FRIDAY’S FORGOTTEN BOOKS #491: THE REMINISCENCES OF SOLAR PONS By August Derleth


Originally published in 1961, The Reminiscences of Solar Pons was reprinted in a paperback edition by Pinnacle Books in 1975 as part of a Solar Pons series. This fifth volume, with its informative introduction by Anthony Boucher, is my favorite. August Derleth, best known for creating Arkham Press and reprinting the works of H. P. Lovecraft, was a prolific writer. His faux-Sherlock Holmes figure, Solar Pons, mimics the best of Doyle’s character. The stories in The Reminiscences of Solar Pons were mostly published in The Saint Magazine in the 1950s. Anthony Boucher liked these faux-Sherlock Holmes pastiches and so did I. GRADE: B+
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction, by Anthony Boucher 1
“The Adventure of the Mazarine Blue” 6
“The Adventure of the Hats of M. Dulac” 26
“The Adventure of the Mosaic Cylinders” 50
“The Adventure of the Praed Street Irregulars” 97
“The Adventure of the Cloverdale Kennels” 116
“The Adventure of the Black Cardinal” 139
“The Adventure of the Troubled Magistrate” 165
“The Adventure of the Blind Clairaudient” 187
“A Chronology of Solar Pons”, by Robert Patrick 205

26 thoughts on “FRIDAY’S FORGOTTEN BOOKS #491: THE REMINISCENCES OF SOLAR PONS By August Derleth

    1. george Post author

      Bob, the Solar Pons series takes the traditional Holmes/Watson route. When I was at the World Fantasy Convention last November in San Antonio, a guy in the Dealers’ Room offered to sell me a thick hardcover volume of the Complete Solar Pons stories for $600!

      Reply
  1. Steve Oerkfitz

    I remember reading some of these as a teenager and enjoyed them. Also I liked a series of parodies by Robert l. Fish who called his character Schlock Holmes and these appeared in EQMM.

    Reply
  2. Jerry House

    I’m a big Solar Pons fan and a bigger August Derleth fan. Luckily for myself and other fan, the Pontine adventures were continued by the great Basil Copper. Now that Copper is gone, I doubt if anyone else will pick up the mantle.

    And I doubt there will be any parodies of Pons along the lines of Schlock Homes or Hemlock Jones. It’s nigh impossible to parody a parody or a pastiche.

    Reply
    1. Todd Mason

      Just have Pons investigate labor oppression in Wisconsin by human agents of the Elder Gods, which turn out to be agents of Satan, and I think you’ve the makings of a Lunar Spons series…

      Reply
  3. Michael Padgett

    Not a fan of Holmes ripoffs or fan fiction in general, but Derleth is deservedly revered in our field, and he gets a pass. I remember reading and liking some of these stories long ago. Welcome back to my lawn.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Michael, I figured August Derleth’s Solar Pons stories might assuage some of the outrage that THE TEA MASTER AND THE DETECTIVE, SHERLOCK HOLMES IN THE 22ND CENTURY, A STUDY IN HONOR, and GOOD-NIGHT, MR. HOLMES engendered here on the blog this week.

      Reply
  4. Rick Robinson

    Ah yes, good choice, George. You just made trudging through the week worthwhile. I like the Solar Pons stories quite a lot, and have read them all. I’d have to say Derleth is best know for his science fiction and for these, and for Arkham and Lovecraft second, but that’s just the other end of the stick. These Pons paperbacks are hard to find.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Rick, I picked up the Pinnacle paperbacks as they were published. Then, over the years, I bought duplicates when I ran across them. But, as you say, today these SOLAR PONS books are scarce.

      Reply
      1. Todd Mason

        At one point, Derleth was Much better known for his Wisconsin regional novels, historical and contemporary’mimetic, and to a lesser extent for his leftist/laborite advocacy, than for either his Arkham House/Mycroft & Moran imprints or his sf anthology editing.

  5. Joseph Allegretti

    Love Solar Pons. The good news is that both the Derleth and Copper stories are now being reprinted (I think the Copper volumes are all out and about half of the Derleth volumes). There are even new Pons stories coming out thanks to David Marcum, who has done a great job editing books of new Holmes pastiches. joe

    Reply
  6. Matt Paust

    As I grew up in Wisconsin not far from Derleth’s stomping grounds, and deciding it’s high times I finally got around to reading him, I just now downloaded the Kindle edition of The Adventures of Solar Pons, Book 1. Thanks for the nudge!

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Matt, I wish I’d bought some affordable August Derleth books when I lived in Madison, Wisconsin in the mid-1970s. You’ll enjoy those Solar Pons adventures!

      Reply
  7. wolf

    I remember Derleth as an edit (code 5)or – but not his stories, though I bought quite a few of his collections (code 3):
    3FROM OTHER WORLDS
    3THE MARK OF CTHULHU
    3MR. GEORGE AND OTHER ODD PERSONS
    3NOT LONG FOR THIS WORLD
    3THE OUTER REACHES
    3WHEN GRAVEYARDS YAWN
    5BEACHHEADS IN SPACE
    5NEW WORLDS FOR OLD
    5TIME TO COME

    Too many books – not enough time!

    Reply

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