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Adventuring With Sherlock Holmes

Adventuring With Sherlock Holmes

Reviewed by Sally Sugarman

One of the advantages of teaching the course at the Berkshire Institute for Lifelong Learning was I got to explore my extensive Sherlock Holmes library, much of which I realized I had not yet read. Since I gave a class on Pastiches, Parodies and Praises, I thought about the different types of pastiches that exist and formulated my own categories that I am happy to share along with some examples of each of the seven different types.

My criteria for a successful pastiche are:

1-Getting Watson right. This is much more difficult than may first appear, but Watson as the narrator is an essential element in any recreation of the canon. Both his character and his tone are necessary.

2-Respect for Holmes. If you don't like Holmes, why bother? If you want to make fun of him which many authors have, the parody form is readily available and some of them are most successful

3-A decent problem with a logical and intellectual solution. Although Holmes can handle himself in a fight, he is not a superhero and when the focus shifts to adventure rather than mystery, the game is lost. Although a good villain is a bonus, it is not as essential as these three.

Cannonical
These are those that follow the tradition of the Canon and have stories taking place in Holmes period with Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes pursuing some of the cases mentioned in the Canon as well as new cases but in the tradition of Doyle.

Examples- John Dickinson Carr and Adrian Doyle - The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes
Barry Day - The Alice in Wonderland Murders etc.
June Thompson- Secret Chronicles, Secret Files etc.
Wayne Worcester - The Jewel of Convent Garden etc
Edward Hanna - The White Chapel Horrors

Deconstructive
Taking the Holmes persona and changing it drastically.
Examples- Nicholas Meyer's books such as The Seven Percent Solution
Laurie King's series (Read her Kate Martenilli books instead)
Michael Dibdin The Last Sherlock Holmes Story
Michael Chabon's The Final Solution

Subsidiary
In which all the minor characters have their own series.
Examples: Carole Nelson Douglas The Irene books
M. J. Trow The Inspector Lestrade series
Sydney Hosier The Mrs. Hudson series
John Gardner The Moriarity series
Quinn Fawcett- The Mycroft Holmes series
Various authors have utilized Doyle as a detective. It is a sub- genre of its own. Sometimes Doyle is paired with Houdini, sometimes with H.P. Lovecraft because of Doyle's interest in spiritualism. Roberta Rogow Doyle and Lewis Carroll are the detectives with Doyle the Watson to Carroll's Holmes. The Adventure of the Stalwart Companions by Jeffers has Doyle visiting New York and working with Teddy Roosevelt when he was Police Commissioner.

David Piri has Doyle and Bell as detectives (Murder Rooms the television show is based on his work.)

Lora Roberts The Affair of the Incognito Tenant offers a housekeeper who is good competition for Irene Adler in terms of being a smart woman who can meet Holmes on his own territory.

Instructive
Holmes is used to teach about something else.
Examples: Colin Bruce The Einstein Paradox etc.
Arthur Asa Berger Durkheim is Dead
William Neblett Sherlock's Logic
Umberto Eco & Thomas Sebok The Sign of Three
Stephen Kendrick Holy Clues

Some authors have a great deal of fun while doing this. One story in The Einstein Paradox has Sherlock and Mycroft trying to work out who got killed first on a moving train, the prince or the princess. Watson notes that it seems like much ado over nothing to worry about the line of succession. " 'The assassination of king here or an Archduke there is not likely to bring about the downfall of world order after al!' To my amazement, Mycroft turned quite pale. He muttered something beneath his breath about the blessings of the blind."

Thematic
Anthologies held together by a particular theme and edited by an aficionado
Examples: Isaac Asimov Sherlock Holmes Through Time and Space.
Mike Resnick & Mike Greenberg Sherlock Holmes in Orbit
Marvin Kaye Resurrected Holmes among others. In this anthology, the Holmes stories are told as written by various authors such as Hemmingway, Maugham, Dreiser, Wodehouse and Kerouac among others.
Anne Perry Holmes for the Holidays
Michael Reaves and John Pelan Shadows Over Baker Street Holmes stories set in the world of H. P. Lovecraft

Universal
Sherlock Holmes is everywhere solving everything
Examples: Edward Aubrey Sherlock Holmes in Dallas
William Seil Sherlock Holmes & Titanic Tragedy
Owen Haskell Sherlock Holmes and the Fall River Tragedy
Marvin Kaye The Confidential Casebook of S. H.

Derivative
Devotees of Holmes get involved in solving mysteries.
Examples: Julian Symons A Three Pipe Problem
The Kentish Manor Mysteries
Anthony Boucher The Case of the Baker Street Irregulars
H. Paul Jeffers Murder Most Irregular
Arthur H. Lewis Copper Beeches
Susan Conant The Barker Street Regulars
August Derelth's Solar Pons mysteries.

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	Home Meetings Meeting Information Meeting Archives Conference Wrap-up Photo Gallery About Us Club History Newsletters Sherlockian Events Sherlockian Events Book Discussion Series Fun Information Chat Room Articles Quizzes Book Reviews Mysteries Links Contact Articles.. Adventuring With Sherlock Holmes Adventuring With Sherlock Holmes Reviewed by Sally Sugarman One of the advantages of teaching the course at the Berkshire Institute for Lifelong Learning was I got to explore my extensive Sherlock Holmes library, much of which I realized I had not yet read. Since I gave a class on Pastiches, Parodies and Praises, I thought about the different types of pastiches that exist and formulated my own categories that I am happy to share along with some examples of each of the seven different types. My criteria for a successful pastiche are: 1-Getting Watson right. This is much more difficult than may first appear, but Watson as the narrator is an essential element in any recreation of the canon. Both his character and his tone are necessary. 2-Respect for Holmes. If you don't like Holmes, why bother? If you want to make fun of him which many authors have, the parody form is readily available and some of them are most successful 3-A decent problem with a logical and intellectual solution. Although Holmes can handle himself in a fight, he is not a superhero and when the focus shifts to adventure rather than mystery, the game is lost. Although a good villain is a bonus, it is not as essential as these three. Cannonical These are those that follow the tradition of the Canon and have stories taking place in Holmes period with Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes pursuing some of the cases mentioned in the Canon as well as new cases but in the tradition of Doyle. Examples- John Dickinson Carr and Adrian Doyle - The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes Barry Day - The Alice in Wonderland Murders etc. June Thompson- Secret Chronicles, Secret Files etc. Wayne Worcester - The Jewel of Convent Garden etc Edward Hanna - The White Chapel Horrors Deconstructive Taking the Holmes persona and changing it drastically. Examples- Nicholas Meyer's books such as The Seven Percent Solution Laurie King's series (Read her Kate Martenilli books instead) Michael Dibdin The Last Sherlock Holmes Story Michael Chabon's The Final Solution Subsidiary In which all the minor characters have their own series. Examples: Carole Nelson Douglas The Irene books M. J. Trow The Inspector Lestrade series Sydney Hosier The Mrs. Hudson series John Gardner The Moriarity series Quinn Fawcett- The Mycroft Holmes series Various authors have utilized Doyle as a detective. It is a sub- genre of its own. Sometimes Doyle is paired with Houdini, sometimes with H.P. Lovecraft because of Doyle's interest in spiritualism. Roberta Rogow Doyle and Lewis Carroll are the detectives with Doyle the Watson to Carroll's Holmes. The Adventure of the Stalwart Companions by Jeffers has Doyle visiting New York and working with Teddy Roosevelt when he was Police Commissioner. David Piri has Doyle and Bell as detectives (Murder Rooms the television show is based on his work.) Lora Roberts The Affair of the Incognito Tenant offers a housekeeper who is good competition for Irene Adler in terms of being a smart woman who can meet Holmes on his own territory. Instructive Holmes is used to teach about something else. Examples: Colin Bruce The Einstein Paradox etc. Arthur Asa Berger Durkheim is Dead William Neblett Sherlock's Logic Umberto Eco & Thomas Sebok The Sign of Three Stephen Kendrick Holy Clues Some authors have a great deal of fun while doing this. One story in The Einstein Paradox has Sherlock and Mycroft trying to work out who got killed first on a moving train, the prince or the princess. Watson notes that it seems like much ado over nothing to worry about the line of succession. " 'The assassination of king here or an Archduke there is not likely to bring about the downfall of world order after al!' To my amazement, Mycroft turned quite pale. He muttered something beneath his breath about the blessings of the blind." Thematic Anthologies held together by a particular theme and edited by an aficionado Examples: Isaac Asimov Sherlock Holmes Through Time and Space. Mike Resnick & Mike Greenberg Sherlock Holmes in Orbit Marvin Kaye Resurrected Holmes among others. In this anthology, the Holmes stories are told as written by various authors such as Hemmingway, Maugham, Dreiser, Wodehouse and Kerouac among others. Anne Perry Holmes for the Holidays Michael Reaves and John Pelan Shadows Over Baker Street Holmes stories set in the world of H. P. Lovecraft Universal Sherlock Holmes is everywhere solving everything Examples: Edward Aubrey Sherlock Holmes in Dallas William Seil Sherlock Holmes & Titanic Tragedy Owen Haskell Sherlock Holmes and the Fall River Tragedy Marvin Kaye The Confidential Casebook of S. H. Derivative Devotees of Holmes get involved in solving mysteries. Examples: Julian Symons A Three Pipe Problem The Kentish Manor Mysteries Anthony Boucher The Case of the Baker Street Irregulars H. Paul Jeffers Murder Most Irregular Arthur H. Lewis Copper Beeches Susan Conant The Barker Street Regulars August Derelth's Solar Pons mysteries. [ Top of Page ]