Sherlock Holmes for the 21st Century: Essays on New Adaptations

The 21st century is a good time to be Sherlock Holmes. He stars in the
recent Guy Ritchie films, with Robert Downey, Jr., playing the great
detective; an internationally popular BBC television series, featuring
Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock; a novel sanctioned by the Arthur Conan
Doyle Estate; and dozens of additional novels and short stories,
including two by Neil Gaiman. Add to this video games, comic books, and
fan-created works, plus a potent Internet and social media presence.
Holmes' London has even become a prime destination for cinematic
tourists.

The evidence is clearly laid out in this collection of
14 new essays: Holmes and Watson are more popular than ever. Why we
continue to be fascinated with them is the overall topic. The genius
detective has been portrayed as hero as well as antihero. Adaptations
describe him as tech savvy, scientifically detached, even
psychologically aberrant; he has been romantically linked to The Woman
and bromantically to Watson. Whether Victorian or modern, he continues
to intrigue us. These essays analyze Sherlock Holmes as a cultural icon
and explain why he is destined to be a beloved if controversial
character for years to come.