“The stage lost a fine actor, even as science lost an acute reasoner, when he became a specialist in crime.” – “A Scandal in Bohemia,” The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Arthur Conan Doyle)
Good news for all you fellow fans of Neil Gaiman, A. Conan Doyle, H. P. Lovecraft, and all –
A Study in Emerald, the 2004 Hugo award winning, Sherlock Holmes inspired short story–written by Neil Gaiman and selected in his “Fragile Things" (2006)–has been adapted into a graphic novel in earlier 2018 by Rafael Albuquerque, Rafael Scavone, Dave Stewart, and Todd Klein. It is, in my honest opinion, hardly something that anyone into mystery and fantasy could or would refuse, or able to resist.
It’s hard to introduce the book without giving away important information that will potentially surprise the reader when they read the comic later for themselves. And keeping the readers completely in the dark when they first step into the “emerald” world is essential, for the surprise, the twist, and the turn of events are essentially the key elements of the book.
What I personally find most interesting about the short story turned graphic novel is that not only is it a Sherlock Holmes parody but we readers also have to become Sherlock Holmes ourselves and do a few deductions on our own in order to not fall into the traps set by the author from the beginning, which is an opening almost completely echoing “The Study in Scarlet” and the debut of Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes.
To most devoted fans of Sherlock Holmes, who have read the classic from back to back and are familiar with the creative background and the theories regarding the world’s first consulting detective, some small clues hidden in the book might be like the Easter eggs at the end of a movie: exciting enough to make them jump when the eggs are discovered.
Compared to some of the Sherlock Holmes references, the Lovecraftian horror/monsters are more obvious and blatant referred to in the novel, sitting squarely in the center of the plot as though they’re royalty.
In Sherlock Holmes, author Conan Doyle referred to the detective as a fine actor, and a master in the art of disguise. And in the short story, I’m more than delighted to see author Neil Gaiman put the gift of the detective into good use and give this special talent of his a literal definition. Having finished the graphic novel, I couldn’t help remembering the famous quote by Dr. Watson (Conan Doyle in fact), occurs when he compliments Holmes’ disguising skills in “A Scandal in Bohemia,” that “the stage lost a fine actor, even as science lost an acute reasoner, when he became a specialist in crime.” Interestingly, echoing and reversing the quote, in A Study in Emerald, Neil Gaiman proved the otherwise that apparently Holmes can be both: a fine actor on stage, and a specialist in crime.
The last thing that I’d like to say about the book here, which is a clue and hopefully not a spoiler, is that in the fictional world created by Neil Gaiman, where the Lovecraftian monsters are ruling, both Sherlock and Dr. Watson, and some of their friends and enemies, have to “prepare for the new role[s that they] have to play” (“A Scandal in Bohemia”).
P.S. A Study in Emerald is an excellent short story that is a qualified must-read for all fans of Neil Gaiman, Arthur Conan Doyle’s “Sherlock Holmes,” and H.P. Lovecraft.
“In the dawn of the universe there was nothing, then boom! Big Bang sent six elemental crystals hurtling across the virgin universe. These Infinity Stones each control an essential aspect of existence.“
Acephobia in the LGBT+ Community from the documentary (A)sexuality.
It is just…so fucking weird how threatened people feel when it comes to Asexuality. I still can’t wrap my mind around it.
I’m so happy this post is being reblogged by LBGT+ people who aren’t asexual. I keep on reading posts by non-ace LGBT+ people of support to the ace community, and of being stunned by this reaction by a movement which should know better than to judge. AND THAT MAKES THIS ACE SO FREAKING HAPPY. The woman in the first photo expresses my sentiment. I know I belong in the queer/LGBTQIA movement. I want to belong. But I just don’t know if I’m welcome. I’m so happy that there are so many people on Tumblr who do not fall into the catagory of outright refusal of asexuality.
I know not a lot of people understand asexuality. And I know there’s confusion about it, about our experiences, and about how we fit in the movement. But let’s talk about this. Let’s have this conversation.
I mostly don’t delve into the ace tags, but I hear there’s a lot of ace-hate that and I really don’t get it. I don’t understand how asexuality is threatening.
You know what I (as a queer ace-spectrum person) find most threatening? Getting unwanted sexual unwanted advances from both queer and straight people. I’ve gotten them from people of all spectrums and it always makes me profoundly uncomfortable, and often unsafe. It just boggles my mind how people are upset by the concept of asexuality. That’s like getting really mad at someone who isn’t hungry. What’s the point? Just shut up eat your own sandwich. (And stop chewing on me.)
Wow, the fuck the people in those images.
Nobody has the right to disrespect anybody else’s sense of self. It may not be for, you but that does not give you the right to be an asshole.
We really need to push more for LGBTQIA+ to be a standard,instead of just LGBT, especially considering that even the B and T are already invisible in much of the community.
Not supporting some of us = not supporting all of us.
Not supporting some of us = not supporting all of us.
It really, really does bear repeating.
I couldn’t be further from ace, but for serious.
If we’re not in this together, we’re not in this at all.
This makes me so angry. I have friends who are ace, and they are just as much a part of the queer community as I am.
We need to embrace asexuality and treat it with the respect that it deserves.
I heart the non-aces who reblog this so hard. ❤ Thank you friends.
Hey do y’all fucks remember two years ago when just before the election all these “don’t vote both parties are bad” or “vote independent!” Posts were going around and then Trump won and now two weeks before midterms there’s all these “don’t bother voting, revolution is the only way!” And “your vote isn’t gonna matter and is an ineffective way to protest” posts are going around? Yeah knock that shit right the fuck off, don’t fall for it and get your ass to the polls, we are not doing this again.
KIDS! In the US and elsewhere… older generations will use you as a prop but will work against making the world better for you, again and again. GET OUT THERE AND VOTE!
Please! Voting is super important and a right we need to make sure we’re using! There’s even early voting going on now so you can get it out of the way before November 6th!
Consulting Witch 