Codex Seraphinianus

One of the most fantastic, mysterious and imaginative books I’ve ever read is the Codex Seraphinianus. I say “read,” though the book is actually written in an alien script that has yet to be deciphered, and is therefore unreadable.  However, it’s also filled with hundreds of miniature paintings that depict a strange, exotic world. These are often surreal and supernatural, stylistically falling somewhere between Hieronymus Bosch, M. C. Eschar and Jorge Luis Borges. Given its archaic, prehistoric appearance, you might assume this magical encyclopaedia was recovered from some ancient tomb, coated in dust. In fact, it was created in the late 1970s by Italian artist, Luigi Serafini.

There are several different sections to the Codex, each portraying a different aspect of this bizarre, unnamed world.  You’ll find diagrams of strangely-shaped plants and animals, maps of old continents, schematics for Rube Goldberg-esque inventions... The fact that there are over 350 pages worth of such unique ideas, all created in a thirty-month period, makes it one of the most impressive works of creation I've ever come across. And it is an absolute delight to read, one of those books you can pick up and flick to any page when you’re in the mood for some brief flashes of genius.

The only catch, unfortunately, is that you can’t actually pick it up, physically at least.  Not unless you’re willing to shell out 200 pounds or however much it’s going for these days. Of course, you might be lucky enough to come across a cheap copy on Ebay or at a car boot sale, but if you’re like me, you’ll settle for a digital copy. You can download it using the following torrent link, though you’ll need a program that can open CBR files, like Comic Rack or Simple Comic:
Click here

Some more excerpts: