The Horror of the Heights (1913) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Horror of the Heights was first published in Strand Magazine in 1913. A fragment of a pilot's journal is found by a farm labourer strewn along the bottom of a ditch on a farm in the south of England. Sussex from memory. In it he details an extraordinary encounter at great altitude in his monoplane. It's a jungle up there, is literally his conclusion.

John Singer Sargent's work is not altogether apposite, given the RFC or RAF roundels, and the fact it's a bi-plane, but nonetheless it captures something of the spirit of the Edwardian Icarus.

It reminds me very much of some of the aeronautical scenes and ideas in Tono-Bungay by H G Wells, also narrated by me somewhere else, which is his much neglected masterpiece.

As always, thanks for listening and all comments welcome.

[David-Gerard]

The paintings you choose for all non-Sherlock stories both add to the stories and are works of art by themselves.

[maryeckel]

Wow, that was great! Aviation and science fiction, what an adventure. I see the purple beings as guardians of the others, or herders. Doyle had quite an imagination!

[MajorDan]

Spectacular narration, Mr. Wagland! Bravo and thank you. A work of art in and of itself!

[edwardlear]

Absolutely beautiful and well read by the narrator.
Keeps one eager to hear more and more.

[somanyhumanssolittlecommon]

From the first time I read this story, I became enthralled. I can't begin to recall the number of times I've reread this gripping tale. The narrator did a beautiful job of making his listeners feel the horror Sir Conan Doyle wished to convey. Well done!

[Lander]

I am enthralled by these new narrations. Superb quality .

[carlstevens]

Very well read Watson. 😉👌 absolutely perfect narration.

[iana]

Excellent rendition, sir. I often wondered if Conan Doyle ever flew himself. For the description of the protagonist's flight (which takes up over two-thirds of the story) is so detailed. Or perhaps, as all good writers should, he simply did his research.

[tomsmith]

I love these stories they keep me engrossed for hours..But Sir Arthur certainly loved the word singular didn’t he .

[LadyEng]

I am scared by the story now... Imagine what it must have caused readers at a time when only a few humans had ever been on a plane. Absolutely gripping.

[fiona]

Thank you-interesting glimpses of the technology of the day.

[nedludd]

Ah! The Flying Spaghetti Monster does exist!

[olwens]

Written in 1913- interesting to think of how many developments in aviation were to come (perforce) between 1914-18. Fascinating story, not one I'd read before, thank you.

[mattisvov]

It's pretty cool that this is essentially a science-fiction story, from a time when the sphere of the world that humanity had conquered was smaller, and it was places like Antarctica or the upper air, rather than distant planets, where such stories could be set.

I detect a hint of Lovecraft, to be honest.

[hawkiowan]

Well! I guess this helps put that crazy Aeromexico flight in 1987 into prospective! :D

[roberthuff]

Wow! It Predates Lovecraft and Matheson's "Nightmare at 20, 000 Feet".

[sierraseven]

Sixty years later, this story was mirrored by "A Meeting With Medusa", in which an explorer dives into the atmosphere of Jupiter, and finds life forms much like the ones in this story.

[SeanKL]

6:43 What is the most permanent danger airmen will have to encounter?

I'd reckon that would be gravity.



All jokes aside I absolutley LOVE this story. Incredibly interesting premise, and a neat glimpse into the wonder that was the early decades of aviation.

[denaejones]

When I started listening to this I thought that it would be about a person with a fear of heights... Whoops!

[homey]

Oh to be alive (and well off of course) at those times!