"The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is a collection of short stories written in the late 19th century, featuring a variety of engaging narratives.
The opening story, The Captain of the Polestar, revolves around a whaling expedition to the Arctic, narrated by John M'Alister Ray, a medical student aboard the Polestar, a ship commanded by the enigmatic Nicholas Craigie.
As the expedition progresses, the crew becomes isolated in treacherous icy waters, with dwindling supplies and an approaching storm heightening the tension. The story, narrated through Ray’s observations, focuses on the captain's unstable psyche and the growing unrest among the crew. Craigie alternates between moments of commanding authority and deep, personal turmoil, exhibiting extreme behavior that perplexes those around him.
Through his journal entries, Ray records the superstitions and fears that plague the crew, as well as the captain’s obsessive fixation on a vision he claims to see within the ice. As supernatural elements begin to surface, the tension reaches its peak, intertwining psychological horror with the harsh realities of Arctic exploration and foreshadowing a tragic conclusion.

PREFACE

THE CAPTAIN OF THE “POLE-STAR.”
J. HABAKUK JEPHSON’S STATEMENT.
THE GREAT KEINPLATZ EXPERIMENT.
THE MAN FROM ARCHANGEL.
THAT LITTLE SQUARE BOX.
JOHN HUXFORD’S HIATUS.
CYPRIAN OVERBECK WELLS?A LITERARY MOSAIC.
JOHN BARRINGTON COWLES.
PART II.
ELIAS B. HOPKINS, THE PARSON OF JACKMAN’S GULCH.
THE RING OF THOTH.