Baker Street Irregulars: The Game Is Afoot by Michael A. Ventrella

Baker Street Irregulars: The Game Is Afoot Reviews

• 
  KP

  (Review originally posted on the John H Watson Society website.)
  
  General Review
  The Baker Street Irregulars: The Game’s Afoot is the second Holmesian anthology that Michael A. Ventrella and Jonathan Maberry have edited, the first being The Baker Street Irregulars. In both volumes, authors write stories about Holmes and Watson reimagined, whether in a different time, a different gender, a different species, etc. It isn’t a new concept, as far as anthologies go; some may remember the anthology Two Hundred and Twenty-One Baker Streets, edited by Guy Adams and David Thomas Moore, which came out in 2014.
  
  Anthologies are always a bit tricky, because inevitably there are a few weaker stories amongst the strong ones—presuming there are strong ones at all, which is not always a guarantee. Happily, this anthology contains a number of stories that I felt were exceptionally strong, and a few that I desperately wish were much longer. I wouldn’t rate any of the stories as complete duds, though there were one or two that I didn’t enjoy as much.
  
  Before I give certain stories individual reviews, I would like to point out one flaw with this anthology that rankled as I read: the lack of diversity amongst the authors. Although I cannot say for certain, it appeared that all the authors in this anthology were white, something I find disappointing to encounter. Given that the anthology was made up of a wide range of authorial backgrounds (none are traditional Holmesian pastiche authors, for instance), I wouldn’t have thought it terribly difficult to ensure that authors of color were included. I truly hope that as more Holmesian anthologies are put together, a stronger effort will be put into making sure a diverse range of identities are represented.
  
  Now for a few thoughts on individual stories…
  
  One of my favourites in the anthology was “The Adventure of the Diode Detective,” written by Jody Lynn Nye. In this story, Holmes and Watson are… wait for it… apps. Sure-Lock Homes is a security app. What’s-On? is a social app, combining ideas like Netflix, MeetUp, and Facebook into one place. When I read the premise to my husband, he raised an eyebrow and said “yeah, how is that going to work?” which was my thought as well- and yet it did. Not only was the entire thing witty and clever, it was also incredibly well-plotted. It was nicely paced, with a true arc to the story. My husband ended up reading over my shoulder, which (as a non-Holmesian) never happens. I LOVED this story. I thought the author did a magnificent job in capturing the personalities of Holmes and Watson as apps (they are, in case you are wondering, very AI-driven, which helps), showing how concerned they are for their owner and how far they’ll go to protect her. And of course, the ending is one that any Watsonian will love.
  
  I also thoroughly enjoyed “Papyrus” by Sarah Stegell. In this story, which takes place in ancient Egypt, Holmes is Seshet, the Royal Librarian, and Watson is Raneb, who is a First Rank physician from the Black Land, on a mission to save his home from given to a different Temple. While I can’t comment on the accuracy of the setting (my gut says that historical details were fudged for the sake of adventure), it was an engaging story, with court politics and a nicely crafted mystery surrounding a land deed. I would love to see an entire novel, or even series, crafted from this short story, as Seshet and Raneb made an excellent team, with phenomenal chemistry. Raneb is instantly fascinated by Seshet, and dives into her world with only the slightest of hesitations. I want to see their partnership grow, and more of how a Holmes and Watson would navigate Egypt in the time of pharaohs.
  
  I appreciated Hildy Silverman’s “My Dear Wa’ats” in which Holmes and Watson are aliens; She’er is the Captain of a spaceship, after having served in law enforcement, where their spouse, Wa’ats, still works. They meet again when Wa’ats boards She’er’s vessel, searching for the criminal Mori. The author manages to pack in a lot of worldbuilding in a very small story, but never did I feel like I was just being given an infodump on the world; instead, it felt organic, information flowing naturally as characters reflected on it. The conflict in this story is as much personal as it is about the crime, but the crime and, specifically, the criminal, is SO fascinating. There were some weak moments in this story, largely regarding gender role assumptions and some occasionally sloppy editing, but I would love to see an entire series set in this world, with She’er and Wa’ats.
  
  My final favourite of the anthology was Gordon Linzner’s “Sin-Eater and the Adventure of Ginger Mary.” Darker in tone than many of the other stories, Linzner’s tale takes place in Appalachia, post-Civil War. Our Watson is Salali, a Native American woman (as a note: I have no knowledge on Linzner’s background, nor if this story was looked over by someone who is Native; I cannot speak on whether or not Salali and her husband Dagatoga are decent representation) while our Holmes is Cavish, the town outcast and, secretly, sin eater. The mystery revolves around the death of a child, originally presumed a suicide and discovered to be a murder. It is a mournful, haunting little story, one that manages to encompass a full investigation (excellently done) while also showing us the give-and-pull of Salali and Cavish’s odd, but deep, friendship.
  
  Though these four stories were my favourites, there were certainly other ones that were well-written and others may prefer. Some notables include “A Very Important Nobody” by Chuck Regan (in which Holmes is named Theramin Joules!); “The Problem of Three Journals” by Narrelle M. Harris (in which Holmes and Watson are hipster baristas); and “The Affair of the Green Crayon” (in which Holmes and Watson teach elementary school).
  
  Overall, I did not regret reading this anthology, something I cannot always say. There were certainly a few weaker stories, but I didn’t feel like any of them were bad, and none of them made me throw my Nook across the room in irritation. And some of these stories were so excellent that I secretly hope the authors fell in love with their premises so that they can expand the story into a full length novel. Until then, I suppose I’ll just have to get my own copy of this book (mine is an ARC, provided by NetGalley) and keep reading the short versions.
  
  What About Our Watson?
  There are thirteen stories in this anthology and, as such, thirteen different takes on Watson. I had one earlier caveat, about the lack of racial diversity amongst the authors, and here is my second caveat for this anthology: if you want to read about new and fascinating Watsons, you may be a bit stymied. While there were many, many intriguing Watsons, much of the world building really took place around the Holmes, with Watson being a bit of an afterthought. There were some exceptions. Two of my favourite stories, “My Dear Wa’ats” and “Sin-Eater and the Adventure of Ginger Mary” each had a Watson with their own internal life, their own hopes and dreams, their own ambitions. Another Watson that came across as having a life of their own was our Watson in “A Study in Space”. But because the authors were all having to create and explain a whole new Holmesian setting, our Watsons were largely relegated to being narrators, with occasional personal snippets thrown in.
  
  I don’t necessarily think this is true failure; certainly, Watson in canon tells us all of three paragraphs about himself before he starts delving into how cool his new roommate is. But when one has a canon knowledge of Watson, it can be a bit of a shock to go back to STUD again and again and again in terms of characterization.
  
  This is another reason I’d like to see some of these authors expand their stories. I think several of them have a really good grasp on what a Watson can be, but were restricted by page/word limits. It would be lovely to see their characters return, perhaps in a future anthology. My understanding is that one author, Keith R.A. DeCandido, actually did this in the anthology; his characters Jack Watson and Shirley Holmes are actually continued over from his story “Identity”, which appeared in the first anthology by Maberry and Ventrella. It would be great to see some of these authors do the same, whether by writing more short stories for this anthology series, or striking out on their own.
  
  You Might Like This Book If You Like:
  Short stories; science fiction; intriguing world building; something new
• 
  Monita Mohan

  Sherlock Holmes has never been far from popular imagination. His evolution from being Arthur Conan Doyle’s most clever creation to becoming synonymous with Benedict Cumberbatch is testament to his, and his creator’s, everlasting impact. What makes Holmes, and by extension, the cast of Doyle’s series, so enduring is the rounded ways they are written — intelligent, witty, stubborn, loyal and compelling.
  
  Whether your introduction to Sherlock Holmes was through the original books, or the many adaptations across the spectrum of media, there is no doubt that he has acted as the template for most of today’s TV detectives and inspired many more real ones. It is probably safe to say we have all, in some way or other, re-imagined this iconic figure in our daily lives.
  
  As have Jonathan Maberry, a five-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author, anthology editor, comic book writer and more, and Michael A. Ventrella, writer of many a humorous adventure novel. Together, they are the brains behind the latest Sherlock Holmes reimagining, an anthology of short stories riffing on the main theme, ‘What if Sherlock Holmes had been born in a different body? In a completely different time?’
  
  Baker Street Irregulars: The Game is Afoot is the second edition of the Baker Street Irregulars anthology series, which was published in March 2017. The sequel, out in April this year, expands the idea of who Sherlock is and what all he could be.
  
  The authors in this book range from veteran storytellers to newcomers. Sherlock Holmes, Doctor John Watson, Inspector Lestrade and the sinister James Moriarty are all featured in a variety of renditions, transported around the globe and through time. I received a copy of the title from Netgalley and, as is the case for most anthologies, some of the stories are spectacular, while others are overshadowed by their predecessors. Head over to
  Vocal where I take a brief look at each story and rank them for originality and Sherlockian dedication.
• 
  Diane Hernandez

  Only Sherlock Holmes unites the unique and disparate tales within Baker Street Irregulars The Game is Afoot.
  
  The 13 stories within this collection take wildly different approaches in their homages to Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock is a girl, a native American, a student, a teacher, a librarian, a rabbi and a comic book character. He lives on Earth or Jupiter’s moon, in Australia, in New York City, in the future, in ancient Egypt and on a spaceship.
  
  The best first line has to be “The first thing Watson noticed was that the victim’s eyeballs had exploded.” from A Study in Space by Derek Beebe.
  
  I also loved the Star Trek/Holmes mashup in My Dear Wa’ats by Hilda Silverman. The most creative story was The Adventures of the Diode Detective by Jody Lynn Nye. Sherlock is a personal assistant like Alexa or Siri. Also good was Sherlock as Santa in Ho Ho Holmes by Nat Gertler. This story has an excellent mystery and conclusion along with the unusual interpretation of the Holmes canon.
  
  I enjoyed all the stories. Some were more kitchy than a serious mystery but I liked that too. This book is recommended for Sherlock Holmes lovers that can take a little playful ribbing. 4 stars!
  
  Thanks to the publisher, Diversion Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy.
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  Vanessa

  Lively collection of Holmes stories, reimagined and remixed through time, gender, and degree of difficulty. Like a strong 80% of these were zippy and original (or as original as they could be) and, to be honest, the nonstarters for me probably struck me the wrong way because of personal peeves. Sidebar - what is going on with the over reliance on italics? The last two or three years has been rotten with them. It's like nails on a GD chalkboard. Also for Holmes-fans, there's a nice mix of retellings of original stories (like Six Red Dragons) and new mysteries entirely (Sin Eater and the Adventure of Ginger Mary). The far-future stories didn't resonate with me; sci-fi genre jargon is hard enough to assimilate in novel-length books and in short stories it is nearly impossible and super distracting. Definitely one of the more engaging Holmesian books I've read in the last few years!
  
  I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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  Raz Scarlet

  The Problem of the Three Journals by Narrelle M. Harris: ★★★★
  Six Red Dragons by Keith R. A. DeCandido: ★★
  The Adventure of the Diode Detective by Jody Lynn Nye: ★★★★
  Investigations upon Taxonomy of Venomous Squamates by R. Rozakis: ★★★★
  Papyrus by Sarah Stegal: ★★★★
  My Dear Wa'ats by Hildy Silverman: ★★★★
  A Scandal in Chlem by Daniel M. Kimmel: ★★★
  The Affair of the Green Crayon by Stephanie M. McPherson: ★★★★★
  A Study in Space by Derek Beebe: ★★★★★
  Sin Eater and the Adventure of Ginger Mary by Gordon Linzer: ★★★★
  The Adventure of the Double-Sized Final Issue by Mike Strauss: ★★★★
  A Very Important Nobody by Chuck Regan: ★★★
  Ho Ho Holmes by Nat Gertler: ★★★★★
  (3.9 Stars)
• 
  Elysa

  I liked the collection as a whole. As can be expected, some stories were better than others. I thought the various scenarios and imaginings for Holmes were original and interesting. Most of the stories seemed polished and well edited, but a couple seemed to wander or try to pack too much into a short story. The collection was a lot of fun, and I think most Holmes fans would enjoy these various perspectives.
• 
  Jennifer Roth

  Delightfully diverse!
  
  I thoroughly enjoyed each of these wildly different tales! Although I bought the book because I'm a fan of Sarah Stegall's writing, the other authors contributed excellent work as well.
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  Karly Glauser

  This collection of stories were varied and written well but didn’t quite capture my imagination or interest. The last story about Santa Holmes sticks out the most but maybe because it’s the last story and I finished it the day after Christmas.
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  Barbara Cryer

  4.5. I do love a clever book. The female narrator and one of the stories kept this from a solid 5. Still very highly recommended. I mean, what's not to love when Sherlock is re-imagined as Santa?
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  James Hauenstein

  Unlike the first book in the series, I didn’t enjoy all the the short stories. Four to be exact. But the stories that I did like, were great! I’m not going to name which ones because your taste could be different then mine. You will just have to read it yourself
• 
  Anne

  An interesting collection
  
  These stories are all based on interesting ideas. They were just not necessarily interesting to me. Some of them take Sherlock Holmes to places he doesn't need to go. Worth a try for readers who think more expansively than I do.
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  Paul-Baptiste

  As with any anthology, there were hits and there were misses. Some really good gems but they are buried in some very murky, disappointing attempts. Fortunately it is easy to skip the ones that don't do anything for you.
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  Bridget Martin

  mostly gems
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  Gazala

  Couldn't get through the book!
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  Suzanna

  The first story made me VERY happy indeed, as I do love metafiction, and there were a number of others I quite enjoyed. There were only 2 I didn't care for, which in any anthology seems impressive.
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  Leyla Johnson

  This book presents series of stories written in the style of Sherlock Holmes, as with all anthologies, some are really good, some okay and one I really did not enjoy. Some had a good mystery, some were just clever and others a bit predictable. A really mixed bag but most reader should enjoy a goo chunk o this book
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  Craig Pearson

  This is a three and half star book. Most of the stories were strange knock-offs of the more conventional Conan Doyle stories. I don't need my Sherlock to be Santa. There were, however, some stories that were engaging and well written that did not try to mock the naming conventions of the original stories. Make up your own mind which are worthwhile.
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  Lianne Burwell

  Ah, Sherlock Holmes. The little black dress of mysteries.
  
  Sherlock Holmes is a concept that has been translated in all sorts of ways. The most recent example is the BBC Sherlock, and CBS's Elementary. Both take the characters and move them to contemporary times, one of them also doing a gender switch on Dr Watson. I did find it ironic that Sherlock didn't even have to change Watson's background; he is still a military doctor injured in Afghanistan.
  
  This collection delightfully takes Holmes and Watson into all sorts of directions. There's the SF stories, the fantasy stories, the contemporary stories, and the historical stories. Want to see Holmes go to the other side as a killer? You're covered. Want to see them as coffee shop owners in Australia (yes, rather specific)? It's there. Want a Sherlock who *knows* he's a fictional character? You've got it.
  
  There's even a story where they are married, as members of an alien race that have no gender until they want to procreate, and are fighting a Moriarty who is from a shape-shifting race.
  
  When I look back, I can't think of a single story that disappointed me. I highly recommend this collection to any Holmes fans.
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  Julia

  I truly loved these stories. They have the Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson spirit but take it to another level. I've laughed out loud at some of the deductions, I was intrigued by the mysteries and tried to guess some before Holmes told me the solution.
  
  I recommend this book to anyone who likes Sherlock Holmes and doesn't mind seeing our favourite Victorian consulting detective in some interesting new settings/times.
  
  I'd give this book 7 stars, if I could.