For the Sake of the Game: Stories Inspired by the Sherlock Holmes Canon

by Laurie R. King, Leslie S. Klinger, Alan Gordon, D. P. Lyle, Duane Swierczynski Narrated by Various Narrators

Overview

In a sensational follow-up to Echoes of Sherlock Holmes and In the Company of Sherlock Holmes, a brand-new anthology of stories inspired by the Arthur Conan Doyle canon

For the Sake of the Game is the latest volume in the award-winning series from New York Times bestselling editors Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger, with stories of Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, and friends in a variety of eras and forms. King and Klinger have a simple formula: ask some of the world's greatest writers-regardless of genre-to be inspired by the stories of Arthur Conan Doyle.

The results are surprising and joyous. Some tales are pastiches, featuring the recognizable figures of Holmes and Watson; others step away in time or place to describe characters and stories influenced by the Holmes world. Some of the authors spin whimsical tales of fancy; others tell hardcore thrillers or puzzling mysteries. One beloved author writes a song; two others craft a melancholy tale of insectoid analysis.

This is not a volume for listeners who crave a steady diet of stories about Holmes and Watson on Baker Street. Rather, it is for the generations of people who were themselves inspired by the classic tales, and who are prepared to let their imaginations roam freely.

Features stories by Peter S. Beagle, Rhys Bowen, Reed Farrel Coleman, Jamie Freveletti, Alan Gordon, Gregg Hurwitz, Toni L. P. Kelner, William Kotzwinkle and Joe Servello, Harley Jane Kozak, D. P. Lyle, Weston Ochse, Zoe Sharp, Duane Swierczynski, and F. Paul Wilson

Editorial Reviews

Kirkus Reviews

"King and Klinger have commissioned 14 new stories that make up their wildest, weirdest crop yet."

Brooklyn Fans

"An amazing array of stories. This collection is a must for Sherlock Holmes devotees this holiday season."

Publishers Weekly

"Entertaining. This volume contains something for every fan of the Baker Street sleuth."

LitHub

"Laurie R. King and Leslie Klinger continue to breathe new life into Sherlockian tales."

Seattle Book Review

"Many of the stories are fascinating in their inventiveness. There’s plenty of mystery, of course, but there are also elements of fantasy and sci-fi, as well as a comic strip with an insectoid Holmes."

The New York Times Book Review [Praise for Laure R. King and Leslie S. Klinger]

A sharp, affectionate, light-footed collection.

Kirkus Reviews

2018-09-18

Following their three earlier co-edited collections exploring farther and farther reaches of the universe of Sherlock Holmes pastiches (Echoes of Sherlock Holmes, 2016, etc.), King and Klinger have commissioned 14 new stories that make up their wildest, weirdest crop yet.

The goal not to write a straightforward period pastiche but to produce something more loosely inspired by the canon suggests at least three criteria by which the entries might be judged: their success as mysteries, the fidelity or ingenuity with which they replicate or transform notable thematic or stylistic devices of Arthur Conan Doyle's stories, and the originality of the concepts that link them to the sacred writings. Virtually none of this year's crop succeeds in all three of these areas. The strongest mysteries are Harley Jane Kozak's breathlessly overplotted contemporary search for a missing twin, D.P. Lyle's exposure of a modern fake suicide by recourse to "The Reigate Squires," Weston Ochse's encounter between a hot dog seller and a psychic prostitute in LA, and Jamie Freveletti's elaborately worked-out tale of vanishings, ghosts, and counterterrorists. The most obviously Holmes-ian are F. Paul Wilson's period tale of Holmes' encounter with a woman nearly as impressive as Irene Adler, Alan Gordon's droll account of young Sherlock's apprenticeship to his sorely tried brother, Mycroft, and Zoë Sharp's surprisingly detailed update of The Hound of the Baskervilles. The most original in their concepts are Peter S. Beagle's poem in which Watson complains about Holmes even as he salutes him, Rhys Bowen's reimagining of Holmes as a robot programmed with deductive powers, and William Kotzwinkle and Joe Servello's comic-book saga of Inspector [Praying] Mantis and Dr. [Grass] Hopper. Despite their varied provocations, the contributions by Reed Farrel Coleman, Gregg Hurwitz, and Duane Swierczynski escape Holmes' gravitational pull so completely that they float out into other universes.

Only "The Adventure of the Six Sherlocks," Toni L.P. Kelner's inventive, amusing story of a fatal poisoning at a Baker Street Con, hits the mark in every category. Fans will argue endlessly about which others are the real keepers.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169916041
Publisher:	Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication date:	12/04/2018
Series:	The Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon Series
Edition description:	Unabridged

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