History Main / BlankBook

'''Type 4:''' Lastly, the book being blank could be an Aesop for knowledge or lack of it. Perhaps the famed book of wisdom is blank because the person finding the book is supposed to write out the important knowledge himself because having gone through the quest to find the book he now has the wisdom to write the book of wisdom himself. Or if the book was a blank holy text, it shows that character is denied the knowledge that will save his soul because he is now beyond redemption.

* ''CastADeadlySpell''. A man steals the [[TomeOfEldritchLore Necronomicon]] and sells it to mobster Harry Borden. After Borden pays for the book and the man leaves, Borden opens the book and discovers its pages are blank - it's a fraud.

'''Type 4:''' Lastly, the book being blank could be an Aesop for knowledge or lack of it. Perhaps the important book is blank because the person finding the book is supposed to write out the important knowledge himself because he has gone through the quest to find the book he now has the wisdom to fill the blank book. Or if the book was a blank holy text, and now the character is denied the knowledge that will save his soul because he is now beyond redemption.

'''Type 4:''' Lastly, the book being blank could be an Aesop for knowledge or lack of it. Perhaps the important book is blank because the person finding the book is supposed to write it the important knowledge himself, or if the book was a blank holy text, and now the character is denied the knowledge that will save his soul because he is now beyond redemption.

'''Type 3:''' Lastly, someone (or thing) may have "stolen" the contents of the book and left it completely wordless in the process. In fact, some words may literally fly off the page or drip off as wet ink.

* In ''{{xxxHoLic}}'', there was a demon that ate words from books. It was eventually tricked into eating the words on a ProtectiveCharm, making it SealedEvilInACan.

[[quoteright:330:[[BatmanTheAnimatedSeries http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/BatmanTASBlankBook_405.jpg]]]]

* In ''BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', [[spoiler:when Bruce Wayne was trapped by the Mad Hatter in a LotusEaterMachine,]] one of his first clues something was wrong with the perfect world was that all the books were unreadable. (Hence the page image).
* The ''JusticeLeague'' cartoon had an episode where Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Martian Manhunter, and Flash got transported to an alternate universe where the Silver Age heroes John Stewart read about as a boy are real. Midway through, John gets suspicious that the world isn't all it seems, and goes to a library, where he finds all the books are blank.

** The Tome of the Pah'Wraiths is a forbidden and blasphemous text in the Bajoran faith. But when it is opened, the pages are all blank, confounding those who would seek the evil knowledge within. Only after [[spoiler: a virtuous man is murdered and his blood drips onto the pages]] does the actual text appear. Even, then only the ChosenOne of the Pah'Wraith can actually read it; anyone else who tries risks being supernaturally blinded.

* [[EdEddandEddy The Kanker sisters]], for some reason, have a shelf of blank books in their trailer. [[{{Nerd}} Edd]] seems to have a minor freakout when he discovers this.

* In the seventh arc of UminekoNoNakuKoroNi, Will attends Beatrice's [[spoiler: funeral]]. In her [[spoiler:coffin, there is no body]], just a book. When Will opens the book, the pages turn to petals. It's later shown that the book contains Battler's [[spoiler:final iteration of what happened during the Rokkenjima murders - an iteration that is only to be shared between himself and Beatrice]].

* In the line of "prop books", a social climber's library may be filled with shelves of these, there to look impressive rather than be read.

* In ''BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', when Bruce Wayne was trapped by the Mad Hatter in a LotusEaterMachine, one of his first clues something was wrong with the perfect world was that all the books were unreadable. (Hence the page image).

* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode ''The Big Bang'', Amy is given River Song's diary as a wedding present. However, the book is blank [[spoiler: because the Doctor has been erased from time.]] Once Amy remembers the Doctor [[spoiler: and brings him back,]] the diary's contents return.

* In [[http://xkcd.com/971/ this]] Webcomic/{{xkcd}} comic, a man has a shelf full of blank books, which he uses to make a profound point about imagination. His friend simply asks, [[ConMan "Who sold you all these blank books?"]]

* In [[http://xkcd.com/971/ this]] {{xkcd}} comic, a man has a shelf full of blank books, which he uses to make a profound point about imagination. His friend simply asks, [[ConMan "Who sold you all these blank books?"]]

* In the 'Literature/'{{Animorphs}}'' {{Prequel}} ''The Andalite Chronicles,'' the Time Matrix creates a miniature universe based on the memories of Elfangor, Loren and the future Visser Three. Elfangor leafs through a book in Loren's faux bedroom and notes that it ends halfway through; he reasons Loren didn't finish the book's real-world counterpart, giving her mind nothing to fill in for the rest.

** "''How ridicoulous, my own subconscious is mocking my goals.''"

* In the ''{{Animorphs}}'' {{Prequel}} ''The Andalite Chronicles,'' the Time Matrix creates a miniature universe based on the memories of Elfangor, Loren and the future Visser Three. Elfangor leafs through a book in Loren's faux bedroom and notes that it ends halfway through; he reasons Loren didn't finish the book's real-world counterpart, giving her mind nothing to fill in for the rest.

* ''{{Thundercats 2011}}'': Sought-after GreatBigBookOfEverything and [[TomesOfProphecyAndFate Tome of Prophecy and Fate]] the Book of Omens, at least, in its appearance as a ''book.'' [[spoiler:It's actually a {{Magitek}} computer]]

* Happens in ''KungFuPanda'': [[spoiler: The [[MacGuffin Dragon Scroll]] turns out to be totally blank. Instead, it is a mirror, meant to prompt [[AnAesop the lesson]] that [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre true strength comes from within]] rather than spelling anything out.]]

* In WarriorsOfVirtue, the child protagonist is asked by the BigBad to read from the magical Manuscript and tell him what it says. The Manuscript suddenly shows blank pages, to which the protagonist says "Shit happens."