MATHEMATICAL FICTION:

a list compiled by Alex Kasman (College of Charleston)

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The Escher Twist (2002)
Jane Langton
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Contributed by "William E. Emba"

Part of the author's Homer/Mary Kelly series of mysteries based in Concord MA. The plot centers on a crystallographer falling in love with a stranger at an exhibit of Escher work, and his enlisting the Kellys' help to find her. The novel contains frequent allusions to the mathematics in Escher's artwork.

Contributed by Anonymous

A very disappointing book. The plot is weak, full of cliches. I found the metaphors and comparisons with work by Escher *really* bad literature. Really regretted having picked it up, but the title sounded nice.

Contributed by Miss Mabel

I love Jane Langton's books, and she gives you a love for the topic. In this case, a bit of geometry (as relating to Escher.) Not bad lit at all--it's nicely, simply written, with charming characters.

Contributed by Jan McKinley

A fun and entertaining book if you like cozy mysteries. I enjoyed the inclusion of Escher's work and drawings.

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 The Escher Twist
According to my `secret formula', the following works of mathematical fiction are similar to this one:
  1. Lee a Julio Verne: El Amore En Tiempos de Criptografia by Susana Mataix
  2. The Stranger House by Reginald Hill
  3. Case of Lies by Perri O\'Shaughnessy
  4. Bad Boy Brawley Brown by Walter Mosley
  5. The Oxford Murders by Guillermo Martinez
  6. The Devotion of Suspect X [Yôgisha X no kenshin] by Keigo Higashino
  7. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
  8. Touch-Me-Not by Cynthia Riggs
  9. Twisted by Jonathan Kellerman
  10. The Fractal Murders by Mark Cohen
Ratings for The Escher Twist:
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:
2.67/5 (3 votes)
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Literary Quality:
2.67/5 (3 votes)
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Categories:
GenreMystery,
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)