Gaslight Grimoire: Fantastic Tales of Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes Gaslight

by Charles Prepolec (Editor), J.R. Campbell (Editor), Kim Newman

Eliminating the impossible just got a whole lot harder! The fabled tin dispatch box of Dr. John H. Watson opens to reveal eleven all-new tales of mystery and dark fantasy. Sherlock Holmes, master of deductive reasoning, confronts the irrational, the unexpected and the fantastic in the weird worlds of the Gaslight Grimoire. Gaslight Grimoire includes works David Stuart Davies, Barbara Hambly, Kim Newman, Chris Roberson, Christopher Sequeira, Peter Calamai, J. R. Campbell, M. J. Elliott, Rick Kennett, Chico Kidd, Bob Madison, Martin Powell, Barbara Roden, 12 Full Page B&W illustrations by Phil Cornell. About the Charles Prepolec has contributed articles and reviews to All Hallows, Sherlock Magazine, Scarlet Street, and Canadian Holmes. An active Sherlockian for more than 20 years with Calgary’s The Singular Society of the Baker Street Dozen, he was designated a Master Bootmaker in 2006 by the Canada’s national Sherlock Holmes Society. Jeff Campbell ’s fiction has appeared in a wide variety of publications including Spinetingler Magazine, Wax Romantic and Challenging Destiny. From time to time his writing can also be heard on radio’s Imagination Theater and The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. In addition to writing, he has co-edited the Sherlock Holmes anthologies Curious Incidents 1 and 2 with his good friend Charles Prepolec. About the Cover Timothy Lantz is a full-time illustrator and graphic artist with degrees in art education and communications. During his career, Lantz’s work has included such far-flung projects as weather maps, television commercials, book covers and tarot cards. He is the author and artist of The Archeon Tarot, available from U. S. Games Systems Inc. About the Interior Phil Cornell was born in Sydney, Australia in 1954. He first came into contact with Sherlock Holmes at the age of ten when given an anthology containing 'The Speckled Band.' The infection was instant and incurable. He lives in Sydney with his twelve year old son, two cats and more Sherlockian books and videos than can comfortably fit in a fairly small home. He holds the position of "Expedition Artist" in The Sydney Passengers Sherlock Holmes Society. He is also a member of The Unscrupulous Rascals of South Australia and The Sherlock Holmes Society of London. He works as a commercial artist. About the These anthologies have received critical acclaim from prominent reviewers such as National Post, Library Journal, Booklist, Globe & Mail, etc.

Genres: Mystery, Fantasy, Short Stories, Horror, Anthologies, Fiction, Historical Fiction

334 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2008

About the author

Charles Prepolec is a former Mystery bookshop owner, currently freelance editor, writer, artist and reviewer with published contributions in a variety of books and magazines. He is co-editor of Professor Challenger: New Worlds, Lost Places (2015) and seven Sherlock Holmes anthologies (with J. R. Campbell) - Curious Incidents Vols. 1 & 2, Gaslight Grimoire: Fantastic Tales of Sherlock Holmes (2008), Gaslight Grotesque: Nightmare Tales of Sherlock Holmes (2009), Gaslight Arcanum: Uncanny Tales of Sherlock Holmes (2011), Gaslight Gothic: Strange Tales of Sherlock Holmes (2018) and Gaslight Ghouls: Uneasy Tales of Sherlock Holmes, Monsters and Madmen (2022); as well as co-editor (with Paul Kane) of Beyond Rue Morgue: Further Tales of Edgar Allan Poe’s 1st Detective (2013) for Titan Books. At the turn of the century he served as news editor for actor Christopher Lee’s official website. Charles has been an active Sherlockian for more than 35 years and holds memberships in The Bootmakers of Toronto, The Sherlock Holmes Society of London, The Sydney Passengers of Australia and an investiture in The Baker Street Irregulars (The Man with the Twisted Lip). He lives in Calgary, AB, Canada with his wife Kristen and their cat.

Reviews

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Il bambino sperduto" di Barbara Hambly: 2 stelle

Un insolito "Team-Up" tra Sherlock Holmes e... Peter Pan.
A dir poco originale, ed il tutto può essere giustificato come un delirio della povera e morente signora Watson,ma Holmes e Mary Watson mi sono sembrati troppo fuori dagli schemi e la storia un'avventura alla Harry Potter. Meh :/

"La sua ultima freccia" di Christopher Sequeira: 4 stelle

Quella che sembrava essere una indagine convenzionale pet Holmes & Watson, si concluderà invece nel più inaspettato (ed agghiacciante) dei modi...

"Il loro destino" di Barbara Roden: 5 stelle

Un gran bel "Team Up" tra Holmes e l'indagatore dell'occulto Flaxman Low (che non avevo mai sentito nominare).
L'autrice ha studiato il canone holmesiano e si vede, i punti di vista conflittuali dei due detective aggiungono spessore alla trama ed il lettore alla fine può scegliere quale soluzione del caso gli aggradi di più: quella soprannaturale o no. Notevole.

"La pennellata finale" di M.J. Elliott: 3 stelle

Vittime sbranate da belve invisibili all'interno di ristoranti affollati, morti per autocombustione ed indigestione di scorpioni vivi, quadri che portano alla morte chi li possiede... un godibile racconto soprannaturale, ma più che leggere un pastiche holmesiano sembra un po'troppo la sceneggiatura di un episodio di X-Files. Così così.

"Il Mondo Perduto" di Martin Powell: 3 stelle

Pastiche sci-fi che vede l'incontro tra gli ormai attempati Holmes & Watson ed il Professor George Edward Challenger (altra creazione letteraria di Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) e sua figlia Jessica, alle prese con la doppia minaccia venuta dal passato da parte di dinosauri su di un altopiano perduto ed una vecchia conoscenza...
Storiella niente male ma, non avendo letto il ciclo di racconti fantastici di Doyle aventi per protagonista il Professore, temo di non averla potuta apprezzare appieno.

"Il Grimorio di Grantchester" di Chico Kidd e Rick Kennet: 3 stelle.

Holmes & Watson e Carnacki, il cacciatore di spettri creato da William Hope Hodgson, uno dei primi "indagatori dell'incubo" letterari, alle prese con il caso di una magione infestata... l'idea era buona, ma alla fine risulta essere una delle indagini meno memorabili di sempre per entrambi i personaggi.

"Lo strano caso del vapore Friesland" di Peter Calamai: 2 stelle

Apprezzabile il tentativo di risolvere uno dei pochi casi incompiuti dell'investigatore e molto carino il cameo di un innominato, ma facilmente riconoscibile, sir Arthur Conan Doyle, ma Sherlock Holmes seduto in salotto a chiacchierare con un fantasma come se niente fosse è per me un esempio di cattiva fan fiction :/

"Simbiosi" di J. R. Campbell: 3 stelle

Manicomi, visioni di morte, orride trasformazioni, una catena di delitti ed un mondo remoto illuminato da un sole rosso sangue.
La storia è scritta molto bene ed un paio di passaggi sono davvero da brividi.
Ottimo il finale con Watson che cela la verità all'amico di sempre per proteggerlo, ma qualche pagina in più che spiegasse perchè è successo quello che è successo alla povera Catherine Dryson, e perché la creatura si accanisse contro la Confraternita, non avrebbe guastato...

"Merridew di abominevole memoria" di Chris Robertson: 4 stelle

Un ormai attempato e smemorato dottor Watson, rimasto solo e chiuso in una casa di cura, rimembra i vecchi casi dell'uomo che non poteva dimenticare e dello Smembratore di Londra, epigono del più famoso Jack lo Squartatore.
Mi è piaciuta molto la storia e come le due indagini vengano ad intrecciarsi alla fine.
La storia meno soprannaturale dell'antologia è secondo me una delle migliori.

"Tramonto rosso" di Bob Madison: 3 stelle

Ennesimo pastiche che vede Holmes (questa volta vecchio decrepito ma ancora in gamba) affrontare ancora una volta il vampiro più famoso nella storia della letteratura. Storia non proprio originale e finale a dir poco affrettato (e abbastanza ridicolo secondo me), ma la contrapposizione tra l'anziano sarcastico Holmes ed il detective hard-boiled co-protagonista funziona alla grande.

"La Lega del Pianeta Rosso" di Kim Newman: 5+++ stelle

Una splendida ed esilarante variante della Guerra dei Mondi di H. G. Wells, con protagonista un vendicativo Professor Moriarty alle prese con la sua odiata nemesi (NON è Sherlock Holmes!!! XD), raccontata dal famigerato (e deliziosamente depravato) Colonnello Moran (qui narratore stile Dottor Watson).
L'ultimo racconto dell'antologia, unico in cui non compare l'investigatore di Baker Street, è anche il più lungo ed il migliore di tutti quelli qui pubblicati, pieno di quelle citazioni letterarie e non con cui Newman aveva già egregiamente condito in passato la sua saga di Anno Dracula, e che mi ha lasciato con la voglia di leggere Professor Moriarty: The Hound of the D'Urbervilles, libro comprato anni fa e rimasto a prendere polvere da qualche parte sugli scaffali delle mie (prossime al crollo...) librerie.

Una antologia dalla qualità altalenante, ma l'ultimo racconto con protagonisti Moriarty e Moran, i due "villains" nemesi di Holmes & Watson, è un piccolo capolavoro che tutti i fan del personaggio di Sir Arthur Conan Doyle dovrebbero leggere.

Voto finale: 3,5

[Karl]

Contents:
 
Interior artwork by Phil Cornell

001 - "Ghosts May Apply" an essay by David Stuart Davies
006 - Introduction: An Introductory Rumination on Stories for Which the World is Not Yet Prepared by Charles Prepolec
015 - "The Lost Boy" by Barbara Hambly
041 - "His Last Arrow" by Christopher Sequeira
061 - "The Things That Shall Come Upon Them" by Barbara Roden
097 - "The Finishing Stroke" by M. J. Elliott
127 - "Sherlock Holmes in the Lost World" by Martin Powell
159 - "The Grantchester Grimoire" by Rick Kennett and Chico Kidd
187 - "The Steamship Friesland" by Peter Calamai
205 - "The Entwined" by J. R. Campbell
229 - "Merridew of Abominable Memory" by Chris Roberson
253 - "Red Sunset" by Bob Madison
273 - "The Red Planet League" by Kim Newman

[Pinkerton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Non ho riscontrato particolari difetti, eppure il libro non mi è piaciuto. Sarà per la mia naturale avversione ad apocrifi e raccolte antologiche di autori diversi. Nonostante il genere fosse quello giusto non ho mai avvertito quella curiosità, o il formicolio di tensione, che ogni mistero degno di tale nome dovrebbe garantire. Né brutto né scadente ma non è fatto per me.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though Arthur Conan Doyle was a well-known occult writer, he had to keep Sherlock Holmes, his most famous creation, grounded in reality. Doyle couldn’t weaken his popularity by giving Holmes a number of occult and fantastic cases to solve. This book takes care of that.

Watson was severely injured, and should have died, while serving with the British Army in Afghanistan. He was saved by a blue djinn who exacts a price from Watson for his help. Years later, while solving a case of what looks like suicide by crossbow, Watson suddenly stabs Holmes with an arrow. In his death throes, "Holmes" turns into the blue djinn who saved Watson’s life years before.

During World War II, Holmes is in a California nursing home. The damage to British morale would be too severe if he should be killed by the Nazis. Holmes helps a local detective discover how a man can be shot three times, twice in the chest and once in the head, and walk away. It has to do with the importation of fifty pine boxes from Romania, filled with vampires willing to work for the Allies.

In other stories, Holmes and Watson meet up with two famous literary occult detectives, Flaxman Low and Thomas Carnacki. Holmes is very much of a realist; no matter how weird and occult things may seem, there is usually a rational explanation. But he does not totally dismiss un-rational explanations.

I really enjoyed these stories. They are well done, and they are nice and weird without being too weird. Holmes fans will love this book, and so will occult fiction fans.

[Marianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The lost boy by Barbara Hambly: 3*
His last arrow by Christopher Sequeira: 4*
The things that shall come upon them by Barbara Roden: 5*
The finishing stroke by M. J. Elliott: 4.5* ~ I loved it, but the final part didn't left me completely satisfied, hence I couldn't rate it a full 5 stars.
Sherlock Holmes in the lost world by Martin Powell: 1.5* ~ I didn't really got the reason of this sci-fi twist, tho I do know there's a similar story lying among Conan Doyle's works.
The Grantchester grimoire by Chico Kidd and Rick Kennett: 3*
The steamship Friesland by Peter Calamai: 1*
The entwined by J. R. Campbell: 4* ~ Even though the characters aren't that canonic actually, this piece of art really hooked me from the first lines to the end, so why not give it a good rating.
Merridew of abominable memory by Chris Roberson: 3*
Red sunset by Bob Madison: 2*
The Red Planet league by Kim Newman: 4*

[Winry Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have put off reading "Gaslight series" forever, and I really don't know why had I done that. Those are fantastic, amongst the best holmesian anthologies I've ever read. Sure, as in any anthology, there are both superb and somewhat-weak stories, but overall, they suit very well together and it is a pleasure to read.

This one in particular read a lot like "Encounters of Sherlock Holmes": that is, in almost every story we have a special guest from other famous work of Victorian literature, in the vein of Philip José Farmer's "Wold Newton". And I am a huge sucker for such a worldbuilding.

The Lost Boy by Barbara Hambly - Had I grew up with Peter Pan, I'd love this story to death. It's atmospheric, characters are spot-on, the narrating voice of Mary Watson is beautiful. 4/5
His Last Arrow by Christopher Sequeira - This one surprised me with the resolution. I want more stories playing along this premise. 5/5
The Things That Shall Come Upon Them by Barbara Roden - Both Holmes and Flaxman Low, Occult Psychologist are independently called to investigate the same mystery that might or might not have occult explanation. Great pastiche for both characters. 5/5
The Finishing Stroke by M. J. Elliott - mystery of inconspicuous paintings that cause the death of their owners, clearly inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray. 4/5
Sherlock Holmes in the Lost World by Martin Powell - This one just... didn't suit me. At all. I don't know why, it is not badly written, per se, but... Nope. 1/5
The Grantchester Grimoire by Rick Kennett and Chico Kidd - Holmes investigates alongside Carnacki, the Ghost Finder. It's a solid little mystery, more in the vein of Carnacki than Holmes, but I enjoyed the Flaxman Low story a litlle bit more. 4/5
The Steamship Friesland by Peter Calamai - Dealing with the disaster that struck at the end of Five Orange Pips, we have a ghost in search of not exactly revenge for his killers, more of a justice via the only man who can hear him - Sherlock Holmes. 3/5
The Entwined by J. R. Campbell - An asylum-patient asks Holmes to investigate a string of murders she perpetrated in her dreams. (This one feels like a nod to a fantasy series I've never read.) It's intriguing and a little thought-provoking. 4/5
Merridew of Abominable Memory by Chris Roberson - My absolute favourite in the book. I might not be a fan of the way the story itself was framed, but the feeling it left in me... delicious. 5/5
Red Sunset by Bob Madison - A hardened private eye that employs help from old and grumpy Sherlock Holmes, who mocks the noir-style narrative? Hell yes. The mystery was not that intriguing, but I enjoyed the style. 5/5
The Red Planet League by Kim Newman - From the memoir of Sebastian 'Basher' Moran. Kim Newman's take on holmesiana is to love. 5/5

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not much for short story collections but this one was fun and had a lot more hits than misses. The stories are essentially "supernatural Sherlock Holmes" stories and they are all fun in one way or another.

[Gemma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Great Detective confronted by the supernatural! It's every Holmesian's secret fantasy!
This was one of the better anthologies I've ever read. There actually wasn't a story I didn't like, though some were better than others. I'd say my favorite three were The Lost Boy in which Holmes teams up with Peter Pan (yes, you read that right), Merridew of Abominable Memory featuring Holmes and Watson going up against a Jack the Ripper-esque serial killer (so horrible, it was wonderful), and The Red Planet League starring none other than Professor James Moriarty and Colonel Sebastian Moran plotting revenge against Moriarty's upstart intellectual rival (and it's not Holmes). There were also treats like The Steamship Friesland, a sequel to The Five Orange Pips, Sherlock Holmes in the Lost World where Holmes meets Professor George Edward Challenger, and Red Sunset, a funny little tale in which Holmes takes on Count Dracula and where the noir-ish detectives like Sam Spade meet their match.
I wouldn't quite call this a must-read for all Holmes fans, but it's definitely one to consider, and one you shouldn't pass up.

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this anthology. I mean, Sherlock Holmes and speculative fiction. How can you go wrong?
But the stories fell below expectations and failed to pack a punch. They just didn't grab me. The mysteries were basic and unappealing, and the science fiction was basic.
Very underwhelming anthology.

[Robin Rowles · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's always something slightly creepy about a good Sherlock Holmes story. In this volume, creepiness becomes horror. The dark underbelly of crime-fighting in Victorian London is exposed. Recommended if you like your Sherlock Holmes with a dash or even a full splash of the macabre...

[Christopher Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is yet another collection of Sherlock Holmes short stories, this time with a theme of horror and fantastic elements. As Holmes is so rooted in raw, bare logic and reasoning, its hard to imagine him facing down ghosts and goblins, which is what makes this collection intriguing.

It is largely made up of newer authors I do not know, although the first story is from Barbara Hambly whose other books I have enjoyed (particularly Those Who Hunt the Night). The stories range from a Peter Pan/Holmes pastiche (Hambley, not bad, but a bit uneven) to a story about revenge involving Colonel Moran and Moriarty, with no Holmes at all.

Other stories include different fictional detectives and characters, such as Doyle's own Professor Challenger, the "ghost detectives" Flaxman Low and Thomas Carnacki who I had not heard of and subsequently picked up books about.

Overall the tone is a bit uneven because of the multiple authors, but the tales are generally interesting and all entertaining.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall: A thoroughly enjoyable mix of the fantastic and the rational world of Sherlock Holmes' London. It's chilling, enthralling, sad, fantastic, shocking, and at all times a fun time. It was really fun to read and I was so very sad when it ended.

You do need to take each story separately however. So here we go:

The Lost Boy (3.5/5): Sherlock Holmes meets Peter Pan, for the first time or no? It's never really said. The interesting thing here is the fact that the narrator is a dying Mary Watson, which immediately throws the whole thing into doubt as much as it does confirms it. It's interesting to see how Peter Pan and Holmes get on and it is a great little story. A bit of an odd choice for a mash up but I enjoyed it.

His Last Arrow (5/5): This comes out of nowhere it starts out like a mystery like any other and then Watson stabs Holmes in the back. Literally. You think OMG WHAT THE HELL but then you are told that Holmes was a Djinn that Watson became indebted to while in Afghanistan. The whole story flips in that one moment. My heart literally stopped when Watson stabbed Holmes and it became worse when you realise what Holmes was and what Watson plans to do now. Heart stopping.

The Things That Shall Come Upon Them (2.5/5): I have never heard of Flaxman Low so I may have lost a bit on that fact. I did however like the two detectives presenting two different approaches, readings, and solutions to the problem. It got genuinely creepy at first but then fell apart when neither Holmes' rational explanation nor Low's supernatural one proved correct. So, it was all a little too open ended for me really. I like that Watson remained unconvinced in either direction but, all in all, the atmosphere up until the 'reveal' was great. It would have been weird if he sided with Low and it would have been too predictable if he sided with Holmes, though he did say he leaned more that way. All build up and no real follow through unfortunately.

The Finishing Stroke (4.5/5): This had a wonderful flair of the gruesome along with a gracious tip of the hat to Dorian Grey. It's gory and fantastic the explanation is so obviously other worldy and Holmes STILL refuses to admit it. It's a great tale of classic horror going on here. No one understands what is happening, I don't think even the villain really does either, and no one can really function. That's sort of how I'd see it happening if Conan Doyle ever had written something like this. Great fun all around.

Sherlock Holmes in the Lost World (3/5): I've never read the Lost World of Conan Doyle but I am familiar enough to understand what's going on. That being said you could probably understand nothing at all and still follow along and enjoy yourself. Our retired crime solvers head off into the Lost World to find Professor Challenger. It's an interesting, jungle adventure, and not too weird considering the presence of Holmes and Watson. It's a great time and unexpected!Moran was an interesting touch, though I really want to know how he escaped the hangman's noose. Rather enjoyable.

The Grantchester Grimoire (3/5): Another detective whom I've never read joins Holmes and Watson in a case involving a man who will not wake. Rather generic creepy story but still enjoyable while you're reading it. It worked better for me than "The Things That Shall Come Upon Them" probably because you were left with the idea that maybe, just maybe, Holmes believes more than he will let anyone see. What you do in the heat of the moment is quite telling.

The Steamship Friesland (3.5/5): This ties in with the death of the client in "The Five Orange Pips" and also features Holmes as a man who can speak to the dead. That last part seems to be a problem but it actually works quite well, especially considering how he must explain to Watson and get Watson to believe him. Holmes and Watson really don't do too much case wise but it's the idea of a ghost whispering Sherlock Holmes that really keeps you reading. Also the implication that Holmes, because of how long he's had to develop his mind, could continue to do work while dead. I also loved the touch that Watson reacted to the ghostly warnings without knowing it - which makes me wonder if Holmes and Watson ever chatted from two separate worlds in this universe.

The Entwined (4.5/5): This is a weirder entry but weird work very well with me. It's a horrifying idea and the mystery of what this world is and what this Brotherhood is and how Catherine became implicated is all up in the air. It's so sensual and wonderful and scary all it once. It's fantastic. I also greatly enjoyed the implication that Watson hid the real story from Holmes. Holmes, I think, knows that Watson is lying but doesn't seem to want to think about uncovering it. Very telling.

Merridew of Abominable Memory (3/5): I think I would have preferred this as simply a straight forward mystery. The octogenarian Watson, who frames the narrative, is an interesting character but it's so sad to think of him away and ill and in no touch with Holmes whatsoever. It just doesn't fit into my imagining of the world but that's no fault to the story. I loved the grizzly description of those 'decorations' and I wish we'd gotten more of that than this strange treatise on memory. It seemed more out of place than anything.

Red Sunset (5/5): Wow, genre detective fiction meets the original consulting detective and they face off against Dracula?! Enough said! It's hilarious ( I love Holmes's impatient mocking about the narrator's poetic turns of phrase), sad (Holmes reminiscing about always calling Watson 'John" and the photo on his desk), and thrilling. Amazing. Loved it. Really loved it!

The Red Planet League (4/5): The longest and maybe the most interesting if only because your narrator is Sebastian Moran, and man is that man deliciously depraved! I could have done without the diary entries in the middle but that's really my only complaint. I love the look at Moriarty's mathematical and scientific nemesis and the references to other characters fictional and real delighted me to no end!

[S.M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were two or three decent stories, but the rest...not so much.

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an absolutely wonderful collection that I felt kept the spirit of the Strand publications, complete with illustrations for each story. The stories were hit or miss, but honestly, this book was just good plain fun.

I shamelessly adore fanfiction. I've loved it ever since I was about 10 and discovered Star Trek novels in Half Priced Books. I can never let characters go completely - I always want more and I want it from other fans who understand. So I was understandably delighted to see Barbara Hambly, one of my favorite TOS writers, as the author of the first story. Holmes, a former Lost Boy? Taking the case to find the missing Darling children? Fighting a mysterious eldritch creature with Peter Pan? Shut up, I'll take it.

I read all of the Sherlock Holmes canon a few years ago and Doyle would sometimes tease the reader with the potential for a supernatural solution, but always kept Holmes firmly in "our" reality - no ghosts or vampires in those stories. But it's a pleasure to see him scoffingly investigate ghostly apparitions with William Hope Hodgson's Carnacki the Ghost-Finder, reluctantly join forces with H. Heron and E. Heron's psychic detective, Flaxman Low, and even, in his old age, nonchalantly fight vampires with a hardboiled gumshoe in LA. In the weakest of the stories, he takes it upon himself to track down Doyle's own dinosaur-hunting Professor Challenger. There's even a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo by Raffles, the "gentleman thief."

Okay, so this is probably not great literature. But who cares? This was a fantastic weird collection. The final two stories, Red Sunset (the hardboiled gumshoe story) and The Red Planet League (a ridiculously depraved Moran describing Professor Moriarty's convoluted revenge against an academic rival) had me giggling hysterically. I still don't know what made me request this volume from the library, but I'm glad to have it. This was a pleasure to read.

[Schnaucl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this anthology was uneven. There were a few stories that really stood out but most didn't make a lasting impression.

I liked The Lost Boy by Barbara Hambly. It was interesting reading a story from Mary's point of view. But it was really the idea of a young Sherlock in Neverland that piqued my interest. Perhaps that's why he wanted to be a pirate.


I also enjoyed His Last Arrow by Christopher Sequeira. The premise is fascinating. Sherlock Holmes is literally a dying John Watson's biggest desire. That is, a life full of fame and adventure. But the cost to others is high indeed.


I loved Red Sunset by Bob Madison. I loved Sherlock as an extremely crotchety man over a century old. But mostly I love it because he has a picture of a younger John Watson on his desk and he tells his visitor he only called him John, never his surname. That little touch made it my favorite story of the collection.

[Paolo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Il grimorio di Baker Street 5.5 - Conan Doyle è un’altra cosa. Ma pure i migliori apocrifi. Brutta copia

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of largely successful pastiches, only one outright miss in the bunch (Lost World crossover w/Professor Challenger - garbage). A lot of efforts like these end up trying too hard, when often it seems like Conan Doyle dashed out a lot of the canon without trying at all. I did enjoy the last story that was absent Holmes & Watson entirely, featuring Moran & Moriarty in a ridiculous bit of fun that made me wish for a Breaking Bad style incarnation of that duo.

[Jose Luis Meza Garcia · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok. The tales presented here weren´t bad. It´s just that I have seen other collection of Sherlock Holmes storie which are much better and I had hoped that this collection would as good as others I have read.

If you have read the lovecraft compendium and want to read other stories then read these ones.

[Brett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to admit that this book almost completely lost me in the first tale that involves Holes and Peter Pan. I held on though and the short stories did improve overall. Definitely not my favorite collection though.

[John R. Dailey Jr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

WEIRDNESS ABOUNDS IT DOES...

Hello, this collection has some good stuff in it and some dead birds also. A few real good stories and some that didn't need to be in this collection. Thanks.

[Jameson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of these stories weren’t my cup of tea but I liked His Last Arrow, The Things That Shall Come Upon, The Finishing Stroke, and The Granchester Grimoire. Nothing I’ll re-read. I will check out the next volume, though.

[Cecilia Rodriguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

An anthology of eleven short stories all featuring Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's
Sherlock Holmes.
Each story begins with a black and white illustration.

[Lattisha Fox · Rating 2 out of 5]

No great stories, or even good really. I would say it was meh to bad.

[Vera Viselli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Racconti bellissimi (forse meno l'ultimo) in perfetto stile Doyle, per rivivere le avventure di Holmes e Watson, in gioventù come in vecchiaia, anche se alle prese con forze ultraterrene.

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a book is bye-lined as "Fantastic Tales of Sherlock Holmes", the readers (already hooked or potential) have to select from either of two options: to indulge themselves with a strange but highly intriguing collection like "Shadow Over Baker Street", or to apprehend that another bunch of ordinary-to-boring stories are attempted to be passed off as Sherlockian pastiches. This particular book has both sides (probably more "natural" in that way only), and I am trying to give a very brief idea about the stories.

1. The introductory "Ghosts May Apply" by that tirelessly Sherlockian anthologist David Stuart Davies and introduction by Charles Prepolec are good intro-s and are more than the usual "getting-in the path towards actual stuff".
2. "The Lost Boy" by Barbara Hambly is a sad & rather boring tale involving Holmes, Peter Pan, the Great Old One and Mrs. Watson. READ IT SINCE YOU HAVE BOUGHT THE BOOK.
3. "His Last Arrow" by Christopher Sequeira is a mystic jumble that vilifies the legend that is Holmes without having any conviction in its telling. RUBBISH AND DISTINCTLY AVOIDABLE.
4. "The Things That Shall Come Upon Them" by Barbara Roden is the best story in this collection in terms of structure, logic, as well as characterization, that involves Holmes, Flaxman Low and a sinister character made famous by that provost of Eton over whom we all go ga-ga. YOU MUST READ IT!
5. "The Finishing Stroke" by M.J. Elliott is a proper X-Files kind of adventure, and I thoroughly enjoyed it (esp. the ambiguous ending that left lot to think about). GOOD.
6. "Sherlock Holmes in the Lost World" by Martin Powell is a distinctly inferior attempt in reconciling two of Conan Doyle's creations into a rip-roaring adventure (if you are thinking about who the 2nd one might be then boo!) that fails on every count. AVOIDABLE.
7. "The Granchester Griomoire" by Chico Kidd & Rick Kennett revives the spirit of `472 Cheyne Walk' very successfully in this work involving Holmes & Carnacki, but somehow falls short of the level achieved by Barbara Roden. GOOD.
8. "The Steamship Friesland" by Peter Calamai is again a mumbo-jumbo tale trying to tie-up the loose ends left at the end of that classic of all classics "The Five Orange Pips". INFERIOR, BUT CAN BE READ.
9. "The Entwined" by J.R. Campbell deserves a place in the "Weird Tales" category and it is TRULLY WEIRD. That is the only comment that I can offer.
10. "Merridew of Abominable Memory" by Chris Roberson is a brutal take on the power of memory and how wrong it may cause if the power is to be exercised by evil (if you are remembering "Rain Man" then you have no idea about this). GOOD.
11. "Red Sunset" by Bob Madison is top-notch in its hardboiled style that manages to pit Holmes against the ultimate bad guy of English literature (no, I am not talking about Moriarty). EXCELLENT.
12. "The Red Planet League" by Kim Newman does not have Holmes in it, and yet, it manages to make this book very-very enjoyable because it narrates an adventure undertaken by the bad guys of the Holmesian world, and tags in several other turn-of-century characters as well. MORE THAN EXCELLENT.

So, as the summary goes: the book is recommended; read with caution at the first phase, then enjoy like there is no tomorrow (or no more volumes to devour).

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed the book, although I found the lack of a table of contents annoying.

Premise: an anthology of Sherlock Holmes stories, each with a dash of horror elements. That concept drew me in. As usual in an anthology, some stories I enjoyed more than others.

The Lost Boy by Barbara Hambly was more dark fantasy than horror. I liked Peter Pan as a character and thought the story well done.

The Last Arrow by Christopher Sequeira was less successful for me. I felt the ending was unexpected and I felt let down.

The Things that Shall Come upon Them by Barbara Roden was well done. Pairing Sherlock Holmes with a psychic detective allowed the reader to choose solutions.

The Finishing Stroke by M.J. Elliott was enjoyable, in a horror story way.

Sherlock Holmes in the Lost World by Martin Powell combines the two Conan Doyle tales.

The Granchester Grimoire by Chico Kidd and Rick Kennett was a quite adequate tale.

The Strange Affair of the Steamship Friesland by Peter Calamai was a good ghost story with ties to a canon Holmes mystery.

The Entwined by editor Jeff (J.R.) Campbell was another piece of dark fantasy and sent shivers down my back.

Merridew of Abominable Memory by Chris Roberson was a solid mystery with a horrific twist.

Red Sunset by Bob Madison was a delightful mixture of Holmes, hard-boiled mystery, and horror. An aging Sherlock Holmes in LA deaing with vampires -- what could be better!

The Red Planet League by Kim Newman felt a bit out of place with nary a drop of Holmes. Still Colonel Moran's Moriarty tale is well done.

You should enjoy both horror and Sherlock Holmes before picking up this book.

[GracieKat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Addicting

I bought this, pretty much on a whim. But man, I could not stop reading and bought the other two in the series immediately. Almost every story in this book is great and that's saying something for an anthology. My personal favorites are the Moran narrated story (which happily show up in the other anthologies also), Peter Pan, Merridew and a long list. Probably the only two that I didn't care for (but that others might very well love) were The Last Arrow and Sherlock Holmes in the Lost World.
What is great about them is that the reader doesn't even need to be that into Sherlock Holmes. Taken on their own as weird fiction they are great! So at their ridiculously low price what are you waiting for?

[Sem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unlike the reviewer at SF Site, I felt that the best of the bunch was the story that didn't include Holmes -- the incomparable Kim Newman's 'The Red Planet League'. The rest were readable, at times even quite good -- with the possible exception of editor J.R. Campbell's awkward pulp offering 'The Entwined' -- and I always enjoy encounters between Holmes and the 'fantastic' but really -- fandom does a much better job with this sort of thing. Three stars, if only because I can read any Holmes pastiche with a certain degree of pleasure.

[Cris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rather mixed collection of stories. Most are not the usual pastiches. Some are, and some are inspired by, and some are influenced by Doyle's stories. While I enjoyed most of the stories, I wouldn't recommend this collection for people who are looking for more *just like* Doyle's stories. (If they want something with the same blend of traits as the original Holmes' stories with magic, I'd suggest Randall Garrett's Lord Darcy stories.)

[Ivana]

The introductions were way too long, meandering and with little substance, the stories childish, or ineptly written, or down the "anything goes" alley, or all of the above; there are some sweet moments in Hambly's story (but, Peter Pan?!), and Newman's story was intelligent, well written and funny, and that's about it. Instead of this one, I recommend picking up Newman's Professor Moriarty collection -- that way you get to read the good story, and a bunch of other good stories.