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  Volume 2.1 - June, 2007

  The Solar Pons Gazette

  The Solar Pons

  Gazette

  W W W . S O L A R P O N S . C O M

  T h e D e r l e t h P a r o d y

  T H I S I S S U E :

  B y B o b B y r n e

  The Derleth Parody

  1

  Mack Reynolds and August

  the condescending Scot-

  Greetings From

  Derleth collaborated on The land Yard Inspector from

  Tongue-in-cheek writing

  2

  Praed Street

  Adventure of the Snitch in

  The Sign of Four.

  continues, with Walt Kelly’s

  Another Big Picture

  3

  Time. This is not a pastiche;

  ‘Pogo’ cartoon creation

  From the Notebooks

  4

  it is a parody of both the

  Athelney works for the

  being comparable to works

  Holmes and Pons tales.

  Terra Bureau of Investiga-

  of art by Da Vinci and Rem-

  Featured Case: The

  10

  Camberwell Beauty

  tion, undoubtedly a poke at

  brandt. Pons suggests they

  A time traveler, Agent To-

  America’s FBI.

  nail Moriarty for tax eva-

  Christopher Lee as

  11

  Fu Manchu

  bias Athelney, appears at

  sion, just as the govern-

  the door of 7B Praed

  The visitor tells them that

  ment did to bring down Al

  A Fairlie Odd Journey 12

  Street. Can there be any

  there are alternate uni-

  Capone. Problem is,

  Walden West Fest

  doubt that ‘Tobias’ is a trib-

  verses, including some

  Moriarty pays his taxes!

  16

  2007

  ute to Tobias Gregson,

  where the two men are ficti-

  From The Pontine

  whom Sherlock Holmes

  tious characters, created by Ahtelney adds that Moriarty

  Dossier

  18

  described in A Study in

  a popular writer! He adds

  has a good lawyer:

  The Real Story Be-

  Scarlet, along with Inspec-

  that the stories “became

  Randolph Mason. Largely

  hind The Merstham

  21

  tor Lestrade, as “the best of the all-time favorites of the

  forgotten today, Mason was

  Tunnel Mystery

  a bad lot” among Scotland

  literature of deduction.”

  the creation of Melville

  Intro to The Return of 22

  Yard inspectors?

  Davisson Post, circa 1896.

  Sherlock Holmes

  The villain at large in the

  Mason was a completely

  A Little Bit More

  25

  And surely ‘Athelney’ is in

  future is the notorious Pro-

  unscrupulous lawyer who

  About Dr. Parker

  honor of Athelney Jones,

  fessor Moriarty.

  (Cont on page 2)

  The Infallible Boswell 26

  Featured Case II: The

  Defeated Doctor

  28

  Further Thoughts:

  If you enjoyed page 3 of our second issue, which featured the

  The Dog in the

  29

  Manger

  beautiful painting by Les Edwards that was used for the jacket

  of The Final Cases of Solar Pons, we have another treat for you.

  Continue onward to see his wonderful creation for Solar Pons & the Devil’s Claw.

  Copyright notice: Solar Pons is the sole property of the August Derleth Estate. The illustrations used in the masthead were created by Frank Utpatel.

  P a g e 2

  T h e S o l a r P o n s G a z e t t e

  G r e e t i n g s f r o m P r a e d s t r e e t

  Welcome to the second year of The

  Our featured case is The Camberwell Beauty and I

  Solar Pons Gazette! Our third issue

  can promise that you will be seeing more of the Doc-

  brings you yet another installment

  tor of Limehouse in future issues, as I find his pres-

  from the Notebooks of Dr. Parker.

  ence to be one of the most interesting features of

  the entire Pontine Canon.

  August Derleth wrote the first Notebooks for The

  Praed Street Papers, which is more commonly found

  Edgar W. Smith’s introduction to The Return of Solar

  in its reissued form, The Praed Street Dossier. The Pons is reproduced: he didn’t seem particularly fond

  Notebooks are thoroughly enjoyable writings that

  of Adrian Conan Doyle, did he?

  most certainly belong in the Canon.

  A first-time item that may become a regular feature

  Derleth wrote two more Notebook entries for the first

  is Further Thoughts, which provide us some addi-

  two Pontine Dossier Annuals. The Notebooks are

  tional insights from Dr. Parker on cases he chroni-

  among my favorite Pons writings and continuing their

  cled. We learn a bit more related to The Crouching

  style was the very first decision I made for The Solar

  Dog in this entry.

  Pons Gazette. I began numbering the entries at two,

  acknowledging Derleth’s originals as number one.

  A note about the faux newspaper accounts related to

  The Crouching Dog included with the first issue.

  This issue also includes A Fairlie Odd Journey, an ex-

  There were a few ‘Easter eggs’ in them. The re-

  tremely informative monograph penned by noted

  porter’s byline, Daniel Kearny, was a tribute to Joe

  Sherlockian and England’s foremost Ponsian, Roger

  Gore’s DKA stories. Irving Hall was selected as the

  Johnson (President of the Solar Pons Society of Lon-

  name of Ahab Jepson’s home in honor of Sir Henry

  don). It starts on page 14.

  Irving. The picture of Constable Cobbett was really

  Frederic Abberline of Jack the Ripper fame. And the

  The Gazette is extremely fortunate to reproduce Les

  photo of Ahab Jepson himself was really the first

  Edwards’ fine painting that was used for Solar Pons &

  identified screen Holmes, Maurice Costello.

  the Devil’s Claw, by Basil Copper. What great artwork!

  Once again, I hope you will consider contributing a

  Derleth Parody

  their visitor’s words, Parker

  (Cont from page 1)

  will do so and become fa-

  never lost a case, though

  mous for it.

  that fact is no indication

  whatsoever of his client’s

  The second published col-

  innocence. Shades of Mason

  laboration between Rey-

  can be found in Lawrence

  nolds and Derleth, The

  Block’s Martin Ehrengraff

  Adventure of the Ball of

  and my own Irish lawyer,

  Nostradamus, is a pure

  Sean Flanagan.

  science fiction pastiche

  with
no signs of levity or

  Continuing through to the

  parody.

  end, Pons suggests that

  Athelney contact another

  I am not judging which is

  Mason, first name Perry, as a

  better than the other. But I

  foil.

  don’t believe there can be

  any argument that Snitch

  At this point in time, Parker

  in Time is a case of Derleth

  had not yet chronicled any of

  taking an opportunity

  Pons’ cases. However, Pons

  (initiated by Reynolds) to

  points out that, according to

  poke some fun at himself

  P a g e 3

  T h e S o l a r P o n s G a z e t t e

  S o l a r P o n s : A n o t h e r B i g P i c t u r e B y B o b B y r n e

  Issue 1.2 of The Solar Pons Gazette included a pic-

  ture of the full painting used for The Final Cases of

  Solar Pons book jacket. There was no shortage of

  praise for the extremely talented artist, Les Ed-

  wards, in describing it.

  It should come as no surprise that he also created

  the cover for Sarob Press’ other Pons effort from

  Basil Copper, Solar Pons & the Devil’s Claw. Mr.

  Edwards was kind enough to provide the Gazette

  with a picture of that painting as well. A visit to his website, especially if you are a fan of fantasy fiction, will be quite rewarding:

  Www.LesEdwards.com

  As mentioned last issue, Edwards notes that Basil Copper insists that Solar Pons resembles Peter Cushing, which certainly comes through in the drawing. Hopefully he will be asked once again to illustrate a future work featuring Solar Pons.

  Les Edwards, for Solar Pons & the Devil’s Claw by Basil Copper

  P a g e 4

  T h e S o l a r P o n s G a z e t t e

  M o r e F r o m t h e N o t e b o o k s o f

  d o c t o r l y n d o n p a r k e r - i v

  23 March, 1921

  flagging career?”

  Mother Nature had laid siege to London, her icy

  “Sir Edward Marshall!” I exclaimed. “The Camden

  gales and driving snow forcing all but the most hardy

  Town murder. Were you involved in the case?”

  indoors. I returned from an abysmal afternoon of

  making my rounds to find Pons comfortably en-

  “I had only just started my practice a short time be-

  sconced on the floor in front of a roaring fire, his

  fore Miss Dimmock met her unhappy end. But as an

  scrapbooks of crime spread all around him.

  aspiring private enquiry agent, I followed the case

  closely and was present most days at the trial. Sir

  “Ah, Parker, welcome back to the warmth of our

  Edward, who had suffered a series of unfortunate

  hearth. It is certainly a particularly unpleasant day

  reverses, was desperate to improve his fortunes. He

  outside. Mrs. Bartlett has not yet recovered from her

  brought a fire and passion to the defense of the du-

  bout of pneumonia, I see.”

  bious Mr. Robert Wood.”

  “I’m sure that you deduced that from the way I car-

  “Robert Wood was certainly less dubious than Miss

  ried my medical bag or some such, Pons,” I said,

  Dimmock, a known prostitute!” I replied, somewhat

  shrugging out of my voluminous overcoat and hang-

  warmed under the collar.

  ing my thick scarf up to dry. But I am cold, hungry

  and tired. I have no interest in parlor tricks.”

  “Staunch moralist to the last, Parker.” Pons was

  smiling slightly. “Do prostitutes not provide a valu-

  Pons made some reply, which did not register. Fi-

  able service? Would not many men who buy their

  nally, some fifteen minutes later, I was seated near

  wares, treating them poorly in the doing, act out

  the fire, a hot toddy in my hand and dry clothes upon

  against their wives or girlfriends if they had no other

  my body. Feeling rather more companionable, I

  outlet?”

  asked what entry had so absorbed Pons.

  “”Really, Pons, you go too far. You are intentionally

  “Your temperament improves with your surround-

  goading me now.”

  ings, Parker.”

  “Always acknowledge the possibility, right or wrong,

  I snorted in response. “What strange crime from the

  of a differing viewpoint, doctor. I have found that

  past are you reading about now?”

  premise to be of inestimable value. Scotland Yard

  would do well to adhere to it even occasionally.”

  “The affair of a Miss Emily Dimmock holds my atten-

  tion this blustery evening.”

  “Are you saying…” I was forestalled by Pons holding

  up both hands as if in supplication.

  “Dimmock.” I racked my brain. “I don’t recall that

  name.”

  “Enough Parker, enough. We shall agree that Miss

  Dimmock was a young lady found with her throat

  “Not yet fourteen years gone by and the victim is

  slashed and Robert Wood was charged with her mur-

  already forgotten.” He smiled wryly. “Would it help if I

  der. Acceptable?”

  added that The Great Defender’s representation of

  the accused gave a much needed boost to his

  Still somewhat unruffled, I could not deny the truth

  P a g e 5

  T h e S o l a r P o n s G a z e t t e

  M o r e F r o m t h e N o t e b o o k s o f

  d o c t o r l y n d o n p a r k e r - I V

  ( c o n t . )

  of his statement. “Very well, Pons. Did the case pre-

  ner with no accomplishments to my name. My opin-

  sent any of those elements that intrigue you so?”

  ions were neither solicited nor welcomed. The

  ‘Camden Town Murder’ is just one of many unsolved

  “The investigation focused on postcards. The mur-

  killings taking place in the seedier environs of Lon-

  dered woman had a book of them, which was found

  don.”

  in the room, several cards apparently ripped out

  carelessly and missing. The police believed that the

  9 April, 1921

  killer took them, along with a few other items, such

  as a gold watch and a silver lighter. There was found

  I have written up a draft of what I intend to call The

  another postcard that implied Miss Dimmock was to

  Adventure of the Circular Room. Never have Pons

  meet someone named ‘Alice’ at a local tavern at

  and I investigated such a sinister matter.

  8:15 on the evening she was murdered.”

  20 April, 1921

  “The police believed that a woman killed her? I find

  that difficult to imagine.”

  “Did you see this letter in the Herald, Pons?” I asked,

  handing him the item of discussion. He briefly

  Pons looked thoughtfully at his pipe on the table at

  glanced at it and then tossed it aside without a word.

  his side but did not reach for it. “Do not underesti-

  “You don’t think much of the suggestion, then?”

  mate the capability of a woman, Parker. And as a

  medical man, you know that it takes no great

  Solar Pons looked at me with the trace of a smile. “I

 
strength to slit a throat.”

  believe that you are intentionally baiting me, Parker.

  So be it. No, I do not believe that ‘optograms’ will aid

  “But the official investigation was not limited to fe-

  in finding the killer of Andrew Treacher.”

  male suspects. Regardless, a client of Miss Dim-

  mock’s, Robert Wood, was arrested, tried and found

  I could not recall Pons ever commenting on optical

  not guilty. The police never came any closer to solv-

  photography. “Why is that?”

  ing the matter.”

  “Those who argue that optical photography is a sci-

  I knew Pons too well to leave the unsaid question

  ence are misguided fools. A murderer’s portrait can-

  hanging between us. “You had a suspect?”

  not be obtained from the victim’s retina. It is sheer

  folly.”

  “I believe that the emphasis on the postcards was

  misplaced. Miss Dimmoch lived with a man named

  “But Pons, there is a considerable body of work in

  Bert Shaw. The authorities were convinced of his

  support of the theory.”

  alibi. To this day, I remain unconvinced. Further in-

  vestigation of his travels on the day in question may

  “What is a theory but an assertion not backed by

  well have yielded important evidence.”

  proof? The Society For Forensic Medicine published

  research conducted by Dr. Vernois, a French scien-

  “Surely you informed the police, Pons.”

  tist, completely debunking optical photography. No

  one has yet disproved his conclusions.”

  Pons laughed at this. “You think of me with my cur-

  rent stature, Parker. Then I was an unknown begin-

  It was clear that Pons gave no credence to the idea,

  P a g e 6

  T h e S o l a r P o n s G a z e t t e