M.J. Downing. Part One. Of all the heroic line of the Took family, little has been said of Old Gerontius’ son Hildifons. Among Gerontius’ heirs, it is said that Hildifons, known simply as Dark Hilds by his family and few friends, was the closest in stature, manner, and mood to Bandobras, “the Bullroarer.” Hilds grew... Continue Reading →
M.J. Downing. I was born too late for the real pulp tradition. It survived, though, and came to me in small novels with glossy covers and author names like Kenneth Robeson, Robert E. Howard, and Edgar Rice Burroughs. For me, those novels lasted longer and were hardier companions than my comic books, which were too... Continue Reading →
M.J. Downing In my “Werewolves of Edinburgh” novel, I mentioned the fact you see demonstrated in the picture above. It shows the feet of the Holmes statue in Edinburgh, which stands—stood, perhaps, since it was just moved back—on the site of what was once 11 Picardy Place, the birthplace of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. On... Continue Reading →
M.J. Downing Plain hobbit-sense, really, freed daily life in the Shire and its environs, especially in Bilbo’s day, from the threat of evils that had plagued Eriador for many centuries. Working a craft or service, farming the land, brewing ale and such simple tasks were the occupations of this little people, time out of mind. ... Continue Reading →
“Tramping in The Shire.” M.J. Downing. Bilbo looked up at the high clouds, blown over the Shire from the West, seeing things that Frodo could not. “Where do the years go, Frodo, when they leave us? I’m sure that they’re out there somewhere, aren’t they? I remember them all, those days when I lived,... Continue Reading →
M.J. Downing Just recently, preparing for a mid-February "Zoom" meeting with "The Derby Rotten Scoundrels," the Louisville Chapter of "Sisters in Crime," I dedicated some time to studying the style of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, in order to spell out some things I'd long seen in his writing. Truthfully, I have enjoyed the Sherlock ntHolmes... Continue Reading →
Last night, I had the great privilege of addressing this group of fellows, all veteran pipe smokers, about my books, chiefly "The Case of the Undead Client" and the more recent "Werewolves of Edinburgh." In short, it was a delight. One of the club members, Tim Hynik, is part of a regular on-line pipe chat... Continue Reading →
M.J. Downing 22 November, 1890. Our actions of 1888 have been largely detailed in The Case of the UnDead Client, in addition to numerous other cases, which I chronicled as Holmes’s “Boswell.” However, Client, like many of my penned efforts, is just one of many that are to remain unpublished, for a variety of... Continue Reading →
“The Last Old Man: A Christmas Story” M.J. Downing “The Oxen” Christmas Eve, and twelve of the clock."Now they are all on their knees,"An elder said as we sat in a flockBy the embers in hearthside ease. We pictured the meek mild creatures whereThey dwelt in their strawy pen, Nor did it occur to one of... Continue Reading →
M.J. Downing Addy Stuart didn’t like Christmas any more than she liked missing a day of school. Her Dad, though, really needed her help filling out job applications, and she really wanted him to get the maintenance job at the mall. However, missing a day of school meant missing out on end of the semester... Continue Reading →
MJ Downing’s Place 