Your Favorite Book Was Probably Co-written by a Ghost

And other revelations from my interview with the spirit of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is probably best remembered as the creator of Sherlock Holmes. But the author also published 50 books in genres ranging from historical romance to science fiction, military history to spiritualism. He was one of the most popular pulp fiction writers of his time, delighting readers with tales of mummies, dinosaurs, and ghosts.

And then, on July 7th, 1930, he dropped dead.

Sir Doyle’s story is an all too familiar one. An author achieves prominence only to be struck down by the icy hand of death. Every year, hundreds of writers pass away, bringing their literary output to an abrupt halt. And after that, we can only guess.

Sadly, there isn't a religion or spiritual belief that addresses the fears that haunt most writers during the wee hours of the night. Namely, does death mean an end to the written word? When we leave this mortal coil, will we also be giving up books and all things book-related? Are earthly pleasures like writing and reading reserved solely for the living?

The only person who could feasibly answer such unanswerable questions would be an actual dead author. Someone like, say... Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

This exclusive interview with Sir Doyle was conducted with the assistance of Arthur Pacheco, a psychic and trance medium from Hawaii. Pacheco has been regularly communicating with the dead for almost 20 years. Unlike many psychics, he goes into a trance and allows departed souls to speak directly through him, using their voices and their own words. Mr. Pacheco purports to be on friendly terms with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who has been his main “spirit guide” since the early 80s.

The following interview took place during several sessions over six months. Sir Doyle—or “The Old Mustache,” as he frequently called himself—spoke with a thick British accent, and was prone to hearty laughter, often apropos of absolutely nothing.