The Key to All Mythologies, available at last
January 26, 2025 9:52 AM   Subscribe

The Fictive Non-Fiction exhibit at the Grolier Club presents the embodiment of imaginary books mentioned in other books. Come for Thoughts on the Prevention of the Diseases most usual among Seamen, stay for The Key to All Mythologies. Museum labels very worth reading.
posted by Well I never (11 comments total) 20 users marked this as a favorite
 
I just went to see this in person this week, and as somebody whose job is working with old books, I was really impressed with what a good job most of them do replicating the look of the thing they’re supposed to be. I’m sure this one is just a random authentic 16th century vellum book with a new manuscript spine label, but the ink and the calligraphy is very convincing. If I saw it on the shelf at my library I wouldn’t give it a second thought.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 11:15 AM on January 26 [4 favorites]


“Astrology Applied to Horse-racing“ amused me so much I had to put the phone down for a moment to get a hold of my thoughts. Thank you for posting!
posted by lepus at 2:11 PM on January 26




The Dorothy L. Sayers fandom has been very happy to see several Harriet Vane novels on display, plus proof that Miss Ludgate’s book on prosody was finally published after all.
posted by PussKillian at 4:05 PM on January 26 [3 favorites]


Love the post title!
posted by chaiminda at 4:11 PM on January 26


I like to read a few pages from Alfred Zellerman's Gruppenführer Louis XVI or Patrick Hannahan's Gigamesh (no L, to draw attention to or from Lucifer), but they probably wouldn't be as fun to look at.
posted by edward_5000 at 5:04 PM on January 26


The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism

A commemorative edition of Goldstein’s landmark work.

Indeed, a book for our times.
posted by BlueHorse at 6:41 PM on January 26


Mod note: [Love this! Thank you, Well I never! <3 We've added it to our roundup of short works currently featured on the site!]
posted by taz (staff) at 4:58 AM on January 27


I haven't clicked yet, but I want to see at some of the tomes mentioned in Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.
posted by grubi at 6:31 AM on January 27


Hooray!
posted by grubi at 6:34 AM on January 27


Alan Moore’s new novel, The Great When, hinges on an imaginary book, that became real. I’m half way through, and it’s great.
posted by njohnson23 at 8:19 AM on January 28 [1 favorite]


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