MATHEMATICAL FICTION:

a list compiled by Alex Kasman (College of Charleston)

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Codes, Puzzles & Conspiracy [a.k.a. Dr. Ecco, Mathematical Detective] (1992)
Dennis Shasha
(click on names to see more mathematical fiction by the same author)
...

Contributed by Vijay Fafat

The second book in the series containing 45 mathematical puzzles woven into a string of adventures involving Dr. Jacob Ecco, “mathematical detective”. From its preface:

(quoted from Codes, Puzzles & Conspiracy [a.k.a. Dr. Ecco, Mathematical Detective])

Like its predecessor The Puzzling Adventures of Dr. Ecco, this book is dedicated to people who love to think and enjoy thrillers. Ecco, Evangeline, and Scarlet use mathematics and logic to battle a hidden conspiracy, and you are invited to enter the fray. The story revolves around original mathematical puzzles that you are as well equipped to solve as the protagonists.

See also The Puzzling Adventures of Dr. Ecco (which has its own entry on this website)and the sequels Dr. Ecco’s Cyberpuzzles, Puzzling Adventures, and The Puzzler’s Elusion which do not.

More information about this work can be found at www.amazon.com.
(Note: This is just one work of mathematical fiction from the list. To see the entire list or to see more works of mathematical fiction, return to the Homepage.)

Works Similar to Codes, Puzzles & Conspiracy [a.k.a. Dr. Ecco, Mathematical Detective]
According to my `secret formula', the following works of mathematical fiction are similar to this one:
  1. The Puzzling Adventures of Dr. Ecco by Dennis Shasha
  2. Conned Again, Watson! Cautionary Tales of Logic, Math and Probability by Colin Bruce
  3. Crimes and Math Demeanors by Leith Hathout
  4. A Tangled Tale by Lewis Carroll
  5. The Case of the Murdered Mathematician by Julia Barnes / Kathy Ivey
  6. Let's Consider Two Spherical Chickens by Tommaso Bolognesi
  7. The Turing Option by Harry Harrison / Marvin Minksy
  8. L.A. Math: Romance, Crime and Mathematics in the City of Angels by James D. Stein
  9. Pythagorean Crimes by Tefcros Michaelides
  10. Professor Conundrum Mysteries! by Bill Streifer
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Categories:
GenreMystery, Didactic,
Motif
TopicComputers/Cryptography, Logic/Set Theory,
MediumShort Stories,

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Where are the new works of mathematical fiction?: As you can see from this chronological listing, this database includes many works of mathematical fiction for each year from 1990 to 2025. Strangely, only two are listed for 2026, so far. Either less mathematical fiction is being published than in previous years or I'm just having more trouble finding it. If you know of any works of fiction that should be added to this list, especially recently published ones, please let me know. (Keep in mind that I do not include self-published works or children's fiction that just covers elementary mathematical concepts.) Thanks!

(Maintained by Alex Kasman, College of Charleston)