Sherlock Holmes and the Occult Detectives III

After the success of Sherlock Holmes & the Occult Detectives Volumes I and II (Belanger Books, 2020), we are back, dear listener, to announce that we are now open to story pitches for a new anthology, Sherlock Holmes and the Occult Detectives III! So do read on for everything you need to know…

THE BACKGROUND

Last year I had the pleasure of editing the two anthologies mentioned at the start, in which we presented almost 200,000 words of brand new stories from a host of contemporary writers, all based on the possibility that Sherlock Holmes chose, or had of necessity, to work with those figures of the time who called themselves occult detectives, psychic investigators and the like.

Sherlock Holmes and the Occult Detectives III will once again be about detection, logic and mysteries. It will concern an authentic Sherlock Holmes, but with the same simple twist:

Perhaps Holmes is already privately aware that there may be supernatural elements in the world, but has tried to close off such thoughts, finding them too illogical. Or perhaps he is disturbed to find something quite inexplicable affecting his resolution of a particular case, and has to step beyond his normal boundaries. He may, of course, still be highly sceptical.

And maybe Dr Watson was never allowed to include any such explicit references when he wrote up his friend’s adventures, but now these instances can be brought into the light.

Does this ruin the core of Holmes’s original position? Not necessarily, for as we have oft said, Holmes’s most quoted comments on the supernatural are not quite as definitive as some might believe. Do you remember ‘The Sussex Vampire’? That particular Conan Doyle tale contains the famous lines, where Holmes tells Watson:

“This agency stands flat-footed upon the ground, and there it must remain. The world is big enough for us. No ghosts need apply.”

In ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’, what he states is that normal investigative techniques and logical deduction would be of no use in supernatural cases.

“If Dr. Mortimer’s surmise should be correct, and we are dealing with forces outside the ordinary laws of Nature, there is an end of our investigation. But we are bound to exhaust all other hypotheses before falling back upon this one.”

We could therefore say Holmes’s concern is that none of his peculiar intellectual talents can be of value in a situation where normal ratiocination is overthrown. He has dismissed that which will not yield to him.

If there are such cases, genuine ones, who will take them on? More foolish, credulous or cash-hungry ‘consulting’ detectives? Fraudulent psychics? Or, now and then, the true occult detectives, those who have developed a different blend of investigative skills and knowledge of matters apparently ‘outside the ordinary laws of Nature’…

Will they come to him for advice, will they cross his path during a case, or will he, however reluctantly, turn to them when only the impossible can explain what has happened…?

You may be able to tell us.

THE SHORT VERSION

Sherlock Holmes and the Occult Detectives III

A Belanger Books Project, edited by John Linwood Grant

Core concept: A 5,000–10,000 word story featuring the canonical Holmes/Watson which has them encountering and working with, or even working against, an occult detective/psychic investigator. Existing literary characters or your own inventions both welcome. Period: c.1880-1925. English language, no reprints.

Your pitch must be accepted for your completed story to be read. See PITCH section below.

Pitch Deadline: 16 April, 2021.

Final Submission Deadline: 31 August, 2021.

Payment: Authors shall receive a payment of $100 or $50 plus 1% of the Kickstarter net profits, whichever amount is GREATER, and a paperback copy of the anthology.

The Kickstarter will run March 2022, and publication of book is expected early Spring 2022.

THE LONG VERSION

This part is more detailed because it all increases the chances of us taking your story. And it has a few hints. The more in tune with us you are, the more we’ll wag our tails when we read what you send. If you’re confident that you’ve already grasped the concept, or you’re an experienced writer, you might use it just to double-check. We’d still prefer you read it through.

Stories MUST have all the following four key elements:

Sherlock Holmes (and/or Watson) as a key protagonist; a proper, authentic Conan Doyle-type Holmes, in full character and with the traditional mannerisms.
One or more occult detectives as the other key protagonist(s), ones who could have taken up a case at the same time as Holmes was alive and functioning. This means Public Domain figures from around 1880 – 1925* OR your own original character operating in the same time period. The latter are very welcome.
A strong supernatural, paranormal, occult, psychic or other abnatural element which is crucial to the story. You can try a ‘debunking’ tale, where a mundane explanation ensues, but we won’t take many of those.
An actual case/investigation – not Holmes and Dr Silence happening to see a ghost pass by, whilst they argue about the price of stamps over coffee.

We do NOT want time-travel stories, alternative universes, robot Watsons or steampunk. We probably don’t want Lovecraftiana, unless the latter is very clever, subtle and original, in which case we might have a glance. Think more of Algernon Blackwood, William Hope Hodgson, Arthur Machen, L T Meade and so on. Classic late Victorian, Edwardian and Twenties mysteries and scariness.

* Do check that any literary occult detective is in the Public Domain. Seventy years after the author’s death is the usual rule-of-thumb, except for some important characters where an Estate is still active and protecting its copyrights – Agatha Christie, for example.

THE PITCH

IF YOU DO NOT PITCH FIRST, WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CONSIDER YOUR STORY.

Why the pitch system? Because otherwise it’s possible to end up with loads of similar stories, however well written they are, and thus loads of rejection letters. Seventeen cases where Holmes and Dr Hesselius prove that the apparition at Gruntling Hall was in fact the butler in a sheet (but that the family was genuinely cursed anyway, because a wicked ancestor ate cheese too late at night). Or twelve cases of werewolves, phosphorescent pain and missing boots.

For this anthology, we require short pitches – say one hundred to three hundred words – telling us about your planned story:

The decade and general physical setting(s), e.g. London; a decaying Cornish farmhouse, before WWI; a fancy hotel in Paris.
The sort of supernatural threat/mystery, e.g. classic ghostly appearances; physical monstrosity on the loose; madman possessed by something; cursed item. Get us intrigued.
The occult detective(s) involved, e.g. Van Helsing late in his career; John Bell having decided spirits do exist; Carnacki at his wits end and needing a co-conspirator.
A hint of plot, to show you already have a story broadly in mind.

If you’ve never pitched before, have a go at it, and we’ll tell you if you have something there which we think is worth pursuing. If you’ve done it before, you know the drill.

The authors of the most suitable pitches will be invited to write up a full submission for possible inclusion, so you’ll then have a further four months. No guarantees, but it means that you’re at least on the right lines; your story will get more attention and your chances will have gone up.

PITCHES AND QUERIES ONLY TO occultholmes@virginmedia.com BY 16^th APRIL 2021, PLEASE

A NOTE ON LEADING CHARACTERS

Literary and historical figures featured in Volumes I and II included:

Dr John Silence
Mary Morstan
Luna Bartendale
Dr Hardacre
Auguste Dupin
Van Helsing
Rose Mackenberg
Queen Victorian
Irene Adler’s daughter
Conan Doyle himself

It is entirely possible that you can come up with a new spin on any of the above, and pitches with these characters are fine. However, some of the potentially interesting literary ‘occult detectives’ (they are a varied bunch in their approaches) still unused include:

Mr Dyson (Arthur Machen)
John Bell (Meade & Eustace)
Flaxman Low (E & H Heron)
Carnacki (William Hope Hodgson)
Dr Hesselius (Sheridan Le Fanu) (barely overlap)
Aylmer Vance (A & C Askew)
Gerald Canevin (Henry S Whitehead)
Semi Dual (Giesy & Smith)
Simon Iff (Crowley)
Norton Vyse (de Crespigny)
Dr John Taverner (Dion Fortune)

If you don’t have the books to hand, most of the above can be found in Public Domain versions on Project Gutenberg, Gutenberg Australia, Internet Archive, shared on other sites, etc.

There was a sad shortage of female ODs in fiction at the time, with only Diane Marburg (Meade & Eustace), and Shiela Crerar (Scrymsour) as strong candidates. But all the more reason to create new period female ODs – which was done to great effect in Volumes I and II. Or even utilise other female literary detectives of the time such as Catherine Pirkis’s Loveday Brooke or Orczy’s Lady Molly, having them develop an occult, spiritualistic or paranormal sideline.

Bear in mind that as you enter the 1920s (as some of the above characters do), you have to allow for a Holmes and Watson who are now elderly gentlemen.

If you need a better idea of what an occult detective might be, then check the page for Occult Detective Magazine, which covers the basics and provides other links:

http://greydogtales.com/blog/occult-detective-magazine/

A NOTE ON INCLUSIVITY AND DISCRIMINATION

It was perfectly possible in late Victorian, Edwardian and 1920s Britain to be active and respected whilst being a feminist, being Black, being LGBTQ+, or being restricted in physical ability (as just a few examples). And as far as including non-white characters, remember that between the turn of the century and 1920, there were probably 10,000 to 20,000 or more Black people living in Britain, often concentrated in areas such as London’s Canning Town. There also were many Indian and Chinese professionals, workers and students, visiting Africans, and so on. Respectful use of non-white characters is entirely appropriate (no token figures, though, please).

Whilst limited situational discrimination may occasionally be relevant in the context of the period – in order to reflect characters’ life histories or traumas – sexism, homophobia, racism etc. in general will not be accepted.

FOR AUTHORS WHO WERE WITH US LAST TIME

We’re not at all averse to pitches which include the same protagonists as before – i.e. if you wrote of Holmes and Madame X last time, another Holmes and Madame X story for Sherlock Holmes and the Occult Detectives III is absolutely fine, with a brief allusion to their previous encounter if relevant.

Pitches will once again be selected according to their individual merit, not by who sends them or the fact that they are a ‘sequel’. This does mean, though, that you don’t have to come up with a different OD if you have a good idea for the one(s) you used before. You can still propose someone totally new to work with Holmes, of course.

To get the feel of the concept, you can also purchase Sherlock Holmes & the Occult Detectives Volumes I and II on Amazon – Kindle and print:

amazon us