The Book of Imaginary Beings, Illustrated
August 24, 2010 2:58 PM Subscribe
Fantastic Zoology - A graphical interpretation of J.L. Borges "Book of Imaginary Beings"
Lots more Borgesinalia at Pitt's Borges Center
Via theodolite's best answer and previously, though the links are now broken.
Lots more Borgesinalia at Pitt's Borges Center
Via theodolite's best answer and previously, though the links are now broken.
Very cool. A good friend of mine just published a book of imaginary anatomy that was inspired by this, I think.
posted by Navelgazer at 3:06 PM on August 24, 2010
posted by Navelgazer at 3:06 PM on August 24, 2010
Dig into the wayback machine and find the previous gems, like the PDF from the first previous link, though it lacks the interesting pictures.
posted by filthy light thief at 3:09 PM on August 24, 2010
posted by filthy light thief at 3:09 PM on August 24, 2010
*swoon*
posted by New England Cultist at 3:13 PM on August 24, 2010
posted by New England Cultist at 3:13 PM on August 24, 2010
Cool!
It's asking me to run something called "Netscape". Is that some sort of antivirus doodad?
posted by mkultra at 4:11 PM on August 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
It's asking me to run something called "Netscape". Is that some sort of antivirus doodad?
posted by mkultra at 4:11 PM on August 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
Apropos, since today is Borges's birthday. Cheers for 111 years!
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 4:27 PM on August 24, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 4:27 PM on August 24, 2010 [2 favorites]
After looking at a fair number, my favorite illustration remains the first one I clicked on, The Ass with Three Legs.
posted by Kattullus at 4:47 PM on August 24, 2010
posted by Kattullus at 4:47 PM on August 24, 2010
- a java script enabled browser (preferably Netscape)
- at 1024 x 768, or higher, screen resolution
Okay, is this guy for real?
posted by Gin and Comics at 5:35 PM on August 24, 2010
- at 1024 x 768, or higher, screen resolution
Okay, is this guy for real?
posted by Gin and Comics at 5:35 PM on August 24, 2010
Damn, that animated gif of the old Netscape logo gave me a flashback!
posted by bonefish at 6:23 PM on August 24, 2010
posted by bonefish at 6:23 PM on August 24, 2010
The Lamed Wufniks immediately suggest a plot for a story or a roleplaying game:
A secretive cult sends people all around the world to locate the Laed Wufniks, who, unaware of their status, are also unaware of their jeopardy. For the cult aims to locate all of the Wufniks and, at an appointed hour, kill them all simultaneously. As the freed essences of the Wufniks go forth to find new hosts, the world is left unprotected from God's wrath, and a series of cataclysms shake the world...
posted by kaibutsu at 8:24 PM on August 24, 2010 [3 favorites]
A secretive cult sends people all around the world to locate the Laed Wufniks, who, unaware of their status, are also unaware of their jeopardy. For the cult aims to locate all of the Wufniks and, at an appointed hour, kill them all simultaneously. As the freed essences of the Wufniks go forth to find new hosts, the world is left unprotected from God's wrath, and a series of cataclysms shake the world...
posted by kaibutsu at 8:24 PM on August 24, 2010 [3 favorites]
It's interesting that he's unaware that the remora is a real animal - a fish with a sucker on its head that attaches to larger fish, whales, sharks, and yes, sometimes ships. The properties ascribed to it by the ancients are fantastical, but the remora itself is not.
posted by Slap*Happy at 9:58 PM on August 24, 2010
posted by Slap*Happy at 9:58 PM on August 24, 2010
i can't say i love the drawings, but A for effort. i think my paperback version of the book actually has drawings.
lamed wufniks were always my favorite too. maybe i'm one of them. oh no i just lost the game.
posted by mrgrimm at 6:50 AM on August 25, 2010
lamed wufniks were always my favorite too. maybe i'm one of them. oh no i just lost the game.
posted by mrgrimm at 6:50 AM on August 25, 2010
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posted by ServSci at 3:03 PM on August 24, 2010