Out of Order Book Club: The Wizard of Whitechapel (1988)

"Never judge a book by its cover", isn't that the old saying? Well, on the final episode of our first season, I'll be looking at a book that I absolutely judged by it's cover - 'The Wizard of Whitechapel'. A jaunty cover and the word 'Whitechapel' certainly set off a mix of alarm bells and curiosity in my brain. In this episode, I'll be looking at a mash up of Arthurian legends and sci fi (with a splash of Victorian serial killer). It isn't a spoiler to say that the contents of the book did not in any way reflect what was happening on the cover, and I go off on many tangents about Hallie Rubenhold's 'The Five' and Peter Ackroyd's 'London: A Biography'. However, I should apologise here for my attempt at a Cockney accent, I have no excuse.

Content warning: Some swearing, plus reference to 1980s gay panic joke about a man being a fairy when he literally is fae or a fairy. This will be dealing with the Jack the Ripper murders, but it doesn't go into details about the murders either in real life or in the book.

You can find Mal on Bluesky: outoforderbookclub.bsky.social

Useful links and helpful sources

Simon Hawke's Goodreads Blog: As mentioned in the episode, this blog didn't last long but it is worth dipping into especially if you're a wannabe writer. You may not agree with his perspectives on writing, but it's interesting to know the realities of a writer's precarious existence and how committed you ned to be to writing to write over a long period.

Hallie Rubenhold's The Five: I went on such a tangent about this, but it is an extraordinary book that changes your perspective on the women killed by Jack the Ripper, while ignoring that dipshit entirely.

Londonist Time Machine Substack: I discovered this after finishing the episode. I thought I loved Peter Ackroyd's 'London: A Biography', but here is someone who mapped it. A fascinating read.