Nine years ago today, Douglas Adams — script editor for Doctor Who, writer of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency — passed away. In commemoration of that: Don’t forget your towel today.
Category Archives: Reading
On a Books & Reading Meme
Because I can, a meme about books! 1) What author do you own the most books by? Either Philip K. Dick or Larry Niven, with Ernest Hemingway close behind. 2) What book do you own the most copies of? More than likely, it’s Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Other contenders? TheContinue reading “On a Books & Reading Meme”
On The Stalwart Companions
Long time Allynologists know two things. 1) I am a Sherlock Holmes student/fan/scholar. 2) I am a Teddy Roosevelt Republican. Over the weekend, I bought a book that brought the two together — H. Paul Jeffers’ The Stalwart Companions. Originally published in the late-1970s, The Stalwart Companions is an hitherto untold Sherlock Holmes tale thatContinue reading “On The Stalwart Companions”
On Puzzling Reading
I’m reading P.D. James’ The Children of Men. I’ve never read this before — or, if I did, it’s completely unfamiliar to me. I’ve also not seen the movie, though I’ve wanted to; just have never gotten around to it. Haven’t even bought it. But I saw the movie tie-in edition of the novel, withContinue reading “On Puzzling Reading”
On Arthurian Mysteries
Last summer, I wrote and submitted an outline for a Merlin novel, based on the BBC series which begins its second season on SyFy this Friday. As I described it at the time, I had a “barking mad” idea, I wrote it out, and I got the loveliest rejection letter I’ve ever had in allContinue reading “On Arthurian Mysteries”
On a Poe Quotation for the Day
“They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape the dreamers by night. In their gray visions they obtain glimpses of eternity, and thrill, in awaking, to find that they have been upon the verge of the great secret. In snatches they learn something of the wisdom which is of good, andContinue reading “On a Poe Quotation for the Day”
On Holmesiana
January began and ended with Sherlock Holmes. On New Year’s Day, I went to see the new Sherlock Holmes film. Then, in the mood for more Sherlock Holmes, I read Loren D. Estleman’s Sherlock Holmes Vs. Dracula for perhaps the tenth time. This was followed by reading some of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original stories;Continue reading “On Holmesiana”
On a Holmesian Find
One of the rarest of all Sherlock Holmes books — and one of the most-sought-after — is Ellery Queen’s The Misadventures of Sherlock Holmes. This anthology, published in 1944, collected Holmesian writings that had been published over the previous decades, with stories by Bret Harte, Mark Twain, John Kendrick Bangs, and many others. Some wereContinue reading “On a Holmesian Find”
On the Closing of Borders
The local Borders is closing. I went to the mall last night. Years ago, Owings Mill Mall was nice, upscale, nearly 100% occupancy. These days, it’s run down, junky, and vast sections of storefronts stand empty. Mainly, I wanted to go to GameStop and cash out an old pre-order, which the employees wouldn’t do. IContinue reading “On the Closing of Borders”
On A Needed Holiday
On occasion, my mind is stunned into a stupor. Sometimes it doesn’t take much. Writing about Twilight: New Moon collector dolls sufficed this morning; a thousand brain cells cried out in terror and were silenced. While in that slack-jawwed state, however, something occurred to me. There’s no Philip K. Dick Reading Day. There’s a TolkienContinue reading “On A Needed Holiday”