MathFiction: Code to Zero (Ken Follett)

a list compiled by Alex Kasman (College of Charleston)

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Code to Zero (2000)

Ken Follett
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Contributed by "William E. Emba"

This thriller is set in 1958, with backdrop the first successful launching of a US satellite. Several of the characters are mathematicians turned rocket scientists. They frequently muse rather explicitly over elementary number theory. The main character, who has lost his memory, begins to figure out his past when he finds a number theory textbook in a library.

Contributed by Anonymous

The fact they did major in math at Harvard was only a backround for Follett was writing a story about scientists. Math is not really a part of the story but is brought up several times just to show that they can be in this line of work and was just made more realistic.

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 Code to Zero

According to my `secret formula', the following works of mathematical fiction are similar to this one:

The Expert by Lee Gruenfeld
Digital Fortress by Dan Brown
The Year of the Tiger by Jack Higgins
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
En busca de Klingsor (In Search of Klingsor) by Jorge Volpi
7 Steps to Midnight by Richard Matheson
Enigma by Robert Harris / Tom Stoppard
The Visiting Professor by Robert Littell
The Sabre Squadron by Simon Raven
Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less by Jeffrey Archer

Ratings for Code to Zero:

Ratings

Have 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:
2/5 (2 votes)

Literary Quality:
5/5 (2 votes)

Categories:

Genre	Adventure/Espionage,
Motif
Topic	Algebra/Arithmetic/Number Theory,
Medium	Novels,

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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)