Hello everyone and Happy Friday! Over the course of three weeks, we’re doing something a little different to celebrate the release of hybrid fictional biography/codex of the strange book, The Resurrectionist: The Lost Work of Dr. Spencer Black by E.B. Hudspeth.
Each Friday, we’ll reveal an exclusive set of images from Doctor Black’s magnum opus, The Codex Extinct Animalia – a Gray’s Anatomy for mythological beasts (including dragons, centaurs and the like). Our mythological beast of focus is the Mermaid (Siren Oceanus) – we’ll unveil 3 series’ of 3 images each week, leading up to our review of the book on May 17 (that’s today!). Each week, we’ll also be giving away a poster and final copy of The Resurrectionist.
Check out the Week 1 image reveal HERE and the Week 2 image reveal HERE.
Without further ado, we are very pleased to give you three more exclusive images of…
Siren Oceanus
About The Mermaid:
From author E.B. Hudspeth (read his earlier thoughts on the mermaid HERE and HERE):
When I started The Resurrectionist I knew I couldn’t leave out the mermaid. I never did like mermaids too much until I started researching some of the history. Though I only focused on the anatomy of one particular species of ocean mermaid, I wrote a little about some of the other many potential variations.
The mermaid remains one of the creatures that you might be able to draw a line to explain how it could have actually evolved. Given what we know about the importance of display in terms of mating, defense and so on, one might argue that a species of primate reverted to the water but maintained its human appearance as a means of attracting prey. Countless animals evolve with false images or shapes on their bodies for the sole purpose of fooling their prey. So why not believe in mermaids?
About the Book:
Philadelphia. The late 1870s.
A city of cobblestone sidewalks and horse-drawn carriages. Home to the famous anatomist and surgeon Dr. Spencer Black. The son of a “resurrectionist” (aka grave robber), Dr. Black studied 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 his humble beginnings to 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 black-and-white anatomical illustrations. You need only look at these images to realize they are the work of a madman. The Resurrectionist tells his story.
Check out a quick interview with the author below, as well as the official book trailer for more about the book:
If you’re still not satisfied, you can read more about the book on the official page HERE. And you can read more about E.B. Hudspeth on his website, too.
The Giveaway:
This is our FINAL giveaway of a copy of The Resurrectionist and a poster. This second contest is open to addresses in the US and will run until Thursday, May 26 at 12:01am EST. To enter, use the form below.
GOOD LUCK! And make sure to stick around as later today Thea reviews The Resurrectionist!
29 Comments
Bram
May 17, 2013 at 8:31 amFavorite mad scientist is definitely Dr. Frankenstein
Kaethe
May 17, 2013 at 8:34 amOkay, she’s for kids just starting chapter books, but we are all crazy at our house for Franny K. Stein.
superbwg
May 17, 2013 at 10:40 amI like to think of Sherlock Holmes as a bit of a mad scientist, also Dr. Jekyll (insert insane mad laugh here)
Vanessa
May 17, 2013 at 11:30 amAt the moment, it’s Walter from Fringe (I’m only at season 2) but in literature I think I have to go with Genevieve in the Parasol Protectorate series.
Lexi
May 17, 2013 at 2:26 pmI must say Bunsen and Beaker on the Muppets.
C.Parrella
May 17, 2013 at 3:38 pmEvery time I see this book, I want to read it even more!!
Linda W
May 17, 2013 at 8:26 pmMy favorite mad scientist is Jeremy in Terry Pratchett’s THIEF OF TIME.
Lashawn
May 17, 2013 at 8:59 pmI can’t think of many books I’ve read with a mad scientist….definitely going to have to fix that! I enjoyed Avrill Frankensten from the Spy High series by A. j. Butcher.
Missie
May 17, 2013 at 9:17 pmDr. Warthrop!
scribe kira
May 17, 2013 at 9:18 pmDr. Warthrop! There isn’t a scientist madder!
jennie
May 17, 2013 at 9:36 pmI have to echo what @Lexi said: Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker of the Muppets. When Dr. Honeydew put Beaker through the copy machine and Beakers took over the band at the end is one of my favorite sketches.
Leah
May 17, 2013 at 9:56 pmHe’s not literary, but I have to say Dr. Horrible.
Allison
May 17, 2013 at 10:26 pmDr. Jekyll<3
Jordan R.
May 17, 2013 at 11:48 pmDoes Dr. Banner count?
erinf1
May 17, 2013 at 11:50 pmOoooh… thanks for the great post and giveaway! I’d also have to say Walter from Fringe 🙂
Matthew
May 18, 2013 at 1:04 amHmm… Favorite is hard, but one I really liked from a recent read is Dr. Impossible of “Soon I Will Be Invincible.”
Heidi
May 18, 2013 at 2:20 pmI’m going to show my nerd card here and say Professor Putricide from WoW/Professor Farnsworth from Futurama, mostly because I do enjoy quoting “Good news, everyone!”
hapax
May 18, 2013 at 9:41 pmBoth Dr Bunsen Honeydew and Dr Horrible are adorkable, but how could I say anything but Agatha Heterodyne, from the Girl Genius webcomic? “For SCIENCE!”
Shelver506 @ Bookshelvers Anonymous
May 19, 2013 at 10:26 amI think Dr. Jekyll. I never much cared for Dr. Frankenstein (he scared me), but Dr. Jekyll is immensely fascinating.
Melissa (Books and Things)
May 19, 2013 at 3:02 pmLove mermaids!!!
I’d have to say Brain from Pinky and the Brain as well as Dexter from Dexter’s Laboratory! 😀
Lauren
May 20, 2013 at 12:22 pmWow, Brain is a great pick, and I think I’m definitely going to have to echo that! I always thought that Pinky actually fueled Brain’s evil-ness by being playing the fool. Thanks, Melissa!
Serena
May 21, 2013 at 12:26 pmI wouldn’t have thought of it on my own, but Dr. Horrible is a great pick!
Justine
May 21, 2013 at 1:33 pmReal-life mad scientists are always more bizarre to me than fictional mad scientists. I admire the work NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory does now, but — yeesh — one of the co-founders (Jack Parsons) was an occultist.
Kirsten!
May 23, 2013 at 6:21 pmI don’t really read many mad science books, but I really loved Fran Madaraki and her twisted morality from the manga series Franken Fran.
Allana
May 23, 2013 at 9:48 pmFavorite mad scientist character is definitely Dr Frank-n-furter from Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Jessy W
May 23, 2013 at 11:29 pmI am not sure if I have a favorite mad scientist… I think their creations steel the show.
Tina
May 24, 2013 at 4:59 pmDr. Horrible is a great pick; so is Walter from Fringe. 🙂
Steve
May 25, 2013 at 9:37 amWalter from Fringe
Genevieve
May 25, 2013 at 11:00 pmdr. Frankenstein !