Writing system [0]: "In a talk at the Oxford University Society of Bibliophiles on 11 May 2009 [1], Serafini stated that there is no meaning behind the Codex's script, which is asemic; that his experience in writing it was similar to automatic writing [2]; and that what he wanted his alphabet to convey was the sensation children feel with books they cannot yet understand, although they see that the writing makes sense for adults. However, the book's page-numbering system was decoded by Allan C. Wechsler and Bulgarian linguist Ivan Derzhanski, as being a variation of base 21."
[2] Automatic writing, also called psychography, is a claimed psychic ability allowing a person to produce written words without consciously writing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_writing
My local (but big city) library had a circulating copy until about five years ago. It mostly stayed in my home, once or twice a year someone else would request it and I'd give it back for a few months. It's in library use only now but I took great care of it lol.
I have a nice copy, at least as of a few years ago you can get them for relatively cheap. I've been meaning to put scans of the text into OpenCV and play a bit to see if there's an underlying code. The number system in the page numbers has been cracked as far as I know.
Hmmm, Now I need to find out where my copy is hiding. I really need to reorganize the books again. I savored this for a while, but have not gone through the entire book yet. Sort of like War & Peace - books that everyone must read before they die, and I am saving them for insurance.
There might not be that much demand. My understanding is that a good printing of a book will only make money back in pretty large amounts; if there's only a thousand weirdos in the world who want to buy it (and I'm one of those thousand), it'll only barely break even, if that.
Actually, I'm wrong, there is a newly published version that costs under a hundred bucks.
And honestly pretty great, unless you are a collector. It's well done.
The book itself is beautiful and haunting. But I don't think it's for everyone... I have a copy, and I gifted one to someone in my family who really didn't understand the point.
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codex_Seraphinianus#Writing_sy...
[1] I could not find a source for that talk
[2] Automatic writing, also called psychography, is a claimed psychic ability allowing a person to produce written words without consciously writing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_writing
1st Ed. Now worth $6,000 oh well.
[1] https://xkcd.com/593/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luigi_Serafini_(artist)
You might think the publisher would ........ publish some to sell.
Actually, I'm wrong, there is a newly published version that costs under a hundred bucks.
The book itself is beautiful and haunting. But I don't think it's for everyone... I have a copy, and I gifted one to someone in my family who really didn't understand the point.