SF authors born 1854-63: 1859

1. Arthur Conan Doyle
2. Jerome K. Jerome

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Arthur Conan Doyle (TK)

TK

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Jerome K. Jerome (1859-1927)

British journalist, actor, dramatist, essayist, humorist; very popular around the turn of the century. Co-editor of The Idler; editor of To-day. Three Men in a Boat (1889).

* "The New Utopia," in Diary of a Pilgrimage (and Six Essays) (published in London, 1891; and in New York, 1891). TK

* "The Dancing Partner" (The Idler, March 1893; and in Novel Notes, Leadenhall Press: London, 1893). Published as an untitled narrative by the character MacShaugnassy in an installment of "Novel Notes." Old Nicholas Geibel, in Germany's Black Forest, is a remarkable creator of automata. One afternoon he overhears his daughter, Olga, and some friends complaining about the bad dancing skills and generally low quality of the men at a recent ball. One of the women wishes aloud for a clockwork dancing partner. Old Geibel soon takes "Fritz," an automaton, to a dance; all are agog to see it move beautifully and make polite chit-chat. Unfortunately, a girl dancing with the automaton disturbs its speed control, and it quickly dances her to death.