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Welcome! Like the book of the same name, this blog is an eclectic collection of Sherlockian scribblings based on more than a half-century of reading Sherlock Holmes. Please add your own thoughts. You can also follow me on Twitter @DanAndriacco and on my Facebook fan page at Dan Andriacco Mysteries. You might also be interested in my Amazon Author Page. My books are also available at Barnes & Noble and in all main electronic formats including Kindle, Nook, Kobo and iBooks for the iPad.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

A Great Time to be a Sherlockian


There's a lot of chatter in the Sherlockian blogosphere right now to the effect that this is a great time to be a Sherlockian. Although I would argue that anytime is a great time to be a Sherlockian, I also agree that the early 21st Century is especially blessed.

The comment is usually made in the context of all the attention -- and new fans -- our hero is receiving as a result of the Guy Ritchie movies and BBC's Sherlock. That's certainly a wonderful thing. But also consider the following advantages:

* The access to materials is greater than ever before, with many classics of Sherlockian scholarship online as well as the original stories themselves. Matt Laffey noted on this blog last week that Ellery Queen'sThe Misadventures of Sherlock Holmes is available free on the Internet. When I was a kid, I had to take the bus downtown to the library on a Saturday to borrow a copy.

* Conversely, everybody with something to say about Sherlock Holmes has a forum in which to say it. You don't have to have a publisher. You can blog, Facebook, or Tweet your thoughts -- or post a YouTube video. You can even self-publish an e-book. Charlotte Anne Walters is doing an amazing job of commenting on one canonical story per day on her Barefoot on Baker Street blog. Actually, all of the blogs on my blog role are terrific.

* Social media also have brought people together to share their Holmes passion in virtual space. There's nothing like having a local Sherlock Holmes group, but that's not always possible. Besides, it's a thrill to have acquaintances around the globe. The Great Sherlock Holmes Debate, which takes place in cyberspace on Nov. 10, has attracted audience members from an amazing 23 countries.

* Lots of new Holmes-related books are being published. The next few weeks alone sees the official publication dates of Sherlock Holmes and the Affair in Transylvania by Gerry O'Hara, Shadowblood by Tracy Revels (sequel to Shadowfall), I Will Find the Answer by Kate Workman, The Punishment of Sherlock Holmes by Philip K. Jones and Bob Burr, and An Entirely New Country by Alistair Duncan -- in addition to my own No Police Like Holmes.

Yes, indeed, it's a great time to be a Sherlockian!

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