1. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle  1859-1929

2. Childhood  Edinburgh, Scotland  Mother, Mary Doyle, was greatest influence because of her gift as a storyteller  “sinking in her voice to a horror stricken whisper”  Father severely demented from alcoholism  Co-signed papers to have him committed  1880 The Surgeon of Gaster Fell

3. Creation of Sherlock Holmes  Went to medical school at University of Edinburgh  Dr. Joseph Bell-mentor-master in  Observation, logic, deduction, and diagnosis  Doyle was quoted as saying Bell was the inspiration for his most famous character

4. Additional Influences  Greatest literary influence? (hint: famous American mystery and horror writer)  In 3 rd year of medical school he was a ship’s surgeon aboard a ship sailing to the Arctic Circle  He returned and published Captain of the Pole Star

5. Career  1885 opens medical practice and marries first wife Louisa Hawkins  1888 first Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson novel called A Study in Scarlet  More popular in America  Published short stories in The Strand magazine for several decades-VERY POPULAR  1893 gives up medical career to write full time

6. Career  1893 The Final Problem  Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty die  20,000 people cancel their subscriptions to The Strand

7. Career  Unable to become a soldier in Boer War  Publishes 500 page chronicle about experience as a physician in The Great Boer War  Return to literary popularity in 1901 in The Strand with first episode of The Hound of the Baskervilles-set before his death  1907 publishes The Speckled Band-first play to become popular

8. Career  Focus of writing shifts after WWI  Loses two sons, two brothers-in-law, and other relatives in war  1913 The Last Bow-about politics and the military  Switched to Science Fiction and Spiritualism

9. Spiritualism  Characterized by  The dead  Existence of fairies  Mediums gravitating around them  These considered members of the occult

10. Return to Popularity  Hadn’t written fiction in about 10 years  Wrote 3 more novels-Beginning with Hound of the Baskervilles  Revived Sherlock Holmes in The Return of Sherlock Holmes-”The Adventure of the Empty House  13 short stories  Sherlockholmesonline.org