If I wrote a fictional work about the Ripper, I'd follow some shmo, without naming him, but he'd be sleeping in the doss houses, and generally living a life a lot like the victims'. At the end of the book, he'd be talking to someone about how he was tired of the doss houses, and he really wanted a room of his own somewhere, whatever he had to do to pay the rent, but we'd also find out that he'd nicked himself. He'd tell someone about it, but he wouldn't say how he got cut. We'd get the impression, though, that he is becoming seriously ill, and has no idea-- he may even be dying. That'd be where the book would close.
If I gave him a first name, it'd probably be John-- or I'd find out what the most common name for a man in Victorian London was, and call him that.
My fictional character wouldn't write the Jack-the-Ripper letter, but he WOULD write the Lusk letter.
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Best Ripper Suspect as Fiction
I have been reading a lot of Ripper fiction of late and it got me thinking:
Excluding the various Royal/Royal conspiracy theories, which clearly are outstanding stories and commercial successes, which suspect's story would make the best fictionalized Ripper book or movie? I'd like to confine this to those who are reasonable suspects, but within this group who provides the best fictionalized story?
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