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Spring-Heeled Jack: The Terror of London (1886) is the second major serial devoted to the character, following the 1863 penny dreadful that transformed Jack into a folk hero. Published in 48 issues, the 1886 story represents Jack's longest and most visually striking appearance in Victorian print culture. It is a gripping tale of villainy, abduction, and nocturnal justice - a sensational adventure steeped in the atmosphere of fog-shrouded London streets and Gothic melodrama.
In this narrative, the scheming Sir Roland Ashton stops at nothing to seize control of the Ashton estates. Two young women - Daisy Leigh and Constance Marfield - find themselves at the mercy of his plots. Ralph Ashton, the rightful heir, is forced into a dangerous struggle against Roland's power. And throughout it all, an enigmatic figure moves in the shadows: Spring-Heeled Jack, now depicted as part demon, part avenger, meting out justice to the wicked.
This edition reproduces the 1886 serial in full and includes a new introduction by J.S. Mackley, situating the text within the wider history of Spring-Heeled Jack narratives, theatrical adaptations, criminal imitations, and popular folklore from the 1830s to the early twentieth century. It offers both an engaging Victorian adventure and a valuable resource for those studying Gothic literature, urban mythology, and sensational print culture.
This is Book 1 of 2, as the complete text is too extensive to be contained in a single volume. The companion Book 2 continues and concludes the 1886 serial.
The Spring-Heeled Jack Library brings together all major serialisations and related stories of the legendary figure, including the 1863 Terror of London serial, short fiction, plays, and later adaptations such as The Human Bat and The Winged Man. This new critical edition makes these rare and fragmented texts accessible to a modern readership for the first time.
