Sherlock Holmes at the Crucible of Life

2 COMPLETE NOVELS in One!BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE, READ THE FIRST PAGE OF THE FIRST INTRODUCTION THAT IS TITLED “EDITOR’S NOTE TO THE FOURTH EDITION” (THAT'S EQUIVALENT TO PAGE 15 IN THE PRINT VERSION). THAT’S WHERE YOU'LL FIND THE ACTUAL CLIMAX OF THIS NOVEL—THE THEME—THE MOST IMPORTANT PAGE OF THIS NOVEL— THE PAGE THAT EXPLAINS THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS 103,880-WORD RUSSIAN NESTING DOLL OF A BOOK!Approach QUATERMAIN MEETS SHERLOCK HOLMES IN ETHIOPIA, 1872 with the mindset that Sherlock Holmes pastiches usually begin with deadly serious pseudo-serious front matter. Then realize that this book is a PARODY OF THAT CONVENTION. Bearing this in mind, the whole structure of this novel, with its plethora of playful literary apparatus, should fall into place. There is this difference though: while typically the introductions to Sherlock Holmes pastiches are quaint but substantively unimportant, all the front matter of ALLAN QUATERMAIN MEETS SHERLOCK HOLMES IN ETHIOPIA, 1872 is intimately tied to the plot and cannot be skipped."I'm finding it immensely enjoyable!"—John Betancourt"RECOMMENDED READING . . . a sheer joy!"—Gary Lovisi in SHERLOCK HOLMES: The Great Detective in Paperback and Pastiche (2008)"I couldn't wait to finish the book and at the same time not wanting it to end."—JWC"I won't say I couldn't put this book down. Of course I did, several times, to eat, to sleep. But I didn't WANT to!"—AnonymouseAs Allan Quatermain's memoir of an east African quest unfolds, and then as the Holmsian action segues into Tibet, readers are swallowed by a maelstrom of ideas and adventures—relentlessly descending into a scholarly labyrinth of books within books, manuscripts within manuscripts, and tales within tales. Not since Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose has the spirit of Sherlock Holmes been pressed into such exotic service! From the Horn of Africa to the Himalayas, Sherlock Holmes encounters both the hideous and the divine and forever rips asunder the fragile veil that separates us from worlds unknown. With Holmes, Allan Quatermain leads a veritable host of the nineteenth century's luminaries into the bitter heart of Hell!THOS. KENT MILLER cunningly writes in many voices and styles and then weaves it together into an exciting yet thoughtful magical tapestry. Expect something totally different! Expect something totally wonderful from the very first page--if you read with open eyes!GOLDEN FLEECE—[This novel] is truly a great adventure story of the lost race/hidden civilization genre. [Miller] weaves a masterful tale recovered from the legendary Allan Quatermain that is "edited" by such literary giants as Dr. John Watson and H.P. Lovecraft. The true joys of this book lie in its tendencies toward the EPISTOLARY. Quatermain has an epic adventure in which he crosses paths with our itinerant hero Holmes; however, Quatermain's narrative is actually "revealed" several times over in the course of the document's existence--as recorded by Watson and edited by others, including Lovecraft, Jim Turner (Arkham House) and [Miller] (predominantly). IN OTHER WORDS, THE REAL STORY LIES IN THE FRONT MATERIAL AND THE EDITOR'S NOTES TO THE TEXT. NOT READING THIS MATERIAL DOES THE READER A TERRIBLE DISSERVICE. I found the book to be very entertaining and difficult to put down. I have this nagging itch for stories that reveal the mysteries of time, and THIS LITTLE EXFOLIATE especially provided me gratification as I sifted through its many layers because of its qualities as a "lost" story that is discovered and revealed through happenstance and vision. Excellent work!Coming Soon in 2013: "SHERLOCK HOLMES AT THE DAWN OF TIME"