The Good Doctor Is In

There was a small incident on the Historical Sherlock Facebook Page on the first day of this month. Nothing controversial, just something not often found on the site - a heckler. Well, maybe not a heckler, but someone who decided what I did there was silly or pointless. I'd like to talk about it if I may.

I had made a Post about something I found in 'The Six Napoleons' (SIXN). It was really no different than many of the hundreds of others I've done, and stood out in no particular way. As usual, I looked for something from The Canon, dove into, and came up with an interesting tidbit. I tied Holmes and/or Watson into it, and shared it with the world. It's the standard, and one I hope isn't becoming stale. (If it does, please tell me.)

The post was about Pitt Street in Kingston. A short little street with absolutely nothing exceptional about it. However, I found a way to give it some life. Then I got this Comment...

I was a little taken aback as I thought everyone understood the premise of the Page. I pondered an answer, and then wrote this response...

I've blacked out the person's name so as to protect them (to a point, I guess), but the Comment and response is still there if you want to see them in raw form. Other folks got in on it calling what she was saying heresy. We're pretty serious about The Game, but we don't need or want someone calling us out on it.

I became a Sherlockian in 1997. Officially. I had been a Holmes fan from before that, but joined The Illustrious Clients of Indianapolis and have been with them ever since. I've enjoyed a generous speaking tour for the last decade, have been published in many different books, journals, and newsletters, and have assisted with chronological research on others. The chronology aspect of the hobby continues to be the part that holds my attention, and I'm pretty sure it always will. There's still so much to do with all of the information I have, and all of it that I don't yet have. It will keep me busy until death.

Playing The Game, or The Grand Game, has been around for the better part of a century, and we play it knowing that it's all tongue-in-cheek. Some play it with a seriousness I can appreciate, but will not attain, while for others it's something to do every once in a while. I fall more toward the serious side, but it's because of the research. I LOVE research. I also love Victorian London. I love Sherlock Holmes and The Canon and Watson and Lestrade and Adler and...you get the idea. It all comes together for me in a way that is unique in the hobby (the way I approach it, anyway.)

Basically, it comes down to this...
We in this hobby know Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John H. Watson are not real, and that the entire Canon is a work of fiction. It's true that some people around the planet don't know that, but it's a rare occasion anymore. We find ourselves in love with the stories and the characters for different reasons. Some love the social aspect of it all, some the partnership between The Amazing Two, some the Victorian era part, and some the historical part of it.

When an author writes anything set in an actual time period from our planet in our history it's bound to contain some things that are true. I've written several pastiches and did research on streets and hansom cab numbers and police officer uniforms, and all just to make sure I had them right. Arthur Conan Doyle (later Sir) had the advantage of being right in the middle of the time period he was writing about. His insights were invaluable. My personal enjoyment of the Holmes stories are the details in those stories. I am perfectly happy tracking down info about any little thing contained in them, and have plenty to research for as long as I possibly can.

The great thing is that so many other people have done the same thing for a long time. We rip these cases apart and put it all under our own magnifying glass. But, it's all done for fun. Some make money from Holmes and Watson, but that's not what I'm in it for. Research makes me happy, and if I get to do it on some of the greatest stories ever told featuring the greatest detective of all time who lived at the most famous address in the history of literature, well, I'd call all of those huge bonuses.

I love what I do, and so do a lot of other people who do similar work. No therapy need apply.

Thank you for getting this far. I wouldn't call this a rant, but more of a defense against those who (for some reason) think people like me are so deluded we forget about reality. Well, I can't speak for others, but I don't. This is a work of love for me, and even if I didn't have a single reader, I'd still do it.

I'll see you in about a week for the next post, and I promise it will be about chronology. I'll see you then, and as always...thanks for reading.