Mycroft & Moran
Encyclopedia
Mycroft & Moran was an imprint
of Arkham House
publishers and was created in Sauk City, Wisconsin
in 1945
. The imprint was created to publish weird
detective
stories and the Solar Pons
stories by August Derleth
. Arkham retired the imprint in 1982, but has recently allowed it to be revived by another small press publisher.
stories. Mycroft is derived from the name of Sherlock Holmes' brother, Mycroft Holmes
. Moran refers to Colonel Sebastian Moran, "the second most dangerous man in London". The colophon
for the imprint, a deerstalker
, was designed by Ronald Clyne.
in 1982
, Arkham House retired the Mycroft & Moran imprint. In fact, the book was officially an Arkham House
publication, merely listing it as "A Mycroft & Moran Book" on the half title page. Later, the imprint was leased to publisher George Vanderburgh (Shelburne
, Ontario
, Canada
), who revived it in 1998
with the publication of The Final Adventures of Solar Pons
.
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
of Arkham House
Arkham House
Arkham House is a publishing house specializing in weird fiction founded in Sauk City, Wisconsin in 1939 by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei to preserve in hardcover the best fiction of H.P. Lovecraft. The company's name is derived from Lovecraft's fictional New England city, Arkham. Arkham House...
publishers and was created in Sauk City, Wisconsin
Sauk City, Wisconsin
Sauk City is a village in Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,109 at the 2000 census. The first incorporated village in the state, the community was founded by Agoston Haraszthy and his business partner, Robert Bryant...
in 1945
1945 in literature
The year 1945 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*November 1 - The magazine Ebony is published for the first time.*Noel Coward's short play, Still Life, is adapted to become the film, Brief Encounter....
. The imprint was created to publish weird
Weird fiction
Weird fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction written in the late 19th and early 20th century. It can be said to encompass the ghost story and other tales of the macabre. Weird fiction is distinguished from horror and fantasy in that it predates the niche marketing of genre fiction...
detective
Detective fiction
Detective fiction is a sub-genre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator , either professional or amateur, investigates a crime, often murder.-In ancient literature:...
stories and the Solar Pons
Solar Pons
Solar Pons is a fictional detective created by August Derleth as a pastiche of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes.-Approach:On hearing that he had no plans to write more Holmes stories, the young Derleth wrote to Conan Doyle, asking permission to take over the job...
stories by August Derleth
August Derleth
August William Derleth was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first publisher of the writings of H. P...
. Arkham retired the imprint in 1982, but has recently allowed it to be revived by another small press publisher.
Name and Colophon
The name of the Mycroft & Moran imprint was derived from two characters in the Sherlock HolmesSherlock 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. Mycroft is derived from the name of Sherlock Holmes' brother, Mycroft Holmes
Mycroft Holmes
Mycroft Holmes is a fictional character in the stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle. He is the elder brother of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes.- Profile :...
. Moran refers to Colonel Sebastian Moran, "the second most dangerous man in London". The colophon
Colophon (publishing)
In publishing, a colophon is either:* A brief description of publication or production notes relevant to the edition, in modern books usually located at the reverse of the title page, but can also sometimes be located at the end of the book, or...
for the imprint, a deerstalker
Deerstalker
A deerstalker is a type of hat that is typically worn in rural areas, often for hunting, especially deer stalking. Because of the hat's popular association with Sherlock Holmes, it is also a stereotypical hat of a detective.-Construction:...
, was designed by Ronald Clyne.
Mycroft & Moran Today
After the publication of The Solar Pons OmnibusThe Solar Pons Omnibus
The Solar Pons Omnibus is a collection of detective fiction stories by author August Derleth. It was released in 1982 by Arkham House in an edition of 3,031 copies. The collection was published in two volumes with a slipcase. The set collects all of the Solar Pons stories of August Derleth. The...
in 1982
1982 in literature
The year 1982 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*La Bicyclette Bleue by Régine Deforges becomes France's best selling novel ever.-New books:...
, Arkham House retired the Mycroft & Moran imprint. In fact, the book was officially an Arkham House
Arkham House
Arkham House is a publishing house specializing in weird fiction founded in Sauk City, Wisconsin in 1939 by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei to preserve in hardcover the best fiction of H.P. Lovecraft. The company's name is derived from Lovecraft's fictional New England city, Arkham. Arkham House...
publication, merely listing it as "A Mycroft & Moran Book" on the half title page. Later, the imprint was leased to publisher George Vanderburgh (Shelburne
Shelburne, Ontario
Shelburne, Ontario is a town in Dufferin County, Ontario, Canada, located at the intersection of Highway 10 and Highway 89...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
), who revived it in 1998
1998 in literature
The year 1998 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*March 5 - Tennessee Williams' 1938 play, Not About Nightingales, receives its stage première....
with the publication of The Final Adventures of Solar Pons
The Final Adventures of Solar Pons
The Final Adventures of Solar Pons is a collection of detective, science fiction short stories by author August Derleth. It was released in 1998 by Mycroft & Moran...
.
Works published by Mycroft & Moran
- The Original Text Solar Pons Omnibus EditionThe Original Text Solar Pons Omnibus EditionThe Original Text Solar Pons Omnibus Edition is a collection of detective fiction stories by author August Derleth. It was released in 2000 by Mycroft & Moran and was published in two volumes. The set collects all of the Solar Pons stories of August Derleth. The stories are pastiches of the...
, by August DerlethAugust DerlethAugust William Derleth was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first publisher of the writings of H. P...
(2000) - In Lovecraft's ShadowIn Lovecraft's ShadowIn Lovecraft's Shadow: The Cthulhu Mythos Stories of August Derleth is a collection of fantasy and horror short stories by author August Derleth...
, by August DerlethAugust DerlethAugust William Derleth was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first publisher of the writings of H. P...
(1998) - The Final Adventures of Solar PonsThe Final Adventures of Solar PonsThe Final Adventures of Solar Pons is a collection of detective, science fiction short stories by author August Derleth. It was released in 1998 by Mycroft & Moran...
, by August DerlethAugust DerlethAugust William Derleth was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first publisher of the writings of H. P...
(1998) - The Solar Pons OmnibusThe Solar Pons OmnibusThe Solar Pons Omnibus is a collection of detective fiction stories by author August Derleth. It was released in 1982 by Arkham House in an edition of 3,031 copies. The collection was published in two volumes with a slipcase. The set collects all of the Solar Pons stories of August Derleth. The...
, by August DerlethAugust DerlethAugust William Derleth was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first publisher of the writings of H. P...
(1982) - Prince Zaleski and Cummings King MonkPrince Zaleski and Cummings King MonkPrince Zaleski and Cummings King Monk is a collection of supernatural detective short stories by author M. P. Shiel. It was released in 1977 by Mycroft & Moran in an edition of 4,036 copies. The first three Prince Zaleski stories had appeared in Shiel's first published work, Prince Zaleski...
, by M. P. ShielM. P. ShielMatthew Phipps Shiel was a prolific British writer of West Indian descent. His legal surname remained "Shiell" though he adopted the shorter version as a de facto pen name....
(1977) - The Chronicles of Solar PonsThe Chronicles of Solar PonsThe Chronicles of Solar Pons is a collection of detective fiction short stories by author August Derleth. It is the sixth volume in the series of Derleth's Solar Pons short stories, and was released in 1973 by Mycroft & Moran in an edition of 4,176 copies....
, by August DerlethAugust DerlethAugust William Derleth was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first publisher of the writings of H. P...
(1973) - Number Seven, Queer StreetNumber Seven, Queer StreetNumber Seven, Queer Street is a collection of supernatural detective short stories by author Margery Lawrence. It was first published by Robert Hale in the UK in 1945. The first US edition was published in 1966 by Mycroft & Moran in an edition of 2,027 copies and omits the last two stories...
, by Margery LawrenceMargery LawrenceMargery Lawrence was an English Fantasy fiction, Horror fiction and detective fiction author who specialized in ghost stories....
(1969) - Mr. Fairlies's Final Journey, by August DerlethAugust DerlethAugust William Derleth was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first publisher of the writings of H. P...
(1968) - The Adventure of the Unique DickensiansThe Adventure of the Unique Dickensians"The Adventure of the Unique Dickensians" is a detective fiction short story by author August Derleth. It was released in 1968 by Mycroft & Moran in an edition of 2,012 copies. The chapbook is illustrated by Frank Utpatel. The story is part of Derleth's Solar Pons series of pastiches of the...
, by August DerlethAugust DerlethAugust William Derleth was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first publisher of the writings of H. P...
(1968) - Wisconsin MurdersWisconsin MurdersWisconsin Murders is a collection of true crime accounts written by author August Derleth. It was released in 1968 by Mycroft & Moran in an edition of 1,958 copies. The stories detail sixteen cases of sudden death in Wisconsin for 1842 to 1926...
, by August DerlethAugust DerlethAugust William Derleth was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first publisher of the writings of H. P...
(1968) - The Exploits of Chevalier DupinThe Exploits of Chevalier DupinThe Exploits of Chevalier Dupin is a collection of detective short stories by author Michael Harrison. It was released in 1968 by Mycroft & Moran in an edition of 1,917 copies. The stories are pastiches of the C. Auguste Dupin stories of Edgar Allan Poe...
, by Michael HarrisonMichael Harrison (writer)Michael Harrison was the pen name of English detective fiction and fantasy author Maurice Desmond Rohan.- Biography :Michael Harrison was born in Milton, Kent, England, on 25 April 1907...
(1968) - A Praed Street DossierA Praed Street DossierA Praed Street Dossier is a collection of detective fiction short stories, essays and marginalia by author August Derleth. It was released in 1968 by Mycroft & Moran in an edition of 2,904 copies. It was an associational collection to Derleth's Solar Pons series of pastiches of the Sherlock...
, by August DerlethAugust DerlethAugust William Derleth was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first publisher of the writings of H. P...
(1968) - The Phantom-FighterThe Phantom-FighterThe Phantom-Fighter is a collection of supernatural detective short stories by author Seabury Quinn. It was released in 1966 by Mycroft & Moran in an edition of 2,022 copies...
, by Seabury QuinnSeabury QuinnSeabury Grandin Quinn was an American pulp magazine author, most famous for his stories of the occult detective Jules de Grandin, published in Weird Tales.-Biography:...
(1966) - The Casebook of Solar PonsThe Casebook of Solar PonsThe Casebook of Solar Pons is a collection of detective fiction short stories by author August Derleth. It was released in 1965 by Mycroft & Moran in an edition of 3,020 copies...
, by August DerlethAugust DerlethAugust William Derleth was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first publisher of the writings of H. P...
(1965) - The Reminiscences of Solar PonsThe Reminiscences of Solar PonsThe Reminiscences of Solar Pons is a collection of detective fiction short stories by author August Derleth. It was released in 1961 by Mycroft & Moran in an edition of 2,052 copies...
, by August DerlethAugust DerlethAugust William Derleth was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first publisher of the writings of H. P...
(1961) - The Return of Solar PonsThe Return of Solar PonsThe Return of Solar Pons is a collection of detective fiction short stories by author August Derleth. It was released in 1958 by Mycroft & Moran in an edition of 2,079 copies...
, by August DerlethAugust DerlethAugust William Derleth was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first publisher of the writings of H. P...
(1958) - Three Problems for Solar PonsThree Problems for Solar PonsThree Problems for Solar Pons is a collection of detective fiction short stories by author August Derleth. It was released in 1952 by Mycroft & Moran in an edition of 996 copies. It was the third collection of Derleth's Solar Pons stories which are pastiches of the Sherlock Holmes tales of Arthur...
, by August DerlethAugust DerlethAugust William Derleth was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first publisher of the writings of H. P...
(1952) - The Memoirs of Solar PonsThe Memoirs of Solar PonsThe Memoirs of Solar Pons is a collection of detective fiction short stories by author August Derleth. It was released in 1951 by Mycroft & Moran in an edition of 2,038 copies...
, by August DerlethAugust DerlethAugust William Derleth was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first publisher of the writings of H. P...
(1951) - Carnacki, the Ghost-FinderCarnacki, the Ghost-FinderCarnacki, the Ghost-Finder is a collection of supernatural detective short stories by author William Hope Hodgson. It was first published in 1913 by the English publisher Eveleigh Nash. In 1947, a new edition of 3,050 copies was published by Mycroft & Moran and included three additional stories. ...
, by William Hope HodgsonWilliam Hope HodgsonWilliam Hope Hodgson was an English author. He produced a large body of work, consisting of essays, short fiction, and novels, spanning several overlapping genres including horror, fantastic fiction and science fiction. Early in his writing career he dedicated effort to poetry, although few of his...
(1947) - "In Re: Sherlock Holmes"--The Adventures of Solar PonsIn Re: Sherlock Holmes"In Re: Sherlock Holmes" -- The Adventures of Solar Pons is a collection of detective fiction short stories by author August Derleth. It was released in 1945 by Mycroft & Moran in an edition of 3,604 copies. It was the first book issued under the Mycroft & Moran imprint...
- (in the UK "The Adventures of Solar Pons"), by August DerlethAugust DerlethAugust William Derleth was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first publisher of the writings of H. P...
(1945)
External links
- The Battered Silicon Dispatch Box new home of Mycroft and Moran