The Sherlockian Interview - Arianna Fox and Mike Fox
Posted by Steve Emecz on
The final four volumes (49-52) of The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories are now on Kickstarter (click here). Every day we will be featuring one of the authors in the collection. Today its Arianna Fox and Mike Fox.
Have you contributed to anthologies before?
Yes! I have contributed to multiple anthologies in the past, both Sherlockian and non-fiction, including A New Paradigm of Education Rising by Monique Sayers, Young Changemakers by Kristi Maggio, and our very own MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories: Volume XXXII (32) by David Marcum.
Where did you first discover Holmes?
I discovered Holmes at 13 years old in our local Barnes & Noble. I had hitherto hated reading, though I was an imaginative child and an avid writer, because I had mostly read modern literature and never quite related to or enjoyed it. One Saturday, when browsing the clearance novel section at B&N, I noticed The Return of Sherlock Holmes standing there amidst all the other books, and something about it—combined with the fact that I had seen a couple of adaptations before—seemed appealing to me.
I picked it up, and with EMPT’s opening line of “It was in the spring of the year 1894 that all London was interested, and the fashionable world dismayed, by the murder of the Honourable Ronald Adair under most unusual and inexplicable circumstances,” I was completely hooked.
Ever since then, classic literature in all forms has been a passion for me, and I emerged a lover of reading thanks to the Great Detective.
Are there any writers/adaptations of Holmes you particularly enjoy?
Like my dad Mike, with whom I collaborated to write this pastiche, my favorite Holmes adaptation is a generally controversial one: both Sherlock Holmes films by Guy Ritchie starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law (both of which I have seen ten times so far—yes, I’m counting). The cinematic quality combined with the thematic music, fantastic acting, and complex plots always compel me and continue to inspire me.
When I’m not pastiching or writing my WIP, you will find me drafting an essay as to the true accuracy of these films despite the opinions of many Sherlockians in the community.
Where can fans find more about your work?
You can find my other books on Amazon (The Princess Chronicles, False Awakening: Is it a Dream or Reality?, and Sabre Black) or my site, www.ariannafox.com. You can also find me on Goodreads as Arianna Fox, or via my social media profiles on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more at @afoxauthor.
What’s the name of your story in the collection?
“The Clockmaker’s Fate.”
How did the story come about?
When my daughter and co-author Arianna and I were brewing up some ideas, she recalled an idea that stemmed from her former pastiche thoughts and notes. As it turned out, I as well had a similar story in brewing inside. So, we merged this creation, and hence “The Clockmaker’s Fate” sprung forth. I recall how intriguing and fascinating it was: the idea of a vintage piece of machinery in the hands of a clockmaker that could be used in so many mysterious ways to be a part of a narrative that it demanded the urgency of Holmes and Watson to step in and solve it.
I really wanted to infuse the very methods that Guy Ritchie, the director of the Sherlock Holmes movies with Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr., had introduced in regard to the historical implementation of future potential threats. It needed to be more than a mere echo of cases—not just a murder, a suspect, and plot, but something that could have been a much deeper and wider threat to many more, so much so that it took more than the local bobbies; it took the extraordinary deductive minds of Sherlock Holmes and Watson.
Do you write on any other subjects?
Yes, I have a WIP of a sci-fi thriller titled Vizual Rising as well as a marriage and relationships book with my wife titled The Marriage Puzzle. I also have many writings and content about being a director and filmmaker.
Where can fans find more about your work?
For my filmmaking, www.crystalfoxfilms.com. For design and creative work, www.splashdw.com.