Arthur Conan Doyle‘s short story The Captain of the Pole-Star was published in 1883 and was probably inspired by the experience he gained while serving as a doctor aboard a whaling ship. The story was later included in the collection Classic Victorian Ghost Stories published by Aiolos Editions (2014).

He continued writing while practicing medicine, and in 1887 published the first story featuring his famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. He later pursued further studies in ophthalmology in Vienna but was ultimately unsuccessful in establishing himself as a physician, while never abandoning literature.

He married in 1885 and had a son and a daughter. After the death of his first wife, he remarried in 1906 and had three more children with his second wife. He also became involved in politics, though without notable success.

In 1887, Doyle was initiated into Freemasonry and became a member of the Society for Psychical Research. His interest in spiritualism and psychical phenomena grew stronger following a number of personal experiences and losses later in life.