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| THE RESURRECTIONIST: The Lost Work of Dr. Spencer Black | E.B. HUDSPETH | QUIRK BOOKS | MAY 2013 |
Philadelphia, the late 1870s. A city of gas lamps, cobblestone streets, and horse-drawn carriages—and home to the controversial surgeon Dr. Spencer Black. The son of a grave robber, young Dr. Black studies at Philadelphia’s esteemed Academy of Medicine, where he develops an unconventional hypothesis: What if the world’s most celebrated mythological beasts—mermaids, minotaurs, and satyrs—were in fact the evolutionary ancestors of humankind? The Resurrectionist offers two extraordinary books in one. The first is a fictional biography of Dr. Spencer Black, from a childhood spent exhuming corpses through his medical training, his travels with carnivals, and the mysterious disappearance at the end of his life. The second book is Black’s magnum opus: The Codex Extinct Animalia, a Gray’s Anatomy for mythological beasts—dragons, centaurs, Pegasus, Cerberus—all rendered in meticulously detailed anatomical illustrations. You need only look at these images to realize they are the work of a madman. The Resurrectionist tells his story.
The Resurrectionist is refreshingly unique and it shows that creativity is welcome when it comes to the design and structure of books. The cover art is incredible - the entire book is a gorgeous product - and the charm of the cover illustration continues as you read through the pages.
The first part of the book - the fictional biography of Dr. Spencer Black - is a quick read. It tells Black's story in academic prose, creating a tone of authenticity. The more I read, the more I wanted Black to be a real person. He cares so deeply for his profession and he is so certain that the mythological beasts he finds "evidence" of were once alive.
Luckily, the book doesn't end with the conclusion of Black's biography. The second part of the book - a visual representation of Black's work - gives us a look at the anatomy of mythical beasts. Black's notes and definitions are included as a way to counteract the sceptics throughout Black's life. If he can scientifically and medically prove that dragons existed, then it must be true - right?
I was sent an ARC of The Resurrectionist from Quirk Books and it came with a promotional poster. I now have an anatomical diagram of a mermaid (or, siren oceanus) hanging on the wall in my office. I'm confident you'll want to frame and put on display every illustration in the book.
The Resurrectionist will be available on May 21, 2013. For more information, visit Quirk Books.
The Resurrectionist is refreshingly unique and it shows that creativity is welcome when it comes to the design and structure of books. The cover art is incredible - the entire book is a gorgeous product - and the charm of the cover illustration continues as you read through the pages.
The first part of the book - the fictional biography of Dr. Spencer Black - is a quick read. It tells Black's story in academic prose, creating a tone of authenticity. The more I read, the more I wanted Black to be a real person. He cares so deeply for his profession and he is so certain that the mythological beasts he finds "evidence" of were once alive.
Luckily, the book doesn't end with the conclusion of Black's biography. The second part of the book - a visual representation of Black's work - gives us a look at the anatomy of mythical beasts. Black's notes and definitions are included as a way to counteract the sceptics throughout Black's life. If he can scientifically and medically prove that dragons existed, then it must be true - right?
I was sent an ARC of The Resurrectionist from Quirk Books and it came with a promotional poster. I now have an anatomical diagram of a mermaid (or, siren oceanus) hanging on the wall in my office. I'm confident you'll want to frame and put on display every illustration in the book.
The Resurrectionist will be available on May 21, 2013. For more information, visit Quirk Books.
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