Literary Contributions by Sherlockians II
From the earliest days of Sherlock Holmes’s fame, writers have created satires and parodies of Holmes, devised characters that resemble Holmes in all but name, and taken Holmes into new adventures, tales never mentioned in the Sherlockian canon.
Lyndsay Faye. Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2009.
Lyndsay Faye
Dust and Shadow
Lyndsay Faye’s first novel, Dust and Shadow, is a pitch-perfect account of Holmes tracking the period’s most famous killer, Jack the Ripper. Faye was invested as a member of the BSI in 2011.
Michael Kurland, editor. Sherlock Holmes: The Hidden Years. New York: St. Martin’s Minotaur, 2004. From the collection of the Mystery Writers of America.
Michael Kurkland
Sherlock Holmes: The Hidden Years
The stories in this volume are all set during the years between the “death” of Sherlock Holmes and his reappearance three years later.
Lloyd Biggle, Jr. The Glendower Conspiracy: A Memoir of Sherlock Holmes, from the Papers of Edward Porter Jones, His Late Assistant. Tulsa, Oklahoma: Council Oak Books, 2004. With publicist’s note. From the collection of the Mystery Writers of America.
Lloyd Biggle, Jr.
The Glendower Conspiracy
Dr. Watson does not tell the tale of The Glendower Conspiracy. Rather, a former Baker Street Irregular, named Edward Porter Jones, narrates this novel by Lloyd Biggle, Jr.
Steve Hockensmith and Joe Ide
In these two novels, the protagonists are clearly inspired by Sherlock Holmes and his partner Dr. Watson, but each has a distinct identity appropriate to the new time and place of the stories.
Steve Hockensmith. Holmes on the Range. New York: St. Martin's Minotaur, 2006. From the collection of the Mystery Writers of America.
Holmes on the Range
Hockensmith’s novel features two cowboys in the American West of the 1890s. Inspired by Sherlock Holmes stories, Gustav "Old Red" Amlingmeyer uses his powers of observation and deduction to solve mysteries, aided by his younger brother Otto “Big Red” Amlingmeyer. Hockensmith has published six novels about his cowboy sleuths, as well as numerous short stories.
Joe Ide. I. Q. New York: Mulholland Books, Little, Brown and Company, 2016. From the collection of the Mystery Writers of America.
I.Q.
Joe Ide has loved Sherlock Holmes since he was a kid. In 2006 he published his first novel, which transplants the Sherlockian spirit into modern South-Central Los Angeles. Isaiah “I. Q.” Quintabe is a troubled genius with a thirst for justice. His partner is Juanell Dodson, a former drug dealer and perpetual hustler. Their relationship is bumpy, but together they get results. Ide won the Anthony, the Macavity, and the Shamus award for I.Q.
Television Contributions
It is said that new interest in Sherlock Holmes has been driven by specific books or programs in recent decades. In the 1970s, it was Nicholas Meyers’s bestseller The Seven Percent Solution. In the 1980s, it was Jeremy Brett’s interpretation of Holmes in the Granada Television series, first broadcast in the U.S. on PBS Mystery!
“Child Predator” Elementary, CBS Productions, 2012.
Elementary
In the 21st century, there are a number of contenders. The films starring Robert Downey, Jr., and Jude Law were fun. CBS television had success with Elementary, where a modern day Holmes, transplanted to New York City, is assisted by Dr. Joan Watson and bedeviled by Jamie Moriarity.
“A Scandal in Belgravia,” Sherlock, BBC/Masterpiece Theatre, 2012.
BBC's Sherlock
But overshadowing both is the juggernaut that was Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. The series that reimagined the original tales for the present day was nominated for numerous awards, and won four Emmys and a Peabody. In the 2013 Edgar Awards, Sherlock nudged out Elementary for the win in the category, Best Episode in a TV Series.