MATHEMATICAL FICTION:

a list compiled by Alex Kasman (College of Charleston)

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Bill, the Galactic Hero (1965)
Harry Harrison
(click on names to see more mathematical fiction by the same author)
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Contributed by "William E. Emba"

The famed parody of Asimov and Heinlein. Amongst other issues, the book asks what happens to all the garbage from a one city planet (a la Trantor from FOUNDATION)? It seems to be a losing battle down below, but the planet's topologists have come up with an empty soda can that spontaneously deforms into a long playing record, which the user naturally wants to keep.

I'm not sure, but I have the impression that Harrison once read the joke about a topologist being a mathematician who cannot the difference between a coffee cup and a doughnut, but completely missed the topological point of the joke.

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 Bill, the Galactic Hero
According to my `secret formula', the following works of mathematical fiction are similar to this one:
  1. The Cyberiad by Stanislaw Lem
  2. The Mathenauts by Norman Kagan
  3. Narrow Valley by R.A. Lafferty
  4. The Gold at Starbow's End (aka Starburst / aka Alpha Aleph) by Frederik Pohl
  5. The Dark Side of the Sun by Terry Pratchett
  6. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
  7. Topsy-turvy (Sans Dessus Dessous) by Jules Verne
  8. Ms Fnd in a Lbry by Hal Draper
  9. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams
  10. Calculating God by Robert J. Sawyer
Ratings for Bill, the Galactic Hero:
RatingsHave you seen/read this work of mathematical fiction? Then click here to enter your own votes on its mathematical content and literary quality or send me comments to post on this Webpage.
Mathematical Content:
1.66/5 (3 votes)
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Literary Quality:
4.33/5 (3 votes)
..

Categories:
GenreHumorous, Science Fiction,
Motif
TopicGeometry/Topology/Trigonometry,
MediumNovels,

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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)