurVampiresAreDifferent: "The Americans Tale", "The Parasite"
56	* PatrioticFervor: Many of his historical novels have characters prophesying the eventual rise and dominance of the British Empire.
57	* UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeMammals: The beast from ''The Terror of Blue John Gap'' is described as a gigantic blind cave-dwelling cave bear like-creature larger than an elephant.
58	* PrehistoricMonster: The dinosaurs of the ''Literature/{{The Lost World\|1912}}'' and the cave-dwelling monster from ''Literature/TheTerrorOfBlueJohnGap''.
59	* ScoobyDooHoax: The twist of "Selecting a Ghost".
60	* SpookySeance: Conan Doyle took Spiritualism very seriously, and characters in several books and stories have séances and communicate with the spirits.
61	* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: A character in ''[[http://www.online-literature.com/doyle/captain_polestar/10/ The Ring of Thoth]]'' is four thousand years old.
62	* RecycledPlot: "The Brazilian Cat" has a lot in common with "Literature/TheHoundOfTheBaskervilles" and "The Speckled Band" ([[spoiler:an InheritanceMurder committed with an animal that turns against its owner, with the owner's wife trying to scare the victim away]]), though written from the victim's viewpoint.
63	* TakeThat: To Literature/SherlockHolmes in "The Story of the Lost Special", when an unnamed "amateur reasoner" writes to the papers suggesting a solution to the mystery, and uses Holmes's catchphrase about eliminating the impossible. As it turns out, his suggestion is not only far-fetched but completely wrong.
64	* WhoWantsToLiveForever: ''[[http://www.online-literature.com/doyle/captain_polestar/10/ The Ring of Thoth]]''.
65	* WriteWhoYouKnow: Professor Challenger and Sherlock Holmes were both based on lecturers Doyle had known at the University of Edinburgh. Challenger was inspired by a physiologist named William Rutherford, a large, baritone-voiced and eccentric bearded man. Holmes meanwhile, was based on Joseph Bell, a physician who used Holmes' brand of deduction on his patients, and would occasionally assist the Edinburg police on investigation, even giving Scotland Yard some small aide in the Jack the Ripper killings. Doyle had served as Bell's clerk at the Royal Edinburgh Infirmary.
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67	!! Arthur Conan Doyle in fiction:
68	* He's appeared as a fictional character in a series of murder mysteries featuring Creator/OscarWilde and Robert Sherard as the Holmes/Watson characters.
69	* The television series ''Series/HoudiniAndDoyle'' provides a fictionalized account of his real-life friendship with magician and escape artist Creator/HarryHoudini.
70	* ''Film/FairytaleATrueStory'' features Creator/PeterOToole as Doyle, portraying his involvement in the Cottingley Fairies controversy.
71	* In ''On Her Majesty's Wizardly Service'', the second Literature/FelineWizards novel, Doyle appears as "Artie", a young and very curious boy who gets to see the cat-wizards working magic.
72	* ''Film/FindingNeverland'': Portrayed by Creator/IanHart in a bit role.
73	* ''Film/ShanghaiKnights'': A fictionalized version as Inspector Arthur "Artie" Doyle (Creator/TomFisher).
74	* In ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedSyndicate'', he appears as a young boy who goes by the nickname "Artie". The [[PlayerCharacter Frye siblings]] encourage him to write his own crime novels.
75	* ''Series/DrunkHistory'' covers his interest in spiritualism which destroyed his friendship with Houdini. He's played by Creator/AlfredMolina.
76	** The UK version covers his inspiration to write Sherlock Holmes and is played by Bradley Walsh.
77	* He appears in ''VideoGame/BungoToAlchemist'' as a playable character.
78	* He appears in three episodes of ''Series/MurdochMysteries'' played by Stratford Festival vet Geraint Wyn Davies.
79	* He shows up in ''Manga/RecordOfRagnarok'' as a commentator on Jack the Ripper's battle.
80	* ''Series/MurderRooms'' has fictionalized versions of Joseph Bell and the young Arthur Conan Doyle solving mysteries as a Holmes-and-Watson-like team, with the implication that these experiences were the inspiration for the Sherlock Holmes stories Doyle went on to write.

Context Creator / ArthurConanDoyle