Sherlock Holmes Encounters Monsters in Gaslight Grotesque

GASLIGHT GROTESQUE: Nightmare Tales of Sherlock Holmes, ed. J.R. Campbell, Chares Prepolec, Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing, 311 pp, trade paperback

Sherlock Holmes famously rejected the supernatural when he said “ghosts need not apply” but in this collection, 13 writers ignore his rationality and pit London’s master detective against not just the supernatural, but against monsters.

Was the hound of the Baskervilles a ravenous beast disguised as a supernatural devil dog, or was it something else entirely?

Another variation on the subject offers a different explanation of what the Hound actually was, an explanation that leaves Watson with nightmares that only end with his death, following a terrifying nocturnal visit.

Holmes and Watson encounter Aleister Crowley during an investigation of murders that stem from a demon-summoning ritual.

Holmes investigates the mystery behind the Mary Celeste, secretly towed by royal instruction to a small English harbor and discovers the bizarre explanation for why everyone onboard suddenly disappeared.

In Canada, Holmes and Watson investigate a series of murders that may have been committed by a windigo.

Demons, zombies, even time travel are grist for stories of the great detective. An excellent collection of stories. Worth getting.