Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes was a male human detective of 19th century England. His adventures were chronicled by Arthur Conan Doyle.

When Leonard H. McCoy entered Starfleet Medical School in 2245, he gained the nickname "Sherlock McCoy" because he could deduce data on a person's lifestyle and interests from pure visual observation. (TOS novel: The Better Man)

Holmes coined the phrase "If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains – however improbable – must be the truth." In 2293, Spock quoted this, attributing it to an ancestor of his. (TOS movie: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)

In the 24th century, Data and Geordi La Forge were fond of recreating Holmesian adventures in the USS Enterprise's holodecks. (TNG episode: "Elementary, Dear Data")

When Katherine Pulaski left the Enterprise crew in early 2366, Data gave her a first edition of Sherlock Holmes stories as a farewell present. (TNG novel: Vectors)

In 2370, the Enterprise crew confronted Redjac in a Sherlock Holmes holodeck program. (TNG comic: "Embrace the Wolf")


 * Spock's statement in The Undiscovered Country has been interpreted by many fans as an indication that Sherlock Holmes exists in the Star Trek universe and that he is an ancestor of the half-human Starfleet officer. This interpretation is supported by various novels (Ishmael, Assignment: Eternity'') which indicate that other fictional characters exist in the Star Trek universe.