Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty: Victorian Genius in a Millennial World

In 1887, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle published his first novel regarding the detective Sherlock Holmes. He would go on to publish another three novels and 56 short stories detailing the great detective’s endeavors. Today, 128 years later, Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes is as popular, as relevant, and as alive as ever. Adaptations continue to be made and achieve success, including the BBC’s mini-series, Sherlock. This modern adaptation and its interpretation of Conan Doyle’s characters, novels, stories, plots, and themes allow for a unique combination of Victorian and Modern England. It highlights the similarities and differences of a Victorian Holmes and a 21st Century Sherlock while also commenting on both eras overall. In particular, an increased focus on the relationship between Sherlock Holmes and his arch-nemesis, James Moriarty, generates new interest in these characters’ significance to the series’ legacy