# 'Encyclopedia Brown' author Donald Sobol dead at 87 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 16, 2012, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/encyclopedia-brown-author-donald-sobol-dead-at-87/628431 "2012-07-16T19:09:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/encyclopedia-brown-author-donald-sobol-dead-at-87/628431/21 "2012-07-16T21:22:11Z")
Sobol can’t be dead - this obituary says he was kicked to death by a pregnant mule. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/encyclopedia-brown-author-donald-sobol-dead-at-87/628431/22 "2012-07-16T21:27:41Z")
Right there with all of you–I devoured those books. Congratulations, Mr. Sobol, on a life well lived. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/encyclopedia-brown-author-donald-sobol-dead-at-87/628431/23 "2012-07-16T21:45:27Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > He claims he was in Antarctica, hunting polar bears. This is so totally stolen for Facebook! ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/encyclopedia-brown-author-donald-sobol-dead-at-87/628431/24 "2012-07-16T22:28:04Z")
I enjoyed his books greatly when I was younger. RIP Mr. Sobol. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/encyclopedia-brown-author-donald-sobol-dead-at-87/628431/25 "2012-07-17T00:14:35Z")
_Slaps a quarter down on the gas can_ Sorry to see him go. I loved the series as a kid. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/encyclopedia-brown-author-donald-sobol-dead-at-87/628431/26 "2012-07-17T01:01:03Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Does anybody remember Alvin Fernald and Daphne? He was even better than EB. And, his friend Shoie (sp?). Marvellous, just like his inventions. I thought, tho, that his “Secret Code” was kind of weak. I have read “The Marvellous inventions…” and “Secret Code…” Are the others in the series any good? I know that they are quite pricey for children’s SBS offerings. But, to the main-I looked forward to the Scholastic Book Service drives first of all for EB. He was a staple of my youth. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/encyclopedia-brown-author-donald-sobol-dead-at-87/628431/27 "2012-07-17T01:49:47Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > …I loved Brinley’s Mad Scientists’ Club. Does anybody remember Alvin Fernald and Daphne? I loved those stories!!! I remember Daphne Muldoon, Dinky Poore, Henry Mulligan, Freddy Muldoon, Zeke Boniface and Richard the Deep Breather …but not Alvin Fernald. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/encyclopedia-brown-author-donald-sobol-dead-at-87/628431/28 "2012-07-17T07:51:09Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I loved those stories!!! I remember Daphne Muldoon, Dinky Poore, Henry Mulligan, Freddy Muldoon, Zeke Boniface and Richard the Deep Breather …but not Alvin Fernald. Alvin Fernald was a series similar to Encyclopedia Brown; Daphne was his little sister (“The Pest”) who always managed to insinuate herself into his adventures. He also had a best friend named Shoie; Alvin was a boy inventor and the brains of the outfit, Shoie was the athletic muscle. The two books I particularly remember are where they were learning about cryptography, and when they went to Europe. There was also one where some old woman was being held prisoner by her son, I think, though I may be conflating that with the first one. > **[Alvinfernald](https://alvinfernald.com/)** > > Daftar Slot Terbaik: Meraih Kemenangan Besar di Slot Online Gacor There was another book I particularly liked called _Project: Genius_, and one called _Andy Buckram’s Tin Men_. The kids in these books always seemed to be leading much more interesting lives than I ever would… ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/encyclopedia-brown-author-donald-sobol-dead-at-87/628431/29 "2012-07-17T08:26:42Z")
I’m also saddened to read this. But: > [@Smapti](#): > > Sobol can’t be dead - this obituary says he was kicked to death by a pregnant mule. actually, a few mules have become pregnant and given birth. There are no known fertile male mules, but a few females have produced offspring when bred to a horse or jack. These mollies don’t produce offspring when bred to male mules. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/encyclopedia-brown-author-donald-sobol-dead-at-87/628431/30 "2012-07-17T11:06:34Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > I’m also saddened to read this. But: actually, a few mules have become pregnant and given birth. There are no known fertile male mules, but a few females have produced offspring when bred to a horse or jack. These mollies don’t produce offspring when bred to male mules. I was aware of that. I mentioned it because [“mules can’t get pregnant”](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ConvictionByCounterfactualClue) is the plot point of a couple of Sobol’s stories. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/encyclopedia-brown-author-donald-sobol-dead-at-87/628431/31 "2012-07-17T13:43:42Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > …actually, a few mules have become pregnant and given birth. There are no known fertile male mules, but a few females have produced offspring when bred to a horse or jack. These mollies don’t produce offspring when bred to male mules. Is that you, Bugs Meany DVM? ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/encyclopedia-brown-author-donald-sobol-dead-at-87/628431/32 "2012-07-17T14:26:28Z")
Now we’ll never see the planned series about his little brother, **Wikipedia Brown**. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/encyclopedia-brown-author-donald-sobol-dead-at-87/628431/33 "2012-07-17T14:40:04Z")
I loved those books. I was just thinking of them the other day when I had to reach with my left hand into my right jeans pocket, something that Encyclopedia Brown said couldn’t be done! ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/encyclopedia-brown-author-donald-sobol-dead-at-87/628431/34 "2012-07-17T15:01:56Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > Now we’ll never see the planned series about his little brother, **Wikipedia Brown**. He’s never the same each time I look at him. Talk about impressionable…! ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/encyclopedia-brown-author-donald-sobol-dead-at-87/628431/35 "2012-07-17T16:23:53Z")
[The Onion sees the future.](http://www.theonion.com/articles/idaville-detective-encyclopedia-brown-found-dead-i,753/) ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/encyclopedia-brown-author-donald-sobol-dead-at-87/628431/36 "2012-07-17T16:26:40Z")
> [@The Onion](#): > > Meany said. “Besides, it’s a matter of public record that, at the time the crime was committed, I was at the North Pole watching the penguins.” > [@skammer](#): > > He claims he was in Antarctica, hunting polar bears. Ooh, so close! I must have had that Onion article in the recesses of my buried memory or something. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/encyclopedia-brown-author-donald-sobol-dead-at-87/628431/37 "2012-07-17T16:42:49Z")
In addition to a pile of Encyclopedia Brown books, I also had an anthology of his called (IIRC) ‘Still More Two-Minute Mysteries’ - basically, the deductive bits without the kid-lit shell. Still have that, in fact… ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/encyclopedia-brown-author-donald-sobol-dead-at-87/628431/38 "2012-07-17T16:56:12Z")
I never read the Encyclopedia Brown series, but did read the Two-Minute Mysteries, starring Inspector Haldejan. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/encyclopedia-brown-author-donald-sobol-dead-at-87/628431/39 "2012-07-17T17:49:32Z")
handsomeharry: > [@](#): > > Are the others in the series any good? I’ve read Swap Shop, Mayor for a Day, and TV Anchorman, and they’re all good fun. McGurk mysteries are the best, though. Back to the real subject of this thread, though - in addition to the Encyclopedia Brown mysteries, I recall reading “Encyclopedia Brown’s Book of Facts” (or some similarly-titled book) and the second volume in the “Facts” series. These books fascinated me with random trivia, a fascination which would eventually lead me to…the Straight Dope, by Cecil Adams. RIP, Mr. Sobol. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/encyclopedia-brown-author-donald-sobol-dead-at-87/628431/40 "2012-07-17T19:28:28Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I was aware of that. I mentioned it because [“mules can’t get pregnant”](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ConvictionByCounterfactualClue) is the plot point of a couple of Sobol’s stories. Heh. I didn’t remember that…still don’t remember any stories where that’s the plot point, but I’m pretty sure that I didn’t read all the stories, and I’m also sure that I don’t remember all of the ones I read. I did mostly enjoy the ones I read, though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/encyclopedia-brown-author-donald-sobol-dead-at-87/628431.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/encyclopedia-brown-author-donald-sobol-dead-at-87/628431.md?page=3)