The Poison Belt (1913)

This is the second novel featuring the character of Professor Challenger, although I read this one long before I read The Lost World, as a child. It is an early entry in the apocalyptic fiction sub-genre. ( )

This is an interesting book from a historical perspective. It was one of the early incarnations of the "perils from space" branch of science fiction and influenced later works in the genre.

As a stand-alone work of fiction, it hasn't aged well at all. The "science" underlying the plot is laughable. This is to be expected nearly a hundred years after the book was published. The racism that appears throughout the book is more troubling. It was, of course, an outgrowth of the British colonial mindset of the time, but that doesn't make it any easier to swallow in 2012.

Professor Challenger's character is also problematic. His arrogance and bumptiousness become more of a distraction from the plot as the novel progresses. Some reviewers see him as a comic element, remaining steadfastly didactic as the cosmic catastrophe unfolds. I'm not sure that was the author's intent. Science fiction is a genre about ideas. A good science fiction novel takes a compelling idea and develops it. The author's skill is revealed through the tools he or she uses in developing that idea. In the case of this novel, all the ideas are explained through Professor Challenger's monologues. He takes the role of the omniscient narrator, which strains the plot's credibility. I understand that Challenger is supposed to be extraordinarily intelligent and educated; that's part of the draw of the series of Challenger novels. It just feels like laziness on Conan Doyle's part to rely so heavily on one character. This would have been a much more interesting novel if the plot had developed more organically. ( )

All science fiction is stuck with the science of its time and this short novel is no exception. Continuing with his characters from The Lost World, Conan Doyle creates a global catastrophe in which Professor Challenger can once again prove his brilliance. The ending is "happy" and resolves none of the issues raised, but this was a short happy read. ( )

I have seen several movie adaptations but never read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Lost World". As a result what I remembered from that work was mostly the scenery, the animals, the background, but not the people. Therefore when I recently read "The Poison Belt" professor Challenger, who was the main figure in both was not a familiar character to me. This was troubling, because particularly at the beginning of the book, there were lots of references and hints that either pointed to events mentioned in earlier stories and books or simply assumed that the reader is aware of them. I got over this initial hurdle though fast enough as things, along with the Earth, moved on.

This latter movement was the cause of the challenge Challenger and his hastily assembled group had to face: the planet was supposedly going through an area of the universe that has so poisonous air that it kills every human being. The book describes how the professor discovered the incoming apocalypse and how his team and opponents observed the changed, while discussing the catastrophe. They escaped I a sealed room with the help of their oxygen bottles and masks.

I won't tell you of course the ending, but I found it disappointing. One of my favorite genres is post-apocalyptic fiction and this didn't turn into one. The book was a quick and pleasant enough read, but the lack of required background knowledge and the outdated science didn't make it a classic that can stand time, unlike some of the Sherlock Holmes books. (I have to read some now, before I can go and check out the new movie of S.H.)

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle using characters from Lost World to experience a mysterious belt of ether that the earth will pass through.

By isolating themselves in a small room with a supply of oxygen they are able to survive a horrible fate.

This book is a quick read but somethimes the heavy British language stalls the story. ( )