Giveaway: Win Sherlock Holmes book trio

Here’s an interesting question: Which came first — mystery geeks or sci-fi geeks?

Edgar Allan Poe got mystery really going in the 1840s, though various fantastical myths and tales of fairies and the like have been around for centuries. Did the imaginative inventor side of da Vinci make him a geek?

We may never know. But if you’re a mystery geek at all, you’ll like today’s giveaway. Sherlock Holmes is probably the most famous detective in the world, with hundreds of books, movies, comics, TV shows, etc. presenting his original adventures, updating them and creating new ones.

Most notable these days, perhaps (despite CBS’s “Elementary”), is the BBC’s “Sherlock,” with uber popular actor Benedict Cumberbatch.

Today’s giveaway includes that incarnation, plus the realms of books and movies.

First up is “The Sherlock Files: The Official Companion to the Hit Television Series” (!t Books) by Guy Adams. It ties in to all the TV episodes, with Holmes’ notes, photos, Dr. Watson’s blog, police reports, newspaper articles and more — and covers how they work with the original stories.

“Encounters of Sherlock Holmes” (Titan Books), edited by George Mann, features 14 short stories by up-and-coming authors in the genres of mystery, modern horror and steampunk. In one, Holmes runs into H.G. Wells. Another explains the origin of his Persian slipper.

“The Sherlock Holmes FAQ” (Applause) by Dave Thompson is subtitled “All That’s Left to Know About the World’s Greatest Private Detective.” It looks at Holmes in all his forms: books, TV, radio and movies. It even mentions Disney’s “The Great Mouse Detective,” though I didn’t spot a reference to “Sesame Street’s” Sherlock Hemlock in my quick peek.

For your chance to win the trio, send your name and address to ehenrickson@detnews.com. Use “Sherlock” as your subject line and enter only once by Feb. 21.  U.S. entries only.