Doctor Nikola, Guy Boothby — 2nd Edition

Publication: London, Ward, Lock & Co., Limited, 1896

Formatting: 8vo, pp. viii, 322, [4].

Condition Report: Very Good. Original publisher's blue cloth binding remains firm and structurally sound, though it exhibits moderate shelf-wear typical with its age. The spine is somewhat sunned and rubbed at the head and tail, with light wear beginning at the extremities. The striking pictorial insets to the front board and spine remain largely distinct, though the surrounding gilt lettering has slightly dulled. The rear board shows notable scuffing and faint scratches to the cloth. Text block is slightly shaken but holds well, with the top edge darkened and general dust-toning to the fore and lower edges. Internally, the pages are generally clean with occasional instances of mild foxing and natural age-toning throughout. The hinges remain secure.

Catalogue Note: An early and highly desirable second edition of Boothby's classic occult thriller, remarkably issued in the same year as the first printing to meet intense public demand. The volume boasts the iconic publisher's binding with the striking, macabre inset portraits of the eponymous Doctor Nikola and his familiar black cat.

It is further enhanced by an atmospheric frontispiece and several dynamic interior plates illustrated by Stanley L. Wood, whose visual interpretations became deeply synonymous with Boothby's work. Finding surviving early printings in their original, un-restored cloth bindings with the pictorial elements still intact has become increasingly difficult on the open market, making this a collectible specimen of late-Victorian popular fiction.

Doctor Nikola is a thrilling late-Victorian adventure that plunges readers into the dark, labyrinthine world of occultism and global conspiracy. The story follows the enigmatic and ruthless Dr. Nikola, a criminal mastermind with a mesmerizing intellect and a sinister black cat companion. Accompanied by the young Australian adventurer Wilfred Bruce, Nikola embarks on a perilous expedition deep into the heart of China to locate a heavily guarded, secret Buddhist monastery. His goal is to uncover ancient, esoteric knowledge that promises unimaginable power and the secret to immortality. Blending elements of the exotic, the supernatural, and high-stakes action, Guy Boothby's novel remains a cornerstone of early speculative fiction and one of the era’s most compelling anti-hero narratives.