MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories - Volumes XL to XLII - Author Interviews - Naching Kassa
Posted by Steve Emecz on
Today we talk to Naching Kassa who appears in Part XLI: 1887-1894 currently on Kickstarter as part of the MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories XL to XLII campaign.
What’s the name of your story in the collection?
The title of my story is, "The Adventure of the Tired Captain." It's an untold tale mentioned in, "The Naval Treaty." Like all my stories, this one is a little bizarre. Holmes and Watson find a man fast asleep in the street while on an evening constitution. You'll have to see where it goes from there.
Where did you first discover Holmes?
NTK: One evening, in the year 1985, I walked into the living room and asked my sister what was on television. She said she was watching Sherlock Holmes. I sat down on the couch...and I was ENTRANCED.
It was the first episode of the Granada series starring Jeremy Brett, David Burke, and Gayle Hunnicutt--A Scandal in Bohemia. I had never seen anything like it. And, after the show ended, I wanted more.
When I had watched "The Dancing Men," "The Naval Treaty," and "The Solitary Cyclist," on our public television station, my dad decided to introduce me to the books. The next story to be dramatized was "The Crooked Man" and my dad had me read it from his copy of the Doubleday Complete Sherlock Holmes Vol. 1. That was the first Sherlock Holmes story I ever read.
I read every story after that and even wrote a letter to Holmes at 221B Baker Street. The letter was answered by Sue Brown, the Secretary to Sherlock Holmes. It is framed and occupies a place of honor on my wall.
Are there any writers/adaptations of Holmes you particularly enjoy?
Oh my gosh, there are so many. I love Nicholas Meyer, James Lovegrove, John Linwood Grant, Laurie R. King, Anthony Boucher and David Marcum to name a few. I even like stories by Ellery Queen and Neil Gaiman.
Do you write on any other subjects?
Yes, I do. I've written over 100 horror stories, poems and flash fiction. One of my best stories, "The Darker Side of Grief," appears in the anthology, Arterial Bloom. The book was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award (R) and my story had an honorable mention in Ellen Datlow's Best Horror of the Year.
