Zinc Read, $8.79, ISBN‎ 978-93-5807-721-6
Sci-fi, 2023 (Reissue)

The Land of Mist is the third and final entry in the Professor Challenger series. Well, almost—there are two short stories lurking around later. For those hoping for more rip-roaring adventures featuring our favorite brash, bear-like scientist battling dinosaurs or surviving cosmic doom, let me gently lower your expectations. This isn’t The Lost World, dear reader. This is The Lost Will to Entertain.

By the time Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote this, he had fully embraced spiritualism, and boy, does it show. The plot, such as it is, revolves around Edna—wait, who? Oh, Professor Challenger has a daughter now. Sure, why not. Edna and her suitor Edward Malone (remember him?) venture into the world of spiritualism, attending séances and coming to the startling conclusion that, hey, maybe there’s something to this whole “ghosts are real” business.

Their next mission? Convince dear old dad, Professor Challenger, that the supernatural isn’t just bunkum.

If you’re thinking, “Hmm, this sounds like a thinly veiled metaphor for Sir Doyle trying to convert his skeptical readers!”, you’re absolutely right. The once-skeptical, science-loving Professor Challenger now finds himself wrestling with spirits and ectoplasm, a transformation that feels as subtle as a séance held in a thunderstorm. Fans of the original Challenger might feel betrayed. Where’s the fiery bravado? Where’s the scientific rigor? Why is he suddenly talking to ghosts like he’s hosting a paranormal podcast?

The tone shift is evident from the start. Challenger is now a subdued, somber man, mourning the loss of his wife. It’s hard not to draw parallels between him and Sir Doyle, who had also lost loved ones and turned to spiritualism for solace. This personal connection is touching, sure, but it also feels like the story is less about adventure and more about Sir Doyle grabbing you by the collar and saying, “Listen, ghosts are real, and I’ll prove it!”

Now, let’s talk about Edna and Edward… because Sir Doyle certainly didn’t. Their romance is dismissed outright as irrelevant. Sir Doyle practically tells the reader, “Yeah, they’re a couple. Whatever. Moving on.”

It’s clear he’s not here to write a love story; he’s here to write a lecture. And lecture he does, as the novel is crammed with spiritualist sermons, leaving little room for, you know, plot.

The real issue, though, is how dull it all is. Spiritualism could be fascinating—if presented with any flair. Here, however, the tone is so preachy and the pacing so meandering that it’s hard to stay awake, let alone engaged. You might find yourself longing for a dinosaur to burst into the séance room, just to shake things up.

Yet, there’s something oddly fascinating about The Land of Mist. It’s like finding an old, dusty diary filled with fervent beliefs and personal struggles. Sir Doyle’s passion for spiritualism is palpable, even if it overtakes the story. It’s a snapshot of a moment in history when séances were all the rage and skeptics were, well, rolling their eyes.

So, treat this book not as an adventure, but as a relic—a memento of Doyle’s life and the spiritualist craze of the early 20th century. Just don’t expect to be entertained. Unless, of course, you enjoy being preached to about ectoplasm while missing the dinosaurs. In that case, this is the book for you!