Druд, or The Man in Black

Unmistakable. Magnificent. A good friend. The English press showered Charles Dickens, the number one writer of the Victorian era, with hundreds of flattering epithets and affectionate nicknames. For his ability to immerse the reader in fantastic daydreams, they forgave him for his volatile temper, excessive emotionality, and a questionable divorce process – all that would not have been overlooked in anyone else. But one day, the impeccable bestsellers conveyor broke down. This happened after a railway disaster, in which Dickens survived only by miracle, while hundreds of other passengers perished. Confusedly wandering among the mangled bodies, Dickens encountered a strange man of such repulsive appearance that he could very well have been a creation of a nightmarish dream. The man introduced himself as Druд and invited Dickens to his home... From that moment on, the story is filled with mysteries, acquiring many shades and directions. Underground catacombs beneath London, dismembered corpses, ancient sinister cults, and cannibals emerge in it. And this story will be told to us by Wilkie Collins, Dickens' best friend and literary rival. A man who never lies.