n which Your Humble Correspondent endeavours, with what he hopes is at least Partial Success, to list some of the Notable and Obscure Characters and Places of popular Victorian Fiction, that these might or might not be Suitable for Inclusion at some point in the Fanciful Chronicles of that noted Scrivener and author of Penny Dreadfuls Alan Moore (capably aided by the Thomas Nash of the Twentieth Century, Kevin O'Neill) in his Creations Peculiar And Edifying: to wit, the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Dear Reader, a Guide to the latter is located a Short Distance away; simply Click Here, and you shall see a few Notes Of Worth regarding that most Interesting of Illustrated Novels. If you prefer the more Elegant alternative of A Book, you may Purchase my effort, Heroes and Monsters: The Unofficial Guide to the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, from the Good People of MonkeyBrain Books. A second book, A Blazing World, explaining the second League of Extraordinary Gentlemen series, is forthcoming in September 2004. Whether this site is worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as League is For You To Decide. Your Humble Correspondent simply desires to enumerate a number of fantastic and mysterious characters and places. You will also, should you wish, discover Certain Links of Edification And Wonderment, discovered and refined by Your Humble Correspondent (and a small Team of Select and Capable Worthies) for your pleasure.
onstant Reader, be wary, for the information you are about to read, and the Sights Uncanny which your Wondering eyes are about to take in, may be too much for you. I hasten to encourage those of You who are Of School Age to Return To Your Primers. By no means continue on, for the individuals you will read are Not Suitable For Younger Eyes. Nor will any proper Englishwoman read further, for she will encounter Depraved Creatures and Readings (one daren't dignify them with the noble label of "literature") of the sort no Lady would deign to have anything to do with: Johnny Chinamen, women of Low Morals, members of the Infernal Darkness--even (I can scarce bring myself to type the words) Frenchmen! Only true-blooded Englishmen should proceed!
ne final note before I release you from your duties and allow you the pleasure and freedom of perusing, at your Leisure, the information which has been assembled (modesty forbids me from explicating at what cost, but suffice it to say that no costs have been spared, nor have locations as Diverse as Far Samarkand, Danger Island, and the Vaults of Byzantium been overlooked) for you. Many of the colored illustrated capital letters which accompany this document are brought to you courtesy of the worthy Gentleman and Artist Harlan Wallach, whose Wond'rous illuminated letters grace many of the paragraphs before you. All such images are © copyright 2004 Mr. Wallach. For further information, it would behoove you to venture forth to his Informative and Educational Web Page. Mr. Wallach's site is, alas, not functional at the moment, but I trust it shall return shortly. No doubt Mr. Wallach is taking the airs on the Continent to inspire further wonders in him.
ow, if you have read the preceding, and feel yourself ready--your mental loins girded and thrice-warded against exposure to Heathen Figures and Information from the Continent--then proceed. If you feel that--horror of horrors--some erroneous information, something more of the grave than gravy, or merely a bit of underdone potato, has somehow found its way past the Staff of Esteemed Scholars whose labours you are enjoying--then do your duty as an Englishman and let us know of our errors, post-haste, so that the Proper and Correct information may be placed in this document. Similarly, if by some catastrophe--one of our ink-stained scribblers nodding off at his desk after too-late a night of carousing amongst the Fallen Women of Limehouse--a vital piece of information is overlooked or ignored, tell us of our mistake, so that it may be rectified. Proceed now, Gentle Reader, and God Save The Queen!
