The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-23
"THE POISON BELT"

By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Illustrated.
George d. Horan company, publishers,
New York.
Conan Doyle's literary record has been
both adventurous and varied. He drifted
into writing in order that he might fill up
a dull period. He had just put out his
plate announcing himself a doctor in
Southsea, rather sow-going port in the
south of England. No patients came;
either people were very healthy in South
sea or they distrusted the youth of the
doctor with the Scotch accent Finances
began to run low-how low Conan Doyle
only tells to his dearest friends In des-
peration and to save himself from depres-
sion, he commenced to write detective
stories, striking at once the gait which
has brought him popularity. For some
time his secret ambition was to succeed
as an historical novelist, and he is re-
sponsible for one of the best historical
novels of our time-"Micah Clarke; but
the public preferred him in the guise of
literary detective. In his last two novels
he has chosen a bigger and more imagin-
ative field than either that of the his
torical or the detective novel, namely, the
novel of fancy, which is based on some
wild guess at the outcome of the risks
that nature is habitually taking with this
world of ours. His first guess, a glance
into our past, was called THE Lost
"The Poison Belt natures secret was
Professor Challenger weird creation.
On August IS next, the world will come
to an end. On that date the planet which
has gone quietly through space for some
millions of years will pass through a
belt of ether which has in some way be-
come a deadly poison to all animal life.
BY the time this zone of lethal ether has
been traversed there will be left no single
living thing. This planet will emerge
from the dreadful bath stripped as bare
of human life when 1t first began its
journey through intersidereal space.
What Is this "poison belt?" How will
its approach be heralded? Who announces
this astounding scientific prophecy?
This statement of fact dt cannot be be-
Titled by calling it a mere prophecy is
made public by no less a personage than
the hero of the present story. the emil
nent British scientist. 1t is stated in all
it's thrilling details by Conan Doyle in
"The Poison Belt" the most extraordi-
nary mystery story ever written.
For Professor Challenger is the most
remarkable individual yet evolved from
Conan Doyle's fertile fancy. Beside his
adventures, those OF Sherlock Holmes.
his predecessor in Conan Doyles inven-
tions. fades into a second place. OF what
significance are the exploits of the famous
detective when compared with the deeds
of this bewhiskered scientist who holds
the whole world spellbound with his dis
coveries? If his predictions come true
Gas, of course, they musD there will in
deed be no Christmas on this planet next
year; but in the meantime its nha bitants
are revelling in the most absorbing mys-
terry story every invented-"The Poison
Belt"
1.-THE Poison Belt'' starts with a sensa-
ton, goes on with shock and keeps the
reader greedly eager throughout. 1t de-
scribes something which might happen
any day, but which never has happened
You must read THE Poison Belt" One
small hint of what it is about and you
will read II.