untitled Read online

  had decided to impose the British variant in all

  their occurrence, according to the chronology begun

  cases as being commensurate with Derleth’s pref-

  by Robert Pattrick and completed by August Der-

  erences at the time of his death. This was unset-

  leth. But… there’s no indication that the texts have

  tling enough, but it appeared that the alteration

  been altered at all, nor is there any mention of the

  of the text would not stop there.”

  first magazine publications. Perhaps this is what

  Derleth would have wished. More likely it isn’t.

  Since Derleth had asked Ken Chapman to vet

  Mr Fairlie’s Final Journey, replacing American

  Basil Copper was authorised by Derleth’s estate to

  usage with British, James Turner decided to

  write more adventures of Solar Pons and Dr Parker,

  apply the same process to the rest of the Pon-

  and he took great pleasure in doing so. His pre-

  tine chronicles. “It was at this point,” says Mr

  ferred length is the novella rather than the short

  Lellenberg, “that tempers began to rise. It was

  story, but he captures the style and the flavour of

  one thing for an author to initiate this practice,

  the originals with striking fidelity. Curiously, though,

  the Irregulars asserted, and quite another for

  none of his tales have been published by Mycroft &

  someone else to impose it retroactively, over the

  Moran or by Arkham House. The novel Solar Pons

  author’s dead body… This kind of editing tended to

  versus the Devil’s Claw was listed as forthcoming

  efface the development of an author’s style and

  under the latter imprint, but eventually saw publica-

  skill, when such development allowed him to be

  tion twenty-five years on, from a small British pub-

  seen whole.”

  lisher, Sarob Press, who also put out Solar Pons:

  The Final Cases. When I read the novel I could un-

  Moreover, various “factual errors” were to be

  derstand why Arkham House hadn’t, in the end,

  “corrected” in the texts. “Gone, in other words,”

  published it. It’s a long way from being top class

  says Lellenberg, “will be as many as possible of

  Pons – or top class Copper, for that matter. The

  the inaccuracies, inconsistencies, anachro-

  characters are largely unconvincing, the plot is con-

  nisms, and the like that have been the making

  fused, and, very noticeably, there’s no real sense of

  and joy of Sherlockian and Pontine scholarship…

  place.

  P a g e 1 6

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

  A F a i r l i e O d d B u s i n e s s . . . c o n t .

  Most of Copper’s stories, though, are very good in-

  Place, as you’ll have gathered, was increasingly

  deed. When I first met him, I congratulated him on

  important in August Derleth’s Pontine chronicles,

  the accuracy with which he had captured the not-

  and the narratives almost invariably unfold in real

  quite-British quality of the originals, and he rather

  towns, real cities, real villages – real and recog-

  sadly explained that the editors at Pinnacle Books

  nisable. The locations of Basil Copper’s tales are

  had, against his wishes, Americanised many of his

  frequently fictitious, and sometimes stereotyped.

  deliberately chosen idiomatic British words and

  The events of Solar Pons versus the Devil’s Claw

  expressions. In a curious sort of mirror image of

  might as well be played out in a theatrical set.

  what happened to August Derleth’s stories, Basil

  Copper’s have since been published in the Angli-

  The Walden West Festival 2007

  It looks really good this year for Solar Pons fans. James Roberts is creating a skit based on a Solar Pons story. Come to Sauk City to find out which one and to share in the fun!

  The Lord Warden, Dr. George Vanderburgh, from Shelburne, Canada, will be with us.

  The WWF will be held earlier than usual this year on the weekend of September 22nd and 23rd. Activities include a guided tour of the cemetery by August Derleth himself! A ride in the country to an apple orchard for apple pie is always a must who love the Derleth countryside views. There is always a night visit to Derleth's grave-side where his fans read poetry by candlelight on Saturday night. Out-of-towners are invited to a party later at Kay Price's house where we tell ghost stories in front of the fireplace.

  The guest speaker this year is Jerry Apps who took a creative writing class from Derleth. He went on to become a well-known author of several books that are reminiscent of Aug's nature writings. To learn more about Jerry and his latest book check out his website at www.jerryapps.com .

  If you have any questions about the WWF check our website at www.derleth.org or call Kay Price at 608-643-3242. We recommend that you call for reservations to stay at the Cedarberry Inn in Sauk City.

  Visitors to Walden West Fest 2007 will have the opportunity to see August Derleth’s home, Place of Hawks

  P a g e 1 7

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

  A F a i r l i e O d d B u s i n e s s . . . c o n t .

  .

  cised form in which he wrote them. If their first pub-

  of. I’ve no intention of spoiling things for anyone

  lished versions seem very close in style and flavour

  who has yet to read Mr Fairlie’s Final Journey, so

  to the original texts of Derleth’s tales, the

  I’ll just say that in the original text a certain fact is

  “definitive” versions are much closer to the con-

  established right at the beginning of the novel,

  tents of The Solar Pons Omnibus.

  which is then not mentioned at all until the very

  end – where it’s presented as a surprise to the

  More recently, Peter Ruber compiled and edited

  reader and to Dr Parker, but not to Solar Pons,

  The Original Text Solar Pons Omnibus for the Bat-

  who has deduced it from the observation of trifles.

  tered Silicon Dispatch Box Press, publishing under

  licence as Mycroft & Moran – and of course it’s only

  Clearly August Derleth changed his mind while he

  right that the Pontine Canon should be available

  was writing the story and forgot to delete the origi-

  again as it came from the pen or typewriter of Au-

  nal reference. Well, Basil Copper noticed, and did

  gust Derleth. And do I own a copy? No, I don’t. Even

  delete that reference in the Omnibus text. The

  though the pound-dollar exchange rate is currently

  story is certainly the better for it, because the

  more favourable to the British than it has been for a

  reader isn’t constantly wondering what became of

  long time, the massive two-volume set is just far too

  a certain person.

  expensive.

  I’d make a small bet that the original reference

  So for the time being my curiosity on one point

  remains in The Original Text Solar Pons Omnibus,

  must remain unsatisfied. You see, there was one

  but I rather hope that Peter Ruber had the artistic

  textual change made for the Arkham House Omni-

  good sense t
o remove it.

  bus that I rather think Derleth would have approved

  1 All quotations from Jon L Lellenberg are taken from “The Humbugging of Solar Pons” as by Ebenezer Snawley, PSI, in The Pontine Dossier, volume 3, no. 2 (1977). Mr Lellenberg notes: “Mr Hubin wishes me to state that

  [limiting the Canon to sixty-eight stories] was an oversight on his part, and that in his opinion the Pontine Canon properly contains seventy tales.”

  2 All quotations from Peter Ruber are taken from The Final Adventures of Solar Pons by August Derleth, edited and introduced by Peter Ruber (Mycroft & Moran, 1998).

  3 “The Beginning of Solar Pons” in A Praed Street Dossier by August Derleth (Mycroft & Moran, 1968).

  4 “The Sources of the Tales” in A Praed Street Dossier by August Derleth (Mycroft & Moran, 1968).

  5 “(Cuthbert) Lyndon Parker” by Michael Harrison, in The Casebook of Solar Pons by August Derleth (Mycroft & Moran, 1965).

  6 “Concerning Dr Parker’s Background” in A Praed Street Dossier by August Derleth (Mycroft & Moran, 1968).

  Noted Sherlockian and Praed Street Irregular Roger Johnson was a frequent contributor to the Pontine Dossier and is President of the Solar Pons Society of London.

  P a g e 1 8

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

  F r o m t h e p o n t i n e D o s s i e r

  B E I N G A N E X A M I N A T I O N O F T H E

  P O N S I A N A N D H O L M E S I A N S E C R E T

  D E D U C T I V E S Y S T E M S

  A n a l y s e d b y A . E . v a n V o g t

  It is very likely that one of the electrifying qualities

  such questions, we discover that they can only be

  of the Sherlock Holmes stories was, and is, the

  answered if we put them aside, and go into further

  great detective’s ability to deduce revealing truths

  details.

  from a few clues. Solar Pons, like Sherlock Holmes

  before him, was a sharp observer in the , Holme-

  Two more questions at this point. Do men observe

  sian tradition -at least an ability equal to that of

  according to a special talent with which they are

  Holmes has been claimed in the chronicles of Dr.

  born? Or -and this is question two- do they act ac-

  Parker on behalf of Pons. It would take too long in

  cording to training? Inherited ability? Or acquired

  this brief account to give my favorite detailed exam-

  ability? To begin with I wish to point out: that Solar

  ple from the Sherlock Holmes adventure, The Sign

  Pons stories are written in the best of the original

  of the Four, when Dr. Watson hands Sherlock a

  Holmesian format. There are no oddities like The

  watch, and asks him to make deductions from it.

  Sign of the Four; Dr. Parker in his chronicles moved

  (They are in the highest Holmesian tradition, stun-

  unerringly to the basic short format. He tells briefly

  ningly brilliant.)

  the story of the coming of the client. The mystery is

  presented. Then there is the visit to the scene. And

  In Solar Pons ‘ The Adventure of the Mazarine Blue,’

  finally the rapid climax as Solar Pons draws his con-

  we have a shorter but equally startling set of deduc-

  clusions, and confronts the murderer.

  tions. Dr. Parker says (as it is worded), ‘testily’, ‘I

  suppose you have found the murderer.’ Pons reply

  As Dr. Parker reports it, Pons makes no mistakes.

  is: ‘We shall see when we have had a look at a

  When he deduces, it is an immediate fact. There is

  heavy man of some five and a half feet in height,

  no time for shoddy guesswork. Holmes made occa-

  well past middle age, bearded, and very probably a

  sional mistakes, but Pons is unerringly correct the

  lepidopterist.’ That, ladies and gentlemen, is in the

  first time. The story moves in a straight line to its

  best tradition of Ponsian observation and deduc-

  inevitable conclusion. How can Solar Pons - and

  tion. Reading such, we feel ourselves to be in the

  Holmes usually- be so right?

  presence of a master of the genre.

  On examination, we observe that both men are pos-

  Now, these acute observations have always been of

  sessed of an unusual store of detailed knowledge.

  considerable auctorial interest to me. And so, I pro-

  In ‘ The Adventure of the Six Silver Spiders,’ Pons

  pose to examine here this evening, not exhaustively

  asks Dr. Parker, ‘Have you ever heard of the library

  -I hasten to say- what goes on in the brain of a per-

  of the Count de Fortsas?’ Parker has not, but Pons

  son (Pons, or Holmes, or any lesser being) who is

  knows all about it. In ‘ The Adventure of the Lost

  capable of making astounding analyses on that

  Locomotive,’ Inspector Jamison brings over a portly

  level of genius. At this period of time -eighty years

  man, who offers Pons his hand. Shaking it, Pons

  after Doyle first wrote about Holmes, and nearly

  says, ‘Sir Ernest McVeigh, I believe. Director of the

  forty years since Derleth began his pastiches - the

  Great Northern Railway...’ Now, I ask you, how many

  first questions we are entitled to ask are: Are such

  of us, confronted by the president of the Southern

  things actually possible? And, does deduction of

  Pacific or the Great Northern, would recognize him?

  that noble quality relate to reality? Having asked

  In still another story, Solar Pons is able to make a

  Illustration by Roy Hunt

  P a g e 1 9

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

  B E I N G A N E X A M I N A T I O N . . . c o n t .

  deduction because he knows the family name of

  thought perhaps) - to produce an even more precise

  the Serbian royal family. Are such extremes of spe-

  analysis than I am now presenting. If this should

  cial knowledge possible? Yes, yes, they are.

  happen, I sincerely hope they will send me a copy of

  their additional and better thought.

  Offhand, I myself could tell you the family names of

  three or four of the European royal lines of yester-

  In my limited fashion, I have come up with the fol-

  year. I have a further comparison. A few years ago, I

  lowing set of questions. Future detectives and de-

  was visited by a then eighteen year old nephew.

  tective writers take note. As I see it, Solar Pons,

  Driving with him was a revelation. He knew every

  when he gazes out of his window at a prospective

  make and year of car that we passed on the street.

  client (and makes a deduction about that person)

  But there is another, more interesting (than infor-

  or later, when he examines a clue, silently, first and

  mation) aspect to deduction. When we see a

  before anything else, asks himself: (1) Exactly who

  trained man thinking on his feet, we see an aston-

  or what am I looking at?

  ishing moment-by-moment performance. What he

  does is he consults an inner yardstick.

  ‘Oh, come now,’ you say. ‘Surely even Dr. Parker

  can be trusted to notice at a glance that the on-

  I have a personal experience with a similar type of

/>   coming visitor is a young woman, as in “The Adven-

  reaction in myself. I myself operate on systematic

  ture of the Circular Room”.’ But Solar Pons ob-

  thought in several areas. When somebody talks to

  served that it was indeed a young woman, and

  me about those matters, I soon find myself examin-

  added, ‘It is evident that you are a trained nurse, for

  ing his remarks in relation to my system. Whatever

  your cuffs show under your jacket -’

  question I ask relates entirely to my theories, and

  not in any way whatsoever to casual impulses of the

  In asking himself the question, ‘Exactly who or what

  moment. You can see that we are now within sight

  am I looking at?,’ Solar Pons, in short, noticed that

  of our quarry: the nature of the deductions that So-

  it was a young woman wearing her nurse’s uniform-

  lar Pons and, earlier, Sherlock Holmes, made so

  and from this drew the conclusion that she had

  brilliantly. Both men undoubtedly possessed a natu-

  come because of something that had happened in

  ral motivation, or drive, to be interested in endless

  the course of her professional work… Had the mat-

  details of trivia. Once a datum got into their mem-

  ter been personal, we can trust a woman (unless

  ory, it was never forgotten. And both men consulted

  there is reason for haste, which would show in

  an inner yardstick of judgment and evaluation-

  other ways) to change from her uniform into a nice

  consisting of no more than three or four questions.

  dress. Under such circumstances her profession

  With those questions firmly in mind-and always

  would have been irrelevant. The second question

  asked- they move confidently through the format.

  follows out of comments I have made earlier.

  Naturally, you will wish me to tell you what those

  (2) Is there anything here (meaning in this circum-