Holmesian Derivations

Yes, it’s a formula. But then again, so was quite a lot of Holmes. Formula isn’t bad.

Both House and the Sherlock Holmes canon, of course, have stunning exceptions. And some equally stunningly boring typical shrek, where the most you get out of it is the snark.

Ah, 18th century, never let it be said you let this side of the snark down.

Over at a very wonderful science fiction and fantasy site, Tor.com, where I occasionally write stuff.

Like this piece of a little good-humored ribbing.

On the Fannish Phenomenon of Sherlock Holmes, or, My Fandom is Crazier Than Your Fandom

Sherlock Holmes: the myth, the legend, the actual 19th century archetype. There’s something about the Great Detective that drives a certain kind of person batty with desire. They want to write fan fiction pastiches. They write long treatises on theories about various oddities in the Canon that were the result of Doyle being a bit loose with his research and his memory. They sometimes worship odd characters in the Canon, like Professor Moriarty, sort of in the way some Harry Potter fans are fond of Draco (and I’m sure that Doyle would go “WTF?” as much as Rowling did).

Really, it would seem as though the Sherlock Holmes fandom were filled with mostly 16-year-old girls and/or a lot of women, considering the amount of slashing that occurs.

But no. Many Sherlock Holmes pastiches are written by men.

Especially the slashing.

Continue reading “On the Fannish Phenomenon of Sherlock Holmes, or, My Fandom is Crazier Than Your Fandom”

Somehow this just struck me as extremely Sherlockian (or Holmesian, or whatever). I suppose we need to replace the alcohol with a syringe and much smaller bottle, although it’s not as if Holmes didn’t have a brandy snifter at 221B.