MATHEMATICAL FICTION:

a list compiled by Alex Kasman (College of Charleston)

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The Whole Mess (2016)
Jack Skillingstead
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By solving a mathematical equation brought to him by a young stranger, a math professor allows the squid-like "Masters" to enter our universe, leaving havoc in their wake. The professor finds himself taking on the identities of other people in other universes. In one he finds himself as a young man who is unqualified to be a student at the very university where his true identity is on the faculty:

(quoted from The Whole Mess)

The whole thing was an ironic counterpoint to my original arrival, a decade and a few iterations ago, when I was the over-qualified applicant for a teaching position that would ensure insulation from the cries of Genius! that had hectored me since grade school. Now I fell short even as an aging freshman looking for validation in the form of a degree in the humanities.

This story appeared in the September 2016 issue of Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine.

(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 The Whole Mess
According to my `secret formula', the following works of mathematical fiction are similar to this one:
  1. The Writing on the Wall by Steve Stanton
  2. Nanunculus by Ian Watson
  3. The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky
  4. Finity by John Barnes
  5. The Pythagoras Problem by Trevor Baxendale
  6. The Equationist by J. D. Moyer
  7. I’ll Follow The Sun by Paul Di Filippo
  8. The Robot's Math Lessons by Yoon Ha Lee
  9. The Mandelbrot Bet by Dirk Strasser
  10. Emmy's Time by Anthony Bonato
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Categories:
GenreScience Fiction,
Motif
Topic
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)