Does the world need yet more Voynich Manuscript-themes novels? Errrrm… obviously it does, or else why would so many of them be parachuting down out of a clear blue sky?
First up in today’s list is H. L. Dennis’ “Secret Breakers: The Power of Three”. Even though this is a kid’s book, between you and me it’s actually a jolly good read, with lots of Bletchley-Park-Station-X and mint-imperial-crunching-British-code-breaker stuff threaded throughout it, like so much Csjhiupo Spdl. My 8-year-old son enjoyed it so much that he’ll be posting a review of it here soon. All you need to know for now is that the ending sets up book two with Edward Elgar: so, Dorabella here we come! 😉
Next up is Linda Lafferty’s “The Bloodletter’s Daughter” – this 480-page heft weaves the Voynich Manuscript’s threads in with the even more obscure (and, actually, far bloodier) story of Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II’s mad son Don Julius. There’s a copy right beside my desk waiting to be read… I just wish I didn’t have so much actual cipher research to do at the moment. But I promise I’ll get there (eventually)… oh well!
Finally, R. J. Scott’s “Book Of Secrets – Oracle 2” is due for release at the end of the month, though I get the feeling that it may not make a lot of sense unless you’ve already read the first book (“Oracle”).
Enjoy! @-) <--- belated Wenlock smiley 😉
OK, Nick:
I have a grandson just about your son’s age. My sons followed my example by learning to read at a very early age. So, I will give my grandson a tip about your (and your son’s) review of the latest “Voynich themed” novel for younger readers.
Believe it or not, much of my husband’s genealogical information goes back to Palatine Europe and Netherlands. Also fascinating is my search for my paternal 3X-great grandparents possibly Palatinate origins. During much of my Voynich “armchair voyages” I keep bumping into Rudolph II’s territory and times! Gonna go “rest my eyes” for a while.
Oh, I just did a double-take of your review of Mr. Dennis’ book. Is it, in fact, “Voynich”-themed”? Even if it isn’t, still sounds like a resoundingly interesting read. Just trying to keep my references/reviews straight.
beedee
Nick
I hope you are doing something that is really engrossing and pleasurable, because your contributions are sorely missed.
Diane: merely dawdling in the cave of Trophonios, with only our favourite book for company. 🙂
this is just a general letting-off-steam about the state of voynich studies.
…..GRRRRR!!
Thanks, Nick
You’re entirely welcome. 😉
Nick, How much longer till the book (?) comes out? Any news?
PS Come and leave a snort of derision or something on my blog before it goes private, won’t you?
Diane: I’d rather not be snarky, you work terrifically hard… but I’ll see what I can do. More or less every time I look at your blog, I think the same single thought: crumbs, look at all that stuff… how does she do it?
Diane: as far as Curse 2 goes, I’m researching away like a d[a]emon. As with Curse 1, the basic narrative and evidential framework is solidly in place, so I’m now trying to determine the outer limits of the account, i.e. where what I’ve found points outwards towards. It’s a good ‘un! 🙂
Ok.. well, why not make a game of it: (she says laying down one armoured fish) – got a match?
🙂
Nick – as to ‘ow i do it.. you have to remember I’m yonks older than you. I have filing cabinets of written papers, journal articles etc.on relevant areas of research, and my much-reduced library, collected over… errr.. a long time. With other collections and ye wiki-world. Main difficulty these days is remembering exactly where I filed something.
Diane: I try hard to be without match. 🙂
Well, I think another long look at the astrological roundels is needed. It just dawned on me that the reducing quality of the script matches that in the roundels. Reminds me of some field notebooks. Start with fine, detailed records – then something happens and suddenly you just have to sketch outlines, fill in the most important of the details with care, and hope you remember the rest.
So maybe not such a gap between drawing, painting and inscriptions. Maybe.
Enough. Sure you’re busy.
Nick – I know that scholars tend to come to your site, and that some have been following my blog. It will be going private from the end of October, but anyone who has been interested in the posts, is of course welcome. Email address in blog’s sidebar.
(Hope this isn’t too much like an ad)
and btw: You’ll find no ‘missing mountain’ in any post. I’m sorry to say that it was invented by the person who subsequently demolished it as a public service for vms-list members. My blog-post mentioned no mountain there at all, and I really can’t take the credit, or the blame, for another person’s creative efforts.
*sigh* – 27 days…
Now I have no excuse to avoid the newspaper. Drat.
Nick
A question – re Banasik and Jacques Guy. Are they independent entities?
Diane: without much doubt, completely independent.
Drat – I thought Z.B. was part of Guy’s follie – especially since Guy makes no mention of ZB in the Times article, fully 12 months after Bansik had come on the scene and been taken up by Stolfi.
Times Supplement September 17,2004. Guy also mentions a phone interview, of which none of the ‘unhoaxing’ was evidently included. He says that it was all play-acting and was ‘supposed to end’ with his revealing the hoax..
I guess I’d better change the bit on my blog..
Bletchley Park code – want to decode it for them?
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-11-02/pigeon-remains-reveal-coded-war-message/4349146
Diane: a little bird told me yesterday, will be posting about it very shortly, well worth a tweet… 😉
And Nick – this really is important…
http://www.loc.gov/preservation/scientists/analytical/noravank.html