Leslie S. Klinger
Encyclopedia
Leslie S. Klinger is an American
attorney
and writer
. He is a noted literary editor
and annotator of classic mystery fiction
, including the Sherlock Holmes
stories and the novel Dracula
.
He is the editor of The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes, a three book edition of all of Arthur Conan Doyle
's Sherlock Holmes
fiction with extensive annotations, "hailed as the definitive exegesis of Holmes and his times;" the book won an Edgar Award
. He also edited the scholarly ten-volume Sherlock Holmes Reference Library, a heavily annotated edition of the entire Sherlock Holmes canon, and The New Annotated Dracula, an annotated version of Bram Stoker
's novel
. He published two collections of classic fiction in 2011, In the Shadow of Dracula and In the Shadow of Sherlock Holmes, both from IDW. In 2011, he co-edited with Laurie R. King The Grand Game, a two-volume collection of classical Sherlockian scholarship, published by The Baker Street Irregulars, and A Study in Sherlock, a collection of stories by all-star writers inspired by the Sherlock Holmes tales (Random House). He is currently working on The Annotated Sandman, a four-volume edition of Neil Gaiman
's award-winning The Sandman (Vertigo) comics, for DC Comics, the first volume of which will appear in January 2012.
Klinger has also contributed introductions to numerous books of mystery and horror, written book reviews for the Los Angeles Times
, and contributed an essay on vampires and sex, called Love Bites, to Playboy. He served as a consultant on the 2009 film Sherlock Holmes
starring Robert Downey, Jr. and on the sequel, Sherlock Holmes 2, to be released Christmas 2011.
Klinger is a member of the Sherlock Holmes literary club called The Baker Street Irregulars, as well as numerous other Sherlockian societies. He served three terms as chapter president of the Southern California chapter of the Mystery Writers of America
. He is a member of Sisters in Crime
, the Horror Writers Association
(and currently serves on the Board of HWA), the Dracula Society
, and the Transylvanian Society of Dracula
.
He was the general editor of a number of books published by the Baker Street Irregulars (BSI), including the Manuscript Series, and is currently the general editor of the BSI's History Series. He has lectured frequently on Holmes, Dracula, and the Victorian
world and has taught a number of courses for UCLA Extension on Sherlock Holmes. He also taught a course on "Dracula and His World" for UCLA Extension in November 2009 and will present a seminar at a "Stoker weekend" event scheduled for 2011.
1999:
2003:
2005:
2006: "The Novels (of Sherlock Holmes)"
in 1967 and a J.D. from Boalt Hall
School of Law at UC Berkeley in 1970. It was in law school that he developed his interest in Holmes, leading him to amass a collection of thousands of books about the fictional detective. He practices law in the fields of tax, estate planning, and business in Los Angeles, California
. He lives in Malibu, California, with his wife Sharon Flaum Klinger, who is a dealer in first-day-covers, along with a very large dog, Charlie, and three cats, Xander, Buffy, and Spike.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
. He is a noted literary editor
Literary editor
A literary editor is an editor in a newspaper, magazine or similar publication who deals with aspects concerning literature and books, especially reviews. A literary editor may also help with editing books themselves, by providing services such as proof reading, copy-editing, and literary...
and annotator of classic mystery fiction
Mystery fiction
Mystery fiction is a loosely-defined term.1.It is often used as a synonym for detective fiction or crime fiction— in other words a novel or short story in which a detective investigates and solves a crime mystery. Sometimes mystery books are nonfiction...
, including the Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
stories and the novel Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
.
He is the editor of The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes, a three book edition of all of Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
's Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
fiction with extensive annotations, "hailed as the definitive exegesis of Holmes and his times;" the book won an Edgar Award
Edgar Award
The Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
. He also edited the scholarly ten-volume Sherlock Holmes Reference Library, a heavily annotated edition of the entire Sherlock Holmes canon, and The New Annotated Dracula, an annotated version of Bram Stoker
Bram Stoker
Abraham "Bram" Stoker was an Irish novelist and short story writer, best known today for his 1897 Gothic novel Dracula...
's novel
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
. He published two collections of classic fiction in 2011, In the Shadow of Dracula and In the Shadow of Sherlock Holmes, both from IDW. In 2011, he co-edited with Laurie R. King The Grand Game, a two-volume collection of classical Sherlockian scholarship, published by The Baker Street Irregulars, and A Study in Sherlock, a collection of stories by all-star writers inspired by the Sherlock Holmes tales (Random House). He is currently working on The Annotated Sandman, a four-volume edition of Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
's award-winning The Sandman (Vertigo) comics, for DC Comics, the first volume of which will appear in January 2012.
Klinger has also contributed introductions to numerous books of mystery and horror, written book reviews for the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, and contributed an essay on vampires and sex, called Love Bites, to Playboy. He served as a consultant on the 2009 film Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes (2009 film)
Sherlock Holmes is a 2009 action-mystery film based on the character of the same name created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The film was directed by Guy Ritchie and produced by Joel Silver, Lionel Wigram, Susan Downey and Dan Lin. The screenplay by Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham and Simon...
starring Robert Downey, Jr. and on the sequel, Sherlock Holmes 2, to be released Christmas 2011.
Klinger is a member of the Sherlock Holmes literary club called The Baker Street Irregulars, as well as numerous other Sherlockian societies. He served three terms as chapter president of the Southern California chapter of the Mystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America is an organization for mystery writers, based in New York.The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday....
. He is a member of Sisters in Crime
Sisters in Crime
Sisters in Crime is an organization that has 3,600 members in 48 chapters world-wide, offering networking, advice and support to mystery authors. Members are authors, readers, publishers, agents, booksellers and librarians bound by their affection for the mystery genre and their support of women...
, the Horror Writers Association
Horror Writers Association
The Horror Writers Association is a worldwide non-profit organization of professional writers and publishing professionals dedicated to promoting the interests of Horror and Dark Fantasy writers. It was formed in the 1980s with the help of many of the field's greats, including Joe Lansdale, Robert...
(and currently serves on the Board of HWA), the Dracula Society
Dracula Society
The Dracula Society is a London-based literature and travel group with an interest in supernatural and macabre works of fiction, as exemplified by Bram Stoker's Dracula.-Children of the Night Award:...
, and the Transylvanian Society of Dracula
Transylvanian Society of Dracula
The Transylvanian Society of Dracula is a cultural-historic, non-profit, non-governmental organization. Its members include Romanian and international scholars, folklorists, historians, esoterists, writers, cultural anthropologist, and individuals interested in comparative religion, magic and...
.
He was the general editor of a number of books published by the Baker Street Irregulars (BSI), including the Manuscript Series, and is currently the general editor of the BSI's History Series. He has lectured frequently on Holmes, Dracula, and the Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
world and has taught a number of courses for UCLA Extension on Sherlock Holmes. He also taught a course on "Dracula and His World" for UCLA Extension in November 2009 and will present a seminar at a "Stoker weekend" event scheduled for 2011.
Awards
Klinger's awards for his editorial work in Sherlock Holmes include:1999:
- Special Sherlock, for "Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" (Sherlock Holmes Reference Library), Best Sherlockian book (Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine)
2003:
- Special Sherlock, for "Hound of the Baskervilles" (Sherlock Holmes Reference Library), Best Sherlockian book (Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine)
2005:
- Edgar AwardEdgar AwardThe Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
the highest award of the Mystery Writers of America, for the "Best Critical/Biographical work" in 2004 for the first two volumes, "The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Short Stories". - MacavityMacavityMacavity is a fictional character who is described in a poem in Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, by T. S. Eliot. He also appears in Cats, the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical.-In the poem:...
Shortlisted - AnthonyAnthonyAnthony, commonly shortened to Tony, may refer to:-Ancient and medieval Christianity:* St. Anthony the Great, of Egypt, 4th century founder of Christian monasticism* St. Anthony the Hermit , 5th century hermit of Italy and Gaul...
Shortlisted - Agatha AwardAgatha AwardThe Agatha Awards are literary awards for mystery and crime writers who write via the same method as Agatha Christie...
Shortlisted - Quill Award Shortlisted in the Mystery/Thriller category
2006: "The Novels (of Sherlock Holmes)"
- Edgar AwardEdgar AwardThe Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
Shortlisted - Macavity Award Shortlisted
- Anthony AwardAnthony AwardThe Anthony Awards are literary awards for mystery writers presented at the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention since 1986. The awards are named for Anthony Boucher , one of the founders of the Mystery Writers of America....
Shortlisted - Agatha AwardAgatha AwardThe Agatha Awards are literary awards for mystery and crime writers who write via the same method as Agatha Christie...
Shortlisted
Biography
Klinger was born in Chicago, Illinois, on May 2, 1946. He received a B.A. in English from the University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
in 1967 and a J.D. from Boalt Hall
UC Berkeley School of Law
The University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, commonly referred to as Berkeley Law and Boalt Hall, is one of 14 schools and colleges at the University of California, Berkeley. Berkeley Law is consistently regarded as an elite and prestigious law school...
School of Law at UC Berkeley in 1970. It was in law school that he developed his interest in Holmes, leading him to amass a collection of thousands of books about the fictional detective. He practices law in the fields of tax, estate planning, and business in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. He lives in Malibu, California, with his wife Sharon Flaum Klinger, who is a dealer in first-day-covers, along with a very large dog, Charlie, and three cats, Xander, Buffy, and Spike.