{"product_id":"the-human-bat-and-the-j-s-mackley-9781917130042","title":"The Human Bat and The Black Phantom (1899-1901): The Story of Spring-Heeled Jack","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpring-Heeled Jack: The Human Bat (1899-1901)\u003c\/strong\u003e brings together two long-lost Victorian serials from \u003cem\u003eThe Funny Wonder\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Human Bat\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Black Phantom\u003c\/em\u003e, now edited and introduced by J.S. Mackley. Running for more than two years between 1899 and 1901, these sensational tales transform the legend of Spring-Heeled Jack from London's leaping ghost into a proto-supernatural detective story of vampires, vengeance, and empire.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe story follows Lionel Hope, a Yorkshire clerk accused of being the mysterious \"Human Bat\" who terrifies Bevington's citizens. Assisted by his loyal friends-Tom Robbins and boy-detective Jack Hunt-Lionel struggles to clear his name and unmask the winged terror stalking the night. Written in the feverish idiom of the penny serial, the narrative merges Gothic melodrama with the emerging tropes of detective and horror fiction, offering early examples of serialised cliff-hangers, masked avengers, and public \"guess-the-villain\" contests.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe comprehensive introduction reconstructs the publication history of the \u003cem\u003eFunny Wonder\u003c\/em\u003e story-papers, the competition that promised readers a gold watch for revealing the Bat's identity, and the serial's influence on later works such as \u003cem\u003eThe Winged Man (1913)\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eMan or Fiend (1904)\u003c\/em\u003e. His commentary situates \u003cem\u003eThe Human Bat\u003c\/em\u003e within fin-de-siècle anxieties about technology, empire, and the monstrous.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRichly annotated and restored from fragile British Library originals, this edition continues \u003cem\u003eThe Spring-Heeled Jack Library\u003c\/em\u003e series, preserving one of the most extraordinary experiments in Victorian popular storytelling.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e J. S. Mackley\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 191713004X\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781917130042\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Isengrin Publishing\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 07\/01\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 594\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.81lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.21h x 6.14w x 1.20d","brand":"J. S. Mackley","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48443043021055,"sku":"9781917130042","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_a5b1b21f-437b-40a4-af77-b528afe140fc.jpg?v=1777201469","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-human-bat-and-the-j-s-mackley-9781917130042","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}