Holmes In an Hour or Two
I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere
“good enough to chronicle one or two of my trifling experiences” [SCAN] Don't care for Sherlockian chronologies? Well, you're not alone! Neither did our guest today, and he's written a number of books on the subject. Brad Keefauver, BSI ("Winwood Reade") is a member of the Sherlockian Chronologist Guild and author of Holmes In an Hour or Two: A Sherlock Holmes Fan's First Sherlockian Chronology, or Create Your Own Timeline of Sherlock Holmes's Life in the Shortest Time Possible. It's not a matter of simply picking dates or looking for discrepancies; creating a chronology can...
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The BSI Midwest Canonical Conclave
I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere
“grazed the subclavian artery” [STUD] While the Baker Street Irregulars is the most well-known of Sherlockian societies, it is by no means the only one — nor even the most important. There are gatherings happening every week, in person and virtually, of Sherlockian societies. And just like the Sherlockian societies that sprouted up in those early years of the hobby, Steve Doyle, BSI ("The Western Morning News") thought it might be helpful to bring some of them together in a spirit of building Sherlockian community and creating connections. And that's taking the form of...
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The Evolution of 221B Con
I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere
“able to evolve from their own inner consciousness” [STUD] Now in its 12th year, 221B Con has become a mainstay of annual Sherlockian events, drawing people from all over the world to Atlanta every April. It was founded as a response to Sherlock on BBC, but has expanded beyond that to include the original stories as well as all forms of media. Last year, the founders announced that this year would be the final 221B Con. As we narrow in on that date, regular attendee and volunteer Johanna Draper Carlson isn't convinced that has to be the case. But the future isn't quite...
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The Golden Era of Sherlock Holmes an His Contemporaries
I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere
“the high opinion formed of him by his contemporaries.” [VALL] When the first Sherlock Holmes short stories came on the scene, they were something of a novelty: non-serialized, self-contained tales that put the Strand Magazine on the map. As with any success story, this one inspired imitators. These contemporaries of Sherlock Holmes inhabited the pages of the Strand and many other magazines of the day. Author Michael Cohen has stepped forward to catalog and categorize them from the years 1891 to 1914. This surprising array of characters includes those who were consciously not trying to...
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That Ghastly Face
I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere
“a wistful look on his wrinkled face” [BLAN] The first Sherlock Holmes adventure authored by Sherlock Holmes was “The Blanched Soldier.” It tells the tale of a family’s attempt to protect their son, a friend’s dedication to determining the truth, and Holmes’s actions to explain everything. Ira Matetsky, BSI ("The Final Problem") edited this volume and in the process, assembled a group of Sherlockians who have unique talents to apply to the analysis of the story and the manuscript, which was generously made available from the Berg Collection at the New York Public Library....
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Sherlock Holmes and the Empire Builders
I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere
“One of the most precious public possessions of the empire” [BERY] Joel Meadows began what eventually became Sherlock Holmes and the Empire Builders: The Gene Genie in 2002 while working on Tripwire as a quarterly print magazine. He tells us the story of how it took two decades to bring this vision to life with illustrator Andy Bennett, and what the plans are for part two of the story. The initial Kickstarter for part one was wildly successful, and the Kickstarter for the sequel is under way. The praise has been effusive: “A darn good romp” – Guillermo...
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The Serpent Under
I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere
“the rapidity and noiselessness of a serpent” [STUD] Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, and Bonnie MacBird are back! In the sixth book in her series, Bonnie once again finds firm footing in London as Sherlock Holmes investigates a strange mystery involving a disfigured body, Windsor Castle, and some rather unpleasant reptilian encounters. We talk with Bonnie about the creative process, including the expert advice she received from two knights, her extensive research, and — wait for it — smoke enemas. No, we're not joking. Discover why The Times called this "a treat for all...
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Sherlock Holmes: A Year in Review
I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere
“a combination of events” [3STU] Keeping track of everything going on in the Sherlockian world is no easy task. And yet, every year without fail, Ross Davies, BSI ("The Temple") oversees a team at The Baker Street Almanac that does exactly that. We first spoke to Ross about the enterprise on , but this time our conversation less about the mechanics and features than it is about some of the worthwhile items of note for Sherlockians in 2024. Ross chooses his top items and neatly divides things into categories: events, societies, publishing, and media. Burt and Scott add in a few...
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Sherlock Holmes: Leviathan
I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere
“the preparation for submarine attack” [LAST] Good storytellers transport us to other places and times by virtue of their ability to create interesting characters and pull us along as the plot unfolds. Sherlock Holmes: Leviathan begins with two already interesting characters who are concerned with justice, and through Mike Baron's skillful storytelling that we find ourselves following the two as they unravel a global criminal conspiracy. Illustrated by artist Richard Bonk, it represents what may be the greatest work of both of their professional careers. As an Eisner Award-winning...
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Sherlock & Co.'s Sherlock
I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere
“Holmes’ triumphant expression and the ring of his voice” [STUD] Regular listeners know that when we have an opportunity to speak with other individuals involved in audio productions, we jump at the chance. For our 300th episode, we thought it was appropriate to speak to none other than an audio Sherlock Holmes. In this case, that means in the form of the detective from the Sherlock & Co. podcast, as portrayed by Harry Attwell. While we previously spoke to writer Joel Emery about the show on Episode 275 (link in the notes below), the podcast has taken on an even greater life with...
info_outline“That was the curious incident” [SILV]
From time to time, we see analysis and debate about whether Sherlock Holmes was autistic, had Asperger Syndrome, or is in some other way on the spectrum.
As neurodiversity becomes more understood and accepted in the 21st century, it seems natural to explore this not only with Holmes, but with other characters in the genre as well.
In The Autistic Sleuth, Christopher Chan and Patricia Meyer Chan, Ph.D., test the question: Is the entertainment industry celebrating neurodiversity or is it reinforcing stereotypes? They analyze how two dozen characters appearing in filmed productions from around the globe who are presented as atypical minds.
We have Sherlockian news, as well as another round of the Canonical Couplet quiz. It's a super-easy one this time. The winner, chosen at random from all correct answers, will receive a copy of The Autistic Sleuth. Send your answer to comment @ ihearofsherlock .com by May 14, 2024 at 11:59 a.m. EDT. All listeners are eligible to play.
If you become a supporter of the show, not only will you help to ensure we can keep doing what we do, covering file hosting costs, production, and transcription services, but we have thank-you gifts at certain tiers and ad-free versions of the episodes for all patrons.
And we also have additional conversation with Chris as bonus content for this episode for our supporters.
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Links
- The Autistic Sleuth: Screen Portrayals of Detectives on the Spectrum in Sherlock Holmes Adaptations (Kickstarter | Amazon | Bookshop.org)
- Chris Chan's author page on Amazon
- Chris Chan books on MX Publishing
- Crime and Criticism (Chris Chan's Blog)
- News stories:
- Sherlock Holmes Magazine #2 - The Jeremy Brett edition (Kickstarter)
- Uniquely New York: A Good Mystery - Otto Penzler celebrates 45 years of the Mysterious Bookshop (YouTube)
- The 'B' List - Curtis Armstrong's hilarious presentation of minor villains (YouTube)
- Sherlock Mondays: The Hound of the Baskervilles (The Rosenbach)
- The 81 Best, Worst, and Strangest Dr. Watson Portrayals of All Time (CrimeReads)
- Burt and Scott on Rippercast's From Adler to Amberly: "The Adventure of the Three Students" (Spotify)
- Find all of our relevant links and social accounts at linktr.ee/ihearofsherlock.