Solar Pons

[HerlockSholmes]

i was wondering if anyone had heard of Solar Pons?

 

Author August Derleth asked Doyle if he could take over writing Holmes stories (Doyle had made it quite clear that Holmes was finished) but Doyle said no. So Derleth went on to create Solar Pons who was a pastiche of Holmes. He lived at 7b Praed Street, had a friend and biographer called Dr. Lyndon Parker, a landlady called Mrs Johnson and an elder brother called Bancroft. The stories are set in the 20's and Pons is aware of the existence of Holmes and admires him. The stories are great. He even makes use of some of the cases mentioned but not written up by Watson like 'The Aluminium Crutch.'

Derleth wrote loads of stories in series with titles like 'The Memoirs Of Solar Pons,' and 'The Remeniscences Of Solar Pons.' When Derleth died in 1970 or 71 (can't remember which) a guy called Basil Copper continued writing Pons stories. There's even a Solar Pons website.

Some of the original editions can be pretty expensive but many can be bought for reasonable prices.

Great stories, well worth investigating if you're looking for something to read.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Is there any explanation of the character's name?  Pons is Latin for bridge, as I recall.

 

"an elder brother named Bancroft." 

[Arcadia]

Basil Copper? Srsly? :D

[HerlockSholmes]

Is there any explanation of the character's name? Pons is Latin for bridge, as I recall.

 

"an elder brother named Bancroft."

Hi Carol,

 

Pons is Latin for bridge I believe. I did read of some significance with the name but I can't remember what it was. It's been said that he wanted a name that syllabically similar to Sherlock Holmes but it is a strange choice for a name. Of course there's a similar situation with the fictional detective Sexton Blake (who actually lived in Baker Street.) Pons is a little less, shall we say, cranky than Holmes!

 

Pons is very popular. There's a society, for example, called The Praed Street Irregulars and I've also heard of a newsletter called The Pontine Dossier. I haven't got anywhere near all of the books (I think that I've got 4) but they are very good, especially if you can get them reasonably priced.

 

Coincidentally I'm going to London on the 19th for an 11 day break (a couple of Holmes Walks included) and when I checked how to get the hotel I found that I'll have to walk down Praed Street!

 

I'll see if 7b exists.

[HerlockSholmes]

Basil Copper? Srsly? :D

I know Arcadia, it sounds like a 'spoof' Lestrade.

[aprilmaynolight]

i was wondering if anyone had heard of Solar Pons?

 

Author August Derleth asked Doyle if he could take over writing Holmes stories (Doyle had made it quite clear that Holmes was finished) but Doyle said no. So Derleth went on to create Solar Pons who was a pastiche of Holmes. He lived at 7b Praed Street, had a friend and biographer called Dr. Lyndon Parker, a landlady called Mrs Johnson and an elder brother called Bancroft. The stories are set in the 20's and Pons is aware of the existence of Holmes and admires him. The stories are great. He even makes use of some of the cases mentioned but not written up by Watson like 'The Aluminium Crutch.'

Derleth wrote loads of stories in series with titles like 'The Memoirs Of Solar Pons,' and 'The Remeniscences Of Solar Pons.' When Derleth died in 1970 or 71 (can't remember which) a guy called Basil Copper continued writing Pons stories. There's even a Solar Pons website.

Some of the original editions can be pretty expensive but many can be bought for reasonable prices.

Great stories, well worth investigating if you're looking for something to read.

 

 

 

Is there any explanation of the character's name? Pons is Latin for bridge, as I recall.

 

"an elder brother named Bancroft."

Hi Carol,

 

Pons is Latin for bridge I believe. I did read of some significance with the name but I can't remember what it was. It's been said that he wanted a name that syllabically similar to Sherlock Holmes but it is a strange choice for a name. Of course there's a similar situation with the fictional detective Sexton Blake (who actually lived in Baker Street.) Pons is a little less, shall we say, cranky than Holmes!

 

Pons is very popular. There's a society, for example, called The Praed Street Irregulars and I've also heard of a newsletter called The Pontine Dossier. I haven't got anywhere near all of the books (I think that I've got 4) but they are very good, especially if you can get them reasonably priced.

 

Coincidentally I'm going to London on the 19th for an 11 day break (a couple of Holmes Walks included) and when I checked how to get the hotel I found that I'll have to walk down Praed Street!

 

I'll see if 7b exists.

[HerlockSholmes]

 

 

i was wondering if anyone had heard of Solar Pons?

 

Author August Derleth asked Doyle if he could take over writing Holmes stories (Doyle had made it quite clear that Holmes was finished) but Doyle said no. So Derleth went on to create Solar Pons who was a pastiche of Holmes. He lived at 7b Praed Street, had a friend and biographer called Dr. Lyndon Parker, a landlady called Mrs Johnson and an elder brother called Bancroft. The stories are set in the 20's and Pons is aware of the existence of Holmes and admires him. The stories are great. He even makes use of some of the cases mentioned but not written up by Watson like 'The Aluminium Crutch.'

Derleth wrote loads of stories in series with titles like 'The Memoirs Of Solar Pons,' and 'The Remeniscences Of Solar Pons.' When Derleth died in 1970 or 71 (can't remember which) a guy called Basil Copper continued writing Pons stories. There's even a Solar Pons website.

Some of the original editions can be pretty expensive but many can be bought for reasonable prices.

Great stories, well worth investigating if you're looking for something to read.

 

Is there any explanation of the character's name? Pons is Latin for bridge, as I recall.

 

"an elder brother named Bancroft."

Hi Carol,

 

Pons is Latin for bridge I believe. I did read of some significance with the name but I can't remember what it was. It's been said that he wanted a name that syllabically similar to Sherlock Holmes but it is a strange choice for a name. Of course there's a similar situation with the fictional detective Sexton Blake (who actually lived in Baker Street.) Pons is a little less, shall we say, cranky than Holmes!

 

Pons is very popular. There's a society, for example, called The Praed Street Irregulars and I've also heard of a newsletter called The Pontine Dossier. I haven't got anywhere near all of the books (I think that I've got 4) but they are very good, especially if you can get them reasonably priced.

 

Coincidentally I'm going to London on the 19th for an 11 day break (a couple of Holmes Walks included) and when I checked how to get the hotel I found that I'll have to walk down Praed Street!

 

I'll see if 7b exists.

[aprilmaynolight]

 

 

i was wondering if anyone had heard of Solar Pons?

 

Author August Derleth asked Doyle if he could take over writing Holmes stories (Doyle had made it quite clear that Holmes was finished) but Doyle said no. So Derleth went on to create Solar Pons who was a pastiche of Holmes. He lived at 7b Praed Street, had a friend and biographer called Dr. Lyndon Parker, a landlady called Mrs Johnson and an elder brother called Bancroft. The stories are set in the 20's and Pons is aware of the existence of Holmes and admires him. The stories are great. He even makes use of some of the cases mentioned but not written up by Watson like 'The Aluminium Crutch.'

Derleth wrote loads of stories in series with titles like 'The Memoirs Of Solar Pons,' and 'The Remeniscences Of Solar Pons.' When Derleth died in 1970 or 71 (can't remember which) a guy called Basil Copper continued writing Pons stories. There's even a Solar Pons website.

Some of the original editions can be pretty expensive but many can be bought for reasonable prices.

Great stories, well worth investigating if you're looking for something to read.

 

Is there any explanation of the character's name? Pons is Latin for bridge, as I recall.

 

"an elder brother named Bancroft."

Hi Carol,

 

Pons is Latin for bridge I believe. I did read of some significance with the name but I can't remember what it was. It's been said that he wanted a name that syllabically similar to Sherlock Holmes but it is a strange choice for a name. Of course there's a similar situation with the fictional detective Sexton Blake (who actually lived in Baker Street.) Pons is a little less, shall we say, cranky than Holmes!

 

Pons is very popular. There's a society, for example, called The Praed Street Irregulars and I've also heard of a newsletter called The Pontine Dossier. I haven't got anywhere near all of the books (I think that I've got 4) but they are very good, especially if you can get them reasonably priced.

 

Coincidentally I'm going to London on the 19th for an 11 day break (a couple of Holmes Walks included) and when I checked how to get the hotel I found that I'll have to walk down Praed Street!

 

I'll see if 7b exists.

[HerlockSholmes]

No problem. I hope that you enjoy them

[Hikari]

 

Is there any explanation of the character's name? Pons is Latin for bridge, as I recall.

 

"an elder brother named Bancroft."

Hi Carol,

 

Pons is Latin for bridge I believe. I did read of some significance with the name but I can't remember what it was. It's been said that he wanted a name that syllabically similar to Sherlock Holmes but it is a strange choice for a name. Of course there's a similar situation with the fictional detective Sexton Blake (who actually lived in Baker Street.) Pons is a little less, shall we say, cranky than Holmes!

 

Pons is very popular. There's a society, for example, called The Praed Street Irregulars and I've also heard of a newsletter called The Pontine Dossier. I haven't got anywhere near all of the books (I think that I've got 4) but they are very good, especially if you can get them reasonably priced.

 

Coincidentally I'm going to London on the 19th for an 11 day break (a couple of Holmes Walks included) and when I checked how to get the hotel I found that I'll have to walk down Praed Street!

 

I'll see if 7b exists.

[HerlockSholmes]

I do take your points Hikari and it’s perhaps a difficult one to explain. Do we view him as an imposter or simply as another side of the coin? We know why Derleth wrote them. A few years later and he would in all probability have been writing Holmes pastiches. I tend to read the stories in the ‘pastiche’ frame of mind. One of the unusual features of the Pons stories is that he acknowledges the existence of Sherlock Holmes. Indeed he’s known as the Sherlock Holmes of Praed Street. To be honest, if I’d have written them, I’d have done them from an ‘alternative universe’ point of view. There would be a Pons but no Holmes.

I do enjoy the stories as I enjoy a pastiche. Pons is slight more ‘friendly’ than Holmes. Less moody or prickly.

I still prefer Holmes though.

[Hikari]

I do take your points Hikari and it’s perhaps a difficult one to explain. Do we view him as an imposter or simply as another side of the coin? We know why Derleth wrote them. A few years later and he would in all probability have been writing Holmes pastiches. I tend to read the stories in the ‘pastiche’ frame of mind. One of the unusual features of the Pons stories is that he acknowledges the existence of Sherlock Holmes. Indeed he’s known as the Sherlock Holmes of Praed Street. To be honest, if I’d have written them, I’d have done them from an ‘alternative universe’ point of view. There would be a Pons but no Holmes.

I do enjoy the stories as I enjoy a pastiche. Pons is slight more ‘friendly’ than Holmes. Less moody or prickly.

I still prefer Holmes though.

[Hikari]

Herl,

 

I posted this on the Other Versions thread but in case you don't see it there, here it is again.  It's my Christmas card for all my Sherlockian friends.  I am not the artistic talent you are, but I designed this e-card myself, because there weren't any Sherlock Holmes (canon) Christmas cards on the Internet, go figure.  Now, if I'd wanted to send Ben & Martin's SH + JW smooching under the mistletoe, I would have had many versions to choose from!

 

Wishing you a Merry Christmas, and I hope 2018 sees things holding steady at least on your end.

 

 

MCfromSH17.pdf

[HerlockSholmes]

That was great Hikari. Thanks for the wishes and I hope that you and your family and friends all have a great Christmas and New Year. I have a bottle of Talisker malt whisky waiting to be opened on Christmas Day (I have to resist opening it now☹️) and I’ll be toasting my newly acquired friends on this forum

[Hikari]

That was great Hikari. Thanks for the wishes and I hope that you and your family and friends all have a great Christmas and New Year. I have a bottle of Talisker malt whisky waiting to be opened on Christmas Day (I have to resist opening it now☹️) and I’ll be toasting my newly acquired friends on this forum

[HerlockSholmes]

I like JD and coke too. I like a malt whisky but I know nothing about them. Some people are real connoisseurs and claim to find all manner of scents and flavours in each mouthful. I suspect that they probably do but that kind of appreciation takes years to acquire. I like Laphroaig too but to me it has a slightly medicinal taste that might not be to everyone’s taste. To be honest I’ve only tried around 10 different malts and I liked them all so I’m very easy to please. You’re right about the prices though. I was tempted by a bottle of Chivas Regal that I saw but it was (to you) almost $50! I dropped a few hints out for a Christmas present but there were no takers. No one likes me THAT much☹️. I’ve never tried or seen Crown Royal here but that doesn’t mean that it’s not available though. I just Googled it and saw that it’s Canadian. Nice bottles too.

I do like Bourbon which I can drink neat or just with ice but I have to admit to liking JD and coke. It’s probably a throwback from my shady rock ‘n’ roll past!

Not much of a beer man these days but I do like real ale and buy the occasional bottle. I met some people from The States when I was in London and they told me about the prevalence of craft beers and micro breweries over there. It’s easy to get the wrong impression by just watching tv. Over here we tend to think that it’s lager or nothing over there.

I like wine too but again I know nothing about it. Actually I prefer port and have a bottle for Christmas to be consumed with cheese and biscuits. Old fashioned, country house, English etiquette (like Downton Abbey) says that the port should always be passed to the left! It’s amazing that we ever managed to get an empire together whilst focusing on such pointless triviality like that (and dressing for dinner!) but it’s all a part of the rich tapestry I suppose and Holmes would have conformed like everyone else.

Anyone reading this post would assume that I’m going to spend most of the Christmas holiday in a drunken stupor! It’s not true. Some of the time I will be asleep. Cheers