The dictionary definition of a pastiche is a work composed in the same style (if not always the same spirit) as the original, but Guy Adams knows that this can be taken too far. “There is a habit amongst writers of new Holmes fiction,” he tells us in an Afterword to The Breath of God, “to concentrate on emulating Conan Doyle’s style. From the word go I decided not to be too slavish about this. Guess what: Conan Doyle didn’t write this, I did.”
Cocky? Sure, but Adams backs it up with a fast-paced supernatural thriller that I enjoyed all the way through. And anyone who acknowledges that Tobe Hooper’s Lifeforce is “one of the finest bad movies ever made” is OK in my book. Though I might even argue with calling Lifeforce a bad movie.
Now if you’re a true Holmesian your ears probably pricked up at my use of the word “supernatural.” The story begins with the “Psychical Doctor” John Silence visiting Holmes and telling him that evil forces are at work looking to bring about a transdimensional apocalypse called the Breath of God. Already various members of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn are meeting mysterious ends. As Holmes and Watson investigate they learn of a power struggle in the Order, with our heroes taking the side of Silence, Aleister Crowley, Thomas Carnacki, and Julian Karswell.
If you’ve read a bit in the weird fiction of the period you’ll recognize the names. Crowley was a real historical figure (“the wickedest man in the world”), while the others were fictional dabblers in the occult. Adams isn’t just borrowing from Conan Doyle but William Hope Hodgson, Algernon Blackwood, and MR James. It’s as much a collage as a pastiche, which is a route Adams would go down again in his next Holmes novel, The Army of Dr. Moreau.
But what’s going on here? Holmes, as “a man thoroughly wedded to a rational view of the world,” is intrigued by Silence’s story, but we may suspect he has some doubts. And sure enough things do get wrapped up in a rational (as well as spectacular) finale. But I thought the novel was a first-rate fantasy even without the Holmes angle. In fact, Holmes has a secondary role throughout most of the proceedings and Watson is the hero as much as he is the narrator. A Watson who can also be quite harsh on his best friend, at one point going so far as to say how much of “a contrary swine he could often be.”
It’s all very cinematic, highlighted by action scenes that have the team of occult ghostbusters battling ectoplasmic demons with magic (or “magick”) spells and artefacts. I also liked that the villains were given interesting motives, and had creative ways of doing in their enemies. There’s no denying Adams does this kind of popcorn-flavoured pulp well, and while such an approach doesn’t have The Breath of God feeling much like a canonical Holmes tale it’s still a good time.
Alex Good 
Lifeforce IS a bad movie. I bet even ol’ Devil worshipping Crowley would think so 😉
See, this to me is fanfiction, not a pastiche. And the author’s attitude definitely reinforces that idea. Which doesn’t mean that a fanfic can’t be fun, but it has certain inbuilt limitations (its literary value is zero because of the damage it does to the very idea of the Character it is fanfic’ing about) that always make me leery of them.
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Heresy! LIfeforce is a classic!
Interesting distinction between pastiche and fanfic. I tend to think of fanfiction as being stuff teens post online. And sometimes it really takes off. I think Adams is way above that. It’s more like he’s doing his own thing. He is pretty true to the characters though. I don’t think Holmes fans would find much to be upset about in his presentation of Holmes and Watson here.
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Even Eddie thought it was a bad movie. And he’s invested in making movies sound good 😀
I’m not sure if there is an “official” difference between pastiche, homage and fanfics. It’s something I try to keep clear in my own head.
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Yeah, I thought it was your distinction. But it made me think. I said to myself “Is Booky onto something? Almost certainly not, but you never know . . .”
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I’m a trendsetter whose book rules will one day rule the literary world!
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I’m not sure there’s much of a literary world left to rule. But somebody might give you the keys to the place if you need somewhere to crash.
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I’m giving Skynet the bird as I type this…
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Using established characters that aren’t your own is just another version of the reboot. Plus, while I can understand and enjoy Holmes taking on, for instance, Jack the Ripper, what in the hell does Holmes have to do with other dimensions? Talk about lazy!
Funny thing is, this sounds like it might be fun. Too bad I’m philosophically opposed to it.
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If you get the ebook, you can mass change Sherlock Holmes to John Smith and Watson to Dr Doofus. Problem solved 😀
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Ha ha, that’s an interesting idea actually! : -)
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The program to use is called Sigil. It is free and allows you to edit an epub ebook quickly and easily. It’s what I use to correct errors in a book if I care enough 🙂
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Must publishers sell ebooks with childproof locks now? Egad.
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Wut?
Something got lost in translation there…
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The files of ebooks have to be made tamper proof so you can’t go and make your own changes to them!
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Gotcha.
Yeah, that is called DRM. it is evil. I free all the books I buy. Library books I’m fine with leaving the drm on.
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It is a bit of fun. A lot of the new Holmes stories take the characters in odd new directions. Plus, without giving too much away, you may well wonder how much extra-dimensionality is *really* going on here and how much is smoke and mirrors.
You can’t be philosophically opposed to fun!
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Hold my beer!
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You win a medal!
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Hurray for me!
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It’s like the MCU movies, I just don’t much like the industry itself. How can I tell people who want a black Bond to make their own character if I turn around and read any old Holmes ripoff? But of course I make exceptions.
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