Customer Reviews

Sherlock Holmes's War of the Worlds

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Manly W. Wellman, author of the wonderful Silver John Novels and his son Wade Wellmann have written a really fun book. Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes comes across a mysterious crystal egg from the H. G. Wells short story "The Crystal Egg". He takes it to Doyle's other famous character, Professor George Challenger, best known in the novel "the lost world". The two discover that earth is about to be visited by the Martians from Wells's War of the World. The Novel follows both Holmes and Challenger as they fight to survive and even captured a Martian. There are lot of guests from the Sherlock Holmes stories including Victor Trevor,from "The Gloria Scott", and the book even continue a plot from " The Adventure of the Empty House." Parts of the Book are written by Watson and parts by Edward Malone. The only thing I did not like was the authors have Holmes having a relationship with Mrs Hudson, his Housekeeper. Over all the book is great fun and a must read for fan of both Doyle and Wells' books.

As a Holmes fan of long standing who enjoys a good pastiche I had high hopes for this hard to find book (and BTW what's with this USEW thing Amazon have going on? The book is called 'Sherlock Holmes' War of the Worlds'). And while there is certainly a flavour of H.G. Wells here there's very little of Sherlock Holmes.

Drawing from Wells' novel 'War of the Worlds' and the short story 'The Crystal Egg' the Wellmans have reworked five of their previously published short stories into a loosely constructed novel. The premise is intriguing - what if Sherlock Holmes and Conan Doyle's other great adventurer Professor Challenger were in London during the Martian invasion? But the fact is that do a lot of theorising, much speculating, a bit of running back and forth avoiding capture...and that's all. They spend almost the whole book away from the main action. For instance the heroes visit the scene of the first cylinder landing and the first deaths from the heat ray, then they move on without actually doing anything constructive. And this was my problem with the whole book. The heroes don't really DO anything that significantly alters events.

It's a tricky proposition given that the invaders were eventually destroyed by bacteria, not human intervention. It means that Holmes and Challenger can only suggest what might happen (eg the Martians are coming, they might be susceptible to bacteria) then congratulate themselves for being correct. Heroes, and certainly Holmes and Challenger, should being active and propel events along. Certainly the Holmes of Conan Doyle does. The versions in this story, however, do nothing but think and talk. It was frustrating to be constantly reading, willing them to DO something constructive.

Holmes' affair with Mrs Hudson is of course ludicrous to any Sherlockian and adds only a pointless romance and a reason for Holmes to see her safely out of London thus AGAIN taking him away from the action to a place where he merely receives reports of what the Martians are doing back in London. It's poor plotting and a waste of a great characters and a great idea.

For some genuinely fun and exciting Holmes pastiches in a similar vein read Loren Estleman's wonderful 'Sherlock Holmes vs Dracula' and 'Doctor Jekyll and Mr Holmes'. Particularly in the Dracula novel Estleman (a terrific writer across several genres) really solves the problem of having Holmes offstage from the main Stroker narrative yet furiously working behind the scenes to solve the case. I only wish the Wellmans had been equally creative.

This is a very imaginative book despite what other readers have said. Sure they ran for their lives and talked about what was going on. That they couldn't do much isn't surprising--this is Sherlock Holmes' War of the Worlds, not Superman's War of the Worlds. What is one to expect? "Bend down behind it, Watson, and Challenger and I will push it over!"

In my opinion an enjoyable book is one that causes me to turn the pages until there are no more to turn. This book certainly meets that criteria for me.

I hope the movie prompts a reprint of this fine novel. I'd like to see more of Wellman's stuff back in print, especially his Silver John stories.

Wellman here, in a fixup it seems to a couple of Fantasy and Science Fiction stories combines Sherlock Holmes, Watson, and Professor Challenger into the background of H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds.

He has Holmes getting it on with his help, which is a bit odd, and generally I would just say this is ok.

Sherlock Holmes War of the Worlds : 1 The Adventure of the Crystal Egg - Manly Wade Wellman
Sherlock Holmes War of the Worlds : 2 Sherlock Holmes Versus Mars - Manly Wade Wellman
Sherlock Holmes War of the Worlds : 3 George E. Challenger Versus Mars - Manly Wade Wellman
Sherlock Holmes War of the Worlds : 4 The Adventure of the Martian Client - Manly Wade Wellman
Sherlock Holmes War of the Worlds : 5 Venus Mars and Baker Street - Manly Wade Wellman

The titular object is a Martian device that Holmes consults Professor Challenger about.

3.5 out of 5

Holmes and those assisting encounter Martian war machines.

3.5 out of 5

Professor Challenger has a theory about the origins and purpose of the invaders, and needs the crystal back to work on it.

3 out of 5

Watson returns to Baker Street to meet Holmes, and then Challenger arrives. They are able to capture a Martian, who is distinctly unwell.

3.5 out of 5

Holmes, Challenger and Watson investigate the Martian machines, and the faltering Martian invasion.

3 out of 5

A good Holmes pastiche is difficult to write.

Watson's 'voice"--the literary style Doyle affected in writing the Holmes stories--is challenging for a post-Victorian writer.

But it is carried off well here!

The idea for the novel is a good one, & it reflects the chaos of the Martian Invasion quite well.

This is the best Sherlock Holmes after Sir Arthur Conan Doyle book I've ever read.It explains everything that H.G.Wells had left behind in his "War Of The Worlds" novel. Anyone who is frustrated over the latter author's loose ends must read this book!

Gotta hand it to the authors... it takes a lot of moxie to follow in the combined footsteps of Arthur Conan Doyle and H.G. Wells. And to do it, you gotta be a) unbelievably talented (lal Mozart), b) crazy, or c) infused with hubris. Maybe all three. This book demonstrates only two.. the later two.

While the style is mildly convincing of the genre(s), ultimately the story is thin and the book forgettable. A heroic, but foolhardy attempt I'm afraid.

But I HAD to read a book with this title!

When you remove the improbable all else remains no matter how impossible must be true. So why shouldn't the World's Greatest Detective get involved with the Martians and save the world once more. Also of interest is the side view of the relationship between Mrs. Hudson and Holmes. Dr. Watson may have been a married man, but his view on the relationship between man and woman is very naive indeed when certain matters are highlighted for the reader

I happen to be a fan of Wells' 'War of the Worlds' and also a fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. The book tries to explain some loose ends from the 'War of the Worlds' story and suggests some interesting ideas, like the Martians might be the result of a breeding problem or that they brought the red weed to Earth to 'terraform' it. Yet most of the time our Heros are running for their lives. They can do nothing but wait for the invaders to die and do very little to fight off the alien invaders (who might not even be from Mars).
Also, I found the idea that Sherlock Holmes was able to STOP using drugs and STOP hating women at the same time to be slightly unbelievable.
I would suggest it for fans of H.G. Wells or fans of Sherlock Holmes. Enjoy it.