Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) practiced medicine in the resort town of Southsea, England, and wrote stories while waiting for his patients to arrive. In 1886, he created two of the greatest fictional characters of all time: the detective Sherlock Holmes and his partner, Dr. Watson. Over the course of four novels and fifty-six short stories, Conan Doyle set a standard for crime fiction that has yet to be surpassed.
“Every writer owes something to Holmes.” —T. S. Eliot
“Sherlock Holmes is the very foundation stone of the edifice that is crime fiction.” —The Times (London)
“[Holmes] is probably the only literary creation since the creations of Dickens which has really passed into the life and language of the people.” —G. K. Chesterton