To pastiche or not to pastiche?

That is indeed, 'the' question. Some Sherlockians regard the pastiche as a truly wretched
by-product of unimaginative authors, while others embrace the opportunity to revisit Baker Street in any form. Once you do decide to go down the prickly pastiche pathway, the selection can be overwhelming. For the collector or reader, the subject matter, while not nearly as prolific as stamp collecting, does have a range of quality that goes from the sublime to the downright silly. Every year, without fail, we are treated/subjected to a goodly number of newly unearthed Watsonian manuscripts. A quick glance at the long list kept up
by Evelyn Leeper is a good indication of the sheer volume available: Click for list

A little bewildering, isn't it? To try to give some guidance, I'm going to share my purely personal opinions on what I consider the best of, if not a bad lot, certainly a big lot. While strictly speaking, a pastiche is an attempt to mimic the style and substance of a Watson narrative; I'm going to go a bit further afield and look at the titles that have made the biggest impact on me. Essentially, I will include and refer you to books that are not necessarily those that speak most clearly with Watson's voice or for that matter they may not even include Holmes, but stories that seem to evoke a certain flavor that feeds the Sherlockian spirit!

My main criteria for judging pastiches are: is it well written, does it add to the Holmes mythos and does it keep me interested. Period, full stop. The stories on my list fit those criteria and managed to really plant a firm hold in my memory. Many folks decry the use of real historical personages or other literary figures, but as far as I'm concerned, these elements can be a good deal more fun than the standard Doyle mimicry. For pastiches that accurately maintain the feel, style and tone of the originals, I refer you to the stories by D. O. Smith, there are none better. Recently collected and published as "The Chronicles of Sherlock Holmes" by the Calabash Press. Click for site.

So without further ado, I present my Top Ten Pastiche List.

1. The Holmes Report Volume 1 - The Siam Question by Timothy Sheil
The latest and largest attempt to fill in Holmes activities during the Great Hiatus. Effectively told from the viewpoint of Holmes travelling companion, Le Villard as well as Watson. Holmes remains basically true to the Doyle model, but given the situations and the narrator involved, we are given a different perspective on the Great Detective. Somewhat more gritty and realistic than the norm, but well written and my current favourite.

2. The Surrogate Assassin by Christopher Leppek
Set 16 years after the Lincoln assassination, Holmes and Watson travel to the States to unravel the truth behind who is threatening Edwin Booth and end up investigating one of the greatest tragedies in American history. A good attempt at the Watsonian voice with only a few minor blunders. By far and away the best of the Holmes-in-America pastiches, that benefits immensely from impeccable research coupled with fascinating subject matter.
Try this one!

3. Ten Years Beyond Baker Street by Cay Van Ash
Here we have a pastiche that pits Holmes, side by side with Dr. Petrie and Nayland Smith against the plotting of the Devil Doctor known as Fu Manchu. Really more of a Fu Manchu pastiche than, strictly speaking, a Holmes one. Dr. Petrie, the narrator of a good number of the original Sax Rohmer stories tells the story, and so, no attempt to speak with Watson's voice is necessary. Characterization is quite good, although a few cracks about Watson are somewhat jarring and shouldn't have been included. As I happen to really enjoy the Fu Manchu books by Sax Rohmer, I have likely been a little more lenient than usual, as the sheer spectacle of Holmes tackling the Devil Doctor is to me irresistible. A cracking good read!

4. Enter the Lion by Michael P. Hodel and Sean M. Wright
It is 1875, and in the wake of the American Civil War, in London a conspiracy is afoot to overthrow the American Government and restore the Confederacy under British rule. Only one man can stand in the path of chaos, that man is…Mycroft Holmes! Written as from the pen of Mycroft Holmes himself we are treated to a fun filled adventure thriller that gives us a great, if slightly cockeyed, glimpse, into the relationship of the brothers Holmes. A younger and brasher Sherlock, under the guidance of brother Mycroft is prevalent here. Characterization goes out the window, but for pure fun, this one can't be beat!

5. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Holmes by Loren D. Estleman
The title pretty much tells the story here. Estleman, a solid author in his own right, manages a very convincing combination of Doyle's creation and Robert Louis Stevenson's classic story. This is a more convincing follow-up to his previous effort "Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula". The Watsonian voice is much in evidence, and Estleman doesn't miss a beat. One of the first pastiches that I ever read, and still one of my most highly regarded.

6. The Last Sherlock Holmes Story by Michael Dibdin
This is by far the most controversial, with the possible exception of the Laurie R. King novels, of the Holmes pastiches ever written. Folks generally either love it or hate it with equal enthusiasm. By its inclusion here, you can guess which way I lean on the issue. Basically this is one of many Holmes versus Jack the Ripper stories, but the way it is resolved is surely the most disturbing. This is a very well written novel that goes into all the horrible details, but still manages to keep Watson's voice in the forefront. Read it at your own risk…and don't blame me. A must read!

7. Sherlock Holmes's War of the Worlds by Manly W. Wellman and Wade Wellman
The book is made up of a string of stories that pit Holmes, Watson and Professor Challenger against the threat of H.G. Wells's Martian invaders. Edward Malone narrates sections while Watson handles others. A very pulp-like approach, but one that deals fairly with the characters involved. A little wonky at times, particularly in regards to science, but one of the only successful Holmes stories to be placed in a science fiction milieu. Fun!

8. Rasputin's Revenge by John T. Lescroart
Before I say anything else, be warned, this is the follow-up to Lescroart's previous effort entitled "Son of Holmes". Both are equally good, but I have a preference for this one because it deals with Imperial Russia and does actually have an appearance by Holmes. Holmes son (huh?), one Auguste Lupa by name, and his faithful companion Jules Giraud deal with spies and assassins in a World War I setting. Much of the character of Lupa is vaguely reminiscent of a young Nero Wolfe, the name is a dead giveaway. The fact that I like these still surprises me, as I originally found the Holmes son angle repellant, but once I started on them, I couldn't put them down.

9. The Adventure of the Stalwart Companions by H. Paul Jeffers
This one, once again places a youthful Holmes in America, with no less of a sidekick and chronicler than Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt effectively serves as narrator of this compelling and deftly handled mystery set in the New York of 1880. Holmes is touring the States as actor William Escott before embarking on his true career. As with Lescroart's books, I really expected to hate this one, but it turned out to be a fine, if fanciful pastiche.

10. The List of Seven by Mark Frost
My final choice is not really a Holmes pastiche at all, but a gruesome and cleverly told horror story featuring Arthur Conan Doyle as the protagonist. The conceit here is that during the course of events in this story, Doyle encounters Queen Victoria's Special Agent who provides the inspiration for his Holmes tales. Creepy, gothic and owing more to the works of H. P. Lovecraft than Doyle, this macabre tale left me wanting even more. Fortunately Frost followed it up with "The Six Messiahs", which was possibly even more compelling. Tightly written and with interesting characterizations. Very different, and the better for being so.

Honorable Mentions:

1. The Seven Percent Solution by Nicholas Meyer (Holmes the addict)
2. The Adventure of the Ectoplasmic Man by Daniel Stashower (Holmes and Houdini)

While the above are on my recommended reading list, the titles and authors below are on
my miss - list. Main points that *usually* put me off a pastiche are:

Too many obvious references to old adventures or characters, pointlessly reusing established characters i.e..

Moriarty or Irene Adler in particular, love interests for Holmes, reusing ACD's dialogue verbatim and Holmes being portrayed totally out of character or they are just plain boring. I could go on and on with this side of the listing, but I'll leave it at that.

Sherlockian authors that have generally underwhelmed me are:
Any fiction by David Stuart Davies, Val Andrews, Carole Bugge, Quinn Fawcett,
L. B. Greenwood, Frank Thomas, June Thomson, most of Laurie R. King's output,
and Ronald C. Weyman.

Individual titles that I found to be particularly unpalatable include:

- SH in Dallas by Edmund Aubrey
- SH and the Mysterious Friend of Oscar Wilde by Russell A. Brown
- SH Investigates the Murder in Euston Square by Ronald Pearsall
- The Case of the Philosophers Ring by Randall Collins
- The Case of the Revolutionists Daughter by Lewis S. Feuer
- The Secret Cases of SH by Donald Thomas
- Exit SH by Robert Lee Hall
- The Whitechapel Horrors by Edward Hanna (I really wanted to like this one)
- The Monster of St. Marlylebone by Wayne Worcester (Really to be avoided!)

Now, I wouldn't recommend any of the above, but if there is one pastiche that deserves
to be considered the worst ever, it has to be:

-A Samba for Sherlock by Jo Soares (This is simply rubbish!)

And there you have my purely personal list of current favourite pastiches as well as my
miss-list. Merely drops in the ocean of Sherlockian pastiches, but as good a starting
point as any. The choices are endless, but hopefully this information can help navigators
in that overflowing sea that is the Sherlockian pastiche.

The bottom line: Read whatever appeals to you!

copyright by Charles Prepolec (2000)

Bonus Review by Charles Prepolec, posted 15 Aug 2000.

The Irregular Casebook of Sherlock Holmes
By Ron Weighell
First published 2000 by Calabash Press
Price: $40 CAD or $30 USD
Reviewed by Charles Prepolec

In recent weeks I have found myself reading some of the gothic-style work of Basil Copper and renewing my interest in macabre fiction. So when I came across "The Irregular Casebook of Sherlock Holmes" at the Calabash Press site, I was in the right frame of mind to tackle another Holmes versus the supernatural type book. Expecting to regret my spur of the moment decision, I went ahead and ordered it anyway. The result, well, lets just say that I' ve made worse decisions.

The book consists of five short stories of rather varied levels of success. Each is tied to some element of the supernatural. Not what I would generally consider to be a clever blending of genres, but happily the author manages to maintain the Holmes of old with only a minimum of strain.

The first story, "The Case of the Fiery Messengers" is likely the strongest in the book. The case is brought to Holmes attention by no less of a literary figure than M. R. James, himself a master of the macabre tale. There is also a brief appearance from the Beast himself, Aleister Crowley. A missing manuscript page stolen from an occult tome in the hand of John Dee, leads our erstwhile heroes to Cambridge where a clever little riddle is the key to nabbing the culprit. Was there a vengeful spectre that delivered retribution? You can decide for yourself.

The second story takes us to the cold and foreboding Yorkshire moors to investigate "The Shadow of the Wolf". As the title implies, this is a fairly traditional werewolf story, but somehow manages to drag in yet another episode of Holmes travels in Tibet (told in flashback) at Mycroft's bequest. As with much of this type of fiction the main point for the reader is playing a quick game of guess which cursed family member is actually the hairy horror. A far superior story to the similarly themed "Sherlock Holmes & The Silver Vengence" by W. Lane, put out by Magico a few years back.

The next two stories are the weakest in this collection. "The Curse of Nectanebo" is a silly sort of mummy story that starts, of course, at the British Museum and swiftly takes our heroes to Egypt. I have a feeling that the author overly enjoyed the recent Universal Studios "Mummy" film or possibly "The Wind and the Lion", as this one treats us to the spectacle of Holmes at the head of a troop of Arab horseman. The penultimate case relies a little too much on a dubious fictional episode from Holmes past to be of any interest (remember the fencing bits in "Young Sherlock Holmes"?), but does take us to the canals of Venice, where the object of attention is a lost masterpiece by Benvenuto Cellini, in "The Sect of the Salamander".

The final story "The Black Heaven", does present the odd bit of interest as author, Arthur Machen, keeps encountering passers by on the street who casually refer to his literary works as real events and people. Troubled by this, and having read enough Machen, who wouldn't be? He turns to Holmes for help, but is soon caught up in a web of intrigue involving Welsh Satanists, standing stones and the unlikely spectacle of Mycroft Holmes on horseback. Look you, there'll be the Devil to pay for this one!

As silly as much of this book was, I found myself enjoying it. Oddly enough, the dialogue is quite good and Holmes manages to stay mostly in character. In answer to those that will throw out "The no ghosts need apply" bit, the author just sort of forgets about it and carries on as though werewolves and Satanists are a perfectly normal part of the Holmesian world. Surprisingly, that seems to be the best way to proceed in pastiches of this sort. Once again, I still affirm that the best blending of Holmes mythos and the supernatural are the two books by Mark Frost, "The List of Seven" and "The Six Messiahs" featuring Conan Doyle battling the forces of evil.

The one real drawback of this book, as with much of what is published by the Calabash Press, is unfortunately the price. When I include shipping (and tax for Canadians), this rather slim volume (143 pages) cost me nearly $50 in Canadian funds. With that in mind, I can't recommend this book unless the reader has a very strong desire to read about Holmes battling the supernatural. Definitely not something for the more serious Holmes aficionado, but still better value for money than either of David Stuart Davies two supernatural Holmes books also published by Calabash Press.

Books from the Calabash Press can be purchased online: Click for Calabash Press

Happy reading,
Charles Prepolec
copyright by Charles Prepolec (2000)

www.nashvillescholars.net/members/memshow.htm (Updated 01 August 2002)

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