The Big Book of Sherlock Holmes Stories

Starred review from August 17, 2015
The breadth of this anthology, which spans over a century and includes everything from straight pastiches and parodies to fully developed whodunits, is but one of its virtues. Among the 83 selections, Penzler (The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries) offers works by authors better known for other fiction, such as O. Henry, A.A. Milne, and P.G. Wodehouse, as well as tales from Holmes scholars such as Christopher Morley and Leslie Klinger. Settings range from Baker Street to unfamiliar terrain, not necessarily on Earth. The variety of approaches is an eloquent testament to Conan Doyle’s genius in creating such an iconic character. One gem, which may be new even to Sherlockians, is “The Adventure of the Murdered Art Editor,” penned by none other than the classic American illustrator of the Holmes canon, Frederic Dorr Steele. Perhaps Penzler’s most significant contribution is rescuing from undeserved obscurity talented writers who have captured the Watsonian narrative voice and combined it with brilliant deductions and mesmerizing plots, such as Rick Boyer (“The Adventure of Zolnay, the Aerialist”), August Derleth (“The Adventure of the Remarkable Worm”), and James Iraldi (“The Problem of the Purple Maculas”). This volume is a must for all fans of the great detective.

April 15, 2015

Mystery maestro Penzler here collects 83 stories about Sherlock Holmes and his enviable sidekick Dr. John Watson, ranging from parodies by Conan Doyle contemporaries like James M. Barrie, homages by Sherlockians like Laurie R. King, and works from celebrated current writers like Anne Perry, Stephen King, and Neil Gaiman.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from October 15, 2015
Veteran anthologist and editor Penzler has long collected Holmes stories of every stripe, and now he brings together the fruits of his labors in a volume that more than justifies being called a Big Book (following in the tradition of other Big Book anthologies edited by Penzler, including the glorious Black LizardBig Book of Pulps, 2007). Gathered here are more than 80 pastiches and parodies that give extended life to Arthur Conan Doyle's iconic characters (two of the parodies are written by Doyle himself), and while the volume is by no means complete (Penzler says in his introduction that more than 600 stories have been written in tribute to Doyle's original 60), it is easily the largest collection of Sherlockiana tales ever published. It merits celebration on that basis alone, as a bibliographic event of gargantuan proportions. Penzler admits in his introduction that some of the stories, especially a few of the parodies included in a section called You Think That's Funny?, are not of the highest quality but were included for their historical significance. He's right about that, which means that readers looking solely for one top-notch story after another may find the whole uneven, but there are also many fine tales, especially from such acclaimed crime writers as Thomas Perry, Loren Estleman, and John Lutz. But the real purpose here is to show the profound effect Holmes and Watson have had on popular culture and on other writers of crime fiction. In that sense, this is a landmark volume and an essential addition to public-library mystery collections.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)