I have a weakness for Lovecraft pastiches. And I also have a weakness for Sherlock Holmes pastiches. Those two come together in The Necromonicon of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1 (2026). Brian and Derrick managed to edit an anthology full of fun stories that mix the Mythos with Holmes successfully.
My favorite story is Will Murray’s “The Doom of the Gordian Nightmare.” Holmes and Watson encounter a Lovecrafean threat from the Beyond. I also enjoyed “The Jermyn Inheritance” where Holmes and Watson confront a menacing mystery. I think this sentence opens the door to a sequel: “…he [Holmes] said simply, ‘It is my opinion that we have skimmed across deep waters, Watson, and barely dipped our toes in.'” Sounds like a promise of more Lovecraft horrors ahead!
If you’re in the mood for a mix of Lovecraft and Holmes, The Necromonicon of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 1 will supply several stories that will keep you up at night.
I was so satisfied with this volume, I ordered The Necromonicon of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 2! GRADE: B
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
“INTRODUCTION: Doyle, Lovecraft, and the Great Detective” by Derrick Belanger, BSI — 1
“INTRODUCTION: Valleys of Fear” by Brian Belanger — 7
THE DOOM OF THE GORDIAN NIGHTMARE – Will Murray — 11
THE FLOWERING HAND OF EZRA BOONE – Derrick Belanger, BSI — 43
THE ADVENTURE OF THE GOLDEN LOTUS – Sonya Kudei — 67
THE FAMILY – Brian Belanger — 95
THE JERMYN INHERITANCE – Josh Reynolds — 115
THE SHADOW OVER KENSINGTON – Kai R. Hastur — 133
THE NEW MOON OVER BATH – Gustavo Bondoni — 161
THE ADVENTURE OF THE FALSE IDOL – Naching T. Kassa — 189
THE CASE OF THE SILVER RING – J. Edward Tremlett — 209
THE BARON OF BERWICK – Paul Sheldon — 237
THE CHILDREN OF DARKNESS – Mike Adamson — 265
Acknowledgements — 323
Seems to me that Cthulhu has butt his but kicked by Sherlock Holmes so many times by so many authors, that by now he would just stay hunkered down in R’lyeh and never emerge. Alas, some cosmic entities will never learn.
Whoops! I hiccupped and also mistyped: “his butt kicked”
To be fair, I typed this before I had my morning coffee.
Jerry, I think you just tickled Cthulhu’s tentacles with that comment!
t cursed you “gLjjjuytheydf!” so that you morning coffee will always be lukewarm.
Jerry, Cthulhu needs to chug a few hundred Energy drinks and move out of his digs in R’lyeh. In some of the Lovecraft Mythos vs. Holmes books I’ve read, Sherlock does take a beating!
I don’t know most of the authors, but ig sounds like a fun collection.
Jeff, THE NECRONOMICON OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, VOLUME 1 entertained me so I ordered the sequel. Reading pastiches are a good way to pass a rainy afternoon…
Indeed, I’m much more interested in Sherlockiana than HPL Mythos sequels, even witty ones (well, when Frita Leiber, Joanna Russ, Jorge Luis Borges or Ramsey Campbell dip in, I’ll give it a shot)…even Robert lBoch’s Mythos work tends to revert, for me, too gosh wowish as if of his youth, before he fully found his own voice.The way that goes…but glad to learn these might examples worth a try.
Todd, I enjoyed the Lovecraft/Holmes mash-ups. More are on their way to me with Volume 2.