Who is the renowned author behind the famous Sherlock Holmes stories?

Sherlock Holmes, the brilliant detective, is a cultural icon recognized worldwide. The character first appeared in print in 1887 in "A Study in Scarlet," and the author who brought him to life was indeed Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Doyle, born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1859, was a physician by profession, but his passion for writing led him to create one of literature's most enduring figures. While Robert Louis Stevenson wrote "Treasure Island" and "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," Charles Dickens penned classics like "Oliver Twist" and "A Tale of Two Cities," and Thomas Hardy is known for "Tess of the d'Urbervilles," none of them created Sherlock Holmes. Conan Doyle wrote four novels and 56 short stories about Holmes, solidifying his place in literary history. He was knighted in 1902 for his services as a doctor during the Second Boer War. So, while the other authors are giants of British literature, Sherlock Holmes belongs solely to the creative genius of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.