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The Second Earth: The Pentateuch Re-Told
The Pentateuch Of The Cosmogony [literally meaning 'the 5 books of the origin of the universe'] is a fantasy 'creation myth-cycle' presented as a pseudo-scientific decipherment of an ancient document. Beginning with a description of how the document came to be found, it then details the ideographic 'language' employed [ideograms are like, for example, our modern road signs] before presenting a "suggested interpretation" which takes up the bulk of the work.
141 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1988
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About the author
Patrick Woodroffe
36 books16 followersPatrick James Woodroffe was an English artist, etcher and drawer, who specialised in fantasy science-fiction artwork, with images that border on the surreal. His achievements include several collaborations with well-known musicians, two bronze sculptures displayed in Switzerland and numerous books.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 13, 2017
Every now and again I stumbled across another (though increasingly harder to find) book published from Paper Tiger - this time from Patrick Woodroffe - and its a classic Woodroffe.
The book itself is the fictional telling of the first five books of the origins of the universe with accompanying artwork. There is really not much more to add that has not either been covered off in Good Reads own entry on this book or the link to the works of Dave Greenslade who Woodroffe had collaborated with on a number of times.
The book is I admit I big hard going to read- the alternative history of the universe can be quite hard going, intentionally broken and ambiguous. However the artwork certainly lends itself to the text and even though equally strange and disjointed the two seem to work perfectly together.
This to me sums up the attitude of the Paper Tiger publications, sometime whimsical, sometimes disturbing but always different and never predicable.
On a personal note this book was one of the stock books my art teacher had at school, I will be the first to admit I have no talent when it comes to art, these books and the impressions they gave me have stayed with me to this day.
The book itself is the fictional telling of the first five books of the origins of the universe with accompanying artwork. There is really not much more to add that has not either been covered off in Good Reads own entry on this book or the link to the works of Dave Greenslade who Woodroffe had collaborated with on a number of times.
The book is I admit I big hard going to read- the alternative history of the universe can be quite hard going, intentionally broken and ambiguous. However the artwork certainly lends itself to the text and even though equally strange and disjointed the two seem to work perfectly together.
This to me sums up the attitude of the Paper Tiger publications, sometime whimsical, sometimes disturbing but always different and never predicable.
On a personal note this book was one of the stock books my art teacher had at school, I will be the first to admit I have no talent when it comes to art, these books and the impressions they gave me have stayed with me to this day.
March 13, 2018
amazing amazing more amazing
April 10, 2009
An art book with text. The story revolves around a pseudo-religious text outlining the creation and evolution of life on Earth via fantastic, allegorical poetry which was found in a dead spaceship orbiting the planet right around the year 3000.
Sort of. It's complicated.
The pictures are beautiful and the mythos interesting. The cosmology created by the author is complete and authentic-sounding. I've heard weirder creation myths before today, most of which some people actually believe.
Religion is weird.
Anyhoo: fun book.
Sort of. It's complicated.
The pictures are beautiful and the mythos interesting. The cosmology created by the author is complete and authentic-sounding. I've heard weirder creation myths before today, most of which some people actually believe.
Religion is weird.
Anyhoo: fun book.
June 6, 2025
A stunning, beautiful book!
February 7, 2016
I loved everything about Woodroffe's The Second Earth. The narrative is presented as a highly comprehensive visual mythology regarding Man's life on his original homeworld with the 'text' and imagery having been found aboard an alien spacecraft a few centuries from now.
Woodroffe's text is carefully written - told in a verse and style reminiscent of sacred texts; it's then accompanied by faux scholars' opinions in an introduction and appendix. Then, the paintings that accompany the stories are both breathtaking and unparalleled, yet being evocative of the legends and myths we know from the classical world (satyrs, fairies etc.). Finally, the fictional text is presented as a scholar's translated narrative because the original alien text is written in an ideographic/logographic writing system (therefore, there's room for interpretation). Linguistically, the logograms that Woodroffe created are beautiful and certainly practical. There's even a glossary at the back so you construct your own concepts.
A pleasure to read in three separate ways (which is quite apt, considering the rule of three features heavily in the discourse!)
Woodroffe's text is carefully written - told in a verse and style reminiscent of sacred texts; it's then accompanied by faux scholars' opinions in an introduction and appendix. Then, the paintings that accompany the stories are both breathtaking and unparalleled, yet being evocative of the legends and myths we know from the classical world (satyrs, fairies etc.). Finally, the fictional text is presented as a scholar's translated narrative because the original alien text is written in an ideographic/logographic writing system (therefore, there's room for interpretation). Linguistically, the logograms that Woodroffe created are beautiful and certainly practical. There's even a glossary at the back so you construct your own concepts.
A pleasure to read in three separate ways (which is quite apt, considering the rule of three features heavily in the discourse!)
August 27, 2015
It's been over 20 years since I read this, but a chance comment reminded me of it. I'm a little conflicted how to rate it. On the one hand, it had a very significant impact on the younger me in my formative years and I remember loving it. On the other hand, I don't really remember any of the details and I wonder how it would hold up if I read it today. I intend to re-read it, and I may change my rating up or down after that.
November 9, 2014
This was an interesting read at first, but really starts to drag. The art is very well done and beautiful, and as a coffee table book this would be good, just an interesting something to leave around and flip through on occasion, not really something to read cover to cover.
June 10, 2011
BRILLIANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 1, 2018
I first encountered this book back in my first year of High School. It was a treasured book of a friend of mine, and she was generous enough to lend it to me. I was entranced by the art and the poetic story from the start. But perhaps I was a bit too young to take it all in.
Coincidentially, a few years later, our Highschool Music department took a trip to Switzerland, where we visited the town of Gruyere. At the Castle, there happened to be a Patrick Woodruffe exhibit. As soon as we got off the bus, we were greeted by a metal cast of "War is a Vicious Cirle" by Patrick Woodruffe. I recognized it immediatly...
And we were treated to a multi-media feast for the eyes.
At the gift shop I found a copy of the book "The Second Earth" for sale and it came signed by the artist. I was over the moon to finally have my own copy. But alas, that copy was damaged many years later when a friend spilled liquid laundry detergent all over it.
Now close to 2 decades later, I have managed to track down another copy of it, here in Japan no less. Reading it was like encountering an old friend. Entering the world it conjures was all very familiar to me.
The story is that in the 24th century, we discover a floating ship within the orbit of Jupiter. This ship, known as Hermes, proves to be a floating library. Within it is the so-called Pentateuch of presumably our ancestors from a very very long time ago. It tells of their original planet and how it came to be. And how humankind corrupted it, and forced itself to flee in search of a new home. They eventually find Earth, the current planet we all live on... This is all horribly simplified, because the creation stories contained definitely follow in the vein of mythology, full of miracles and gods. Especially being an alien planet, we encounter beings and settings that would defy our currently known ideas of reality.
With more years of life experience between the last time I actually sat down to read the book, the story's nuances came into sharper relief. Perhaps I had never read it as completely as I have now? The subtitle of the book is "The Pentateuch Re-told," and indeed, the style of the prose is bliblically bombastic indeed. It also includes its own Genesis and Exodus like stories. It also seems to teach the tenants of living a good life. However, Patrick Woodruffe's religion is decidedly more ecologically driven and passifist than those of "The people of the book." The book even self-consciously lays out it's own themes in the final "Appendix C: The Pentatauch Today by Sir George Francis, Director of Public Relations Services, U.N.T.W. and editor of the Second Edition." But this is really a fictional character, acting as the Artist/Author's mouth piece for his own analysis of his work. I think that the book seeks to teach us that we are guests of the planet Earth, we should not be ruling the planet, we should be taking care of it. This is also reflected in the way Ildrinn treats us humans as well. Where first she caused us to fight and exploit each other and the planet, but once both are brought to the brink of ruination, she realizes that even she has need of us. And that is really what life is like as well. We often hardly appreciate the things around us until they are gone. And that goes for our planet as well.
Coincidentially, a few years later, our Highschool Music department took a trip to Switzerland, where we visited the town of Gruyere. At the Castle, there happened to be a Patrick Woodruffe exhibit. As soon as we got off the bus, we were greeted by a metal cast of "War is a Vicious Cirle" by Patrick Woodruffe. I recognized it immediatly...
And we were treated to a multi-media feast for the eyes.
At the gift shop I found a copy of the book "The Second Earth" for sale and it came signed by the artist. I was over the moon to finally have my own copy. But alas, that copy was damaged many years later when a friend spilled liquid laundry detergent all over it.
Now close to 2 decades later, I have managed to track down another copy of it, here in Japan no less. Reading it was like encountering an old friend. Entering the world it conjures was all very familiar to me.
The story is that in the 24th century, we discover a floating ship within the orbit of Jupiter. This ship, known as Hermes, proves to be a floating library. Within it is the so-called Pentateuch of presumably our ancestors from a very very long time ago. It tells of their original planet and how it came to be. And how humankind corrupted it, and forced itself to flee in search of a new home. They eventually find Earth, the current planet we all live on... This is all horribly simplified, because the creation stories contained definitely follow in the vein of mythology, full of miracles and gods. Especially being an alien planet, we encounter beings and settings that would defy our currently known ideas of reality.
With more years of life experience between the last time I actually sat down to read the book, the story's nuances came into sharper relief. Perhaps I had never read it as completely as I have now? The subtitle of the book is "The Pentateuch Re-told," and indeed, the style of the prose is bliblically bombastic indeed. It also includes its own Genesis and Exodus like stories. It also seems to teach the tenants of living a good life. However, Patrick Woodruffe's religion is decidedly more ecologically driven and passifist than those of "The people of the book." The book even self-consciously lays out it's own themes in the final "Appendix C: The Pentatauch Today by Sir George Francis, Director of Public Relations Services, U.N.T.W. and editor of the Second Edition." But this is really a fictional character, acting as the Artist/Author's mouth piece for his own analysis of his work. I think that the book seeks to teach us that we are guests of the planet Earth, we should not be ruling the planet, we should be taking care of it. This is also reflected in the way Ildrinn treats us humans as well. Where first she caused us to fight and exploit each other and the planet, but once both are brought to the brink of ruination, she realizes that even she has need of us. And that is really what life is like as well. We often hardly appreciate the things around us until they are gone. And that goes for our planet as well.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews