The Homeless Network: Sherlock Holmes and Adaptation

Abstract

In this chapter, the book presents a theory of Holmes adaptations that questions the borders between the canonical and the non-canonical. It suggests that Holmes adaptations operate on a network of previous adaptations, rather than having a bilateral relationship with the source text only. The ‘fidelity criticism’ of Sherlock Holmes fans who appraise adaptations, the chapter proposes, has been successfully inverted by the television series Sherlock, where fans are rewarded for their canonical knowledge.