The Poison Belt: Together with The Disintegration Machine and When The World Screamed
by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Professor Challenger (Collections and Selections — omnibus 2, 4, 5)
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Summoned from London, journalist Edward Malone, narrator of Arthur Conan Doyle's prehistoric-adventure novel The Lost World, finds himself reunited with his erstwhile travelling companions at the country home of their leader, the indomitable Professor Challenger, who, confining his guests in a sealed room with the cylinders of oxygen they have brought at his request, informs them that the Earth is passing through an immense miasma of poisonous ether that will likely extirpate all life. And show more so the isolated inmates begin a grim and terrifying vigil - but will the toxic vapour dissipate before their limited supply of oxygen is exhausted? Presented here with two short stories representing further thrilling episodes in the illustrious career of Conan Doyle's other great anti-hero, Professor Challenger - 'The Disintegration Machine' and 'When the World Screamed' - The Poison Belt is a tour de force of speculative fiction that is the equal of any of the author's best-known works. show lessTags
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The most famous fictional detective in the world is Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. However, Doyle was, at best, ambivalent about his immensely successful literary creation and, at worst, resentful that his more "serious" fiction was relatively ignored. Born in Edinburgh, Doyle studied medicine from 1876 to 1881 and received his M.D. in show more 1885. He worked as a military physician in South Africa during the Boer War and was knighted in 1902 for his exceptional service. Doyle was drawn to writing at an early age. Although he attempted to enter private practice in Southsea, Portsmouth, in 1882, he soon turned to writing in his spare time; it eventually became his profession. As a Liberal Unionist, Doyle ran, unsuccessfully, for Parliament in 1903. During his later years, Doyle became an avowed spiritualist. Doyle sold his first story, "The Mystery of the Sasassa Valley," to Chambers' Journal in 1879. When Doyle published the novel, A Study in Scarlet in 1887, Sherlock Holmes was introduced to an avid public. Doyle is reputed to have used one of his medical professors, Dr. Joseph Bell, as a model for Holmes's character. Eventually, Doyle wrote three additional Holmes novels and five collections of Holmes short stories. A brilliant, though somewhat eccentric, detective, Holmes employs scientific methods of observation and deduction to solve the mysteries that he investigates. Although an "amateur" private detective, he is frequently called upon by Scotland Yard for assistance. Holmes's assistant, the faithful Dr. Watson, provides a striking contrast to Holmes's brilliant intellect and, in Doyle's day at least, serves as a character with whom the reader can readily identify. Having tired of Holmes's popularity, Doyle even tried to kill the great detective in "The Final Problem" but was forced by an outraged public to resurrect him in 1903. Although Holmes remained Doyle's most popular literary creation, Doyle wrote prolifically in other genres, including historical adventure, science fiction, and supernatural fiction. Despite Doyle's sometimes careless writing, he was a superb storyteller. His great skill as a popular author lay in his technique of involving readers in his highly entertaining adventures. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Arthur Conan Doyle has a Legacy Library. Legacy libraries are the personal libraries of famous readers, entered by LibraryThing members from the Legacy Libraries group.
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Colecção Argonauta (357)
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- Canonical title
- The Poison Belt: Together with The Disintegration Machine and When The World Screamed
- Original title
- The Poison Belt, When the World Screamed and The Desintegration Machine
- Original publication date
- 1964 (collection) (collection)
- People/Characters*
- Professor Challenger
- First words
- ["The Poison Belt"]
It is imperative that now at once, while these stupendous events are still clear in my mind, I should set them down with that exactness of detail which time may blur. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)["When the World Screamed"]
To set the whole world screaming was the privilege of Challenger alone. - Publisher's editor*
- Michael Görden
- Original language*
- Englisch
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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- English, German, Portuguese
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- Paper
- ISBNs
- 4
- ASINs
- 2
