The BookWorld is a fictitious and complex environment that acts as a "behind-the-scenes" area of books. The BookWorld was created by Jasper Fforde in his Thursday Next series.
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Creation
The BookWorld is most likely "created" by what is known as the Great Panjandrum, a person/thing that is thought to be of the highest of authority, yet is never present, acting as a god of sorts to the BookWorld. As the word panjandrum means someone in high authority, this reaffirms this possibility.
Central Areas and Geography
Great Library
Consisting of 52 levels total, the Great Library acts as a lobby of sorts for the BookWorld, acting as a public gateway onto any book ever created. 26 of the upper levels, based by the author's last name, are laid out in a cross shape, with 4 rows of book cases radiating from a central point. In order to determine whether bookjumping into a book of choice is deemed appropriate or not, the book cover is either green, for "open", or red for "unavailable". (See "Bookjumping", Transportation.) At the top of the Great Library is a large dome that appears to see a large forest like area below, with other Great Libraries in the distance; there being one for every language. The lower 26 subbasements, known as the Well of Lost Plots, is made of unpublished works, although whether they are arranged alphabetically by level or not has yet to be discovered. Without publishing in due time, unfinished novels are scrapped for words and text. The Cheshire Cat (and possibly relatives of his) is the librarian of the Great Library, the Cheshire's name in actuality being the Cat Formerly Known as Cheshire, or Unitary Authority of Warrington Cat.
Text Grand Central
The "engine room" of BookWorld, Text Grand Central uses so-called "storycode engines' to observe changes in books and allow the reader to read books using a complex "imaginotransference system" to supposedly continue the images being created in the reader's mind.
The Text Sea
Within the depths of the Well of Lost Plots, the Text Sea is the source of all text for all books, and is the general burial ground for all destroyed characters to be once more reduced to text. Composed of a random jumble of words and punctuation, words are "trawled" for using scrawltrawlers, the equivalent of large fishing boats that capture words.
Communication
Footnoterphones
Mass communication in the BookWorld is provided by footnoterphones and mobilefootnoterphones, both of which are the central method of book communication. Messages from others appear as footnotes in the text, the "number" of a footnoterphone being the chosen character's book, chapter, page number, paragraph, and line in a book. Connection between phones is created by hidden tunnel conduits that are invisible in the book, such tunnels spanning distances between other books and other genres. However, connections can be crossed and filtered out using "textual sieves", which filters out all incoming text. Junkfootnoterphones are the "spam" messages of BookWorld, frequently appearing in the Well of Lost Plots. News is also put over footnoterphones, which can be turned on and off at will.
Media
Besides media communication on footnoterphones, newspapers are the second choice at receiving news in BookWorld. The primary source of BookWorld news is called The Word. Specific newsletters, such as Moveable Type, the official newsletter of Jurisfiction, may apply to certain groups of characters.
Transportation
Bookjumping
While bookjumping appears to be a given talent to all fictional characters, the bookjumping ability is a rarity in those from outside BookWorld. Bookjumping involves "reading" yourself into a book, appearing in the storyline at the point read. Such natural talent or ability may be approved in some manner by teaching "quality" bookjumping, and bookjumping may be possible without reading the text aloud. In order to avoid potentially destroying a book's plot, however, one must be careful to avoid jumping directly into an area where the plot is occurring, although most bookjumps send the jumper to a place directly outside of the narrative area. A bookjump is characterized by a "fade out" of the character bookjumping.
Private Transportation
If a character can not or does not wish to bookjump, they will have to utilize a method of private transportation. The only such transportation known is that of TransGenre Taxis, a bookjumping taxi service that may be used for a monetary fee.
Crime and Its Control
Most unorganized crime takes place in the Well of Lost Plots, due to its lack of crime control in that area. Such common crime includes illegal selling of plot devices, characters, and others.
Jurisfiction
Due to the frequent instability of much of the BookWorld, a public police agency, instated by the Council of Genres (See Government), uses bookjumping and other devices to keep the BookWorld under control. The central and only crime-preventing force, Jurisfiction has jurisdiction over nearly all areas of the BookWorld. Once having volunteered for Jurisfiction, the applicant then becomes an apprentice to a chosen Jurisfiction agent. All agents are given an essential TravelBook, a necessary item for all situations. Containing needed Jursifiction devices and a link back to the Great Library as well as other popular works of fiction, the TravelBook also acts as a guide to the BookWorld and is password protected to each individual member. Agents deemed appropriate are also given the password to an unpublished work that acts a bestiary and a research faculty for BookWorld creatures. (See Creatures.) Upon passing a written exam and practical exam, an apprentice is given full agent status.
Government
While Jurisfiction is given a large amount of power in the BookWorld, the primary legislative government is the Council of Genres, made up of a representative from every genre in the BookWorld. Ruling upon various issues and creating ordinances to counteract them, there is no official executive of the Council of Genres. Concerning judiciary matters, the Council has no control. Courtroom scenes across the BookWorld are used for this purpose, the judge and jury of each scene preceding over the case at hand.
Creatures
Bookworms
Adjective-creating creatures and maggot-like in appearance, bookworms act as portable thesauri, changing common adjectives into others. ("Nice" for example, into "amiable" or "attractive") Their presence is welcome in most areas, however, should too many infest one area, the area uses too many adjectives and "flowery language", making the text unreadable.
Grammasites
A variety of species occurring, the grammasite was a failed attempt to change nouns into verbs. Escaping from the experiment, their release resulted in a disaster, as they can contribute severe damage to a book. The known types of grammasites include adjectivores, which suck all meaning from an object, and verbisoids, as well as others.
Languages
Although the actual language of the BookWorld is English, there are also other Great Libraries that are apparently completely other languages. The actual sublanguages of each BookWorld, however, are regarded as fonts (Courier Bold, for example, is the primary "language" used in the Well of Lost Plots, particularly by criminals). Also, Lorem Ipsum is a dummy text used to demonstrate layout, and is the only language Friday Next speaks as a young child.
External links
- [1]The "official" section of Jasper Fforde's website on Jurisfiction.
