“One of the most precious public possessions of the empire” [BERY]    Joel Meadows began what eventually became Sherlock Holmes and the Empire Builders: The Gene Genie in 2002 while working on Tripwire as a quarterly print magazine. He tells us the story of how it took two decades to bring this vision to life with illustrator Andy Bennett, and what the plans are for part two of the story. The initial Kickstarter for part one was wildly successful, and the Kickstarter for the sequel is under way.  The praise has been effusive:  “A darn good romp” – Guillermo del Toro, Oscar-winning director “Classic Sherlock Holmes! You can smell the chimney-smoke and feel the clatter of hooves. Here’s the character we all know and love, given a fresh polish for the 21st century!” – Ian Rankin, Rebus The fusion of history and mystery form Joel's perfect nexus, and he's extending his efforts from graphic novel to a novella next.  We've moved the Sherlockian News to an exclusive monthly bonus track for  (watch for that to drop), and added a new segment: "The Learned Societies," all about activities going on in in Sherlockian groups. In this episode, we cover some of the BSI Weekend activities. Madeline Quiñones had diligently prepared an installment of "A Chance of Listening," her review of Sherlockian podcasts, that we missed last epsiode, so we make up for it this time. And of course the Canonical Couplet quiz awaits to test your Sherlockian knowledge. The winner, chosen at random from all correct answers, will receive Sherlock Holmes and the Empire Builders. Send your answer to comment @ ihearofsherlock .com by February 14, 2025 at 11:59 a.m. EST. All listeners are eligible to play. If you become a  of the show, not only will you help to ensure we can keep doing what we do, covering file hosting costs, production, and transcription services, but we have thank-you gifts at certain tiers and ad-free versions of the episodes for all patrons.     Leave I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere a five-star rating on  and ; listen to us .     Sponsors Exclusive for IHOSE listeners from : codes for .   Would you care to advertise with us? You can find . Let's chat!     Links (Kickstarter) Social media links: Joel Meadows on , , Sherlock Holmes and the Empire Builders , Tripwire Magazine on  Previous episode mentioned: Find all of our relevant links and social accounts at .     And would you consider leaving us a rating and or a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Goodpods? It would help other Sherlockians to find us.   Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email (comment AT ihearofsherlock DOT com), call us at 5-1895-221B-5. That's (518) 952-2125.