Title: The International Society of Infallable Detectives - Carolyn Wells
Media: Short Stories
Approx length: 58 pages/ 5 short stories
Where to find it: Omnibus of all five stories at archive.org. Free to borrow, but you need to have an account. Some of the stories are available elsewhere without an account but I’ve not found a complete collection.
What is it, in summary?: In the 1910s, Carolyn Wells, a writer, humorist and Conan Doyle/Detective story fangirl wrote these pieces for magazines, in which many of the contemporary detectives had a club where they "solved" mysteries together.
What do you love about it?: I say "solved" because they end up taking their own methods to extremes and either someone else solves it for them or they stumble over the solution accidentally. Many of the detectives are still known by modern readers and the humor comes through.
What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: A new adventure possibly. If you're familiar with Carolyn's own mysteries, maybe insert either Fleming Stone or Pennington Wise, or other detectives who were active at that time (even if they weren't contemporary). The characterization is paper-thin, and the humor is what really drew me in. Make me laugh. I nommed 4 characters, but would probably request Any, because my choices were semi-random.
Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: Each story is only a few pages, but you probably could get away with only reading one since each detective is reduced to stereotypes, but they're like potato chips.
The Adventure of the Mona Lisa
Sure Way to Catch Every Criminal. Ha! Ha!
The Adventure of the Lost Baby
The Adventure of the Clothes-Line
Cherchez la Femme
Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Period-typical sexism, though it's mostly the author skewering a group of white male detectives who think they know everything. Most of the "cases" involve missing objects or persons rather than more violent crimes. In one story, Sherlock Holmes is mentioned as having a hypodermic needle, though what he is using it for is not described.
The International Society of Infallable Detectives by Carolyn Wells
Media: Short Stories
Approx length: 58 pages/ 5 short stories
Where to find it: Omnibus of all five stories at archive.org. Free to borrow, but you need to have an account. Some of the stories are available elsewhere without an account but I’ve not found a complete collection.
What is it, in summary?: In the 1910s, Carolyn Wells, a writer, humorist and Conan Doyle/Detective story fangirl wrote these pieces for magazines, in which many of the contemporary detectives had a club where they "solved" mysteries together.
What do you love about it?: I say "solved" because they end up taking their own methods to extremes and either someone else solves it for them or they stumble over the solution accidentally. Many of the detectives are still known by modern readers and the humor comes through.
What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: A new adventure possibly. If you're familiar with Carolyn's own mysteries, maybe insert either Fleming Stone or Pennington Wise, or other detectives who were active at that time (even if they weren't contemporary). The characterization is paper-thin, and the humor is what really drew me in. Make me laugh. I nommed 4 characters, but would probably request Any, because my choices were semi-random.
Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: Each story is only a few pages, but you probably could get away with only reading one since each detective is reduced to stereotypes, but they're like potato chips.
Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Period-typical sexism, though it's mostly the author skewering a group of white male detectives who think they know everything. Most of the "cases" involve missing objects or persons rather than more violent crimes. In one story, Sherlock Holmes is mentioned as having a hypodermic needle, though what he is using it for is not described.