Codex Seraphinianus

Franco Maria Ricci. Codex Seraphinianus. Milan: by the author, 1993.      

Created by Italian artist Luigi Serafini in the early 1970s, the “Codex Seraphinianus” presents an almost alien world within the medium of an encyclopedia.  Entirely illegible, the text is written in a unique language that code-breakers have yet to decipher.  The illustrations, on the other hand, are quite familiar in their formal nature, though almost entirely re-purposed in mysterious and, sometimes, humorous ways.  Republished a number of times, the book has become a classic among sci-fi and fantasy fans alike.

Link: Article Codex Seraphinianus – The World’s Weirdest Book