Non-fiction: The Coming of the Fairies

Overview

"The Coming of the Fairies" presents Arthur Conan Doyle's impassioned defense of the Cottingley Fairies photographs and a broader argument for the credibility of certain supernatural phenomena. Doyle treats the material as serious evidence that challenges narrow scientific assumptions about reality, arguing that photographic and testimonial data point to intelligences and agencies beyond ordinary perception. The prose blends personal conviction, narrative description, and appeals to authority to make the case that the phenomena deserve respectful and open-minded inquiry.

Investigation and Evidence

Doyle recounts the origin and details of the Cottingley photographs, taken by two young cousins in Yorkshire, and emphasizes the apparent simplicity and plausibility of the images. He gathers and presents testimonies from those who examined the prints, discusses the circumstances in which they were produced, and considers the character and credibility of the girls involved. Alongside the photographs, Doyle brings forward other accounts of fairy visitations, psychical experiences, and historical folklore, weaving them into a pattern he believes suggests continuity between ancient beliefs and contemporary manifestations.

Arguments and Tone

The book argues that dismissive skepticism often rests on prejudice rather than evidence. Doyle challenges the assumption that the existence of fairies or spirits would violate natural law, proposing instead that science should expand its scope to include previously unrecognized dimensions of nature and consciousness. He treats testimony and photographic records as legitimate investigative material while criticizing those who reflexively attribute all anomalous reports to fraud or misperception. The tone is earnest and authoritative, combining the analytical voice of a seasoned investigator with the moral urgency of a believer intent on persuading a skeptical public.

Reception and Legacy

Upon publication the book intensified public debate, pleasing many spiritualists while provoking derision from skeptics and scientists. It boosted attention to the Cottingley episode and lent a high-profile imprimatur to spiritualist claims because of Doyle's celebrity as a novelist. Over time the photographs and the controversy became emblematic of the period's struggle between emerging photographic technology, popular imagination, and demands for empirical validation. Subsequent revelations that the photographs were probably staged have complicated Doyle's reputation on this topic, but the book remains a vivid document of early twentieth-century spiritualist sentiment and of a major literary figure applying intellect and fame to questions of the unseen.