I read "1602," lame. I thouht maybe Gaiman was finally burned out and he didn't have any more rabbits he could pull out of his hat.

But two days ago I read his short story "A Study in Emerald," and damn, it was good stuff. I searched the board for anything on the story and came up dry. Why? I think "Study in Emerald" is the best thing Neil's written in a long time.

I know he doesn't read the board, but I just have to say, please, please Neil, let's have more of this. I'd love to see a series that fleshes out this dark London.

Come on, any other Baker Street Regulars out there who liked this story?

I absolutely loved it. Actually, to my great shame, I had to read it twice before I understood the big twist, and then I loved it even more. Neil is a clever, clever thing.

Maure

I read it twice too, but I got nearly everything, the trick worked on me perfectly. Looking for lodgings, chemistry at St Bart's, "You have been to Afghanistan," it all clicked into place.

Then I began to suspect when they were talking about the tall man and the limping doctor. And when Holmes's letter said that the investigator wrote a paper on the dynamics of an asteroid, click again, Moriarty.

One thing I'm not sure of is, who's the retired military man Moriarty's working with? It's been a while and I'm rusty.

Neil will be posting the story on his website, since it was just nominated for a Hugo:

journal link

I just read the story about a week ago. I started looking for a twist around the time of the inspection of the prince's body. Even though I more or less figured out what was going to happen it did not diminish my enjoyment in the least. Both Study and the Shadow short -- "Monarch of the Glen" are really top notch pieces. On the other hand I can't wait for the next NG work which I won't zip through in one sitting (guess I'll have to tho')

--lap

And it was fun to see a different Watson, a knife-wielding Ripper type instead of the fumbling buffon.

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Originally posted by ZoneSeek:
And it was fun to see a different Watson, a knife-wielding Ripper type instead of the fumbling buffon.

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You know, he really wasn't a fumbling buffoon in the stories. I'm not exactly sure when that started being the vague perception about Watson. Maybe because of the radio shows/films?

Maure

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Originally posted by lapis:
Neil will be posting the story on his website, since it was just nominated for a Hugo:

http://www.neilgaiman.com/journal/2004_04_11_archive.asp#108183108045313192

I just read the story about a week ago. I started looking for a twist around the time of the inspection of the prince's body. Even though I more or less figured out what was going to happen it did not diminish my enjoyment in the least. Both Study and the Shadow short -- "Monarch of the Glen" are really top notch pieces. On the other hand I can't wait for the next NG work which I won't zip through in one sitting (guess I'll have to tho')

--lap

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Was this ever posted on his site? I searched today and couldn't find it anywhere. I'd really like to read it.

I got it the first time, but I did get a little hint. A "watch out for the twist" sort of thing.

You know, the idea that "once you've ruled out the impossible what's left, however improbable, must be the truth" (or however the original line went) is extremely pertinent when dealing with the theory of relativity.

Einstein's base assumptions go against any sane person's intuition, but unlike newtonian physics the general theory of relativity is not invalidated by empirical evidence. I'm not sure even Neil realises how well that whole relativity thing with Holmes and Moriarty works.

Sorry to sound ignorant, but what is "A study in Emerald" and where can I find it? I seem to have missed something somewhere. Maybe my time machine into the future worked after all, albeit forcing me to skip all conversations relating to "A study in Emerald"

Whilst I'm at it, maybe some kind soul would like to tell me what "Monarch of the glen" is all about as well. I'd assumed it was a piece that Neil was working on, but I have it confused also with the TV series of the same name (which I've never watched). Thanks!

"A study in Emerald" is a short story which appears in an anthology called "Shadows over Baker Street" which is basically a collection of Holmes-related stories by contemporary writers.

Don't know about "Monarch".

"Monarch of the Glen" is a (long) short story in the collection Legends II (ed. Robert Silverberg), see:

Legends II Amazon link

It is a story set in the same world as American Gods and features Shadow. The stories in the collection are all new stories set in famous fictional worlds (by the original authors). I can't comment on any of the other stories, as I've not read them.

Hope that helps.

--lap

Okay, thanks! That really helps. Hopefully these get collected into a, well, collection at some point so I can read them all in one place.

quote:

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Originally posted by Maure:

quote:

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Originally posted by ZoneSeek:
And it was fun to see a different Watson, a knife-wielding Ripper type instead of the fumbling buffon.

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You know, he really wasn't a fumbling buffoon in the stories. I'm not exactly sure when that started being the vague perception about Watson. Maybe because of the radio shows/films?

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Yep. There's an essay on Watson in the Bantam omnibus. He's ok in the stories, but in movies, directors don't know what to do with him, so he just stands there looking dumb.

One thing, IF Neil does continue the story, I suspect he'll do the same thing he did in "1602," there's a Destiny, something changed it, but something sets things back and this all never happened.

I read "Study" in "Best of Science Fiction 2003," edited by Karen Haber.

A Study in Emerald is now up on the site at:

http://www.neilgaiman.com/exclusive/StudyinEmerald.asp

Just read the story on the site, it really was excellent.

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Originally posted by ZoneSeek:
One thing I'm not sure of is, who's the retired military man Moriarty's working with? It's been a while and I'm rusty.

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The narrator of the piece is Sebastian Moran, Moriarty's right hand man.

Great story!

BTW did anyone get all the refrences in the advertisment interludes? I can't figure out what the last one about Jack and Spring is about.

Seems to be a reference to Spring Heeled Jack.

One account at:

http://www.spartechsoftware.com/dimensions/crime/SpringHeeledJack.htm

ok first off 1602 wasnt "Lame" it was...different..ok but your entitled to your opinion.. your exaclty right however about "Study in Emerald" ..it was the best thing in that collection..I like the idea of setting it in a world where the Elder Gods have already surplanted us..it reminded me a little bit of some of Brian Lumleys lovecraftian stories..but better ofcourse.

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One thing, IF Neil does continue the story, I suspect he'll do the same thing he did in "1602," there's a Destiny, something changed it, but something sets things back and this all never happened.

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I wondered if the horror of the story was intended to partly be that this isn't an alternative universe and no resetting is required. Would explain a lot about the Royal Family. And after all, we know that in the 'real' world there was never a consulting detective called Sherlock Holmes. And this world doesn't seem too different from that of the real nineteenth/twentieth century (which may be the point but bothered me slightly as I wanted a little more mind-numbing horror and a little less social commentary).

Of course the mini-adverts kind of ruin that idea. Then again I could live without them because, while I enjoyed them, I also heard a voice screaming in my mind "League of Extraordinary Gentleman!"

Also, I did think that maybe there was an out-of-place touch of hope (is Holmes going to nuke the Old Ones off the planet?).

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Originally posted by Bachnagairn:
And this world doesn't seem too different from that of the real nineteenth/twentieth century (which may be the point but bothered me slightly as I wanted a little more mind-numbing horror and a little less social commentary).

Of course the mini-adverts kind of ruin that idea. Then again I could live without them because, while I enjoyed them, I also heard a voice screaming in my mind "League of Extraordinary Gentleman!"

Also, I did think that maybe there was an out-of-place touch of hope (is Holmes going to nuke the Old Ones off the planet?).

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Our moon isn't blood-red. And I don't know of any accounts of huge tentacled mothers rising out of the deep and driving out Judaeo-Christianity.

I do so wish that Neil would keep going with this. There's still so much more to play with: the Giant Rat of Sumatra, Irene Adler, maybe Holmes could work with Van Helsing.

Possible inspiration: In 1985 Gaiman co-edited "Ghastly Beyond Belief" with one Kim Newman. In 1992 Newman wrote "Anno Dracula," a story about how Dracula married Queen Victoria in an alternate world. Suggestive, no?

Yeah, this Encyclopedia of Fantasy is gonna be real useful.