Books like The resurrectionist by E. B. Hudspeth

Set against the backdrop of gas‑lit, cobblestone Philadelphia in the late 1870s, the book follows Dr. Spencer Black, a young physician whose father was a grave‑robber. Black studies at the Academy of Medicine while developing an unconventional theory that revered mythical creatures such as mermaids, minotaurs, and satyrs might be evolutionary precursors to humanity. The narrative is divided into two parts. The first is a fictional biography tracing Black’s journey from his early years of exhuming corpses, through his medical education and travels with traveling shows, to the mysterious disappearance that marks the end of his life. The second part presents Black’s “Codex Extinct Animalia”—an anatomical treatise comparable to Gray’s Anatomy, but devoted to fantastical beasts including dragons, centaurs, Pegasus, and Cerberus, illustrated with striking detail that reveals the depth of his madness. Through a blend of historical setting, medical lore, and mythological speculation, the work explores themes of evolution, the intersection of science and folklore, and the fine line between genius and obsession.

First publish date: 2013