Spiritualism in fiction

This article provides a list of fictional stories in which Spiritualism features as an important plot element. The list omits passing mentions.

Written works

*William Dean Howells, "The Undiscovered Country", an 1880 novel on Spiritualism and its dangers for the mental stability of its fanatical adherents.
*Henry James, "The Bostonians" (1886), whose heroine is viewed as having fallen under the spell of female trance lecturers such as Mrs. Ada T.P. Foat, modeled on the real-life Cora L. V. Scott. The novel illustrates how Spiritualism was adopted by persons involved in late-19th-century reform movements.
*Bolesław Prus, "Pharaoh", an 1895 historical novel incorporating scenes inspired by Spiritualism.
*H.G. Wells, "Love and Mr. Lewisham", a novel published in 1900, in which the main character falls in love with a girl whose stepfather claims to be a spirit medium. A large portion of the novel deals with the questionable ethics of some practitioners of the occult. (This novel marked one of the earliest departures from science fiction for Wells—and was a best-seller.)
*Hamlin Garland, "Tyranny of the Dark", a 1905 novel which follows the budding romance between a skeptical man of science and a beautiful young spirit medium. (Much of the novel's material was based on the author's actual investigations.)
*Arthur Conan Doyle, "The Land of Mists", a novel published in 1926. The third of Doyle's Professor Challenger stories, "The Land of Mists" deals with the conversion to Spiritualism of Challenger's friend Edward Malone, his daughter Enid, and finally Challenger himself. Doyle was a committed Spiritualist, and this book's presentation of Spiritualist ideals is somewhat more earnest than that in most books of its type, while the descriptions of séance phenomena are substantially more pedantic.
*William C Paxton, "Sherlock Holmes "The Bab Deception"::Published as one of four stories (78 pages out of a total 239) in "The Hidden Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" by William "Bill" Paxton (not the actor Bill Paxton) in 2000-1cite web | title = Amazon.com entry | last = Amazon.com | url = http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/097022981X/102-7394962-7564146?v=glance&n=283155 | accessdate = 2006-08-12 | date = 2006-06-05] cite web | title = ebay.com entry | last = ebay.com | url = http://cgi.ebay.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Hidden-Adventures-Short_W0QQitemZ260021456943QQcmdZViewItem | accessdate = 2006-08-12 | date = 2006-06-05] . A published synopsiscite web | title = SHERLOCKIAN STORY SUMMARIES - P's | url = http://www.schoolandholmes.com/summariesp.html | accessdate = 2006-08-12 | date = 2006-06-05] : Set in August, 1896, Sherlock Holmes expounds at great length on his occult beliefs and invites Watson to a (spiritualism) based séance(and goes on to wonder about the possibilities if séances were in fact true.) Lestrade & Macintosh take Holmes & Watson to the home of Sir Randolph Gretzinger, former Ambassador to Persia, who has been murdered along with his servant. Holmes finds a copy of the Bayan (see Bayán (exposition)) in Gretzinger's hand, and he expounds at length on Babism. He deduces that the men have been injected with poison (from small wounds in their thumbs), and expounds at length on snake venom. The following day they are summoned to the Diogenes Club, where Mycroft expounds at great length on the politics of petroleum and how this may be the true reason for the murder. After visiting the dead man's widow and urging her to continue his oil negotiations with the Shah of Persia Holmes is visited by representatives of the Bahá'í Faith who fear that the book was planted on the body to implicate them. They expound at length on the assassination of the last Shah and feel an effort is being made to frame them, but Holmes assures them he is well aware of the reputation of the Bahá'ís and believes in their innocence. Holmes & Watson are invited to another séance and Holmes expounds at length on the other guests. At this séance a spirit claiming to be Moriarty hurls a dagger at Holmes (there are special messages for each attendee - at the end Holmes is convinced the séance was a fake because Moriarty was a much better knife thrower but can see no evidence to prove it was a fake.)
*Sarah Waters, "Affinity" (1999): This historical novel is about a depressed young woman in turn-of-the-century England. She is depressed because she had been having a lesbian affair with a friend, who decided to cut off their relations and marry a man. In an effort to lift her depression, she volunteers at a women's prison, where she meets a beautiful young Spiritualist, Selena Dawes, to whom she feels romantically attracted. The protagonist learns about Spiritualism as she falls deeper in love with Selena. A very good suspense story.

Movies

*"Faraon", a 1966 feature film based on Bolesław Prus' novel, "Pharaoh".

Television

*"The Unquiet Dead," an episode of "Doctor Who".

See also

References