"They Took Into Partnership" [VALL]

With BBC's Sherlock and CBS' Elementary, the idea of contemporary stories and modern reinventions of the Great Detective does not seem as radical as one might perceive. However, a recent comic series by New Paradigm Studios (whose Kickstarter campaign was featured on this site, and which has been the subject of an episode of I Hear of Sherlock) reveals an extremely similar - yet similarly radical - recasting of Holmes and Watson in contemporary times.

Watson and Holmes is a series written by Karl Bollers, and drawn by Rick Leonardi, that recasts the duo's adventures in contemporary New York. However, there is a slight racial switch, as the series takes place specifically in Harlem: John Watson is a medical intern, and Sherlock Holmes is a private investigator. Although it may lack the canon-influenced snap of the BBC series - or even the more procedural aspects of CBS's efforts - Watson and Holmes sparkles with a straightforward narrative drive, having a kind of propulsiveness that characterized the best of Conan Doyle's work. There are slight nods and variations to the canon, but Bollers' writing captures the spirit (if not the letter) of canon.

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"Dealt With In Any Public Print" (RESI)

Although many Sherlock Holmes pastiches are published, very few often have the sparkle of Conan Doyle's writing. This is not a complaint - after all, attempting to document the great detective's further adventures often mean focusing more on the story and less on the style. However, The Lost Stories of Sherlock Holmes, edited by Tony Reynolds and available via MX Publishing, is the best of both worlds, containing some well-written stories that reflect the "house style" at its best.

Thankfully, Reynolds does a very admirable job in writing a series of tales that could easily fit into the Canon, but that have an imagination and creativity all of their own. Even the first story - "The Giant Rat of Sumatra" - takes its cue from the Canon, but spins a decidedly distinctive tale. But page after page contains some wonderful, well-written adventures which (thankfully) contain a brief statement within as to why the tale was "omitted" (usually for reasons of either national security or personal embarrassment).

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"Acquired By Long and Patient Study" [STUD]

Examining the "Science of Deduction and Analysis" is a singular activity - many Holmesian scholars have managed to find interesting nuances when focusing on the Great Detective's skills. With the plethora of Holmes-related media in recent years, it would seem that reconciling Holmes' unique talents to modern-day psychology might be a bit daunting.

Thankfully, we now have Maria Konnikova's Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes (available on Amazon as a hardcover, paperback or Kindle edition) a fascinating book that not only marries Victorian detection to current-day thought, but manages to provide an illuminating, insightful work for both Sherlockians and casual fans alike. Mastermind focuses on how much of what we understand about learning, decision-making, and deductive ability can be derived from Holmesian thought (as expressed in the canon).

Each discussion has an underpinning in the canon, from how "facts" can influence our first impressions (see Mary Morstan) to the proper care and maintenance of the "brain attic", Mastermind takes much of its lead from key stories in the canon. (In fact, towards the end Mastermind cleverly demonstrates how Holmes' cognitive abilities have developed over time, citing both early and later Conan Doyle stories).

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"You Like This Weather?" [CHAS]

Much of the East coast of the United States is bracing today for the approach of Hurricane Sandy, the so-called "Frankenstorm" that is one of the largest in modern history.

And while we don't profess to be meteorologists (nor do we play one on TV), we thought that we might be able to think about Sherlock Holmes through the lens of severe weather.What does the weather have to do with Sherlock Holmes? Quite a bit, as it turns out.

We'd like to invite your ideas, memories and input to help us discern exactly how weather played a role in the Sherlock Holmes stories. You can do that by leaving a comment below. We'll get things started by enumerating a few items that might get you thinking.

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"A Dangerous Move At Chess" [BLAN]

Many authors have written pastiches fitting Sherlock Holmes into a greater historical context; although most of them center around Victorian England, Charlie Roxburgh attempts to mix some Russian history with Holmesian deduction in The Case of the Russian Chessboard. And although it's a promising premise, the execution is somewhat flat.

Mr. Roxburgh's tale has a great start - in fact, it's almost a pitch perfect recreation of the many tales of the Canon. In fact, the idea of Russian conspirators and tsarist enforcers operating near and around Baker Street not only reflects what Conan Doyle might have written, it provides an ample amount of promise for any Sherlockian reader.

However, although this is a very brief tale, its brevity is one of its major faults. Just as many items are set into motion, the story seems to have a rushed ending. It is not a bad tale - just one that might have been better told as a novel-length adventure rather than as a short novelette. With the "Russian Chessboard" analogy coming into play (with Holmes himself explaining it), there is a great potential that is sadly never met....and that would be a great vantage point for writing a sequel and/or continuation of this story (especially with several themes that might resonate in our present time)

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"The Receiving Station, As Well As the Transmitter" [3GAB]

One of the advantages to audio adaptations of the canon (as well as newer creations of stories) is that there can be a greater emphasis on creating atmosphere through sound. Previously, we had highlighted a worthy adaptation of stories from the canon - now, we will highlight two companies who have put out Holmes-related audio that are not only intriguing, but also have appeal for the budget-conscious.

As part of their lower-cost audios, Big Finish has a one hour adaptation of The Adventure of the Speckled Band. Much like their previous audio adaptation of The Final Problem/The Empty House, the strength of this adaptation lies in a nearly straightforward telling of the Conan Doyle story. Much like its canon-based companion, The Speckled Band is a top-notch production that (at least, from my vantage point) will encourage a willingness to sample the rest of Big Finish's Holmesian efforts, including the non-canon original stories (whose titles and premises offer all sorts of delight). Big Finish releases a wide range of audio dramas, and their Sherlock Holmes series continues to provide high quality and entertainment, providing an excellent contemporary example of well-executed audio drama.

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"He Had Spent A Part of His Life in America" [VALL]

Trying to "fill in" gaps in the canon can be rather tricky - done well, it can provide insight into the character of Holmes and Watson (The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, for example). Done poorly, it can be awkward and feel inauthentic.

Thankfully, Dr. Watson's American Adventure from Airship 27 is a strong example of the former, showing us Watson in a post-Reichenbach adventure, finding his way to America to team up with Theodore Roosevelt. Combining elements of Victorian literature, Westerns, and historical pastiche, Erwin K. Roberts tells a tale that could easily fit between "The Adventure of the Final Problem [FINA]" and "The Adventure of the Empty House [EMPT]". The story moves along at a very brisk pace, and quite honestly, it's a flat-out treat to read. Structured as a reminiscence between Watson and Holmes, it also serves to highlight these characters without necessarily being driven by their interactions. Thankfully, this book serves as a way to highlight Dr. Watson's solo adventures....and hopefully, there will be another coming soon.

(Thankfully, this volume also provides value for the money in that it contains another Victorian-style pastiche featuring a character named "Hound Dog Harker" which is quite entertaining in its own right.)

Much like Airship 27's earlier Holmes book The Baron's Revenge, Dr. Watson's American Adventure is available via Amazon.com. It's an entertaining work that is well worth reading.

Editor's note: Gordon regularly covers the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the entertainment industry. You can also find him at Blog THIS, Pal! and Comic Related. 

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"No More Dangerous Man in Europe" [ILLU]

When considering all the pastiches written involving Sherlock Holmes, it is rare to find one that is purely a sequel - most Sherlockian non-canon lore involves crossovers with other public domain characters, integration of science fiction and/or horror themes, or loose adaptations of the canon.

Gary Lovisi's Sherlock Holmes: The Baron's Revenge, published by Airship 27 Productions, is a rare novel - a straightforward sequel to a past Holmes story that manages to be a crackling good read.

The novel servesas a sequel to "The Adventure of the Illustrious Client" from 1927's The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes. Much like of Conan Doyle's later Holmes work, The Baron's Revenge shares a similar hard-boiled, almost pulp-flavored edge as it tells its tale. Thankfully, one does not have to read Conan Doyle's story in order to understand The Baron's Revenge, given various callbacks to the original tale.

It's also a daring book in that it is written (except for one chapter) from Holmes' perspective. Although it would have been easy to fall into cliche and write Holmes as exceptionally omniscient, Lovisi does Holmes a great service by writing the detective at the proper emotional tone. It is easy to "hear" Holmes narrating the story. Rob Davis' illustrations throughout the book provide it with the right sense of pace and atmosphere, almost making it seem like a "lost" edition of The Strand Magazine. (Thankfully, it is a relatively quick read - I finished it within two days while commuting back and forth to downtown Chicago).

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"At the Same Instant We Heard Voices" [CHAS]

A new episode of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere is now available.

Episode 40: One Voice of Sherlock Holmes features the talents of one Mr. David Ian Davies. A veteran actor for many decades, having been trained at the London Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, David traces his heritage to England by way of California. But along the way (you may be surprised to hear just how young), he was bitten by the acting bug. Combine that with David's inherent love of Sherlock Holmes and a desire to be the first individual to record the entire Canon, and you'll find a passionate and talented voice of Sherlock Holmes.

Through his production company One Voice Recordings, David has managed to create a nine-volume series called The Consummate Holmes Canon (see below for links), as well as a few other non-Canonical stories.

We had a delightful chat with Mr. Davies that included hearing a few clips from his interpretation and a live reading. He helps the amateurs understand how he as a professional prepares for the roles - and just how many roles there are!

We close this episode with a surprise archival recording from some radio stars from a bygone era who took on some rather unorthodox roles in a special appearance. And we offer an opportunity for our listeners to win one a very special prize.

Episode Links:

• One Voice Recordings
• Tom Richmond's Sherlock Holmes artwork
• The Sherlock Holmes pen
• Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce switch roles

Download this episode by right-clicking the icon and selecting "Save As..." or simply click on the file to listen, or on the nice box above. (File size: 35.2 MB, 43:50)

When you make purchases from the links we share, it provides us with a stream of revenue to help keep this site running. Thank you for your generosity.
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David Ian Davies' Recordings from Audible.com:

One Voice Chronological: The Consummate Holmes Canon, Collection 1 Here are six classic Sherlock Holmes stories: "A Scandal In Bohemia", "The Red-Headed League", "A Case of Identity", "The Boscombe Valley Mystery", "The Five Orange Pips", and "The Man with the Twisted Lip"....

One Voice Chronological: The Consummate Holmes Canon, Collection 2 Six more classic mysteries solved by Sherlock Holmes....

One Voice Chronological: The Consummate Holmes Canon, Collection 3 Seven more cases solved by Sherlock Holmes....

One Voice Chronological: The Consummate Holmes Canon, Collection 4 Six more cases solved by Sherlock Holmes....

One Voice Chronological: The Consummate Holmes Canon, Collection 5 Six more cases solved by Sherlock Holmes....

One Voice Chronological: The Consummate Holmes Canon, Collection 6 The Adventure of the Three Students....

One Voice Chronological: The Consummate Holmes Canon, Collection 7 Six more cases solved by Sherlock Holmes....

One Voice Chronological: The Consummate Holmes Canon, Collection 8 Seven more cases solved by Sherlock Holmes....

One Voice Chronological: The Consummate Holmes Canon, Collection 9 Five more cases solved by Sherlock Holmes....

Sherlock Holmes and the Apocalypse Murders This is an excellent, page-turning Sherlock Holmes pastiche by noted author and historian Barry Day....

The Tangled Skein Skeptic Sherlock Holmes must first confront his disbelief in the supernatural and then the Prince of the Undead himself, Count Dracula....

"A Clear Statement of His Career" [FINA]

One of the highlights of both Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and Season Two of the BBC's Sherlock series are their unique takes on "The Adventure of the Final Problem" and "The Adventure of the Empty House." However, there is a third entry which simply serves as a powerful dramatization of these two stories....simply by focusing on the simplicity of Conan Doyle's words.

Big Finish is a company out of England that writes and produces audio dramas around a variety of franchises, most notably Doctor Who.  Their kickoff to the second "series" of Sherlock Holmes adventures is a double disc set of The Final Problem/The Empty House. Quite simply, this is simply an excellent dramatization of one of the highlights of the canon, and well worth a listen.

Much of the power of this audio comes not just from drawing from the canon, but also in its staging - beginning with the sound of pen scratching against paper, followed by Watson's (Richard Earl) narration, the story kicks into high gear. It's a moody, atmospheric approach that simply grabs the listener's attention and will not let go. Part of the success is also the way in which Nicholas Briggs plays Holmes - in these stories, rather than play it large, Briggs performs Holmes at almost a whisper pitch, and it is this approach that makes this audio set enthralling, so much so that you will be sorely tempted to order the other audios in the series.

One of the great aspects of the canon is that it can be adapted and molded towards a modern sensibility (witness Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss' Sherlock); however, what Nicholas Briggs and Big Finish have done is to make it appealing to a modern ear by focusing on the clarity and simplicity of the original language, making this as much as testament to the skill of Conan Doyle's writing as much as to the appeal of his characters. The fact that his language seems so appropriate to a 21st century medium - and audience - makes this a clear statement of Conan Doyle's career as an author.

If you are looking for a great listen either for traveling or commuting, please head to Big Finish's web site to order - they allow you to purchase either CD or digital download, and you will not be disappointed.

Especially since the audio does something very few adaptations do - draw upon the strength of Conan Doyle's writing style. Eerily atmospheric, this audio is worth adding to your collection.

Editor's note: Gordon regularly covers the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the entertainment industry. You can also find him at Blog THIS, Pal! and Comic Related.


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"If the Matter Is Beyond Humanity..." [DEVI]

Very few Sherlockians would make the argument for Holmes as a vehicle to discuss religious or spiritual principles. In fact, quite the opposite - Holmes may be seen as the ultimate in rational thinkers, keeping himself within this world and staying within the realm of sheer intellect.

That would be a mistake, for as Stephen Kendrick suggests in his book Holy Clues, many spiritual lessons can be learned from Holmes' approach. (Recently, I had an opportunity to revisit the book, having read it a few years ago)

Subtitled "The Gospel According to Sherlock Holmes," the book uses Holmes' approach - with a liberal helping of other thinkers - to suggest a way of approaching spirituality through a more skeptical lens. Granted, the book may tactfully avoid the darker aspects of the canon, but Kendrick provides multiple examples of ways in which a Holmesian approach may strengthen one's spiritual convictions.

Thankfully, there is an open approach towards integrating different trains of spiritual thought, with Zen/Buddhist concepts given equal weight with Judeo-Christian ideas. It's a book that provides a great deal of enlightenment, and that may spark a great deal of debate and discussion amongst Holmes aficionados.

Granted, this is an unusual approach to the canon - treating it as a way of determining a spiritual lifestyle. Kendricks, however, manages to perform an impressive feat in Holy Clues, suggesting that matters beyond humanity are not necessarily beyond anyone....including Holmes.

Very highly recommended.

Have you read it? We would be interested in your opinion in the comments below.

Editor's note: Gordon regularly covers the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the entertainment industry. You can also find him at Blog THIS, Pal! and Comic Related.


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"Out of The Black Shadows" [TWIS]

It's a story worthy of Conan Doyle himself - a "lost" early Holmes film that loosely adapts two key stories in the canon, and that is now freely available for viewing.

The Sleeping Cardinal (better known in the USA as Sherlock Holmes' Fatal Hour) is a 1931 film with Arthur Wontner as Holmes and Ian Fleming as Watson, serves as a loose adaptation of "The Adventure of the Final Problem [FINA]" and "The Adventure of the Empty House [EMPT]". Like many early sound movies, the direction is still rather theatrical, focusing mainly on discussions in rooms rather than a more dynamic presentation.

Details about how the film became "lost" can be found its entry on the Internet Archive, which also allows for embedding and (like Public Domain Torrents) downloading the film in various formats.

But judge for yourself - is this a hidden gem ripe for rediscovery? A film that should have remained lost? Or is it just another one of many Holmesian adaptations that just simply needs to be enjoyed on its own merits?

This mystery, dear reader, is entirely yours to solve....

If you're not able to view the Hulu video, it's also available on YouTube.

 
If you would care to purchase the DVD from Amazon.com, it's available by clicking here or via the image below. In addition, the other three titles from the Wontner series are available on DVD: The Sign of Four, The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes and Murder at the Baskervilles. All are worth watching, if only to appreciate the transition of Sherlock Holmes from silent to "talkies" prior to the arrival of Basil Rathbone.

Editor's note: This is a guest post by Gordon Dymowski. Gordon regularly covers the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the entertainment industry for The Baker Street Blog. You can also find him at Blog THIS, Pal! and Comic Related.

When you make purchases from the links we share, it provides us with a stream of revenue to help keep this site running. Thank you for your generosity.
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