GUIDE TO SHERLOCKIANISM
The first thing for anyone interested in Sherlockianism to do is to actually read (and enjoy) the Sherlock Holmes stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle. Luckily, many are available online and for free via Project Gutenberg, as well as Wikisource.
Once Sherlock Holmes has gotten into your head, its time to meet your fellow Sherlockians. Sherlockian.net is a fantastic place to begin to find your way to other like-minded Holmes devotees on the web. If youre ready to make things personal, and would like to enjoy a drink and a good yarn with Sherlockians in your area, Sherlocktron has an amazingly thorough list of Sherlockian societies across the globe. Dont be hesitant to write and say hi Sherlockians dont bite, and from personal experience I can assure you that they are the nicest, most open and inviting group of people in the world. I also highly recommend the Baker Street Blog, which is frequently updated wit commentary and news from the world of Sherlock Holmes.
When its time to get serious well, not too serious then welcome to the Baker Street Irregulars. They are the preeminent Sherlockian society in the world, and if you start hanging out with local Sherlockian groups, youre bound to meet a few members. Unfortunately, membership in the Irregulars is not open to the public. If you distinguish yourself in the field of Sherlockian studies, they will find you. Their Baker Street Journal is a must-read for serious students of the Canon.
And speaking of the Canon, heres a brief glossary of Sherlockian terms that might make your time in these parts more fun, or at least more instantly comprehensible:
Sherlockian (n) An admirer and/or scholar of the work and adventures of one Sherlock Holmes, the worlds first consulting detective.
Doylean (n) An admire and/or scholar of the work and adventures of one Arthur Conan Doyle. Some Sherlockians treat Holmes as a real person, and Doyle as the literary agent who sold John Watsons memoirs. Doyleans are more concerned with the historical Conan Doyle, as distinct from the potentially fictional Holmes.
Canon (n) The four novels and fifty-six short stories that comprise the original adventures of Sherlock Holmes, as written (or published) by Arthur Conan Doyle.
Pastiche (n) A piece of writing about Holmes that does not fall into the Canon, because it was not written by Conan Doyle himself.
Baker Street Irregulars (n) The worlds preeminent organization devoted to the study of Sherlock Holmes. Founded in 1934 by Christopher Morley.
Scion society (n) One of the thousands of local Sherlockian organizations that are sanctioned by the Baker Street Irregulars. Scion societies, sometimes called scion groups, can be found in most every major city on earth. Membership in most of these societies is open to the public, unlike the Irregulars.
Investiture (n) Every member of the Baker Street Irregulars is given an official title, or nickname, upon their admittance into the group. This is called his or her investiture. These investitures are all titles, phrases or characters from the Canon. E.g., The Abbey Grange, or The Giant Rat of Sumatra.