Category: Fantasy, Horror, & Science Fiction

SUMMARY:

Released in 2009 by Night Shade Books, editor/journalist John Joseph Adams (with help from David Barr Kirtley) assembled this 454-page paperback. 

Specifically, Adams complied twenty-eight original Sherlock Holmes short stories borrowed from various other anthologies (between 1987 and 2009), each by a different author.  Usually conveyed through Dr. Watson’s traditional point-of-view, these tales explore the iconic British sleuth in an array of genres including science fiction, horror, swashbuckling adventure, and mind-bending fantasy. 

Familiar names, including Irene Adler, Professor Moriarty, Colonel Sebastian Moran, H.G. Wells, and even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle will resurface.  Two very different interpretations of Holmes’ unexplained Friesland steamship case are explored.  The same also applies to Jack the Ripper.  Some literary team-ups and/or unusual crossovers are also among this anthology’s features.  Adams introduces each author, with an additional brief transition alluding to the story’s particular mechanism or inspiration.    

Notes: These tales are not presented in any chronological order.  This title is also available digitally and in an audiobook format.

• “The Doctor’s Case” by Stephen King.  With Holmes now long dead, a ninety-year-old Dr. Watson divulges the one instance he unraveled a seemingly perfect crime before his best friend could.  The flashback shifts to a rainy London afternoon in 1899.  Scotland Yard’s Inspector Lestrade retrieves Holmes and Watson from 221b Baker Street to decipher a locked room enigma.  Earlier in the day, decrepit shipping tycoon Albert Hull was found stabbed to death in his study.  The baffling homicide’s prime suspects consist of three resentful adult sons and the victim’s abused wife.  With Holmes largely distracted by his allergic reaction to cats, Watson must step up his deductive game. 

Mini-Review # 1: Stephen King’s impressive writing style can’t hide this tale’s glaring implausibility.  Aside from a ‘shock value’ finish, King contrives that Lestrade (and, by extension, Holmes & Watson) would merely accept the Hull family’s witness statements at face value.  King ought to have conveyed that Lestrade’s hurried investigation included outside corroboration (and, accordingly, allow sufficient transition time — say, push back Holmes & Watson’s entrance from early afternoon to nightfall).  Such peripheral details would have surely boosted his tale’s credibility.  6/10 Stars.   

• “The Horror of the Many Faces” by Tim Lebbon.  Come one dark London night, Dr. Watson is chilled to witness Holmes gleefully eviscerate an unknown victim in a secluded Baker Street alleyway.  Multiple horrific homicides committed the same way plague London over two nights where eyewitnesses observe different culprits each time.  It’s up to Watson to confront this insidious adversary, who resembles Holmes.  Troubling Watson is near certainty that his best friend has succumbed to a bloodthirsty, psychotic madness. 

Mini-Review # 2: This gory 2003 science fiction/horror ‘what if’ succeeds in the sense that there is no clear-cut finish, let alone any sense of triumph.  Inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s works, Tim Lebbon concocts a ghoulish read where Holmes and Watson are seemingly outmatched at their most desperate hour.  Not for the squeamish, but this dark alternate reality is worth a read.  7½/10 Stars.    

Note: For some ‘comparison shopping,’ Geoffrey A. Landis’ “The Singular Habits of Wasps” also explores ghastly sci-fi terrain later in this anthology.

• “The Case of the Bloodless Sock” by Anne Perry.  During Dr. Watson’s visit to the English countryside, his prosperous friend’s daughter is abducted two consecutive days.  The little girl is then returned home both times at midnight.  Her kidnapper’s taunting note compels the doctor to summon Holmes from London for urgent help.  Holmes concurs with Watson that Professor Moriarty is playing an ominous new game.  

Mini-Review # 3: Anne Perry comes the closest to recapturing the conventional style of a Holmes mystery Conan Doyle might have devised for the Strand Magazine.  Yet, her ‘how-dunnit’ tale ironically rates among this anthology’s dullest and most forgettable stories.  Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot short story, “The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly” comes to mind, comparatively speaking. 

Perry’s plotting, suffice to say, comes off as almost too imitative of Conan Doyle to make her own unique impression.  That’s why “Bloodless Sock” becomes a blur shortly upon reading far more daring competition by other authors in this collection.  5½/10 Stars.       

• “The Adventure of The Other Detective” by Bradley H. Sinor.  Returning home one foggy London night, Dr. Watson inexplicably finds himself transported into an alternate reality where his own counterpart has been dead ten years.  Even more shocking is that Baker Street is home to England’s premier consulting detective: Professor James Moriarty. With Dr. Mary Morstan’s help, Watson and Moriarty must thwart a prison break scheme involving Jack the Ripper, Col. Sebastian Moran, and this world’s greatest criminal genius: Sherlock Holmes.  

Mini-Review # 4: Bradley H. Sinor concocts this anthology’s best and arguably most imaginative tale.  Though there are some violent sequences, Sinor doesn’t push actual gore simply because of Jack the Ripper’s presence.  Not only is every fantastic alternate world element well-played, but this story’s plot twists celebrate the unexpected.  Highly recommended!   9/10 Stars.       

Note: For an intriguing comparison, Neil Gaiman’s Lovecraft-influenced “A Study in Emerald” is another alternate reality re-imagining Holmes and Moriarty as perennial adversaries.

• “A Scandal in Montreal” by Edward D. Hoch.  More than twenty years have elapsed since “A Scandal in Bohemia.”  With a visiting Dr. Watson back at his side, a retired Holmes is unexpectedly summoned from his Sussex bee farm to Montreal by an old acquaintance, now widowed.  Once in Canada, Holmes and Watson must seek out Irene Adler’s elusive college-age son, who has become the prime suspect in the homicide of a romantic rival. 

Mini-Review # 5: Edward D. Hoch’s contribution is among this anthology’s straightest arrows, in terms of storytelling.   Though a few surprises would have been appreciated, at least Hoch doesn’t resort to peddling the ‘long-lost son’ cliché one might expect.  Hoch’s down-to-earth Irene Adler enjoys a platonic friendship with Holmes that makes both of them come off as likably low-key in their middle age.  If anything, Hoch delivers a cozy whodunnit that Conan Doyle fans can appreciate for its faithful homage to the iconic characters.   6/10 Stars.   

• “The Adventure of the Field Theorems” by Vonda N. McIntyre.  The latest celebrity client for Holmes and Dr. Watson is none other than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  Though privately deriding Doyle’s gullibility for paranormal hoaxes, the Baker Street duo help the physician/author investigate unexplained crop circles found in the Surrey countryside.  Doyle, despite Holmes’ eye-rolling skepticism, is convinced that these otherworldly geometric patterns are the first step towards open communications with either ghosts or even possibly Martians.   

Mini-Review # 6: Loaded with trivial tidbits perusing Conan Doyle’s private interests in the paranormal, Vonda N. McIntyre’s caper has Holmes and his creator teaming up while matching wits.  With McIntyre’s take on Conan Doyle as essentially a naïve buffoon, it’s up to Holmes & Watson to surpass Robert Stack’s Unsolved Mysteries, as far as debunking bizarre crop circles and alien abductions.  One of the story’s best assets is playing up how, like Houdini, an indignant Holmes must defend his skills from ignorant public misassumptions that he is a supernatural phenomenon.     

As a loaded historical in-joke, “Field Theorems” is a delight to read.  Though this tale is hardly wacky, one practically wishes for a wink-wink cameo from Marvin the Martian.   8/10 Stars.   

• “The Adventure of the Death-Fetch” by Darrell Schweitzer.  Confiding in a family friend’s college-age son, an elderly Dr. Watson reveals a secret case from decades ago that Holmes had vehemently demanded be suppressed from public knowledge.  Per Watson’s flashback, the daughter of a celebrated British explorer desperately seeks out Holmes for help. Hearing her father’s admission of his ominous Southern Asian jungle adventures, Holmes readily senses that evil is afoot.  Yet, the sleuth rejects the idea that a supernatural impersonator is stalking their client. With no time to lose, Holmes must contend with the reoccurrence of this sinister mirror image as the prelude to his client’s imminent and horrific death.   

Mini-Review # 7: While his story’s bookends to the flashback could have been better, Darrell Schweitzer is spot-on conveying a dose of grisly supernatural horror.  Including a gruesome nod to Indiana Jones, the “Death-Fetch” is one of this anthology’s nastiest yet best-devised entries.  8/10 Stars.   

• “The Shocking Affair of the Dutch Steamship Friesland” by Mary Robinette Kowal.  As told in private correspondence written forty years later, Holmes and Dr. Watson fatefully meet a fellow steamship passenger: a distressed young bride prior to her arranged marriage.  She may be the key to unlocking the sinister truth behind an Italian political couple’s assassination.     

Mini-Review # 8: While Mary Robinette Kowal’s dark tale of political intrigue is kept short, her characters are effectively characterized.  This story is worthy of inclusion in this anthology.   6½/10 Stars.       

• “The Adventure of the Mummy’s Curse” by H. Paul Jeffers. Holmes, on Watson’s behalf, probes a supposed deadly curse on an Egyptian archaeological expedition that has recently impacted one of the doctor’s old Army buddies. 

Mini-Review # 9: Reminiscent of Hercule Poirot’s case, “The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb” (but not nearly as icky), H. Paul Jeffers teases a supernatural whodunnit.  Yet, its subsequent blandness gives way to a far more conventional and tidy Conan Doyle finish.  Though this tale is worth a read, it’s definitely middle-of-the-pack material.   6/10 Stars.   

• “The Things That Shall Come Upon Them” by Barbara Roden.  Hired by one half of a married English couple to de-haunt their new home’s study, Holmes and Dr. Watson meet a more unconventional sleuth: Flaxman Low.  Far more experienced with psychic phenomenon, Low, as it turns out, was hired by the couple’s other half for the very same reason.  Despite contrasting viewpoints on the supernatural, these three detectives probe the ominous secret left behind by the estate’s wicked prior owner.  Note: According to the introduction, Conan Doyle was evidently real-life friends with Low’s co-creator: Hesketh Hesketh-Prichard.    

Mini-Review # 10: Pairing an ever-skeptical Holmes with the world’s first fictional occult detective, Low, is Barbara Roden’s ingenious stroke.  Leaving readers to make their own conclusions (still, it’s fairly obvious which way one is supposed to tilt), Roden concocts an effective team-up.  In particular, the British gentlemanly bond established between Low and the Baker Street duo makes for a satisfying read.   8/10 Stars.       

• “Murder to Music” by Anthony Burgess.  Eyewitnesses Holmes and Dr. Watson probe two homicides amidst the startling assassination of a Spanish classical musician inside a London concert hall.  With high-profile Spanish royalty in London for a high-profile visit, Holmes senses there may be more mayhem in this case still to come.  Meanwhile, Watson repeatedly helps a baffled colleague by consulting on a case where the patient is shifting from one bizarre foreign disease to the next.   

Mini-Review # 11: Suffice to say, it’s a blah and unsatisfying read, including some undercurrents of racism.  Had this 1989 Anthony Burgess tale been penned fifty years before and sufficiently tweaked, its premise would have been ideal for one of Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce’s wartime Sherlock Holmes radio dramas.  Otherwise, this political whodunnit is skippable.   4/10 Stars.       

• “The Adventure of the Inertial Adjustor” by Stephen Baxter. A young H.G. Wells convinces Holmes and Dr. Watson to help him probe a scientist friend’s recent demise, as the journalist/author suspects foul play. Specifically, the controversial pioneer had been conducting experimental studies of gravity and electricity to accelerate his dream of space travel.  Investigating the grisly incident, Wells, Holmes, and Watson find that two suspects provide similarly tragic eyewitness accounts. Yet, the truth is hidden somewhere within their startlingly different conclusions.    

Mini-Review # 12: Though its scientific jargon is a bit cumbersome, Stephen Baxter’s whodunnit makes for a good historical fiction read.  Baxter’s story doesn’t overtly criticize the decedent’s animal cruelty, but some readers might cringe at the torturous outcome of his scientific research techniques on animal test subjects.  Still, had this 1997 tale existed a half-century before, it could have been an ideal mystery for a Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce radio drama.   7/10 Stars. 

• “Mrs. Hudson’s Case” by Laurie R. King.  Would the ever-loyal Mrs. Hudson dare to pull a fast one on her most famous lodger?  With a retired Holmes away assisting international authorities search for two missing children, his college-age apprentice, Mary Russell, intends to find out what the landlady is hiding from them.

Mini-Review #13: Given its charm, Laurie R. King’s cozy caper effectively advertises her own Mary Russell mystery series.  Ms. King’s down-to-earth trifle makes a welcome respite from some of the utterly malevolent plots found elsewhere in this anthology.  6½/10 Stars.               

• “The Singular Habits of Wasps” by Geoffrey A. Landis. Holmes’ series of unexplained nocturnal absences eerily coincide with Jack the Ripper’s sadistic murder spree in Whitechapel.  A horrified Dr. Watson suspects that Holmes is suffering a psychotic Jekyll-and-Hyde-like split-personality where his friend is both the detective and, unknowingly, the monstrous culprit.  Watson risks his life to find the truth, but an even more ghastly possibility awaits him after dark in Whitechapel.     

Mini-Review # 14: Given their morbid plot similarities, one might assume this sci-fi take on Jack the Ripper is a variation of Tim Lebbon’s “The Horror of Many Faces.”  Yet, Adams gives no indication that these alternate reality tales are deliberately connected.  Devised nearly a decade earlier, Geoffrey A. Landis’ 1994 tale goes even further probing certain horrific aspects that Lebbon’s thriller only alludes to.  As far as macabre storytelling is concerned, Landis imaginatively melds elements of John Carpenter’s The Thing, Men in Black, and Alien into a strange alternative explanation of Jack the Ripper. 

This Landis story, in spite of its shock value details, delivers a spine-tingling read.  Diminishing this story, however, is an instance of Holmes making a vastly condescending racist slur comparing native Africans to modern English civilization.  While Holmes’ context is meant to compare a primitive Earth to far more advanced alien worlds, having him resort to such derogatory phrasing is unnecessary and irrelevant to the plot. 7/10 Stars.   Note: H.G. Wells makes an off-screen cameo appearance.

• “The Affair of the 46^th Birthday” by Amy Myers.  Once more, in flashback, Dr. Watson reveals an international incident from a decade before.  In this instance, Holmes must thwart an ingeniously-devised assassination attempt on the King of Italy during a diplomatic dinner held in the English countryside. 

Mini-Review # 15: This Amy Myers thriller blends historical fiction and political intrigue unto a quick literary cocktail.  Reminiscent of Hercule Poirot-style short stories, there are some inevitable contrivances, but the mystery is still a good read.  “46^th Birthday,” in that sense, is of near-equal caliber to Mary Robinette Kowal’s “The Shocking Affair of the Dutch Steamship Friesland” in this same anthology.    6/10 Stars.

• “The Specter of Tullyfane Abbey” by Peter Tremayne.  Over drinks one night at their Baker Street lodgings, a melancholic Holmes entrusts Watson with a confession of his greatest failure.  In a flashback to Holmes’ college days, his ghost story involves a fateful love triangle, an unsolved disappearance, and the then-amateur detective’s first encounter with one Professor James Moriarty. 

Mini-Review # 16: Peter Tremayne’s retroactive alterations to Holmes’ origin might be condemned by Conan Doyle purists, if only for continuity’s sake.  Still, this gothic whodunnit explores the aloof shrewdness in the sleuth’s classic persona.  One might even consider the tale reminiscent of Casino Royale, as to that plot’s fateful impact on James Bond.  Though many of Tremayne’s plot twists are grimly predictable, he concocts a pitch-black mystery worthy of inclusion.  7/10 Stars.    

“The Vale of the White Horse” by Sharyn McCrumb.  A British aristocrat and his fiancée hire Holmes and Dr. Watson to investigate the murder of his physician brother in the rural English countryside.  The corpse had been found under a crimson cloak on a prehistoric chalked landmark dubbed ‘The White Horse’ atop a secluded hill.  Probing their clients’ family history, Holmes & Watson sense the vexing truth may be hidden closer to home.  Aided by an insightful eyewitness, the elderly Grisel Rountree, Holmes must decipher the decedent’s enigmatic last words to unmask the culprit.   

Mini-Review # 17: Though Sharyn McCrumb telegraphs the plot’s pivotal twist far too much, her story’s interpretation of transgenderism in Victorian England is intriguing. “White Horse” offers a gothic mystery with possibly supernatural undertones making it a solid read.   7/10 Stars. 

“The Adventure of the Dorset Street Lodger” by Michael Moorcock.  Due to necessary renovations to their Baker Street lodgings, Holmes and Dr. Watson must temporarily relocate to another boarding house. Once there, Holmes and Dr. Watson offer to help a visiting American businessman collect an unexpected family legacy.  Yet, the case soon becomes dangerously complicated.

Mini-Review # 18: As with Anne Perry’s “Bloodless Sock,” Michael Moorcock does justice to this homage to Conan Doyle’s style of storytelling.  Yet, there isn’t anything particularly remarkable about “Dorset Street Lodger,” as far as its blend of adventure and mystery. The lengthy plot also could have been tightened to make for a more efficient mystery. 6/10 Stars.

“The Adventure of the Lost World” by Dominic Green.  It’s a sequel of sorts to Conan Doyle’s 1912 science fiction novel, The Lost World.  In the autumn of 1918, Holmes and a skeptical Dr. Watson must pursue a horrific serial killer of London’s street trombonists.  What baffles Watson is that his best friend contends that their massive and evidently reptilian quarry belongs to a long-extinct breed of dinosaur.   

Mini-Review # 19: Undoubtedly, Dominic Green’s crossover between Conan Doyle’s two greatest literary accomplishments sounds like an intriguing sci-fi premise.  The end result of having senior citizens Holmes & Watson play amateur dinosaur hunters, however, is very much a wonky read (as one might imagine).  Even the opening segment of an undercover Holmes recruiting Watson’s help is too unbelievable for its own good.  Green at least offers some makeshift Jurassic Park-style fun, no matter how many eyes will be invariably rolling.   5½/10 Stars.              

• “The Adventure of the Antiquarian’s Niece” by Barbara Hambly.  At the behest of a wealthy American suitor, Holmes and Dr. Watson agree to help extract his would-be fiancée from her evil British relatives.  The Baker Street duo must first enlist an ally: William Hope Hodgson’s British occult detective, Thomas Carnacki (simply called ‘Carnaki’ here) before they confront a centuries-old supernatural cult out of the works of H.P. Lovecraft.  Even Holmes and Carnaki’s formidable sleuthing might not come in time to save a captive Watson from a human monster specializing in ritual sacrifices.  

Mini-Review # 20: As strange as her plot’s supernatural hokum is, Barbara Hambly’s storytelling admirably sells it to readers.  A considerable grain of salt one must swallow, however, is accepting this Holmes’ lack of skepticism towards dark occult powers and what tactics must be subsequently deployed. 

For instance, the Holmes appearing in either Barbara Roden’s “The Thing That Shall Come Upon Them” or Peter Tremayne’s “The Specter of Tullyfane Abbey” is more aligned with Conan Doyle’s original Holmes, as to the sleuth’s disbelief in occult matters.  Still, for fantasy/horror fans, this Holmes & Watson/Carnacki team-up is hard to pass up.   8/10 Stars.        

• “Dynamics of a Hanging” by Tony Pi.  Months after Holmes and Professor Moriarty had evidently perished at Reichenbach Falls, Dr. Watson is contacted by Reverend Charles Dodgson (aka author Lewis Carroll).  The two of them attempt to decode one of the late Moriarty’s notebooks to find definitive evidence of his criminal activities.  Mostly told by Dodgson in flashback, he and his then-academic associate, Moriarty, had teamed years ago to probe the suspicious death of the professor’s new protégé.  Carroll is now determined to finally verify the chilling truth behind what (or perhaps whom) killed a promising medical student by the name of Arthur Conan Doyle.

Mini-Review # 21: Though Holmes’ presence is confined to inspiring Watson’s deductive logic, this Tony Pi mystery is both a mathematical code-breaking puzzle and a nifty whodunnit.  Pi devises a neat idea to have Lewis Carroll (and, to a degree, Moriarty) fill in for Holmes, but Watson’s minor yet pivotal role is a boon to the iconic sidekick.   7/10 Stars.     

• “Merridew of Abominable Memory” by Chris Roberson.  Residing in a sanitarium to seek treatment for his present-day memory loss, an elderly Dr. Watson relays a spine-chilling flashback to his therapist.  It involves a Jack the Ripper-like monster, a series of baffling financial thefts, and a man of utterly impeccable memory.  Hired by a businessman expecting to be the thief’s next target, Holmes & Watson must simultaneously hunt a bloodthirsty serial killer.     

Mini-Review # 22: While Chris Roberson devises a unique title character, his mystery’s plot twists become increasingly contrived to make all of its puzzle pieces fit together – too perfectly.  Further, among this anthology’s grisly mysteries, “Merridew” arguably packs the most stomach-churning imagery.  It overwhelms (and frankly squanders) the tale’s thoughtful bookends contemplating dementia vs. the sheer power of human memory. 

Roberson’s story, for the sake of good taste, unfortunately, isn’t one to recommend to others.    3/10 Stars.       

• “Commonplaces” by Naomi Novik.  After receiving news of Holmes’ demise at Reichenbach Falls, a now-married Irene Adler Norton restlessly departs for Paris to find herself again.  Awaiting her is a forbidden love affair with a lonely man she instinctively knows is still alive in more than just her heart.

Mini-Review # 23: Naomi Novik’s speculation as to why an undercover Holmes chose not to tell Dr. Watson that he had faked his death will raise some eyebrows.  Further, her tale’s romantic poignancy echoes shades of the 1970 film, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, regarding what complex sexual undercurrents motivate Holmes. 

If anything, “Commonplaces” presents an instance of sophisticated Sherlockian storytelling where the lingering mystery doesn’t involve crime, except perhaps for adultery.  Standing out most in Novik’s romance (it’s the anthology’s shortest inclusion) is that this Holmes isn’t the only one who can make ingenious deductions anticipating another’s shadowy moves.  8/10 Stars.       

• “The Adventure of the Pirates of Devil’s Cape” by Rob Rogers.  Holmes, Dr. Watson, and Inspector Lestrade probe an ultra-grisly massacre by pirates aboard the Dutch steamship, Friesland.  Seeking the whereabouts of missing twin brothers, Holmes and Watson subsequently venture to New Orleans for a showdown with the world’s deadliest cutthroat and his mercenary crew of thugs.    

Mini-Review # 24: Crossing over from his Devil’s Cape saga, Rogers conjures up a mostly solid mystery-adventure caper highlighted by the action of an extensive shootout/swordfight.  Apart from excessively gory shipboard inferences, the other caveat is a ridiculous Lestrade plot twist.  Rogers deploys a similar contrivance to one of his own characters (that works fine), but to also supply Lestrade a convenient American cousin in the Louisiana Bayous pushes the ‘distant relative’ gimmick too far. 

Otherwise, Rogers delivers this anthology’s best combination of action-adventure, suspense, and originality.  8/10 Stars.          

• “The Adventure of the Green Skull” by Mark Valentine.  The Baker Street duo’s new adversary is a hooded serial killer, who is purportedly a phantom with a glowing green skull stalking victims after nightfall.  Reminiscent of sensationalistic pulp stories, the villain’s calling card is leaving a match in each victim’s hand.  Yet, all isn’t what it seems.  

Mini-Review # 25: Adams’ introduction to Mark Valentine’s story frankly spoils the culprit’s motive.  Further, Valentine doesn’t elaborate enough as to how Holmes deduces where to conduct a fateful stakeout, either.  Despite this structural flaw, the “Green Skull” mystery makes for a relatively good read.   6/10 Stars.

• “The Human Mystery” by Tanith Lee.  Holmes takes on the enigmatic case of a lonely heiress, who is desperate to break a family curse that may kill her during the Christmas holidays.  Yet, is there an ulterior motive in play that blindsides even Holmes?

Mini-Review # 26: Tanith Lee’s tale proving that an ever-gallant Holmes can be humiliated into a seething rage makes for an intriguing notion.  Even this story isn’t a must-read, it effectively explores whether Holmes’ misogynistic nature can be exploited, let alone be potentially seduced, by someone other than Irene Adler.   7/10 Stars.    

Notes: Lee dedicated this tale to actor Jeremy Brett’s memory.  Per artist David Palumbo, Brett’s Sherlock Holmes likeness appears on this anthology’s front cover.

• “A Study in Emerald” by Neil Gaiman.  In an alternate universe where H.P. Lovecraft’s demonic creations have long ruled the world, “A Study in Scarlet” is darkly re-imagined. 

Mini-Review # 27: Though mostly retelling a familiar mystery, Neil Gaiman cleverly flips the script on readers.  There are sufficient hints to deduce Gaiman’s enigmatic sleuth before the end, but his best twist is saved for last.  It’s the equivalent of experiencing the story through the eyes of whom you assume the narrator is … that is, until a mirror (or, in this instance, a letter) reveals a twist finish.  Hence, Gaiman’s story could make for an intriguing live-action film.   8/10 Stars. 

Note: For some comparison shopping, one might read this one before or after Bradley H. Sinor’s “The Adventure of The Other Detective.” 

• “You See But You Do Not Observe” by Robert J. Sawyer.  In 2096, an enigmatic scientist with an eerily familiar name abducts Holmes and Dr. Watson out of time from 1899 to join him in the late 21st Century.  He subsequently assigns the world’s greatest sleuth perhaps the ultimate mission: to determine why Earth hasn’t been contacted by aliens.  The elusive answer makes a fateful impact on Holmes and Watson: past, present, and future.       

Mini-Review # 28: It’s like reading a Sherlock Holmes mystery, as if were written by H.G. Wells.   In spite of this intriguing scenario, Robert J. Sawyer’s convoluted storytelling sabotages itself in order to set up a fitting conclusion.  Along with virtual reality technology far more akin to Star Trek: The Next Generation, this story’s time travel paradoxes will likely bewilder some readers.  And perhaps the less said about its preposterously thin line connecting reality to fiction (i.e. Watson as an unacknowledged Conan Doyle’s proxy) the better.         

Sawyer, in that sense, has concocted a sci-fi homage to Conan Doyle’s lasting resentment over reviving Holmes to merely placate immense public demand.  Though this story’s end packs a wistful tinge, the plot becomes too mind-bending (and self-serving) to make for a satisfying read.  5½/10 Stars.  

RECOMMENDATION:

For Conan Doyle afficionados, this anthology is either a mixed bag or a veritable treasure trove.  Regardless, in terms of its sheer quantity, readers most definitely get their money’s worth. 

Some tales supply innocuous sequels (i.e. “A Scandal in Montreal”) or offer speculations as to Sherlockian mysteries that Conan Doyle had merely teased.  Though most of these stories imitate his narrative style, the ones that may grab a reader’s imagination are ones taking worthwhile risks.  The flip side is an excess of déjà vu: certain themes (i.e. supernatural gore, international politics, etc.) reoccur making one inevitably compare authors, as to whom presents the better read.         

The pertinent question becomes: how far can one really stray from traditional Sherlockian storytelling before audiences hit their limit?  In several instances, shifting Holmes and Watson to different locales and sometimes far-off genres carries a timeless and strangely satisfying appeal.  Such results (at least, when taken in small doses) will make an intriguing experience for adult armchair sleuths. 

Among these twenty-eight tales, there are some dynamite must-reads (i.e. “The Adventure of The Other Detective”).  With thankfully few exceptions, the remainder aren’t anywhere close to dreadful.  However, two of them should be identified, if only as a heads-up.  Though several tales resort to potentially offensive gore, “Merridew of Abominable Memory,” presents an implausible flashback too flawed to justify its repulsively wicked details.  Artistically condescending, “Murder to Music” is another misadventure where readers will likely find themselves wishing they were somewhere else than with Holmes and Watson.   

Considering the impressive ratio of good-to-bad, credit must go to John Joseph Adams for assembling a welcome variety.  For casual readers, this literary experiment-by-committee is indeed worth perusing, though it’s not necessarily a keeper.  Perhaps a library rental makes the most practical sense.  If anything, one may be compelled to rediscover Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original literary magic.         

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

After the table of contents, Adams’ introduction is followed by another: Christopher Roden’s “A Sherlockiana Primer” to further whet readers’ appetites.  Afterwards, Adams provides his acknowledgements.  More insightful is the bibliography revealing each story’s original anthology source.  The last entry is Adams’ single-page biography.     

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                            7 Stars