Leslie S. Klinger is considered to be one of the world’s foremost authorities on Sherlock Holmes, Dracula, H. P. Lovecraft, Frankenstein, and 19th-century genre fiction.
Klinger’s recently-published The New Annotated Frankenstein (August, 2017) features nearly 1,000 notes that provide information and historical context on every aspect of Frankenstein and of Mary Shelley’s life as well as over 200 illustrations, including original artwork from the 1831 edition and dozens of photographs of real-world locations that appear in the novel. The New Annotated Frankenstein for the first time accounts for variations between the 1818 and the 1831 versions of the text, and includes an introduction by director Guillermo del Toro (who says it “may very well be the best presentation of the novel”), and an afterword by renowned literary scholar Anne K. Mellor. Neil Gaiman has written of the book, “In annotating Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Les Klinger has pulled off the nearly impossible trick of making the original novel as interesting as the phenomena (from the many incarnations of the monster to the field of science fiction) which it spawned. A beautifully illustrated compendium of Frankensteinian facts and information.”
In December, 2017, DC will publish Klinger’s Watchmen: The Annotated Edition. As the publisher writes, “DC Comics is proud to present this literary classic in an all-new Annotated Edition format with a new introduction by Dave Gibbons. Edited with Klinger’s page-by-page and panel-by-panel notes, THE ANNOTATED WATCHMEN is a journey through every issue of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon’s classic. Complete with commentary, references and hidden meanings, this new hardcover will deepen and enrich our understanding of the acclaimed series.”
Other works by Klinger that will be of special interest to comics and genre-fiction fans include The New Annotated H. P. Lovecraft (with introduction by Alan Moore), The New Annotated Dracula (with introduction by Neil Gaiman), four volumes of the Annotated Sandman (covering issues 1-75 of Neil Gaiman’s classic), and the three-volume The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes.
 |
 |
 |
 |
|---|
Klinger is a long-time member of the Baker Street Irregulars, and served as the Series Editor for the Manuscript Series of The Baker Street Irregulars; he is currently the Series Editor for the BSI’s Biography Series. He served three terms as Chapter President of the SoCal Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America and on its National Board. He is also the Treasurer of the Horror Writers Association. He lectures frequently on Holmes, Dracula, Lovecraft, Frankenstein and their worlds.
Klinger’s work has received numerous awards and nominations, including the Edgar® for Best Critical-Biographical Book in 2005 for The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Short Stories and the Anthony for Best Anthology in 2015 for In the Company of Sherlock Holmes (co-edited with Laurie R. King) and two nominations for the Bram Stoker Award® for Best Nonfiction book. His introductions and essays have appeared in numerous books, graphic novels, academic journals, newspapers, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and Playboy Magazine; he also reviews books for the Los Angeles Times. He was the technical advisor for Warner Bros. on the film Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) and served (without credit) in that role for Warner Bros.’ earlier hit Sherlock Holmes (2009). He has consulted on a number of novels, comic books, and graphic novels featuring Holmes and Dracula.
Klinger attended the University of California where he received an A.B. in English; he also attended the University of California School of Law (Boalt Hall), where he obtained a J.D. degree. He and his wife Sharon have five adult children, six grandchildren, and live in Malibu with their dog and cat. By day, Klinger practices law in Westwood, specializing in tax, estate planning, and business law.