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George Edward Challenger, better known as Professor Challenger, is a fictional character in a series of science fiction stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Unlike the cool, analytic Holmes, Professor Challenger is an aggressive, dominating figure. Ed Malone, the narrator of The Lost World, described Challenger this way after first meeting him: Image File history File links Professor_Challenger. ...
The Poison Belt was the second novel Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote about Professor Challenger. ...
The Strand Magazine was a monthly fiction magazine founded by George Newnes. ...
A fictional character is any person who appears in a work of fiction. ...
Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ...
Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (May 22, 1859 - July 7, 1930) is the British author most famously known for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, which are generally considered a major innovation in the field of crime fiction. ...
"His appearance made me gasp. I was prepared for something strange, but not for so overpowering a personality as this. It was his size, which took one's breath away-his size and his imposing presence. His head was enormous, the largest I have ever seen upon a human being. I am sure that his top hat, had I ventured to don it, would have slipped over me entirely and rested on my shoulders. He had the face and beard, which I associate with an Assyrian bull; the former florid, the latter so black as almost to have a suspicion of blue, spade-shaped and rippling down over his chest. The hair was peculiar, plastered down in front in a long, curving wisp over his massive forehead. The eyes were blue-grey under great black tufts, very clear, very critical, and very masterful. A huge spread of shoulders and a chest like a barrel were the other parts of him which appeared above the table, save for two enormous hands covered with long black hair. This and a bellowing, roaring, rumbling voice made up my first impression of the notorious Professor Challenger."
He was also a pretentious and self-righteous scientific jack-of-all-trades. Although considered by many to be a homicidal egomaniac with a turn for science, his ingenuity could be counted upon to solve any problem or get out of any unsavoury situation, and be sure to offend and insult several other people in the process. Challenger was, in many ways, rude, crude, and without social concience or inhibition. Yet he was a man capable of great loyalty and his love of his French wife was all encompasing.
Like Sherlock Holmes, Professor Challenger was based on a real person - in this case, a Professor Rutherford, who had lectured at Doyle's medical school. Sherlock Holmes as imagined by the seminal Holmesian artist, Sidney Edward Paget, in The Strand magazine. ...
Professor Challenger's life
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
Early years The character was born in Largs, a village in Strathclyde, Scotland, in 1863. Not much is known of his childhood save that he was rumored to be a close personal friend of the famouse naturalist Dr. Dolittle.
He was a gifted scholar and easily found a place at Edinburgh University, where he studied Medicine, Zoology and Anthropology. In the Land of Mists its stated that although he was qualified as a doctor, he only practised for a few months before deciding to concentrate on his scientific work. This decision seems to have been the result of some crisis of conscience or confidence.
In The Lost World its stated that in 1892, following post-graduate work at the University, he became an Assistant at the British Museum, and was promoted to Assistant-Keeper of the Museum's Comparative Anthropology Department the following year. This post should have been ideal for a man of his talents; unfortunately Challenger was never one to suffer fools gladly, and resigned after a series of arguments with one of his former tutor, Doctor Illingworth and was still bitter over this argument in 1912 when his adventures in the Lost World took place.
Land of Mists and The Lost World its revield that Challenger was a wealthy man who's independent income, later supplemented by patent fees from a series of inventions, was able to finance his continued work. Usually controversial and always brilliant, he received a series of awards and held several important posts while being cordially disliked by most of his colleagues. "Although it is easy to say that his opponents were misguided or rogues, there was no real reason why Challenger should have been believed. His evidence was little more than a traveller's tales" —Twentieth Century Scientists, Rowena Dell, 1988. During these years he somehow found time to go on several expeditions, to marry and father one daughter, and to publish a series of papers on various topics.
Adventures in the Lost World Challengers Adventures in South America where recorded by Challengers biographer Mr. Edward Malone of the Daily Gazette who acompanied the expedition. Folowing an expedition to Brazil, Challenger claimed to have proof that some prehistoric species still survived. Unfortunately the backing for this story was limited; some fragments of bone, a piece of membranous wing, sketches, and damaged photographs.
Not surprisingly, few of his colleagues were inclined to believe him. Matters were not improved by intensive Press interest, which resulted in Challenger assaulting several reporters. After two years of frustration he finally persuaded the Zoological Institute to supply a group of unbiased witnesses, who would accompany a second expedition at Challenger's expense.
This story, originaly a set of letters from reporter Edward D. Malone to the Daily Gazette newspaper where he works and later compiled by Malone as a novel, details the adventures of Challenger and Professor Summerlee, the hunter Lord John Roxton and Malone himself as they venture into the depths of the Amazon in search of a hidden plateau where Challenger claims dinosaurs still exist. Naturally, they reach this plateau, but become stranded there, and after various encounters with dinosaurs, the group joins with a tribe of indians who live on one side of the plateau to eradicate a society of homicidal ape-people who live on the other. Once they make it back to London, it is revealed that Challenger brought a pterodactyl back with them, which escapes, causes a stir and then flies out over the ocean. Whether it made it back to the Plateue or died unroute in unknown.
After the expedition returned there was widespread pressure for Challenger and his colleagues to reveal the position of Maple White Land, and several expeditions set out to find the plateau independently. All failed, and several lives were lost, mainly because the directions and distances mentioned in Malone's account were wildly inaccurate. High scientific and humanitarian motives were claimed for this secrecy; if the plateau were subject to regular expeditions and hunting parties, some of its species might soon be driven to extinction.
many critics, motivated by jelosey where noted to have said that the brutish and bad tempered Challenger "was never in fitter company when he was up their with the monsters" and the prehistoric plateau was "Ome, sweet ome for him." Despite this Challenger became life long friends with Summerlee, Roxton and Malone and the three where inseperable from that point on.
The poison belt event Challenger was the only scientist to anticipate the so-called "Poison Belt" episode of 1913, and he and veterans of his earlier expedition were amongst the few to remain conscious during the incident. He coined the word "Daturon" to describe the aberrant ether that was believed to have engulfed the Earth.— Dell, Ibid.
Exactly One years after his return from Brazil, Professor Challenger shocked the world by claiming that some peculiar physical and medical phenomena might be caused by the presence of an unusual form of ether. Within hours he was proven dramatically right, as most of the world's population lapsed into a cataleptic coma that lasted 28 hours.
Millions died, and it was widely considered the greatest tragedy of the still new century. The eye-witness account of this incident where published by Edward Malone as "The Poison Belt."
Challenger's adventures in the Lands of Mists Challenger reacted extremely badly to the death of his wife in 1919. So when his daughter Enid and the journalist Edward Malone both became interested in spiritualism, and converts to the religious aspect of that belief, Challenger could readily understand their willingness to think that there might be life after death, but at the same time felt that this idea was a denial of the scientific logic he held dear. Always intolerant of scientific frauds (such as the so-called Piltdown Man), his natural response was to pour scorn on the idea, reveal the tricks of fake mediums, and otherwise make trouble for those he derided. This eventually led to a public debate on the matter, in which Challenger was badly prepared and came off a very poor second to the spiritualist James Smith.
Challenger's subsiquent conversion to spiritualism has never been satisfactorily explained. Ruling out the possibility of genuine supernatural involvement, the most obvious theory is that he secretly wanted to believe, despite his rationalist sentiments, and eventually allowed himself to be persuaded that he had seen psychic phenomena. His love of his wife would certainly explain his willingness to accept that she still lived on another plane.
Having thus become an overnight convert to spiritualism, Challenger proceeded to embrace it with the same enthusiasm he gave to any other cherished scientific theory, protesting against anyone who attacked it. A series of abrasive letters and papers were sent to various journals, which became increasingly wary of any envelope bearing his address. Several interesting articles on zoology, physics, and plant genetics were rejected without a fair hearing; one paper, submitted two months before the climax of the Hengist Down experiment, and outlining his "World Echidna" theory in great detail, was rejected by Nature and three other journals.
The Disintegration Machine In 1927 Malone's editor asked him to investigate Theodore Nemor, a Latvian scientist who claimed to have invented a so-called disintegration machine [DM]. Nemor demonstrated the device, which apparently worked, and was able to make objects disintegrate and reappear unharmed.
Malone and Challenger left Nemor working on the machine, which had given Challenger a mild electric shock. They were the last to see him. The mystery surrounding his subsequent disappearance involved diplomats from Russia and Germany, accusations of murder, and a prolonged (but ultimately futile) police investigation.
Challenger's World Echidna theory Challenger's "World Echidna" theory is bizarre, apparently insane, but correct, a triumph of flawed logic that happened to reach the right conclusions. Challenger purchased land on the South Coast and announced that he intended to prove that there was oil under Britain. This explanation was obvious nonsense to any expert, since the huge shaft he had built was totally inappropriate for an oil well. The excavations on Hengist Down were to continue for the next five years, kill four workmen, and exhaust most of Betterton's estate, while Challenger's paranoid secrecy would try the patience of the Press, the public, and his colleagues suffice it to say that it was possibly his most spectacular experiment, with the widest possible consequences.
Within hours every active volcano in Europe erupted, fortunately without fatalities. Further afield, there was volcanic activity in South America, Japan, Hawaii, and the United States. It has subsequently been learned that Mount Erebus, in Antarctica, also erupted at about this time. Days later shocks were still being felt in many areas, and an earthquake in China killed several hundred, while avalanches in Switzerland claimed nine lives. There is no proof, of course, that Challenger's experiment was responsible for these later incidents.
A few weeks later Challenger was asked to give evidence at an emergency session of the League Of Nations. When questioned, he admitted that it might be possible to stimulate the World Echidna and deliberately trigger volcanoes or earthquakes. The second 1929 revision of the Geneva Convention banned all forms of "geological warfare", its language strongly implying that any repetition of the Hengist Down experiment might in itself be regarded as an act of war.
Death His last paper, published in 1937, ran true to form; it was a rebuttal of the German anthropologist Herman Gauch's "racial science" theories, establishing (at least to Challenger's satisfaction) that the "master race" was in fact not the Aryan but the Celt, and in particular the Scot. Although Challenger had previously argued in favour of eugenics, the paper was almost certainly intended as a joke, but the Nazis took it seriously. Several replies were prepared, but Challenger never saw them. On January 8th 1938, during a visit to his family home in Largs, he attempted to stop a runaway horse. He was successful, but the strain of this effort was too much for his heart. He died early the following morning, his last words a whispered "I'll be back". His body was left to science; his brain and skull are still preserved in Edinburgh University, the other remains were used for teaching purposes and subsequently cremated.
Books featuring Professor Challenger
The Books in publication order 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...
The Lost World is the name of: the Lost World (genre) literary genre. ...
In geology and earth science, a plateau, also called a high plateau or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat open country if the uplift was recent in geologic history. ...
South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ...
1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ...
The Poison Belt was the second novel Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote about Professor Challenger. ...
1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...
This article needs copyediting (checking for proper English spelling, grammar, usage, etc. ...
Spiritualism is a religious movement, prominent from the 1840s to the 1920s, found primarily in English-speaking countries. ...
1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ...
The Disintegration Machine is a very short story written by Arthur Conan Doyle in 1927. ...
1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...
When the World Screamed was the last story written about Professor Challenger by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. ...
Other book featuring Professor Challenger - Sherlock Holmes' War Of The Worlds: Manley Wade Wellman and Wade Wellman. A slightly anachronistic romp, in which Holmes and Challenger oppose H.G. Wells' Martian hordes and one of Holmes' old enemies. Holmes is the hero, but Challenger plays a major part.
- Osamu Tezuka published in 1948, a manga version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World. Tezuka's manga, however, is a Lost World unlike any other. Not an adaptation, this is a complete reimagining of the story. There have been several other comic adaptations of Professor Challenger's exploits, but not too many and none that were particularily widespread and well known.
- Return To The Lost World: Nicholas Nye A disappointing attempt at a sequel, set a year later than The Lost World, which almost ignores the dinosaurs in favour of a plot which drags in parapsychology, an extremely odd version of evolutionary theory, and ancient technology in the style of Chariots Of The Gods. Challenger is portrayed as acting wholly out of character (the story begins with him preparing a scientific fake), and there is little of the flavour of the original novel and most fans of the series avoid this novel.
- Challenger also makes a guest appearance in the 2nd Plateau of Gilles Deleuze & Felix Guattari's post-structuralist philosophical text Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia in which he gives a lecture.
Gilles Deleuze (pron. ...
Félix Guattari (1930 - 1992) was a French pioneer of institutional psychotherapy, as well as the founder of both Schizoanalysis and the science of Ecosophy. ...
Promotional still for The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is a comic book series written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Kevin ONeill, published under the Americas Best Comics imprint of DC Comics. ...
Image File history File links Hoskins_as_Challenger. ...
Bob Hoskins Robert William Bob Hoskins (born October 26, 1942) is a British actor best known for playing Cockney rough diamonds and gangsters, and for family films such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988, Eddie Valiant). ...
The Lost World is the name of: the Lost World (genre) literary genre. ...
Professor Challenger on screen and stage Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was the first person to potray Professor Challenger, for the mock photographs included for The Lost Worlds initial publication, he would even dress up as the good Professor. Image:Sir Conan doyle. ...
Wallace Beery played Challenger in the classic 1925 film version of The Lost World. Wallace Beery (April 1, 1885 – April 15, 1949) was an American actor, best known for his many cinema appearances. ...
The Lost World is a 1912 novel by Arthur Conan Doyle concerning an expedition to a plateau in South America where prehistoric animals (dinosaurs and other extinct creatures) still survive. ...
Claude Rains played him in the 1960 film version, John Rhys-Davies was Challenger in the 1992 film version and its sequel (from the same year.)Return to the Lost World. Claude Rains in Casablanca (1942) Claude Rains (November 10, 1889 - May 30, 1967) was an English actor. ...
John Rhys-Davies John Rhys-Davies (born May 5, 1944 in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, Wales) is a British actor. ...
Patrick Bergin played the angry professor in the 1998 film version. Patrick Bergin was born on February 4, 1951, in Dublin, Ireland, and christened Patrick Connolly Bergin. ...
Peter McCauley played G.E.Challenger in the 1999-2002 television series.
Bruce Boxleitner also played Challenger in the 2005 film King of the Lost World. Bruce Boxleitner as John Sheridan in Babylon 5 Bruce Boxleitner (born May 12, 1950 in Elgin, Illinois) is an American actor, best known for his leading roles in the television series How the West Was Won, Scarecrow and Mrs. ...
the most notable and influential of all the recent adaptations is Bob Hoskins who played Challenger in the 2001 TV movie, Airing in the UK over Christmas Day and Boxing Day in 2002, and marked the first homegrown film adaptation of this classic of British literature. Directed by Christopher Hall and Tim Haines, producers of the BBC's successful dinosaur documentary Walking with Dinosaurs and the ballard of Big Al. The BBC/A&E version managed to keep all the basic elements from the novel, and either changes them cosmetically or elaborates upon them and has been hailed as one of the most legitimately servicable adaptation in 77 years and the second best adaptation of the novel. Bob Hoskins Robert William Bob Hoskins (born October 26, 1942) is a British actor best known for playing Cockney rough diamonds and gangsters, and for family films such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988, Eddie Valiant). ...
External links - An article on Doyle's The Lost World. - in easy to read HTML format.
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Books - in easy to read HTML format.
- The Lost World
- The Poison Belt
- The Land of Mist
- The Disintegration Machine
- When the World Screamed
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