Thread: Hidden Code in the Book? Board: The Da Vinci Code / Ship of Fools.


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Posted by John Eccker (# 11305) on :
 
I'm almost finished with the book (first time reader), and along the way I've noticed several things that seemed strangely out of place. I was wondering if perhaps there is a code hidden in the book itself - part of a game created by the author. I looked around the web for other info on this, but couldn't find any.

Two of the most prominent ones I've found are (and these are from the mass market paperback - the normal paperback-sized edition, with "Now a major motion picture" on the cover and spine):

Page 138, halfway down the page: "Tearing it open, she found four Paris phone numbers." The whole book is in Times New Roman font, but the word "numbers" in this sentence is in some kind of gothic script. Not something that would slip in there accidentally - it's not even something that should be bold or italic or underined in this sentence.

Page 322. The page number is actually listed as three asterisks: ***. I flipped through the books, and didn't find this anywhere else.

There are a few other things that I found - verbs that are in the plural instead of the correct singular, repetition of some information where it's clearly not needed for the story, etc. Things that I thought would certainly have been corrected during the editing process.

So. Am I reading too much into this? Getting too involved in the clue hunt that he's created? Or is there a game hidden in the book (and I simply failed to search for the proper things on the web). I'm sure if there IS something there, I'm most certainly not the first one to mention it. So I'm leaning more toward the "reading too much into it" theory.

Cheers!
 

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Posted by Amethyst (# 11068) on :
 
Yes. Get out in the fresh air, and breathe, frequently. Before your brain melts.
 

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Posted by koffshun (# 11227) on :
 
Oh dear.

It's not in the version I read. Although this was probably a test, like the one where an e-mail tells you it's impossible to lick your own elbow and then scrolls down to say:

"Ha ha! I bet you're trying right now. Doofus!"

Well, I'm a self-confessed doofus and I checked and the paperback I've got has nothing special. Maybe it's the American publishing company cashing in on the already rampant paranoia of a market who also bought The Bible Code 2 (as if the first didn't say enough).

I don't think a man who couldn't be bothered to check the veracity of even basic facts (check out the 'Blunders' thread) would have constructed his own conspiracy.

He's too busy writing one about an Armenian baker descended from pirates whose ancient family loaf crumbles 300 years to the day after his ancestor's boat sank, revealing a map to the true position of the Tree in the Garden of Eden. Aided only with his daughter (who happens to have a degree in Pirate Studies) an iPod with a hidden message and a snake whose bloodline stems from the original Genesis snake, he must race against time before the Tree is chopped down by American landscape artists, threatening the safety of all mankind.
 

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Posted by AnglicanAvenger (# 11252) on :
 
koffshun, I think you have a bestseller, provided you have no sense of shame. But you can't use Armenia without references to the Flood.
 

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Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Do you suppose we could have a mass Ship effort to write one of these *ahem* books, and donate all the moola to the Organ Fund?
 

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Posted by Barnabas62 (# 9110) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by koffshun:
Oh dear.


He's too busy writing one about an Armenian baker descended from pirates whose ancient family loaf crumbles 300 years to the day after his ancestor's boat sank, revealing a map to the true position of the Tree in the Garden of Eden. Aided only with his daughter (who happens to have a degree in Pirate Studies) an iPod with a hidden message and a snake whose bloodline stems from the original Genesis snake, he must race against time before the Tree is chopped down by American landscape artists, threatening the safety of all mankind.

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I'd make sure you safeguard the intellectual property rights of this synopsis. There are some folks out there who might steal your ideas, you know ...
 

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Posted by A Feminine Force (# 7812) on :
 
I fear 'tis too late. It's posted on the Ship and is now copyright of the SoF.

Let this be a lesson to all aspiring authors.

FF
 

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Posted by dinghy sailor (# 8507) on :
 
But that's a non-exclusive copyright, isn't it? IE you also have copyright on it. Am I wrong?
 

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Posted by koffshun (# 11227) on :
 
Wow. Until you guys took that brief synopsis seriously, I wouldn't have argued for copyright. Now maybe I should...

Or we lay down a challenge: the first Shipmate to write and sell a convincing version for publication buys a slap-up meal for everyone else. Sweet.

Braised snake meat on Armenian toast for me, with a nice Chianti.
 

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Posted by Barnabas62 (# 9110) on :
 
Well at least it wasn't Dan Brown's liver with some fava beans ....and a nice Chianti. Ff-ff-ff-ff-ff

"Fly away little starling - fly, fly, fly"

Now that's real code.
 

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Posted by koffshun (# 11227) on :
 
Damn it, you caught me. That was my reference!!
 

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Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Cynics!

There absolutely are codes built into DVC. If you miss those, you're missing half the fun. Check out the quest and challenge here. They're fun, requiring hard work, thinking outside the box, and possibly a magnifying glass. A basic book on codes is helpful, too.

The codes and secrets I'm familiar with are in and on the jacketed hardcover. I haven't read the paperback; but based on glancing at the cover and the ads, there seem to be codes on the cover.

IIRC, there's a detailed pic of the jacket available in one of the contests; I don't remember which one.

Have fun!!!

Mwahahahahaha!
 

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Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Lamb Chopped:
Do you suppose we could have a mass Ship effort to write one of these *ahem* books, and donate all the moola to the Organ Fund?

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quote:

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Originally posted by koffshun:
With more time to reflect, I'm intrigued as to what people might imagine a hidden code in TDVC might possibly point towards...

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quote:

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... verbs that are in the plural instead of the correct singular, repetition of some information where it's clearly not needed for the story ...

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quote:

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Originally posted by koffshun:
With more time to reflect, I'm intrigued as to what people might imagine a hidden code in TDVC might possibly point towards...

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quote:

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Mr Justice Smith said he would confirm the code if someone broke it.

"I can't discuss the judgement, but I don't see why a judgement should not be a matter of fun," he said.

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[clarity]

[ 27. April 2006, 11:39: Message edited by: The Great Gumby ]
 

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Posted by koffshun (# 11227) on :
 
Ugh! Why didn't they have a link to the full judgement. I want in on this 'cracking the code' fun...

Justice Smith sounds like a laugh. I bet it says something like "Juror number 9 isn't wearing any underwear, tee hee"
 

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Posted by koffshun (# 11227) on :
 
Sorry for the double post, it seems they DO have a link on the right hand side

ssshhh. I'm finding out hidden secrets.
 

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Posted by The Great Gumby (# 10989) on :
 
Will you let us in on the secret once you find it, Koffshun? I don't have the time to wade through the whole thing right now.
 

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Posted by Stumbling Pilgrim (# 7637) on :
 
I saw those italic letters when I read through it on the link someone kindly provided when the judgement came out, but I thought 'nah - can't be' . Maybe I should have the courage of my convictions more often. And maybe judges should have fun more often!

According to this , though, there's more to it than just finding the letters. Apparently you only have to read through to about page 18 though, Gumby. So - who's going to be the first Shipmate to crack the code? (not me, that's for sure, I'm useless at this stuff)
 

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Posted by Maniple (# 2237) on :
 
The "Smithy Code" has been cracked.

The Times story

Not as exciting as many of the conspiracy people wanted.
 

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Posted by Autenrieth Road (# 10509) on :
 
Huh? That story doesn't give a solution, it only says what the first several (cleartext) letters say, not what the next 30 or so coded letters say.

[ETA: Ah, yes, Maniple's right. Here's a CNN story with the answer.]

[ 28. April 2006, 15:03: Message edited by: Autenrieth Road ]
 

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Posted by The Great Gumby (# 10989) on :
 
This story gives the solution
 

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Posted by koffshun (# 11227) on :
 
I missed several of the letters and spent a few hours screaming at my piece of paper last night... didn't get it and kind of glad i didn't - would have been severely disappointed, as i am now!
 

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Posted by Maniple (# 2237) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Autenrieth Road:
Huh? That story doesn't give a solution, it only says what the first several (cleartext) letters say, not what the next 30 or so coded letters say.

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