A brief history of books that do not exist

Sort of related, Jorge Luis Borges wrote reviews of non-existent works by non-existent writers:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_Luis_Borges#Hoaxes_and_f...

I remember many years ago attempting to find at my local library a copy of S. Morgenstern's classic "The Princess Bride", but being frustrated at only being able to find the abridged version by William Goldman.

Next thing to books that do not exist are nanobooks the length of a twitter post:

> The android led him to the cliff. At 8:43pm, it removed his blindfold. The indigo sky filled his vision. "Make my eyes that color," it said.

https://twitter.com/QuietPineTrees/status/579719337210044417

> He unzipped the man's chest, revealing the leaden typebars and silver antennas inside. "See? Every journalist is an engine of revolution."

https://twitter.com/QuietPineTrees/status/684740664425340928

They speak of larger stories, but that's all there is. @QuietPineTrees says they are inspired by @ThePatanoiac, @BrassApothecary and @TheCityofNames.

I remember - when I first got online access - trying to find the books mentioned in Lovecraft stories in the catalogues of various university libraries.

If you want a book that is filled to the brim with footnotes with references to fictional books you should consider reading "Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell".

Members of the band Tool convinced many people to go hunting for Ronald P. Vincent's "Joyful Guide To Lachrymology," on the study of therapeutic crying, by making the inspirational book a part of their origin story.

Fans now keep the hoax alive:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4452619-the-joyful-guide...

I noticed yesterday in S.E. Morison's The European Discovery of America: The Northern Voyages, a mention of a book of exploration (mostly toward the far north, apparently), Inventio Furtunata (or Fortunae), mentioned in a letter to Columbus from an English merchant. At the time Morison wrote, nobody had been able to find the book or a clear account of it.