Spring-Heeled Jack: Articles and Short Fiction (1838-1897)

Description

Spring-Heeled Jack: Articles and Short Fiction (1838–1897)

In 1838 reports of a strange leaping man filled the hearts of Londoners with terror. However, the antics of this enigmatic urban ghost became popularised through the theatrical productions, serial stories and short fiction.

Sometimes trickster, wronged hero, sometimes shadowy avenger, sometimes sinister villain, these varying depictions show how the legend and reputation of Spring-Heeled Jack developed over six decades.

This volume brings together a collection of articles and stories from newspapers, story papers and stand-alone publications from the first investigations into the urban ghost, including the original newspaper article following a letter sent to the Lord Mayor of London, an early morality piece, a story which discusses Spring-Heeled Jack’s origins, excepts from a novel in which young schoolchildren “capture” Spring-Heeled Jack and two longer pieces, one which was published as a stand-alone “Dime” novel, offering an American perspective on how Jack could be depicted, and another where Spring-Heeled Jack is the mysterious resident of “the Haunted Grange”. It also features a new introduction by J.S Mackley.

The Spring-Heeled Jack Library: Volume 3