The Further Papers Of Solar Pons

In this second volume we again join Solar Pons, the latter-day Sherlock Holmes, and his colleague, Dr Lyndon Parker, as they solve another four puzzling cases. What we always knew about Sherlock Holmes when he supposedly fell to his death at the Reichenbah Falls, we now know about Solar Pons -- he is not dead; he has just been hiding.

This long-awaited second collection of pastiches of the immortal Sherlock Holmes offers eleven new adventures of Solar Pons, who has been called by Vincent Starrett "a clever impersonator, with a twinkle in his eye, which tells us that he knows he is not Sherlock Holmes, and knows that we know it, but that he hopes we will like him anyway for what he symbolizes." Here are such fascinating stories as "The Adventure of the Paralytic Mendicant", an account of as unique a vengeance as was ever perpetrated between boards; "The Adventure of the Circular Room", a tale of a diabolic plot which will rouse many a memory of the old Master; the complex puzzle which will be of particular interest to bibliophiles told in the Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine Contest prizewinning "The Adventure of the Six Silver Spiders"; the curious affair which is "The Adventure of the Tottenham Werewolf'; and others which will bring back old, long-vanished Baker Street days. Once again in the London of years ago "the game is afoot." Certainly no living writer has brought the Holmesian pastiche to a higher development than this. There is very little difference, indeed, in the atmosphere of the stories, once they have begun to unfold; No. 7B Praed Street readily becomes 221B Baker Street; and Solar Pons, attended by his Dr. Lyndon Parker, often becomes curiously interchangeable with the Master of Baker Street and his Watson. "There is no intention to deceive," as Vincent Starrett wrote in his introduction to the first collection. "These nostalgic reminders of vanished days and nights in Baker Street are intended only to please."

From Sherlock Holmes to the Cthulhu MythosAugust Derleth introduced the world to Solar Pons and Dr. Lyndon Parker in the 1920's. Pons, like Sherlock Holmes, solved crimes using deduction and ratiocination, often referring to Holmes as "The Master" or "My illustrious predecessor". Since his first appearance, Pons has been a favorite with Sherlockians.In the 1930's, Derleth coined the term "Cthulhu Mythos" to describe the weird fiction written by the writers in the Lovecraft circle. After Lovecraft died in 1937, Derleth created Arkham House Publishing to make certain Lovecraft and other writers of the Cthulhu mythos, himself included, remained in print. Derleth wrote a number of tales of the Cthulhu mythos including The Mask of Cthulhu, The Trail of Cthulhu, and The Watchers Out of Time (collaborating with Lovecraft).Now, for the first time ever, the estate of August Derleth has authorized a one of a kind anthology combining Derleth's Solar Pons, the Sherlock Holmes of Praed Street, with his Cthulhu Mythos and horror tales. Join us in the foggy streets of early 20th Century London where horror is lurking on the streets and also at the veil of reality.Nine new tales of terror and detection including: The Rondure of Cthulhu by Stephen Herczeg - Solar Pons must solve the mystery of a man seemingly torn to shreds by invisible forces. The Meandering Mathematician by Robert Perret - A mathematician's strange disappearance leads to visions of an otherworldly realm, a witch, and a sinister rat with a human face. A Matter of Blood by Nick Cardillo - Dr. Seward brings Pons a case involving a a notorious Transylvanian Count. Fans of Stoker's Dracula will love this sequel. To Everything There is a Season by Stephen Persing - The Sherlock Holmes of Praed Street has a Lovecraftian Final Problem. The Adventure of the Book and the Gate by Eleanor Sciolistein - The Necronomicon is used to access a horrifying power source. Solar Pons and the Testament in Ice by Jeff Baker - Pons must face an evil Arctic entity. The Adventure of the Drowned Genealogist by I.A. Watson - How did the body of a recently deceased woman end up in a two century old tomb? It is up to Solar Pons to solve this Dunwich horror. The Man with the Writhing Skin by David Marcum - Mrs. Velda Knoll, a lecturer on "The Great Old Ones" is being stalked by a man with masses of open sores moving about his skin. The Devil's Tongue of Blue John Gap by Derrick Belanger - Solar Pons must solve the case of strange symbols mysteriously appearing in the fields of Blue John Gap.Plus a bonus Sherlock Holmes adventure!

Eliminating the impossible just got a whole lot harder! The fabled tin dispatch box of Dr. John H. Watson opens to reveal eleven all-new tales of mystery and dark fantasy. Sherlock Holmes, master of deductive reasoning, confronts the irrational, the unexpected and the fantastic in the weird worlds of the Gaslight Grimoire.

As has become the tradition, this new collection features Holmes and Watson carrying out their masterful investigations from the early days of their friendship in Baker Street to the post-War years during Holmes's retirement. Join us as we return to Baker Street and discover more authentic adventures of Sherlock Holmes, described by the estimable Dr. Watson as "the best and wisest . . . whom I have ever known."

Solar Pons was created by August Derleth in the 1920s as a continuation of the Sherlock Holmes canon. Derleth, who famously created Arkham House Publishing to preserve the writings of his friend, author HP Lovecraft, had corresponded with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, asking whether Doyle would be providing any new Holmes adventures. When Doyle said no, Derleth determined to write some himself. However, instead of writing more Holmes tales, Derleth came up with Solar Pons, a detective very similar to Holmes, and Dr. Lyndon Parker, his Dr. Watson. Eventually, between the 1920's and his death in 1971, Derleth wrote over seventy Pons tales, set in that period between the end of World War I and 1939."Now, meet Solar Pons, the Pride of Praed Street . . . The Master is not too visible - that is, to the naked eye. But you will feel his dynamic presence once again . . . Yes, dear reader, but turn a page, and again - the game is afoot!" - Ellery QueenBestselling Sherlock Holmes author David Marcum continues The Pontine Canon with twelve new Pons adventures: * The Adventure of the Doctor's Box * The Park Lane Solution * The Poe Problem * The Singular Affair of the Blue Girl * The Plight of the American Driver * The Adventure of the Blood Doctor * The Additional Heirs * The Horror of St. Anne's Row * The Adventure of the Failed Fellowship * The Adventure of the Obrisset Snuffbox * The Folio Matter * The Affair of the Distasteful Society Additionally, this volume contains a bonus Sherlock Holmes adventure, the author's Solar Pons origin story, "The Adventure of the Other Brother", forewords from noted Ponsians, and Appendices. Join us at 7B Praed Street, where Solar Pons and Dr. Parker are about to begin their next adventure. The game is afoot!"[Solar Pons is] a clever impersonator, with a twinkle in his eye, which tells us that he knows that he is not Sherlock Holmes, and knows that we know it, but he hopes we will like him anyway for what he symbolizes . . . The best substitute for Sherlock Holmes known." - Vincent Starrett