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Leslie S. Klinger

Biography

Leslie S. Klinger

Leslie S. Klinger is considered to be one of the world’s foremost authorities on Sherlock Holmes, Dracula, H. P. Lovecraft and 19th-century genre fiction. Klinger is a long-time member of the Baker Street Irregulars, and served as the Series Editor for the Manuscript Series of The Baker Street Irregulars; he is currently the Series Editor for the BSI’s History Series. He served three terms as Chapter President of the SoCal Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America and on its National Board. He is also the Treasurer of the Horror Writers Association. He lectures frequently on Holmes, Dracula, Lovecraft and their worlds, including frequent panels at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, Bouchercon, StokerCon, World Horror Convention, World Fantasy Convention, VampireCon, Comicpalooza, WonderCon and San Diego Comic-Con, and he frequently teaches courses on Holmes and Dracula at UCLA Extension.

Klinger’s work has received numerous awards and nominations, including the Edgar® for Best Critical-Biographical Book in 2005 for THE NEW ANNOTATED SHERLOCK HOLMES: The Complete Short Stories and the Anthony for Best Anthology in 2015 for IN THE COMPANY OF SHERLOCK HOLMES (co-edited with Laurie R. King) and two nominations for the Bram Stoker Award® for Best Nonfiction book. His introductions and essays have appeared in numerous books, graphic novels, academic journals, newspapers, the Los Angeles Review of Books and Playboy Magazine; he also reviews books for the Los Angeles Times. He was the technical advisor for Warner Bros. on the film Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) and served (without credit) in that role for Warner Bros.’ earlier hit Sherlock Holmes (2009). He has consulted on a number of novels, comic books, and graphic novels featuring Holmes and Dracula.

Les attended the University of California where he received an A.B. in English; he also attended the University of California School of Law (Boalt Hall), where he obtained a J.D. degree. He and his wife Sharon have five adult children, six grandchildren, and live in Malibu with their dog and three cats. By day, Klinger practices law in Westwood, specializing in tax, estate planning and business law.

Leslie S. Klinger

Books by Leslie S. Klinger

edited by Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger - Anthology, Fiction, Mystery, Short Stories

Sherlock Holmes has not only captivated readers for more than a century and a quarter, he has fascinated writers as well. When renowned Sherlockians Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger invited their writer-friends and colleagues to be inspired by the Holmes canon, a cornucopia of stories sprang forth, with more than 60 of the greatest modern writers participating in four acclaimed anthologies. King and Klinger have invited another 15 masters to become IN LEAGUE WITH SHERLOCK HOLMES. The contributors to the pair’s latest volume include award-winning authors of horror, thrillers, mysteries, westerns and science fiction, all bound together in admiration and affection for the original stories.

edited by Lisa Morton and Leslie S. Klinger - Anthology, Fiction, Horror, Short Stories, Supernatural Thriller, Suspense, Thriller

The ghost story has long been a staple of world literature, but many of the genre's greatest tales have been forgotten, overshadowed in many cases by their authors' bestselling work in other genres. In this spine-tingling anthology, little-known stories from literary titans like Charles Dickens and Edith Wharton are collected alongside overlooked works from masters of horror fiction like Edgar Allan Poe and M. R. James. Acclaimed anthologists Leslie S. Klinger and Lisa Morton set these stories in historical context and trace the literary significance of ghosts in fiction over almost 200 years --- from a traditional English ballad first printed in 1724 through the Christmas-themed ghost stories of the Victorian era and up to the science fiction-tinged tales of the early 20th century.

edited by Leslie S. Klinger - Anthology, Fiction, Mystery, Short Stories

Agatha Christie burst onto the literary scene in 1920, with THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR AT STYLES; her last novel was published in 1976, a career longer than even Arthur Conan Doyle’s 40-year span. The truth is that it was due to the success of writers like Anna Katherine Green in America; L. T. Meade, C. L. Pirkis, the Baroness Orczy and Elizabeth Corbett in England; and Mary Fortune in Australia that the doors were finally opened for female crime writers. So, while Agatha Christie may still reign supreme, it is important to remember that she did not ascend that throne except on the shoulders of the women who came before her --- and inspired her --- and who are now removed from her shadow once and for all.

edited by Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger - Anthology, Fiction, Mystery, Short Stories

FOR THE SAKE OF THE GAME is the latest volume in the award-winning series from Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger, with stories of Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson and friends in a variety of eras and forms. King and Klinger have a simple formula: ask some of the world’s greatest writers --- regardless of genre --- to be inspired by the stories of Arthur Conan Doyle. Some tales are pastiches, featuring the recognizable figures of Holmes and Watson; others step away in time or place to describe characters and stories influenced by the Holmes world. Some of the authors spin whimsical tales of fancy; others tell hardcore thrillers or puzzling mysteries. One beloved author writes a song; two others craft a melancholy graphic tale of insectoid analysis.

edited by Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger - Anthology, Fiction, Mystery, Short Stories

In this follow-up to the acclaimed IN THE COMPANY OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, expert Sherlockians Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger put forth the question: What happens when great writers/creators who are not known as Sherlock Holmes devotees admit to being inspired by Conan Doyle stories? While some are highly regarded mystery writers, others are best known for their work in the fields of fantasy or science fiction. All of these talented authors, however, share a great admiration for Arthur Conan Doyle and his greatest creations, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.

edited by Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger - Anthology, Fiction, Mystery, Short Stories

The Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle were recently voted as the top mystery series of all time. Now, Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger have assembled a stellar group of contemporary authors from a variety of genres and asked them to create new stories inspired by that canon. Readers will find Holmes in times and places previously unimagined, as well as characters who themselves have been affected by the tales of Sherlock Holmes.