> Harrumph. Wikipedia says that only three-and-a-bit volumes have yet been published. Seven volumes was the original plan. Smacks a little of George R. R. Martin?

My favourite poke at this is Charlie Stross' book the Atrocity Archives (a kind of Lovecraftian, CS nerd horror / humour novel where advanced mathematics is dangerous), wherein Knuth did in fact finish the 4th edition, but it contained secrets that immediately got it shut down by various governments.