For the Sake of the Game

Stories Inspired by the Sherlock Holmes Canon

By: Laurie R. King - editor, Leslie S. Klinger - editor, Peter S. Beagle, F. Paul Wilson, Harley Jane Kozak, Alan Gordon, Rhys Bowen, Reed Farrel Coleman, Toni L. P. Kelner, William Kotzwinkle, Joe Servello

Narrated by: Grover Gardner, Simon Vance, Derek Perkins, Julie McKay, James Langton, Marisa Calin, Ralph Lister, Suzanne Elise Freeman

Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

In a sensational follow-up to Echoes of Sherlock Holmes and In the Company of Sherlock Holmes, a brand-new anthology of stories inspired by the Arthur Conan Doyle canon.

For the Sake of the Game is the latest volume in the award-winning series from New York Times best-selling editors Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger, with stories of Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, and friends in a variety of eras and forms. King and Klinger have a simple formula: Ask some of the world's greatest writers-regardless of genre - to be inspired by the stories of Arthur Conan Doyle.

The results are surprising and joyous. Some tales are pastiches, featuring the recognizable figures of Holmes and Watson; others step away in time or place to describe characters and stories influenced by the Holmes world. Some of the authors spin whimsical tales of fancy; others tell hardcore thrillers or puzzling mysteries. One beloved author writes a song; two others craft a melancholy tale of insectoid analysis.

This is not a volume for listeners who crave a steady diet of stories about Holmes and Watson on Baker Street. Rather, it is for the generations of people who were themselves inspired by the classic tales, and who are prepared to let their imaginations roam freely.

Features stories by Peter S. Beagle, Rhys Bowen, Reed Farrel Coleman, Jamie Freveletti, Alan Gordon, Gregg Hurwitz, Toni L. P. Kelner, William Kotzwinkle and Joe Servello, Harley Jane Kozak, D. P. Lyle, Weston Ochse, Zoe Sharp, Duane Swierczynski, and F. Paul Wilson

Full cast of narrators: Grover Gardner, Simon Vance, Derek Perkins, Julie McKay, James Langton, Marisa Calin, Ralph Lister, Suzanne Elise Freeman, James Patrick Cronin, Andrew Eiden, Scott Brick, Emily Sutton-Smith, Keith Szarabajka, and Justine Eyre.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2018 Peter S. Beagle, Rhys Bowen, Reed Farrel Coleman, Jamie Freveletti, Alan Gordon, Gregg Hurwitz, Toni L. P. Kelner, William Kotzwinkle and Joe Servello, Harley Jane Kozak, D. P. Lyle, Weston Ochse, Zoe Sharp, Duane Swierczynski, and F. Paul Wilson (P)2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Varied

Both the style of the subjects and the skill of the narrators vary quite a bit. No matter your taste, you are likely to enjoy a couple of stories thoroughly and find a couple a complete waste of your time.

My biggest disappointment: one of the stories in the table of contents (The Case of the Naked Butterfly) is missing. Select that story, and you get only the first few seconds of the next story.

Mostly excellent

I enjoyed them all except the one that was rather vulgar. I skipped it entirely.

Sherlock?

I liked seeing the different way the authors viewed Sherlock and that each story was read by the writer. I found it very enjoyable.

good for small homes fan

enjoyed 85% of stories. varied stories varied narrators. enjoyable take on genre I enjoy.

Enjoyable

I enjoyed these stories. Of course you need to have read the original Conan Doyle first. But these stories give an alternate ending to many of my favorites. I will definitely listen again.

Splendid

Great listen while gardening and spring cleaning. A bit of fresh air with the bending of the usual Holmes tales. Appreciated the lack of drug storylines - that have become almost central to recent SH books. I got it, I get it - thanks for moving on.

Heavy on Holmesian Inspired and Fantasy

For the Sake of the Game is an okay collection of mostly Holmesian inspired fanwork (stories mentioning Holmes/Holmesian canon or that make use of the canon's archetypes), and there were a lot of stories in the fantasy genre. The only ones I really liked were The Walk-In (a Holmesian inspired work revolving around the MC's missing sibling), The Case of the Missing Case (a fanwork set early in canon Holmes's career that explains where he learned his acting/disguises, where he got his Stradivarius from and, crucially, that the law does not automatically equate with justice), The Adventure of the Six Sherlocks (a Holmesian inspired murder mystery set at a Sherlock Holmes convention), and Tough Guy Ballet (a Holmesian inspired fantasy about body-possessing beings that I think are meant to represent demons and angels). Of the rest, the only one I really didn't like was The Case of the Naked Butterfly for a variety of reasons (turning the characters into insects was...weird but not untenable; the dealbreakers were the necklace plotline of contrived coincidences and the artwork that was very dark, cramped, and difficult to read). Overall, I'd say the collection is okay, though it's not a collection that I would reread (possibly just the ones I liked, if any at all) or recommend to anyone, and especially not to anyone looking for more traditional Holmesian fanwork.

nice collection

I have listened to multiple collections put together by this group, and find there is a nice variety in the stories. they are well done by all of the readers. I have listened to this collection multiple times over the months and expect to continue to do so.

Short stories for Holmes fans!

For me, perfect bedtime reading! Stories are concise, smart and imaginative. Obviously written by Holmes fans FOR Holmes fans!

An odd mix of choices

My favorite is The Case of the Missing Case which featured both young Holmes and Mycroft. I found myself enjoying all the stories up until Buy the Bullet - this one has nothing to do with Sherlock Holmes and is not even a detective story. The stories after this also feels out of place though I don’t mind them so much. The last one, Hounded, is a rewrite of The Hounds of Baskerville and it’s quite nice. Narrators goes from really good to not bad. All in all, I’m happy to get this free :)