cgroup6's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book free as an ARC in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley. I thought it was a really interesting look at the Sherlock Holmes character type. Written as short stories, it was great to be able to read one at time. I think my favorite was Ho, Ho, Holmes - it felt the most similar to the traditional character while still being different & fun.
I’m also reading this for the PopSugar Reading Challenge - rewrite of a classic!
I’m also reading this for the PopSugar Reading Challenge - rewrite of a classic!
vsbedford's review against another edition
4.0
Lively collection of Holmes stories, reimagined and remixed through time, gender, and degree of difficulty. Like a strong 80% of these were zippy and original (or as original as they could be) and, to be honest, the nonstarters for me probably struck me the wrong way because of personal peeves. Sidebar - what is going on with the over reliance on italics? The last two or three years has been rotten with them. It's like nails on a GD chalkboard. Also for Holmes-fans, there's a nice mix of retellings of original stories (like Six Red Dragons) and new mysteries entirely (Sin Eater and the Adventure of Ginger Mary). The far-future stories didn't resonate with me; sci-fi genre jargon is hard enough to assimilate in novel-length books and in short stories it is nearly impossible and super distracting. Definitely one of the more engaging Holmesian books I've read in the last few years!
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
jacoblp's review against another edition
5.0
Sherlock as a gross slobbery sentient alien dog is good.
elysareadsitall's review
4.0
I liked the collection as a whole. As can be expected, some stories were better than others. I thought the various scenarios and imaginings for Holmes were original and interesting. Most of the stories seemed polished and well edited, but a couple seemed to wander or try to pack too much into a short story. The collection was a lot of fun, and I think most Holmes fans would enjoy these various perspectives.
ssejig's review against another edition
3.0
Sherlock Holmes is hella popular these days with movies, television shows, and books all re-imagining how these books could be reinterpreted -- brought into the modern day or different genres. This book invites thirteen different authors to do just that.
Locked Mike Strauss
Set up as Sherlock and Watson being on some sort of reality show where Sherlock solves crimes and Watson plays the bumbling fool, who in fact is is league with the producers to make Sherlock look good. I didn't really get a good feel for the show or for Sherlock. The premise was interesting (basically the producers hire people to commit crimes so that Sherlock can solve the case) but didn't play out well in a short story.
Three stars
Identity: An Adventure of Shirley Holmes and Jack Watson Keith R. A. DeCandido
There have been a LOT of gender-swapping of the Holmes and Watson characters. Some more successful than others. This story not only plays with gender but with race. Set in the modern day, Watson encounters Martha Hudson while covering for her oncologist. It plays close to the beloved Sherlock Holmes we all know except that Shirley is her niece in this case and Martha wants someone to move in and keep an eye on her. The case they solve will be familiar to Holmes fans with some nicely updated twists.
Four stars
The Scent of Truth Jody Lynn Nye
A futuristic sci-fi Holmes. In this case, the Holmes-character is a dog-like being from another planet (named Baskur, naturally) and he has mainly retired but is lured into another case by a middle-aged journalist. There was some really nice world-building for a short story in this one and the info-dumping was kept short and tight.
Four stars
The Adventure of the Reluctant Detective Ryk Spoor
I swear I've read this one before. Or at least a similar version. Supposedly a case that takes place somewhere in the middle of the Holmes canon, soon after Mary dies, it starts with a strange woman entering Sherlock's apartment. She is not quite... right. For the woman she claims to be, there are some glaring discrepancies. To tell too much more would give the ending away but it wasn't quite up to the snuff of ACD.
Two and a half stars
A Scandal in the BloodlineHildy Silverman
Suppose that Watson became a werewolf after an encounter with the Hounds of the Baskervilles. And that Sherlock was turned into a vampire at the edge of the Reichenbach Falls by Irene Adler. Now it is present day and Irene's huband, the paterfamilias, is missing. If he dies, she will go to. As will Sherlock.
Three stars
The Fabulous Marble David Gerrold
An interesting take where Watson is... some sort of computer program? Not an AI, exactly, since that's more what Marble does/is. There is a particular brand of sexbot, the Lorelei, that can become whatever the user desires; man, woman, other. Several bots that have been dismantled and their... well their male options have been removed. This one was a little too weird for me but a nice idea.
Three stars
The Scarlet Study by Jim Avelli
In a world where Big Brother makes people take drugs to keep them dumb, Sherlock Holmes has a brief, shining moment of reversing the trend.
Three stars
Delta Phi Heidi McLaughlin
If Watson were a love-struck frat boy and Sherlock an oblivious girl on campus, it would take a very special case to bring them together.
I love romance novels, I love cheese, this was a little too much.
Two stars
Beethoven's Baton Austin Famer
Sherlock and Watson are violinists in Ludwig van Beethoven's orchestra but it seems like someone is plotting to kill the great man.
Again, a little too much of a reach and the ending was bonkers.
Two stars
The Adventure of the Melted Saint Gail Z. Martin
Quirky. Very quirky. Sherlock was not the main character in this one. It felt like she (Shelley is transgender in this story) was just stuck into another story. As a Sherlock Holmes story, it was maybe a two/two and a half but I liked the idea of a Museum collecting objects that have ghosts attached, waiting for their mysteries to be solved.
Three stars
Automatic Sherlock Martin Rose
Dr. Jovan Watson is Russian, working on a robot that will perform the perfect surgeries. But instead of his dream being realized, he is left with a robot that can... solve crimes? Might have been better as a more developed story.
Two and a half stars
The Hammer of God Jonathan Maberry
A really interesting take where Sherlock Holmes and John Watson become a novice and her mentor who are called in to solve a series of crimes that seem to have been perpetrated by God himself. Not sure how I feel about this as a Sherlock story but I liked the idea.
Three stars
Code Cracker Beth W. Patterson
Sherlock is a crime-solving parrot. Do I need to say more? The idea was interesting, the story was just meh.
Three stars
Locked Mike Strauss
Set up as Sherlock and Watson being on some sort of reality show where Sherlock solves crimes and Watson plays the bumbling fool, who in fact is is league with the producers to make Sherlock look good. I didn't really get a good feel for the show or for Sherlock. The premise was interesting (basically the producers hire people to commit crimes so that Sherlock can solve the case) but didn't play out well in a short story.
Three stars
Identity: An Adventure of Shirley Holmes and Jack Watson Keith R. A. DeCandido
There have been a LOT of gender-swapping of the Holmes and Watson characters. Some more successful than others. This story not only plays with gender but with race. Set in the modern day, Watson encounters Martha Hudson while covering for her oncologist. It plays close to the beloved Sherlock Holmes we all know except that Shirley is her niece in this case and Martha wants someone to move in and keep an eye on her. The case they solve will be familiar to Holmes fans with some nicely updated twists.
Four stars
The Scent of Truth Jody Lynn Nye
A futuristic sci-fi Holmes. In this case, the Holmes-character is a dog-like being from another planet (named Baskur, naturally) and he has mainly retired but is lured into another case by a middle-aged journalist. There was some really nice world-building for a short story in this one and the info-dumping was kept short and tight.
Four stars
The Adventure of the Reluctant Detective Ryk Spoor
I swear I've read this one before. Or at least a similar version. Supposedly a case that takes place somewhere in the middle of the Holmes canon, soon after Mary dies, it starts with a strange woman entering Sherlock's apartment. She is not quite... right. For the woman she claims to be, there are some glaring discrepancies. To tell too much more would give the ending away but it wasn't quite up to the snuff of ACD.
Two and a half stars
A Scandal in the BloodlineHildy Silverman
Suppose that Watson became a werewolf after an encounter with the Hounds of the Baskervilles. And that Sherlock was turned into a vampire at the edge of the Reichenbach Falls by Irene Adler. Now it is present day and Irene's huband, the paterfamilias, is missing. If he dies, she will go to. As will Sherlock.
Three stars
The Fabulous Marble David Gerrold
An interesting take where Watson is... some sort of computer program? Not an AI, exactly, since that's more what Marble does/is. There is a particular brand of sexbot, the Lorelei, that can become whatever the user desires; man, woman, other. Several bots that have been dismantled and their... well their male options have been removed. This one was a little too weird for me but a nice idea.
Three stars
The Scarlet Study by Jim Avelli
In a world where Big Brother makes people take drugs to keep them dumb, Sherlock Holmes has a brief, shining moment of reversing the trend.
Three stars
Delta Phi Heidi McLaughlin
If Watson were a love-struck frat boy and Sherlock an oblivious girl on campus, it would take a very special case to bring them together.
I love romance novels, I love cheese, this was a little too much.
Two stars
Beethoven's Baton Austin Famer
Sherlock and Watson are violinists in Ludwig van Beethoven's orchestra but it seems like someone is plotting to kill the great man.
Again, a little too much of a reach and the ending was bonkers.
Two stars
The Adventure of the Melted Saint Gail Z. Martin
Quirky. Very quirky. Sherlock was not the main character in this one. It felt like she (Shelley is transgender in this story) was just stuck into another story. As a Sherlock Holmes story, it was maybe a two/two and a half but I liked the idea of a Museum collecting objects that have ghosts attached, waiting for their mysteries to be solved.
Three stars
Automatic Sherlock Martin Rose
Dr. Jovan Watson is Russian, working on a robot that will perform the perfect surgeries. But instead of his dream being realized, he is left with a robot that can... solve crimes? Might have been better as a more developed story.
Two and a half stars
The Hammer of God Jonathan Maberry
A really interesting take where Sherlock Holmes and John Watson become a novice and her mentor who are called in to solve a series of crimes that seem to have been perpetrated by God himself. Not sure how I feel about this as a Sherlock story but I liked the idea.
Three stars
Code Cracker Beth W. Patterson
Sherlock is a crime-solving parrot. Do I need to say more? The idea was interesting, the story was just meh.
Three stars
asmyr42's review
4.0
The first story made me VERY happy indeed, as I do love metafiction, and there were a number of others I quite enjoyed. There were only 2 I didn't care for, which in any anthology seems impressive.
julesg's review
5.0
I truly loved these stories. They have the Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson spirit but take it to another level. I've laughed out loud at some of the deductions, I was intrigued by the mysteries and tried to guess some before Holmes told me the solution.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes Sherlock Holmes and doesn't mind seeing our favourite Victorian consulting detective in some interesting new settings/times.
I'd give this book 7 stars, if I could.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes Sherlock Holmes and doesn't mind seeing our favourite Victorian consulting detective in some interesting new settings/times.
I'd give this book 7 stars, if I could.
kpeninger's review
4.0
(Review originally posted on the John H Watson Society website.)
General Review
The Baker Street Irregulars: The Game’s Afoot is the second Holmesian anthology that Michael A. Ventrella and Jonathan Maberry have edited, the first being The Baker Street Irregulars. In both volumes, authors write stories about Holmes and Watson reimagined, whether in a different time, a different gender, a different species, etc. It isn’t a new concept, as far as anthologies go; some may remember the anthology Two Hundred and Twenty-One Baker Streets, edited by Guy Adams and David Thomas Moore, which came out in 2014.
Anthologies are always a bit tricky, because inevitably there are a few weaker stories amongst the strong ones—presuming there are strong ones at all, which is not always a guarantee. Happily, this anthology contains a number of stories that I felt were exceptionally strong, and a few that I desperately wish were much longer. I wouldn’t rate any of the stories as complete duds, though there were one or two that I didn’t enjoy as much.
Before I give certain stories individual reviews, I would like to point out one flaw with this anthology that rankled as I read: the lack of diversity amongst the authors. Although I cannot say for certain, it appeared that all the authors in this anthology were white, something I find disappointing to encounter. Given that the anthology was made up of a wide range of authorial backgrounds (none are traditional Holmesian pastiche authors, for instance), I wouldn’t have thought it terribly difficult to ensure that authors of color were included. I truly hope that as more Holmesian anthologies are put together, a stronger effort will be put into making sure a diverse range of identities are represented.
Now for a few thoughts on individual stories…
One of my favourites in the anthology was “The Adventure of the Diode Detective,” written by Jody Lynn Nye. In this story, Holmes and Watson are… wait for it… apps. Sure-Lock Homes is a security app. What’s-On? is a social app, combining ideas like Netflix, MeetUp, and Facebook into one place. When I read the premise to my husband, he raised an eyebrow and said “yeah, how is that going to work?” which was my thought as well- and yet it did. Not only was the entire thing witty and clever, it was also incredibly well-plotted. It was nicely paced, with a true arc to the story. My husband ended up reading over my shoulder, which (as a non-Holmesian) never happens. I LOVED this story. I thought the author did a magnificent job in capturing the personalities of Holmes and Watson as apps (they are, in case you are wondering, very AI-driven, which helps), showing how concerned they are for their owner and how far they’ll go to protect her. And of course, the ending is one that any Watsonian will love.
I also thoroughly enjoyed “Papyrus” by Sarah Stegell. In this story, which takes place in ancient Egypt, Holmes is Seshet, the Royal Librarian, and Watson is Raneb, who is a First Rank physician from the Black Land, on a mission to save his home from given to a different Temple. While I can’t comment on the accuracy of the setting (my gut says that historical details were fudged for the sake of adventure), it was an engaging story, with court politics and a nicely crafted mystery surrounding a land deed. I would love to see an entire novel, or even series, crafted from this short story, as Seshet and Raneb made an excellent team, with phenomenal chemistry. Raneb is instantly fascinated by Seshet, and dives into her world with only the slightest of hesitations. I want to see their partnership grow, and more of how a Holmes and Watson would navigate Egypt in the time of pharaohs.
I appreciated Hildy Silverman’s “My Dear Wa’ats” in which Holmes and Watson are aliens; She’er is the Captain of a spaceship, after having served in law enforcement, where their spouse, Wa’ats, still works. They meet again when Wa’ats boards She’er’s vessel, searching for the criminal Mori. The author manages to pack in a lot of worldbuilding in a very small story, but never did I feel like I was just being given an infodump on the world; instead, it felt organic, information flowing naturally as characters reflected on it. The conflict in this story is as much personal as it is about the crime, but the crime and, specifically, the criminal, is SO fascinating. There were some weak moments in this story, largely regarding gender role assumptions and some occasionally sloppy editing, but I would love to see an entire series set in this world, with She’er and Wa’ats.
My final favourite of the anthology was Gordon Linzner’s “Sin-Eater and the Adventure of Ginger Mary.” Darker in tone than many of the other stories, Linzner’s tale takes place in Appalachia, post-Civil War. Our Watson is Salali, a Native American woman (as a note: I have no knowledge on Linzner’s background, nor if this story was looked over by someone who is Native; I cannot speak on whether or not Salali and her husband Dagatoga are decent representation) while our Holmes is Cavish, the town outcast and, secretly, sin eater. The mystery revolves around the death of a child, originally presumed a suicide and discovered to be a murder. It is a mournful, haunting little story, one that manages to encompass a full investigation (excellently done) while also showing us the give-and-pull of Salali and Cavish’s odd, but deep, friendship.
Though these four stories were my favourites, there were certainly other ones that were well-written and others may prefer. Some notables include “A Very Important Nobody” by Chuck Regan (in which Holmes is named Theramin Joules!); “The Problem of Three Journals” by Narrelle M. Harris (in which Holmes and Watson are hipster baristas); and “The Affair of the Green Crayon” (in which Holmes and Watson teach elementary school).
Overall, I did not regret reading this anthology, something I cannot always say. There were certainly a few weaker stories, but I didn’t feel like any of them were bad, and none of them made me throw my Nook across the room in irritation. And some of these stories were so excellent that I secretly hope the authors fell in love with their premises so that they can expand the story into a full length novel. Until then, I suppose I’ll just have to get my own copy of this book (mine is an ARC, provided by NetGalley) and keep reading the short versions.
What About Our Watson?
There are thirteen stories in this anthology and, as such, thirteen different takes on Watson. I had one earlier caveat, about the lack of racial diversity amongst the authors, and here is my second caveat for this anthology: if you want to read about new and fascinating Watsons, you may be a bit stymied. While there were many, many intriguing Watsons, much of the world building really took place around the Holmes, with Watson being a bit of an afterthought. There were some exceptions. Two of my favourite stories, “My Dear Wa’ats” and “Sin-Eater and the Adventure of Ginger Mary” each had a Watson with their own internal life, their own hopes and dreams, their own ambitions. Another Watson that came across as having a life of their own was our Watson in “A Study in Space”. But because the authors were all having to create and explain a whole new Holmesian setting, our Watsons were largely relegated to being narrators, with occasional personal snippets thrown in.
I don’t necessarily think this is true failure; certainly, Watson in canon tells us all of three paragraphs about himself before he starts delving into how cool his new roommate is. But when one has a canon knowledge of Watson, it can be a bit of a shock to go back to STUD again and again and again in terms of characterization.
This is another reason I’d like to see some of these authors expand their stories. I think several of them have a really good grasp on what a Watson can be, but were restricted by page/word limits. It would be lovely to see their characters return, perhaps in a future anthology. My understanding is that one author, Keith R.A. DeCandido, actually did this in the anthology; his characters Jack Watson and Shirley Holmes are actually continued over from his story “Identity”, which appeared in the first anthology by Maberry and Ventrella. It would be great to see some of these authors do the same, whether by writing more short stories for this anthology series, or striking out on their own.
You Might Like This Book If You Like:
Short stories; science fiction; intriguing world building; something new
General Review
The Baker Street Irregulars: The Game’s Afoot is the second Holmesian anthology that Michael A. Ventrella and Jonathan Maberry have edited, the first being The Baker Street Irregulars. In both volumes, authors write stories about Holmes and Watson reimagined, whether in a different time, a different gender, a different species, etc. It isn’t a new concept, as far as anthologies go; some may remember the anthology Two Hundred and Twenty-One Baker Streets, edited by Guy Adams and David Thomas Moore, which came out in 2014.
Anthologies are always a bit tricky, because inevitably there are a few weaker stories amongst the strong ones—presuming there are strong ones at all, which is not always a guarantee. Happily, this anthology contains a number of stories that I felt were exceptionally strong, and a few that I desperately wish were much longer. I wouldn’t rate any of the stories as complete duds, though there were one or two that I didn’t enjoy as much.
Before I give certain stories individual reviews, I would like to point out one flaw with this anthology that rankled as I read: the lack of diversity amongst the authors. Although I cannot say for certain, it appeared that all the authors in this anthology were white, something I find disappointing to encounter. Given that the anthology was made up of a wide range of authorial backgrounds (none are traditional Holmesian pastiche authors, for instance), I wouldn’t have thought it terribly difficult to ensure that authors of color were included. I truly hope that as more Holmesian anthologies are put together, a stronger effort will be put into making sure a diverse range of identities are represented.
Now for a few thoughts on individual stories…
One of my favourites in the anthology was “The Adventure of the Diode Detective,” written by Jody Lynn Nye. In this story, Holmes and Watson are… wait for it… apps. Sure-Lock Homes is a security app. What’s-On? is a social app, combining ideas like Netflix, MeetUp, and Facebook into one place. When I read the premise to my husband, he raised an eyebrow and said “yeah, how is that going to work?” which was my thought as well- and yet it did. Not only was the entire thing witty and clever, it was also incredibly well-plotted. It was nicely paced, with a true arc to the story. My husband ended up reading over my shoulder, which (as a non-Holmesian) never happens. I LOVED this story. I thought the author did a magnificent job in capturing the personalities of Holmes and Watson as apps (they are, in case you are wondering, very AI-driven, which helps), showing how concerned they are for their owner and how far they’ll go to protect her. And of course, the ending is one that any Watsonian will love.
I also thoroughly enjoyed “Papyrus” by Sarah Stegell. In this story, which takes place in ancient Egypt, Holmes is Seshet, the Royal Librarian, and Watson is Raneb, who is a First Rank physician from the Black Land, on a mission to save his home from given to a different Temple. While I can’t comment on the accuracy of the setting (my gut says that historical details were fudged for the sake of adventure), it was an engaging story, with court politics and a nicely crafted mystery surrounding a land deed. I would love to see an entire novel, or even series, crafted from this short story, as Seshet and Raneb made an excellent team, with phenomenal chemistry. Raneb is instantly fascinated by Seshet, and dives into her world with only the slightest of hesitations. I want to see their partnership grow, and more of how a Holmes and Watson would navigate Egypt in the time of pharaohs.
I appreciated Hildy Silverman’s “My Dear Wa’ats” in which Holmes and Watson are aliens; She’er is the Captain of a spaceship, after having served in law enforcement, where their spouse, Wa’ats, still works. They meet again when Wa’ats boards She’er’s vessel, searching for the criminal Mori. The author manages to pack in a lot of worldbuilding in a very small story, but never did I feel like I was just being given an infodump on the world; instead, it felt organic, information flowing naturally as characters reflected on it. The conflict in this story is as much personal as it is about the crime, but the crime and, specifically, the criminal, is SO fascinating. There were some weak moments in this story, largely regarding gender role assumptions and some occasionally sloppy editing, but I would love to see an entire series set in this world, with She’er and Wa’ats.
My final favourite of the anthology was Gordon Linzner’s “Sin-Eater and the Adventure of Ginger Mary.” Darker in tone than many of the other stories, Linzner’s tale takes place in Appalachia, post-Civil War. Our Watson is Salali, a Native American woman (as a note: I have no knowledge on Linzner’s background, nor if this story was looked over by someone who is Native; I cannot speak on whether or not Salali and her husband Dagatoga are decent representation) while our Holmes is Cavish, the town outcast and, secretly, sin eater. The mystery revolves around the death of a child, originally presumed a suicide and discovered to be a murder. It is a mournful, haunting little story, one that manages to encompass a full investigation (excellently done) while also showing us the give-and-pull of Salali and Cavish’s odd, but deep, friendship.
Though these four stories were my favourites, there were certainly other ones that were well-written and others may prefer. Some notables include “A Very Important Nobody” by Chuck Regan (in which Holmes is named Theramin Joules!); “The Problem of Three Journals” by Narrelle M. Harris (in which Holmes and Watson are hipster baristas); and “The Affair of the Green Crayon” (in which Holmes and Watson teach elementary school).
Overall, I did not regret reading this anthology, something I cannot always say. There were certainly a few weaker stories, but I didn’t feel like any of them were bad, and none of them made me throw my Nook across the room in irritation. And some of these stories were so excellent that I secretly hope the authors fell in love with their premises so that they can expand the story into a full length novel. Until then, I suppose I’ll just have to get my own copy of this book (mine is an ARC, provided by NetGalley) and keep reading the short versions.
What About Our Watson?
There are thirteen stories in this anthology and, as such, thirteen different takes on Watson. I had one earlier caveat, about the lack of racial diversity amongst the authors, and here is my second caveat for this anthology: if you want to read about new and fascinating Watsons, you may be a bit stymied. While there were many, many intriguing Watsons, much of the world building really took place around the Holmes, with Watson being a bit of an afterthought. There were some exceptions. Two of my favourite stories, “My Dear Wa’ats” and “Sin-Eater and the Adventure of Ginger Mary” each had a Watson with their own internal life, their own hopes and dreams, their own ambitions. Another Watson that came across as having a life of their own was our Watson in “A Study in Space”. But because the authors were all having to create and explain a whole new Holmesian setting, our Watsons were largely relegated to being narrators, with occasional personal snippets thrown in.
I don’t necessarily think this is true failure; certainly, Watson in canon tells us all of three paragraphs about himself before he starts delving into how cool his new roommate is. But when one has a canon knowledge of Watson, it can be a bit of a shock to go back to STUD again and again and again in terms of characterization.
This is another reason I’d like to see some of these authors expand their stories. I think several of them have a really good grasp on what a Watson can be, but were restricted by page/word limits. It would be lovely to see their characters return, perhaps in a future anthology. My understanding is that one author, Keith R.A. DeCandido, actually did this in the anthology; his characters Jack Watson and Shirley Holmes are actually continued over from his story “Identity”, which appeared in the first anthology by Maberry and Ventrella. It would be great to see some of these authors do the same, whether by writing more short stories for this anthology series, or striking out on their own.
You Might Like This Book If You Like:
Short stories; science fiction; intriguing world building; something new
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