The Event Horizon

The Mark Milsome Foundation is delighted to announce that actor, writer, director and producer Mark Gatiss has joined the Foundation as a Patron alongside existing Patrons, actor Rory Kinnear and writer/director Kirk Jones. We are thrilled to welcome Mark to the team 😊

For July 13, 2026

“Is it too soon?”

The game is to write a flash fic this weekend and post it here (or with a link to the fic on AO3) on Monday with the hashtag Mystrade Monday.

Flash fiction is a complete story that is less than 1,000 words. 360mg is complete fic of 360 words with the last two beginning with “M” and “G” in any order. Please spread the word.

JULY PATREON POST CARD: On the Beach

Time for the warm days! I guess Finland is the only place that hasn't really had them yet this summer 😅

Join the Post Card tier (or higher) by the end of July and get this post card AND the sticker that was posted earlier, sent to you at the end of the month/early August!

Finally, my own card for my grand-niece!

The Lion's Mane

A bittersweet tale of retirement, this odd crime-less story from Holmes’ pen is a rare insight into the mind of the ageing, lonely ex-detective. There is much that we learn about his life after leaving the bustle of London: the quiet nature around him, his simple routine, his new friendships, his interest in photography, and his estrangement with Watson. What June Thomson in her fascinating Holmes and Watson calls “a slow drifting apart, brought about by the physical distance between them, rather than through any specific alienation” is not a pleasant thing to muse on, but it is clear, at least from what the two men share with their readers, that Holmes retires alone while his friend stays in London with his new wife and flourishing practice. Though they still correspond and enjoy “an occasional week-end visit”, this unexplained estrangement makes the lack of a Watsonian touch much more jarring than in Holmes' previous recollection, as his absence echoes throughout the narrative.

silverprincepictures: Thrilled to announce CUDDLE will have it's World Premiere at this year's BIFA qualifying @kinoshortfilm 2026 in London. Coming this August 28-31st

When a touch starved artist discovers an app that sells human intimacy, an unexpected connection with one emotionally unavailable man forces him to confront what he's really searching for.

Starring @arronblake, @tsylvainn, @antoniawhillans and @themarkgatiss

with @stefanchanyaem @mokman97 @krystinabojanowski @tysonldouglas Lewis Brown

Writer/Director: @arronblake

For July 6, 2026

Character A is quietly reading a book (or similar peaceful, solitary activity) and Character B would really like their attention.

The game is to write a flash fic this weekend and post it here (or with a link to the fic on AO3) on Monday with the hashtag Mystrade Monday.

Flash fiction is a complete story that is less than 1,000 words. 360mg is complete fic of 360 words with the last two beginning with “M” and “G” in any order. Please spread the word.

The Blanched Soldier

For this end-of-career investigation into the disappearance of a gentleman’s army mate, we are astonished to hear from Holmes himself for the first time. There is no denying that Holmes’ narration lacks Watson’s warmth and poetic touch, but his two stories are not as inferior as some critics seem to think. It is true that compared to his earlier recollections in "The Gloria Scott” and “The Musgrave Ritual”, they could do with some joie de vivre, but that is only in keeping with the tone of the other tales from The Case-Book, including those narrated by Watson. What is evident is that, at the time he is writing these, Holmes does miss his friend terribly and funnels his loneliness into sarcastic remarks, as he is wont to do.