August Derleth‘s The Reminiscences of Solar Pons (1961) is a collection of short stories featuring Solar Pons, a detective created as an homage to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle‘s Sherlock Holmes. Derleth, an American writer and anthologist, was a devoted admirer of Holmes and crafted Pons as a spiritual successor, operating in a similar vein but with his own distinct personality and cases.
This volume is part of Derleth’s broader Solar Pons series, which includes over 70 stories published across multiple collections. The Reminiscences of Solar Pons follows the structure of Doyle’s The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, with Dr. Lyndon Parker (Pons’s loyal friend and chronicler, akin to Dr. Watson) narrating the cases.
Derleth meticulously replicates the tone and structure of Doyle’s original Holmes stories, with Pons exhibiting Holmesian deductive brilliance, a keen eye for detail, and a flair for the dramatic. The stories are set in a slightly later period (early 20th century) and often incorporate elements of Gothic horror and occult intrigue—fitting, given Derleth’s association with the Cthulhu Mythos and his work with H.P. Lovecraft.
The Reminiscences of Solar Pons is a must-read for fans of classic detective fiction, especially those who enjoy Sherlock Holmes but want fresh cases with a similar style. Derleth’s deep admiration for Doyle shines through, making Pons a worthy successor in the realm of deductive sleuthing.
