As a scientist, Sherlock Holmes would have certainly been familiar with the famous dictum attributed to Nature abhors a vacuum. In that same vein, fans of the Great Detective must look at 1885 and 1886 and see a somewhat similar void. Conan Doyle set no cases during those years; in fact, if you believe Doyle, Holmes and Watson remained inactive for a period of some 30 months. Given the expenses of everyday life, it’s difficult to imagine Holmes moonlighting as a hansom driver (a job he would have been eminently suited for, given his intimate knowledge of London’s streets and byways) or Watson, putting in extra hours at the clinic. Obviously, they were working on various cases, including a number that were withheld for various reasons. However, we have reached out to Sherlockians around the globe and asked them to review carefully any correspondence with Dr. Watson which may have come into their possession. As you might expect, they unearthed a plethora of stories which occurred in 1885 and ‘86. We have culled through them with an eye towards selecting not only those cases which showcase the amazing deductive abilities of the Great Detective but those which offer insights into his unique personality as well as those highlighting the relationship between Holmes and his Boswell. Having said that, know that once again, “The game is afoot!” Enjoy! 1886 Stories Jan – The Servant Girl Annihilator – Chris Chan Feb – An Absence of Footprints – Rob Nisbet March – The Feltham Lodge Mystery – Hassan Akram April –The Curious Actions of Captain Greaves – David Marcum May – The Misadventure of the Tainted Tump – Will Murray June – The Babbington Inheritance – Mike Adamson July – A Question of Equality – Gustavo Bodoni August – The Siege of Baker Street – Paul Hiscock September – The Adventure of the Problematic Pen – Will Murray October – Sherlock Holmes and the Locked Cabinet – Shelby Phoenix November – The Adventure of the Absinthe Fairy – Katy Darby December – The Boy with the Frozen Face – Derrick Belanger PLUS A BONUS STORY!!! May – The Adventure of the Flustered Theologian – Stephen Herczeg
Authors
Stephen is an IT Geek, writer, actor and film maker based in Canberra Australia. He has been writing for over twenty years and has completed a couple of dodgy novels, sixteen feature length screenplays and dozens of short stories and scripts. Stephen’s scripts, TITAN, Dark are the Woods, Control and Death Spores have found success in the international screenwriting competitions with a win, two runner-up and two top ten finishes. His horror stories have featured in Sproutlings, Hells Bells, Below the Stairs, Trickster’s Treats #1 and #2, Shades of Santa, Behind the Mask, Beyond the Infinite, Beside the Seaside, The Body Horror Book, Anemone Enemy, Petrified Punks and Beginnings. His Sherlock Holmes stories have been published in Sherlock Holmes in the realms of H.G. Wells, Sherlock Holmes: Adventures beyond the Canon, The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes stories: Part XI and will soon be seen in Sherlock Holmes: Adventures in the realms of Steampunk, The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes stories: Part XIV & XVI. Later this year, Stephen will appear in A Tribute to H.G. Wells, and has had over twenty drabbles accepted for the Curses and Cauldrons, Blood and Bitemarks, Worlds, Angels and Monsters anthologies.
