Baker Street Irregulars discussion

My favorite is Neil Gaiman's "A Study in Emerald." It. is. SO GOOD. You can read it here. I am not usually a fan of H.P. Lovecraft stories, but this made it work for me. I haven't yet read a novel that impressed me as much as this story, though The Seven Percent Solution came close.

I think I am fairly forgiving when it comes to pastiches, as long as I am entertained. I do notice, however, that I tend to judge them by how much I like the Watson.

Can you explain 'A Study in Emerald'? I just didn't get it.

Hmmm... I think a little bit of background in the Cthulu mythos is necessary. Unfortunately I don't really know much about it! I've tried to find some summary somewhere but it seems Lovecraftians are like Sherlockians and get REALLY into it. And there is so much to get into. Uh... here's a link.

The wikipedia page for A Study in Emerald pretty much explains it better than I can. Spoilers!.

Thank you so much! I'll look into it, for sure. It's something that has been eating away at me since I read it. Much appreciated!

My favorites:

The West End Horror - Nicholas Meyer

The Seven Percent Solution - Nicholas Meyer

The Tangled Skein - David Stuart Davies

Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Raleigh Legacy - LB Greenwood

Sherlock Holmes and the Thistle of Scotland - LB Greenwood

Sherlock Holmes and the Case of Sabina Hall - LB Greenwood

Ah, I really enjoyed The Seven Percent Solution. I have West End Horror and Sherlock Holmes and the Case of Sabina Hall but I haven't gotten to them yet. What do you like about LB Greenwood's writing?

The LB Greenwood pastiches were probably the first that I read. I just felt that she held the style of ACD and that her interpretation of the characters was true to his form as well.

I loved The Seven Percent Solution a customer at the book store I work out told me about it.

One of my first was the 7%, and the oldie but goodie remains one of the best.

In addition to many of the above, I also really enjoyed both Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson and The House of Silk: A Sherlock Holmes Novel

Dave wrote: "In addition to many of the above, I also really enjoyed both Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson and..."

I just recently read Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson It is probably now at the top of my list of Sherlock Holmes pastiches!

I loved Dust and Shadow it is one of my favorites.

I also liked House of Silk, The West End Horror and the three books by LB Greenwood. A couple that I haven't seen mentioned that I enjoyed were Prisoner of the Devil and Revenge of the Hound by Michael Hardwick. I've read a couple of the Laurie King books, but never really got into them.

Laurie R King's 'The Beekeeper's Apprentice" about Holmes taking on an apprentice after his retirement to Sussex is excellent, as are the first half dozen sequels. The later books fall off sharply in quality.

I did enjoy the first 4 I have read of LRK

One of my favorite Holmes pastiches that doesn't get quite the recognition that books like 7% Solution, etc. receive is Daniel D. Victor's The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Seventh Bullet (re-released under the Further Adventures series from Titan Press). A very well researched and believably paced historical-pastiche placing Holmes & Watson in NYC c. 1912 investigating the assassination of famous journalist and so-called muckraker David Graham Phillips (author of the scathing The Treason of the Senate).

There are just so many to choose from......I have over 150 pastiches in my Holmes bookcase...and that's just the novels not the short story collection of which there are many. Will ponder and come up with my favourite ten.....well, will try anyway!

I have a favorite...
:o)

Dean wrote: "I have a favorite...
:o)"

By all means, share it with us. :-)

...that would be too too self-serving...
:>)

Dean wrote: "...that would be too too self-serving...
:>)"

OOOOOH! Can I guess?!?!

For me, it's hard to fault Laurie King's The Game for it's depth of research on India customs and people as SH and MR trek into the boonies. The mystery wasn't as tense perhaps as some, but the book was well balanced between geography and the story. I'm still working toward the end of her series.

A good recent read is Anomalous by Samuel Williams Jr.... exciting and well-plotted with great characterisations.

Dean wrote: "...that would be too too self-serving...
:>)"

I have the same problem when it comes to mentioning my favourite Holmes pastiches.

I have to say I loved Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula & Dr. Jekyll and Mr.Holmes by Loren D. Estleman. But the more classic pastiche I like is Tales From the Deed Box of John H. Watson MD by Hugh Ashton.

...modesty prevents...

And some of us have no shame at all.
http://www.mxpublishing.com/product/9...

Stephen wrote: "And some of us have no shame at all.
http://www.mxpublishing.com/product/9..."

I really enjoyed this novel! I had to stop an re-read the scene where Holmes is attacked by the vampiresses at Dracula's castle. Wonderful. So far, the best Dracula-Holmes I read (and I have read a few).

Lately I've been reading dozens of pastiches. My favorites so far:

Erasing Sherlock by Kelly Hale -R rated stuff, lots of gore and sex involving time traveling and a very young Holmes.

Prisoner of the devil by Michael Hardwick. Set after the great hiatus, Holmes is in top form investigating the "Dreyfus affair" by request of the Queen. Action, political intrigue, suspense, this book has all the right stuff.

The canary trainer by Nicholas Meyer. A recount of Holmes vs the Phantom of the Opera,it features a very subdued first person narration by Holmes.

House of silk is great, too.

Monica wrote: "Stephen wrote: "And some of us have no shame at all.
http://www.mxpublishing.com/product/9..."

I really enjoyed this novel! I had to stop an re-r..."
Thanks! Comments like that are music to my ears. Working on the next one.

The Seven Per-cent Solution is by far the best. It is not only historical and an terrific read, it is also the first pastiche to be approved by Dame Jean Conan Doyle!

Monica wrote: "Lately I've been reading dozens of pastiches. My favorites so far:

Erasing Sherlock by Kelly Hale -R rated stuff, lots of gore and sex involving time traveling and a very young Holmes.

Prisoner o..."

Oooo... Erasing Sherlock sounds so interesting!

My favorite non-canonical Sherlock Holmes story is Michael Chabron's THE FINAL SOLUTION. I don't think of it as a pastiche because it's not in Watson's voice but third person. It's nothing like a traditional Holmes story but I find it beautiful.

Whitechapel: The Final Stand Of Sherlock Holmes by Bernard Schaffer for Kindle is free today on Amazon. It is about the Ripper case.

Thanks John-great information

I've recently written a Sherlock Holmes pastiche, basically a sci-fi take on all things Holmes, sort of a mix of Holmes and Dr.Who. Basically it's about a kind of Scotland Yard of time and space, a higher power in the Universe, which literally brings Holmes to life in our real world to save Earth from the agents of another, nastier higher power in the cosmos.It's called "Sherlock Holmes, time-detective." I'm told there's a book called "Exit Sherlock Holmes" which has a somewhat similar premise, but I've never read it. I do admire Nicholas Meyer's work, though, I loved his movie "Time After Time" which has a marvellous Sherlock Holmes reference in it!

Exit Sherlock Holmes is similar yes abd is very good actually. Will look forard to reading yours.

Cool. If you're a member of the kindle library you can borrow my book and read it free, I believe. I enrolled it in the kindle library a few days ago.

great..thanks.

A Study in Emerald and Shadows Over Baker Street.

Shadows over Baker Street? Great title! What's that one about?

Adrian wrote: "Shadows over Baker Street? Great title! What's that one about?"

it's stories that combine Sherlock Holmes with H.P. Lovecraft, it's one of my favorite books.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12...

Sounds very cool ! Thanks for letting me know. Holmes and horror is my kind of thing too. I must check that one out!

I've been reading The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. It's quite the smogasbord of stories, with tales written by Neil Gaiman, Stepen King, Robert J Sawyer, and Tanith Lee to name a few.
I especially liked Commomplaces by Naomi Novik which gives an interesting account of Holmes's activities after The Final The Adventure of the Final Problem.

Sounds interesting...and some very cool writers there!

Some of the stories are really out there, hence the title word "improbable", but fun nonetheless. Others, like the story by Anne Perry are more traditional.

It is fortunate that in the world of sherlock Holmes pastiches so many tastes are catered for.

Yes, I've just finished re-reading most of the original stories and now I'm really looking forward to reading lots of new adventures. On my TBR shelf: The Execution of Sherlock Holmes: And Other New Adventures of the Great Detective, The Devil & Sherlock Holmes: Tales of Murder, Madness & Obsession, The Secret Journals Of Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty.

Quite a line up there............

I've just finished writing Inspector Lestrade's letter of condolence to John Watson following the tragic events at Meiringen. In it, he describes the Victor Lynch forgery case (referenced in SUSS by name, and by inference in STUD). This will appear in [plug]my forthcoming collection, Further Notes from the Dispatch-Box of John H. Watson MD, arriving on the shelves and on Kindles next month[/plug]. This was tricky to write, as I needed a 19th-century tone of voice, but one which was less educated and more direct than Watson's.