However Improbable

One of the more sentimental stories in the canon, "The Adventure of the Yellow Face" is remarkable because Holmes’s deductive powers fail him - and Watson’s romantic sentimentality wins the day. It's also notable in how it specifically addresses race and prejudice in a way the Holmes stories usually avoid. 

Does Doyle get some credit for being not quite as awful as some of his contemporaries? Should these people have even become parents? Does Watson really solve the case first? All that and more in today's episode.

Content warning: This story contains blatant & not-so-blatant anti-Black racism.

Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website:

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"The Adventure of the Yellow Face" from The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Alex Gallegos.

"If it should ever strike you that I am getting a little over-confident in my powers, or giving less pains to a case than it deserves, kindly whisper ‘Norbury’ in my ear, and I shall be infinitely obliged to you.”

Born and raised in Colorado, Alex Gallegos moved to Iowa in 2015. He fell in love with the audio format of storytelling after hearing the original War of the Worlds broadcast, and about the power it held to create imagery in the audience’s mind unmatched by any conceivable feat of cinematography - even by today’s standards.

By day, he is a Systems Administrator, tinkering with computers, technology, and software, but by night, he is... actually pretty much the same thing, just paid less to do it once he’s off the clock.

Content warning: This story contains blatant & not-so-blatant anti-Black racism. 

Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website:

https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/

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The least well-known of Doyle’s four novella-length Holmes stories, join us for this weird and riveting tale of American unions, vanishing jewelry, and Professor Moriarty’s first appearance. The Valley of Fear kicks off a new year for us and for Holmes and Watson. 

Published between 1914 and 1915, The Valley of Fear is loosely based on a true story. We discuss Moriarty as a master artist, antisemitic space Jews, whether Doyle is actually any good at writing novellas, and what this story might reveal about how much Watson lies.

Spoiler alert: We talk extensively about what happens in "The Final Problem" and "The Empty House." 

Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website:

https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/listen/the-valley-of-fear

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The Valley of Fear, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Part 2: The Scowrers

Chapter 7: The Trapping of Birdy Edwards

"And thence came the John Douglas who for a second time married a worthy mate, and lived for five years as a Sussex county gentleman, a life which ended with the strange happenings of which we have heard."

This episode is narrated by Dan Heidt. Dan is a songwriter and podcaster from Columbus, Ohio.  His podcast, "Flies in the Kitchen" features conversations with creative folx from all genres, in all settings.  Dan previously recorded several stories for Librivox, an online audio archive of public domain publications, and when not blabbering into a microphone, he is building SUVs for Honda Manufacturing and enjoying life with his wife and 4 cats.  His debut album, 'The View From Up Here', is available on all streaming platforms as well, for your listening pleasure.

Find transcripts, recommended reading and more on our website:

https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/

https://twitter.com/improbablepod

The Valley of Fear, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Part 2: The Scowrers

Chapter 4—The Valley of Fear

Chapter 5—The Darkest Hour

Chapter 6—Danger

"It is the Valley of Fear, the Valley of Death. The terror is in the hearts of the people from the dusk to the dawn."

This episode is narrated by Dan Heidt. Dan is a songwriter and podcaster from Columbus, Ohio.  His podcast, "Flies in the Kitchen" features conversations with creative folx from all genres, in all settings.  Dan previously recorded several stories for Librivox, an online audio archive of public domain publications, and when not blabbering into a microphone, he is building SUVs for Honda Manufacturing and enjoying life with his wife and 4 cats.  His debut album, 'The View From Up Here', is available on all streaming platforms as well, for your listening pleasure.

Find transcripts, recommended reading and more on our website:

https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/

https://twitter.com/improbablepod

The Valley of Fear, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Part 2: The Scowrers

Chapter 1: The Man

Chapter 2: The Bodymaster

Chapter 3: Lodge 341, Vermissa

"The iron and coal valleys of the Vermissa district were no resorts for the leisured or the cultured. Everywhere there were stern signs of the crudest battle of life, the rude work to be done, and the rude, strong workers who did it."

This episode is narrated by Dan Heidt. Dan is a songwriter and podcaster from Columbus, Ohio.  His podcast, "Flies in the Kitchen" features conversations with creative folx from all genres, in all settings.  Dan previously recorded several stories for Librivox, an online audio archive of public domain publications, and when not blabbering into a microphone, he is building SUVs for Honda Manufacturing and enjoying life with his wife and 4 cats.  His debut album, 'The View From Up Here', is available on all streaming platforms as well, for your listening pleasure.

Find transcripts, recommended reading and more on our website:

https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/

https://twitter.com/improbablepod

The Valley of Fear, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Part 1: The Tragedy of Birlstone

Chapter 5: The People of the Drama

Chapter 6: A Dawning Light

Chapter 4: The Solution

"You're welcome to them—you and your public. There's the story of the Valley of Fear.”

This episode is narrated by Sarah Kolb. Sarah is a Colorado-based writer, podcaster, and arts marketer, with a passion for unconventional storytelling, detective stories, and rude women. Needless to say, she's the co-host and co-creator of this podcast. Find her on Twitter @misandrywitch.

Find transcripts, recommended reading and more on our website:

https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/

https://twitter.com/improbablepod

The Valley of Fear, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Part 1: The Tragedy of Birlstone

Chapter 3: The Tragedy of Birlstone

Chapter 4: Darkness

"As I looked at the deep-set windows and the long sweep of the dull-coloured, water-lapped front, I felt that no more fitting scene could be set for such a tragedy."

This episode is narrated by Sarah Kolb. Sarah is a Colorado-based writer, podcaster, and arts marketer, with a passion for unconventional storytelling, detective stories, and rude women. Needless to say, she's the co-host and co-creator of this podcast. Find her on Twitter @misandrywitch.

Find transcripts, recommended reading and more on our website:

https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/

https://twitter.com/improbablepod

The Valley of Fear, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Part 1: The Tragedy of Birlstone

Chapter 1: The Warning

Chapter 2: Sherlock Holmes Discourses 

"The greatest schemer of all time, the organizer of every deviltry, the controlling brain of the underworld, a brain which might have made or marred the destiny of nations—that's the man!"

This episode is narrated by Sarah Kolb. Sarah is a Colorado-based writer, podcaster, and arts marketer, with a passion for unconventional storytelling, detective stories, and rude women. Needless to say, she's the co-host and co-creator of this podcast. Find her on Twitter @misandrywitch. 

Find transcripts, recommended reading and more on our website:

https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/

https://twitter.com/improbablepod

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson (1979-1986) is sometimes known as Soviet Holmes, Russian Holmes, Lenfilm Holmes, or Old Russian Holmes. Lenfilm’s series of films have often been described as one of the best Holmes adaptations out there, with particular praise directed towards Livanov’s Holmes. 

Murderer’s eyeballs, serial killers, tandem bicycles and men crying - join us for our take on these characters and an evaluation of how handsome Vitaly Solomin is actually (so, so handsome).

This discussion contains major plot spoilers for the canon stories “The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton,” as well as “The Final Problem” and “The Empty House.” We haven’t covered them on the podcast yet, so if you’ve managed to avoid Doyle’s major plot twist and would like to avoid spoilers - save this episode for later!

Find recommended reading, more stories, info about the show and more on our website:

https://www.howeverimprobablepodcast.com/listen/russian-holmes

https://twitter.com/improbablepod