About book Improbable Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes, The (2010)
The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a nearly excellent collection. Most of the stories are fabulous (though reprinted), and this is a fine collection to pick up for a one-stop overview of modern Sherlock Holmes pastiches. Many of the “classics,” are well represented, either in singular stories (Neil Gaiman’s “A Study in Emerald”) or in authors who have done well with the form (Anne Perry, for instance). I also particularly enjoyed rereading one of my favorite stories from Sherlock Holmes in Orbit, “The Adventure of the Field Theorems,” which pitches Sherlock Holmes against crop circles (and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as their biggest believer). I’ve subtracted a single star because many of the stories did not appeal to me, personally, or because I’d prefer to see a better story which much better fits the “improbable” title.The book loses a further star through the editor’s own ignorance. In one case, he insinuates Lewis Carroll was a pedophile, and Alice Liddell his target. This is a lie long since put to rest; but like all lies, has a certain shady appeal to the weak-minded. No matter how often figures such as Karoline Leach, Jenny Woolf, and Jenna Marie West put such lies, in all their multifarious notions, to rest, there will always be a new ignorant ready to stand up and repeat what he has heard through a game of telephone. This costs the collection a star. But, to further the editor’s showy ignorance (and subtract still one more star), he believes the oft-repeated nonsense that Joseph Bell was brought in by Scotland Yard to solve the Ripper case. Bell was not called in by Scotland Yard. He did not step foot in Whitechapel. He submitted his theory to Sir Henry Littlejohn, who, in turn, had been contacted by Scotland Yard. Bell himself, however, had no direct relation to the Ripper case.It’s exhausting to read so many lies and misinformations, and troubling to think that people may be lured into believing the editor.To return to the stories themselves: this is a fine overview of modern pastiche, though I’d recommend seeking out the volumes where the stories originated for a higher quality reading experience: Sherlock Holmes in Orbit, Shadows Over Baker Street, The Mammoth Book of New Sherlock Holmes Adventures, and (for more excellent stories by Anne Perry and many other authors besides) the two volumes of Holmes for the Holidays. As an eminent admirer of Sherlock Holmes sphere, this book amazed me that even after 100 years, Arthur Conan Doyle's works remain masterpiece. Others can adopt the characters and style, but just cannot adopt the soul. Although there are some nice stories in the book, but presence of the stories about aliens, vampires, pirates, supernatural, parallel universe concepts in some stories, annoys me enough. Not that I'm not into those genres. In fact I like science fiction as well as fantasy, but at their own place. Except few exception, most of stories are very much armature, in my opinion, including the one by Stephen King. As if USP of the stories are names of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson, not the story progression itself. Above are my personal opinions. I am sure so many people would enjoy to book anyway.
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Great read! Very few duds in this collection of short stories :)
—kapoker
Excellent collection of Sherlock Holmes stories. Recommended.
—sibedog
