| Professor Brandley, a "young" man of 53, wants nothing more than to attain the position of Regius Professor of Pure Mathematics at the Metropolitan University in London so that he could train "disciples who would carry on [his] work and disseminate [his] ideas." Unfortunately, old Professor Canopy has that position and has no intention of retiring soon despite being well past his prime. And so, when Canopy invites Brandley up a dangerous old staircase to view the "bands of Jupiter" through a telescope, it is not entirely clear that it was an accident that Canopy ends up falling to his death. Then, the birds that had been so friendly to Canopy during his life, seek (and eventually attain) their revenge.
This "ghost story" by one of the more famous British horror story writers
of the early 20th century is hard to find today due to that author's waning
popularity. Still it ought to be sought out by fans of mathematical
fiction as the only published ghost story I know of in which both the haunt
and the haunted are mathematicians!
Thanks to Sandro Caparrini (Torino, Italy) for pointing this one out to me!
He claims that it originally appeard in Strayers
from Sheol (Sauk City, Wis: Arkham House, 1961) and which has recently
been reprinted
in Canada. | Contributed by
tim
Just finished reading. It's a longish short story with mathematics as a central theme. The story does not drag at any point yet is not a page turner. I've read quite a bit of Wakefield's stories and most deal with the reader wondering if the protagonist committed the deed.
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| Contributed by
sara from Italy
I've found this story just last year in an old book dated 1984. The story is filled with symbols and made me think a lot. The plot twist and the ending are also incredible, not to mention how genius was for the author to use the diary method, the way the protagonist slowly spirals into madness is so fascinating. I recommend it.
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