Sherlock Holmes Meets The Cenobites Of Hell In New Clive Barker-Backed Novel

Sherlock Holmes has shared his knowledge and crime fighting skills with characters outside of his own literary universe. Now, with Clive Barker’s backing, Sherlock Holmes is going to meet the cenobites of hell in the newest Sherlock Holmes novel, titled Sherlock Holmes and the Servants of Hell.

Sherlock Holmes and the Servants of Hell is scheduled to release in the summer of 2016 by Solaris Books, and is written by Paul Kane. According to Tor and Solaris’ editor-in-chief, Jonathan Oliver, it is about time Sherlock Holmes meets the cenobites of hell and their leader, Pinhead.

“The world’s greatest detective meets horror’s greatest icons, what more could you want?”

Paul Kane’s Sherlock Holmes and the Servants of Hell promises to seamlessly introduce Holmes fans into Clive Barker’s version of hell and pit the cenobites against Holmes in a way that seems natural, as though the story was meant to be all along.

Pinhead, first introduced in “The Hellbound Heart” and later featured in The Scarlet Gospels, starring in the Hellraiser movies in between, is the less devilish ruler of hell, in Clive Barker’s realm of thought, whereas Sherlock Holmes is a master of his own craft within the earthly realm. Pitting the two intellectuals against each other will put a new twist on both sets of lore.

Oliver shared that doubters should give Paul Kane a chance to share his tale, claiming Kane to be a leading expert on Clive Barker’s cenobites and an avid fan of Sherlock Holmes.

“Paul has been a significant voice on the horror scene for a while now and he’s steeped in Clive Barker’s hell-bound mythos. That we now have the chance to pit Holmes against a world he could never have imagined is very exciting indeed.”

Kane admits that he found Sherlock Holmes and the Cenobites at “around the same time,” drawing a line connecting Sherlock to the Cenobites from “The Hellbound Heart” since finding them.

“I discovered the Sherlock Holmes stories at around the same time I came across Clive’s Books of Blood and ‘The Hellbound Heart,’ so in my head there’s always been a link there.”

Kane shared that he he wanted to write the story for some time. When he had the opportunity to meet with Clive Barker and Mark Miller to pitch the idea, he took the chance and they loved it. From that point, the hardest part was finding the right publisher, but Solaris filled that gap.

Paul Kane is the author of over 50 novels, according to the Terror Time, most notably for his Arrowhead trilogy. He is also known for being the foremost expert, next to Clive Barker, of the Hellraiser mythos. When asked about his level of excitement to take on the project, he responded that his excitement does not outshine his nervousness.

“I’m incredibly excited – if also more than a little daunted – by the prospect of this book. It’s only the third long form fiction featuring elements from Clive’s Hellraising universe, coming after The Hellbound Heart and this year’s massively successful The Scarlet Gospels, and the first time Holmes has ever encountered the mythology. Readers can expect a very different kind of Holmes book, and a very different kind of novel featuring Hell and its famous Servants.”

Writing a Sherlock Holmes novel was the easy part, since the great detective was deemed public domain in 2013. Getting approval from Clive Barker was tougher, but opened the puzzle box into the world of hell for Kane.

Kane has kept the plot secret, not sharing whether Pinhead himself will make an appearance, or another cenobite will be the main figure of hell in the novel. Instead, he advises that fans grab their favorite lament configuration and prepare to open the world of hell when Sherlock Holmes and the Servants of Hell releases.

[Image Via Solaris Books Press Release]