I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

Baker Street Elementary — Happy 100th

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<b>"one of a hundred" [GLOR]</b></h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyHxoov2AdCNzI-sA382WHyzmCYKmU5vuVxxUUbwgmzd_zESpxNTWBoDo-0BOUVmZPf0EpIOXFT9y59il288HBvx1-_JJJXxHhZAn2orzWJPWbYZasKlLBplbQMHDaY9thgs_w1diI7ch/s1600/Baker+Street+Elementary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyHxoov2AdCNzI-sA382WHyzmCYKmU5vuVxxUUbwgmzd_zESpxNTWBoDo-0BOUVmZPf0EpIOXFT9y59il288HBvx1-_JJJXxHhZAn2orzWJPWbYZasKlLBplbQMHDaY9thgs_w1diI7ch/s640/Baker+Street+Elementary.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Today is a banner day for our friends behind <b>Baker Street Elementary</b>. This marks their 100th strip since beginning the project two years ago.<br />
<br />
To celebrate the occasion, along with posting the 100th strip, we have a brief history from Joe Fay and Steve Mason, two of the creators of Baker Street Elementary.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Three Sheets to Baker Street and Straight on 'Til Morning</h3>
<i>by Joe Fay and Steve Mason</i><br />
<br />
Deep into the night, on a Thursday morning about 4:00 a.m., during the Baker Street Irregulars Weekend 2014, the grade school world of Holmes and Watson came to life inside a cramped room at the Roosevelt Hotel. Joe was slightly inebriated. OK, he was feeling no pain. He had just thrown down about a dozen pints at O’Lunney’s with Don Hobbs and that crew. Steve was impressed Joe was still functioning and alert. For those who’ve been there, we salute you.<br />
<br />
And we had just inhaled two outsized slices of corner-shop pizza (open 24 hours). We were rooming together because New York City is expensive for two regular ol' Texas boys.<br />
<br />
Joe had been thinking about a certain concept for a while. He knew Holmes and Watson could present well as a three-panel comic strip arranged basically like this: intro / punchline / smartass remark. Joe had played around on Strip Creator for years, and had much more fun with creating comic strips than he ever thought possible before.<br />
<br />
Joe had also always wanted to explore the lives of Holmes and Watson as kids. Growing up, both of us had an unusual attachment to <i>Young Sherlock Holmes</i>. The idea of the boy-genius-becomes-eccentric-genius-detective was always intriguing. He also knew the bully had to be Moriarty. And Mrs. Hudson to be the lunch lady.<br />
<br />
But Joe was stuck. That’s really all he had. “I wanted to start a simple comic strip with Holmes and Watson in elementary school.Elementary school,” I thought. “Holmes, Watson, ELEMENTARY school! It was just too good to be true, right?”<br />
<br />
So Joe gave the idea a moniker: <b>Elementary Elementary</b>.<br />
<br />
“I thought it was clever at the time. But it turned out to be one of those titles that seemed like a good idea at the time, and ultimately just wasn’t.”<br />
<br />
But as far as we knew, and still know, there hadn’t been a comic strip to explore the Deductive Duo in grade school (and if we’re wrong,we expect to hear about it any minute now).<br />
<br />
Joe decided to bring the idea up to Steve that night while we lay in separate beds (just thought that should be clarified, not that there is anything wrong…) And as soon as the words were out of Joe’s mouth, Steve, jumped on the idea like Holmes on a coke vial. Steve suggested characters, scenarios, compositions, and so on. Lestrade and Gregson would be the hall monitors. Irene would be the red-headed girl on the playground with whom the great boy detective was smitten, Conan Doyle would be included, and of course, Stamford would be the loveable character that never quite gets it straight. And so on.<br />
<br />
Steve suggested “It’s Elementary, Sherlock,” as a working title, but once Joe came up with “Baker Street Elementary,” we both agreed that was the perfect title.<br />
<br />
We quickly realized neither of us could draw, though. And drawing is kind of important for a comic strip.<br />
<br />
“Not to fear,” Steve said, “I have a son for that.” His name is Rusty. And Rusty Mason became the artist, and now creative partner in the strip.<br />
<br />
We all decided against detailed backgrounds and long narratives. Instead, we would focus on the dialogue and expressions of the characters, following the example set by the great <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_M._Schulz" target="_blank">Charles Schultz</a>.<br />
<br />
So we volleyed ideas back and forth (almost all of the strips would be set at an outdoor stone wall overlooking the playground, or in the classroom), until we both passed out that night, and Baker Street Elementary was born. Now, we’re 100 installments into the game,with Rusty doing the illustrations, and all of us writing the scripts.<br />
<br />
So many good ideas come to lubricated Sherlockians during BSI Weekend. Thank goodness that Joe had the wonderful original idea, that Steve is a teetotaler, that Joe mentioned the little idea to Steve, and that Baker Street Elementary made it home.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA8YLZBpWMXybu6ptHASGGoLuezym42lPLT12BaBvBmh4TEopedzJ3zL8pWp3uuuKA3bQJHl0lqlrHFg49qPtQHR0ASpGjCYn1w9jC2aMf1RC70dh4L8KI06QjSIxcnjALepuSKibqorYp/s1600/Baker+Street+Elementary+4.1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA8YLZBpWMXybu6ptHASGGoLuezym42lPLT12BaBvBmh4TEopedzJ3zL8pWp3uuuKA3bQJHl0lqlrHFg49qPtQHR0ASpGjCYn1w9jC2aMf1RC70dh4L8KI06QjSIxcnjALepuSKibqorYp/s640/Baker+Street+Elementary+4.1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7AhZkQ-G0K3H5AsfiCF54k4mNCKM4Gx8c1GoklrfYfIvWPikqNXWtehepW-SGKAWWOrzDee7rdbAPxwBmXXUNGpT0JDJR7ESvBNbuQ9SIgfjc6EkMCLmbDCMvvFlkWQkAWp26zYcDq5Qu/s1600/Baker+Street+Elementary+4.2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7AhZkQ-G0K3H5AsfiCF54k4mNCKM4Gx8c1GoklrfYfIvWPikqNXWtehepW-SGKAWWOrzDee7rdbAPxwBmXXUNGpT0JDJR7ESvBNbuQ9SIgfjc6EkMCLmbDCMvvFlkWQkAWp26zYcDq5Qu/s640/Baker+Street+Elementary+4.2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKF7q5ryqkOCSxc-ELLX74_ixxnyqToHFIHd7hZmTPJH4GYEbf9yUNFHVFedbh1AqoftCoHxHzvvfvAx9uMxp3tF6V-ASXwHqgm034-AbufAeHF_RhngF5AgYVGxUTBKA5fYvTFGhZxYyf/s1600/Baker+Street+Elementary+4.3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKF7q5ryqkOCSxc-ELLX74_ixxnyqToHFIHd7hZmTPJH4GYEbf9yUNFHVFedbh1AqoftCoHxHzvvfvAx9uMxp3tF6V-ASXwHqgm034-AbufAeHF_RhngF5AgYVGxUTBKA5fYvTFGhZxYyf/s640/Baker+Street+Elementary+4.3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgokkkp1LRCsYOJ-Itz0cn_f9PKo1fUL8oMohMEdVunG8-deL2eOwMGhYN8EX9idLH9pH-WiSAN34_mipVry3iMoY0tGl7fjC2v8hcrpIL3eoHulrcj8OyhynhdRhdiSL0YkmVZjHIuHn6z/s1600/Baker+Street+Elementary+4.4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgokkkp1LRCsYOJ-Itz0cn_f9PKo1fUL8oMohMEdVunG8-deL2eOwMGhYN8EX9idLH9pH-WiSAN34_mipVry3iMoY0tGl7fjC2v8hcrpIL3eoHulrcj8OyhynhdRhdiSL0YkmVZjHIuHn6z/s640/Baker+Street+Elementary+4.4.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEAKJdSXBxn_STY7VhRk_2jIWKl8asFb-LKxPAW6JQ5SvD2MyulBslqc5jhE5y0p7o7CJQc4NW8su81sxGguGiAzqpXg0ONVnoDAdlV2BAI1_GVIYnoUeT0FpcLmEIUWySn1h6vaDGPohR/s1600/Baker+Street+Elementary+4.5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEAKJdSXBxn_STY7VhRk_2jIWKl8asFb-LKxPAW6JQ5SvD2MyulBslqc5jhE5y0p7o7CJQc4NW8su81sxGguGiAzqpXg0ONVnoDAdlV2BAI1_GVIYnoUeT0FpcLmEIUWySn1h6vaDGPohR/s640/Baker+Street+Elementary+4.5.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSg9i8NGpbDvfzWUdiILZL_llRNlWxETT92bugBQvqrEVnJjG1QZnebj1HqHQNer2nzUDvGslw0iGEnC_m9AJLmsCUg1_PFvtaZchDwlbmUhSdQSRlSiGk7dawbFIy98ynRF8jrha6WdLx/s1600/Baker+Street+Elementary+4.6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSg9i8NGpbDvfzWUdiILZL_llRNlWxETT92bugBQvqrEVnJjG1QZnebj1HqHQNer2nzUDvGslw0iGEnC_m9AJLmsCUg1_PFvtaZchDwlbmUhSdQSRlSiGk7dawbFIy98ynRF8jrha6WdLx/s640/Baker+Street+Elementary+4.6.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7U6JiSWYKOxr-pEBMq7HeJfCjQER39wr0sxBECdhh-ec_NunFiS-NhMXvYeg-8SpeiicINyJWsZqN5N5EQtx4uTxeVXsIdAmnMAXXChemEKfbxfCoEVuofcyLfeJbRjLewNefg_7XMxk-/s1600/Baker+Street+Elementary+4.7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7U6JiSWYKOxr-pEBMq7HeJfCjQER39wr0sxBECdhh-ec_NunFiS-NhMXvYeg-8SpeiicINyJWsZqN5N5EQtx4uTxeVXsIdAmnMAXXChemEKfbxfCoEVuofcyLfeJbRjLewNefg_7XMxk-/s640/Baker+Street+Elementary+4.7.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6O_JmR6hRUglOkeTzWh_uloPSRFoJcHyWukuqkvk7H8LZqTXwioK65dN3ZwXDcdvqlGkE6EcOZAv2aK8boIrlUTVD6-RNMQVHCDhgidotIio3vJpTP2SdlqMzzy63o5yubGtSC3XV1k3u/s1600/Baker+Street+Elementary+4.8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6O_JmR6hRUglOkeTzWh_uloPSRFoJcHyWukuqkvk7H8LZqTXwioK65dN3ZwXDcdvqlGkE6EcOZAv2aK8boIrlUTVD6-RNMQVHCDhgidotIio3vJpTP2SdlqMzzy63o5yubGtSC3XV1k3u/s640/Baker+Street+Elementary+4.8.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqYakPdwthHHANeOMORQKGRW8mtVLEdjOaG3pBXH0UqUojzYTqhe-YK_kXAJRuaOOcaMqn7oQHBmnHJsS4HRMC6IVutjm3F0QdpM80Wo5tfgZ2VKHjNkI_v1f_HoEXW5WRUvZCtsyWNKpt/s1600/Baker+Street+Elementary+4.9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqYakPdwthHHANeOMORQKGRW8mtVLEdjOaG3pBXH0UqUojzYTqhe-YK_kXAJRuaOOcaMqn7oQHBmnHJsS4HRMC6IVutjm3F0QdpM80Wo5tfgZ2VKHjNkI_v1f_HoEXW5WRUvZCtsyWNKpt/s640/Baker+Street+Elementary+4.9.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><i><br /></i></b></div>
<div>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>Baker Street Elementary</i></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> follows the original adventures of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, as they and their friends work through the issues of elementary school in Victorian London. An archive of all previous episodes can be viewed at </span><a href="http://www.bakerstreetelementary.org/" style="background-color: white; color: #006f85; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">www.bakerstreetelementary.org</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">.</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
--</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
</div>
</div>

Baker Street Elementary — Happy 100th

"one of a hundred" [GLOR] Today is a banner day for our friends behind Baker Street Elementary . This marks their 100th str...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Review — An Improbable Truth: The Paranormal Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

<h4 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
"It seems most improbable" [BRUC] </h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzsQPFYiSgVZimv3w7JMd71p7KtWeYOlMXY3pS9b7WfbSdxgD9Fxn3JJOJIoRWn6a2e8oaRpoTk8sxyU7BEy3s3LO9Zka5Tt2FF8L2RohNhrW43KZcIc60dmB7jPzz85p_SMRs61Olt48/w1200-h630-p-nu/SHA_final.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzsQPFYiSgVZimv3w7JMd71p7KtWeYOlMXY3pS9b7WfbSdxgD9Fxn3JJOJIoRWn6a2e8oaRpoTk8sxyU7BEy3s3LO9Zka5Tt2FF8L2RohNhrW43KZcIc60dmB7jPzz85p_SMRs61Olt48/w1200-h630-p-nu/SHA_final.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Holmes and the paranormal may at first seem a bridge too far. The rational detective always found a solution to his mysteries grounded in the real world, and as he famously stated in "The Sussex Vampire" when faced with a possible case of vampirism, "No ghosts need apply."<br />
<br />
Yet below the surface of some of Doyle's work, one can see some cases with not so logical conclusions. Take, for example, these unfinished tales mentioned in "The Problem of Thor Bridge":<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Among these unfinished tales is that of Mr. James Phillimore, who, stepping back into his own house to get his umbrella, was never more seen in this world. No less remarkable is that of the cutter Alicia, which sailed one spring morning into a small patch of mist from where she never again emerged, nor was anything further ever heard of herself and her crew. A third case worthy of note is that of Isadora Persano, the well-known journalist and duellist, who was found stark staring mad with a match box in front of him which contained a remarkable worm said to be unknown to science." </blockquote>
Men and women disappearing into thin air may have some logical explanation...or not. And a worm which drives people insane seems to come straight from science fiction.<br />
<br />
I mention the above to give credit to A.C. Thompson, the editor of  <a href="http://mochamemoirspress.com/spookylock/" target="_blank"><i>An Improbable Truth: The Paranormal Adventures of Sherlock Holmes</i></a> for finding an excellent balance of paranormal stories which range from those with logical conclusions to those with monsters from other worlds, and most which fall somewhere in the middle. Take for example Lucy Blue's "The Fairy Pool," a story in which a girl goes missing in the Lake District. What starts out as a straightforward case delves into the realm of magic, or does it? This author does an excellent job keeping the reader guessing.<br />
<br />
Then there is "Sherlock Holmes and the Hungry Ghost," written by the wonderfully talented young Sherlock Holmes author Katie Magnusson. Ms. Magnusson, even when she delves into Holmes cyberpunk, always stays close to the Canon in her approach to Holmes. This tale is the most traditional story in the collection, and I believe strict canonical Holmesians will find it to be the best.<br />
<br />
The story I personally found to be the best in the collection was "The Arendall Horror," by Thomas Olbert. This story involves a young Miss Corbett who seeks Holmes help in fending off a demonic attacker. The story grows in its complexity, and by the end I found it to be downright terrifying. This story does the best job of balancing the traditional Holmes mysteries with the horrors of paranormal monstrosities. Both Doyle and H.P. Lovecraft would be proud.<br />
<br />
Other standout stories in the collection include the humorous "The Diamond Carter Ghost" by Matthew Wilson. In this story Holmes uses his boxing skills to take on an opponent with supernatural powers. In "The Canaries of Clee Hill Mines" by Robert Perret, Holmes and Watson investigate the disappearance of three men. Holmes believes it will be fun to identify an underground murderer, but the case does not develop in the way he predicts. Finally, we cannot have a paranormal collection today without having at least one story involving zombies, and we get tat from Trenton Mabey's "The Case of the Rising Dead."<br />
<br />
Overall, this is a fun and exciting collection of stories perfect for the Halloween season. I do have to add one disclaimer. The editor does start her introduction by stating "I am NOT a devout Sherlockian." Beyond the fact that this book involves the paranormal, it also has many stories in which Watson calls Holmes "Sherlock" and Holmes calls Watson "John." For some purists, that will be hard to swallow. If you are open to different takes on the Holmes and Watson relationship and certainly, if you are a fan of the BBC Sherlock series, you should be able to see past the disclaimer and enjoy these stories. Just make sure you don't read them in the dark!<br />
<br />
<b><i>An Improbable Truth: The Paranormal Adventures of Sherlock Holmes</i></b> is available from <a href="http://mochamemoirspress.com/spookylock/" target="_blank">Mocha Memoir Press</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Improbable-Truth-Paranormal-Adventures-Sherlock/dp/0984004262" target="_blank">Amazon</a>.<br />
<br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: "times new roman";">Derrick Belanger is the author of the #1 bestselling book in its category <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1519511957" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-asin="1519511957" data-amzn-link-id="9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Adventure-Peculiar-Provenance/dp/1519511957/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_3292728" rel="nofollow" style="color: #006f85; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance</a><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-width: initial;"><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_3292728" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d&_cb=1451973203084" style="border: none; height: 0px; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; width: 0px;" width="0" /></span>, which was in the top 200 bestselling books on Amazon. He also is the author of the MacDougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes books, the latest of which is <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B017862MVS" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-asin="B017862MVS" data-amzn-link-id="5293cce6e7483fecbc2d08a80a6fd7fa" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Curse of the Deadly Dinosaur" href="http://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Dinosaur-MacDougall-Sherlock-Holmes-ebook/dp/B017862MVS/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=5293cce6e7483fecbc2d08a80a6fd7fa&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_7842789" rel="nofollow" style="color: #006f85; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Curse of the Deadly Dinosaur</a><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-width: initial;"><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_7842789" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=5293cce6e7483fecbc2d08a80a6fd7fa&_cb=1451973247482" style="border: none; height: 0px; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; width: 0px;" width="0" /></span>, and he edited the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle horror anthology <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B00P4E8AVI" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-asin="B00P4E8AVI" data-amzn-link-id="a71c0c4edf6b4a9c56848bf35d8b468a" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural" href="http://www.amazon.com/Study-Terror-Revolutionary-Stories-Supernatural-ebook/dp/B00P4E8AVI/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=a71c0c4edf6b4a9c56848bf35d8b468a&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_5010397" rel="nofollow" style="color: #006f85; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural</a><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-width: initial;"><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_5010397" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=a71c0c4edf6b4a9c56848bf35d8b468a&_cb=1451973259426" style="border: none; height: 0px; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; width: 0px;" width="0" /></span>. Mr. Belanger has recently started the publishing company <a href="http://www.belangerbooks.com/" style="color: #006f85; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Belanger Books</a> which released the Sherlock Holmes anthology <a data-amzn-asin="1533202273" href="https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Watson-Sherlock-Anthology-Stories/dp/1533202273/" style="color: #006f85; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Beyond Watson</a>. He resides in Colorado and continues compiling unpublished works by Dr. John H. Watson.</i><br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></i>
<i style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: "times new roman";">--</i><br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></i>

Review — An Improbable Truth: The Paranormal Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

"It seems most improbable" [BRUC] Holmes and the paranormal may at first seem a bridge too far. The rational detective alway...

+ Read more »

by Belanger Books

Smart Women Don't Have To Be Evil

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<b>"</b>She was as good as she was beautiful, and as intelligent as she was good.<b>" [MISS]</b> </h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1QL2BdkUWsYYNe9h2VEUuIuy1TINBPgMJkHIdTzmycqQyYQPQOZQ5rnSGhtnaYvNNj_wi40CIvL_pfOS4izy0DGCW9j9Bjw2cNDzf7YL9e8VtXpXTHBHFAnc9QguyrS9IyuZLRbZ74EE/s1600/Nobl-07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1QL2BdkUWsYYNe9h2VEUuIuy1TINBPgMJkHIdTzmycqQyYQPQOZQ5rnSGhtnaYvNNj_wi40CIvL_pfOS4izy0DGCW9j9Bjw2cNDzf7YL9e8VtXpXTHBHFAnc9QguyrS9IyuZLRbZ74EE/s640/Nobl-07.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
One of the things I love most about BBC's <i>Sherlock</i> is Benedict Cumberbatch. Sorry, I meant, Benedict Cumberbatch. Darn it all. I need to fix this auto-correct. Let me start again.<br />
<br />
One of the things I love most about BBC's <i>Sherlock </i>is that it has featured some of the most fascinating female characters I have seen on television. You have Mrs. Hudson, the matron of Baker Street, you have Mary, you have Molly, whom I featured <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2017/01/molly-hooper-and-romanticizing-of.html">in my last post</a>, Eurus, who came on the scene rather suddenly, and of course you have, well, <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose41" target="_blank"><i>the</i> Woman</a>. There is a problem, though. The smarter the woman on <i>Sherlock</i>, the more likely it is that she has, at best, a checkered past. Maybe more like a crazy quilt past and a checkered present.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-MTgrrefjV61nuxKlSa6j5MROxQ-_rg6l4BdK8fZVj10SCOf0_vYCncFUX8XTg1L2F8zRguoFQeSeYZ6ObpRy__1S7EGgp0x3ueXBDr3hrTEX4fylFRwCwpKcRIFsUG721QjBiGSgPak/s1600/ABOM+-+Mary+Morstan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-MTgrrefjV61nuxKlSa6j5MROxQ-_rg6l4BdK8fZVj10SCOf0_vYCncFUX8XTg1L2F8zRguoFQeSeYZ6ObpRy__1S7EGgp0x3ueXBDr3hrTEX4fylFRwCwpKcRIFsUG721QjBiGSgPak/s400/ABOM+-+Mary+Morstan.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
<h3>
<b>"You see, but you do not observe." [SCAN]</b></h3>
Irene Adler is a fascinating female character because she uniquely combines femininity and sexuality with power. This is something many writers, of books and of visual drama, tend to avoid, because, well, that's just too much! Given her uniqueness, the writers could have framed Irene Adler to be a force for good, and it would not have weakened her character in the slightest. With the royal family and other top names at her beck and call, Irene Adler could have used her power to bring warring factions to a peace summit if she had wanted.<br />
<br />
Instead, the writers made the Woman manipulative, weak, devious, and generally a sour character. While I suppose her infatuation with Sherlock is meant to show her complexity, the fact remains that she is one of the few characters in the show who is able to match wits with Sherlock, and she even beats him. Why must she come across as a villain rather than a hero?<br />
<br />
The same sad truth applies to Eurus. The idea of a Holmes sibling even smarter than Sherlock and Mycroft was exciting, but it seems that in this world, the more brilliant a woman is, the more psychotic she must be. In fairness, Sherlock certainly represents a parallel between genius and psychosis, but John is his foil, and as such is very smart but not as manipulative and devilish. Eurus is supposed to be the most brilliant character in the Sherlock universe, but she also proves to be the most disruptive and evil. The writers easily could have had her cast away in a convent instead of a top secret asylum. She could have used her mind control powers for good, or she could have separated herself from her brothers in the interest of being kinder to humanity.<br />
<br />
Finally, there is Mary. While I would not say that she is a genius in the same way as the Woman, and certainly not in the same way as Eurus, she is another woman who can meet Sherlock where he is on his mental plane. She can also confidently call John and Sherlock on their crap. Yet when push comes to shove, even Mary proves to have a dark and shadowy past, complete with a fake identity and mad ninja skills. She is smart, powerful, clever, and more, but in the end she just proves to be another woman with personality issues.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<b>"I never make exceptions. An exception disproves the rule." [SIGN]</b></h3>
In fact, there are two notable exceptions to this theme of smart women having no choice but to be evil. Molly Hooper must be smart since she works as a medical scientist, but she is presented as being slightly flighty, awkward, unsure of herself, and naive. This is as disappointing as the smart women who must be evil in order to show off their knowledge. It would be wonderful to see Molly rattle off some of her knowledge to shut up John or Sherlock. You get the feeling that she is brilliant, but for some reason the writers do not let her present that way.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZb4HFwpgguK2tE0WCW-4PrkqDt_2o1GQRMD1crNSUk8-UUDQV8CUWyFPZBkHZJ2E1GQUvvr5vOFqfEFtLuxKigmbOyrZR9i7EKtkZxPL_St1898Kv8fzaHTwswko_PNsRJOG1GGN1Lr1/s1600/ABOM+-+Mrs.+Hudson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZb4HFwpgguK2tE0WCW-4PrkqDt_2o1GQRMD1crNSUk8-UUDQV8CUWyFPZBkHZJ2E1GQUvvr5vOFqfEFtLuxKigmbOyrZR9i7EKtkZxPL_St1898Kv8fzaHTwswko_PNsRJOG1GGN1Lr1/s400/ABOM+-+Mrs.+Hudson.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The other exception is Mrs. Hudson, who seems likewise to be somewhat flighty and perhaps ignorant of her surroundings, yet she falls more into the miscreant category with her gangster husband and her sordid history. The car introduced at the end of the last series seemed unnecessary, and I am still not really sure what the writers were trying to prove or suggest with that scene. Does Mrs. Hudson need to be "racy" in order to be an interesting female character?<br />
<br />
I would love for the writers of <i>Sherlock </i>to give us a female character who is smart, clever, maybe a little weird, but who is able to match John and Sherlock's wits without being a murderous lunatic. Is that so much to ask?<br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />

Smart Women Don't Have To Be Evil

" She was as good as she was beautiful, and as intelligent as she was good. " [MISS] One of the things I love most about BB...

+ Read more »

by Margie Clayman

Baker Street Elementary — An East Wind Coming

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<b>"a horrible, poisonous exhalation" [GREE]</b></h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyHxoov2AdCNzI-sA382WHyzmCYKmU5vuVxxUUbwgmzd_zESpxNTWBoDo-0BOUVmZPf0EpIOXFT9y59il288HBvx1-_JJJXxHhZAn2orzWJPWbYZasKlLBplbQMHDaY9thgs_w1diI7ch/s1600/Baker+Street+Elementary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyHxoov2AdCNzI-sA382WHyzmCYKmU5vuVxxUUbwgmzd_zESpxNTWBoDo-0BOUVmZPf0EpIOXFT9y59il288HBvx1-_JJJXxHhZAn2orzWJPWbYZasKlLBplbQMHDaY9thgs_w1diI7ch/s640/Baker+Street+Elementary.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sunday arrives, and with it, our bi-weekly installment of Baker Street Elementary. In this instance, we share a strip that is Rusty Mason's top pick. We're not sure what that says about Rusty, but we think you'll enjoy it nearly as much as he.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And here, in honor of your inner 12 year-old, is Baker Street Elementary.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHft8ZhVCTFaGwyaUrAlbVmVGr6pbWqFupyPp3dCNKRne11UHedGUBssaoDBy6hcjQvzPKYJWG0AY2v8z1AYFcBnfK5iSy0pybsk3Gh4KvXSuN0yrNlAf2CdkldCzbWWQtvvViROMZ5mp/s1600/Baker+Street+Elementary+3.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHft8ZhVCTFaGwyaUrAlbVmVGr6pbWqFupyPp3dCNKRne11UHedGUBssaoDBy6hcjQvzPKYJWG0AY2v8z1AYFcBnfK5iSy0pybsk3Gh4KvXSuN0yrNlAf2CdkldCzbWWQtvvViROMZ5mp/s640/Baker+Street+Elementary+3.1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ZbHcOQnHertzzFtMmO2npAGfA2M27Q-_I43gjHKhMvzVB-Ldbx_ox7nQ9S5MIGhIkMMUuTArbqqhqZ1NvOdsaNHWEOm7tiIqsQsIl7GxaGHNnlIVK1Zy0gzjBHW650dCDHzcnTXj_wRD/s1600/Baker+Street+Elementary+3.2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ZbHcOQnHertzzFtMmO2npAGfA2M27Q-_I43gjHKhMvzVB-Ldbx_ox7nQ9S5MIGhIkMMUuTArbqqhqZ1NvOdsaNHWEOm7tiIqsQsIl7GxaGHNnlIVK1Zy0gzjBHW650dCDHzcnTXj_wRD/s640/Baker+Street+Elementary+3.2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQiY5gV06L88FAWLhziXWAzuuWD1bZQNruRParKHS3zLkLJlKNY2XVhkWR2ownDl_A8C6YMr3eibTaqOFbvH_MGs-rTXn7hlg2TX3hVNXaGXQ6AuK5H5DmSuuwkZ1Ebw6TYaL2ATOTZDFr/s1600/Baker+Street+Elementary+3.3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQiY5gV06L88FAWLhziXWAzuuWD1bZQNruRParKHS3zLkLJlKNY2XVhkWR2ownDl_A8C6YMr3eibTaqOFbvH_MGs-rTXn7hlg2TX3hVNXaGXQ6AuK5H5DmSuuwkZ1Ebw6TYaL2ATOTZDFr/s640/Baker+Street+Elementary+3.3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUBFdlE5CjuvpGoklLK5ADsxJkEpPa0Z3svpnHZ3ZozGmRTo9PXlCVp968r0KqEBws-cJ53CRS7K_coAn-puvWz26gAAw1JZarKa7sp3AHy0IYBR3y0hCFou1fhpYqMpjmUhOo-1Yp3gTy/s1600/Baker+Street+Elementary+3.4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUBFdlE5CjuvpGoklLK5ADsxJkEpPa0Z3svpnHZ3ZozGmRTo9PXlCVp968r0KqEBws-cJ53CRS7K_coAn-puvWz26gAAw1JZarKa7sp3AHy0IYBR3y0hCFou1fhpYqMpjmUhOo-1Yp3gTy/s640/Baker+Street+Elementary+3.4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYeQwfNvHh5tN0tblUMiPcRCEHP4c_KM_BMZxeQpVlgn5UldS81k70Xf17IOMgtZXCgal8JEbYlSCqQVgQtZurdwyds4IwCdtKlDrl3Nys3ae0DfUakvn5eAlnSUE53FxkR6t5jGtcStC/s1600/Baker+Street+Elementary+3.5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYeQwfNvHh5tN0tblUMiPcRCEHP4c_KM_BMZxeQpVlgn5UldS81k70Xf17IOMgtZXCgal8JEbYlSCqQVgQtZurdwyds4IwCdtKlDrl3Nys3ae0DfUakvn5eAlnSUE53FxkR6t5jGtcStC/s640/Baker+Street+Elementary+3.5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9JxELHQwd1tx5jLKXA57oDM7uw2LU8Im12ruQs2mqAxqVWltZjuMn_IwvE03Y4WrMZc2_xhcA8LHroepIBO_8S_TG_sH3BTmhZhq9DReitj2In1PuRkbXjMCmw65D6YC9fcwvTcqLh6jg/s1600/Baker+Street+Elementary+3.6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9JxELHQwd1tx5jLKXA57oDM7uw2LU8Im12ruQs2mqAxqVWltZjuMn_IwvE03Y4WrMZc2_xhcA8LHroepIBO_8S_TG_sH3BTmhZhq9DReitj2In1PuRkbXjMCmw65D6YC9fcwvTcqLh6jg/s640/Baker+Street+Elementary+3.6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
No doubt inspired by <i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i>:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
As I entered, however, my fears were set at rest, for it was the acrid fumes... which took me by the throat and set me coughing.<br />   "Caught cold, Watson?" said he.<br />   "No, it's this poisonous atmosphere."<br />   "I suppose it is pretty thick, now that you mention it."<br />   "Thick! It is intolerable."<br />   "Open the window, then!</blockquote>
<div>
<div>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><i><br /></i></b></div>
<div>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>Baker Street Elementary</i></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> follows the original adventures of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, as they and their friends work through the issues of elementary school in Victorian London. An archive of all previous episodes can be viewed at </span><a href="http://www.bakerstreetelementary.org/" style="background-color: white; color: #006f85; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">www.bakerstreetelementary.org</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">.</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
--</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>

Baker Street Elementary — An East Wind Coming

"a horrible, poisonous exhalation" [GREE] Sunday arrives, and with it, our bi-weekly installment of Baker Street Elementary...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty