| This short story from McEwan's award winning first collection is about a man who becomes learns some topology from his grandfather's journals...but not your average topology. The Victorian journals include some rather racy discussion of sexuality in addition to instructions on how to make pieces of paper (and other things) disappear using the right combination of cuts and folds. However, his newfound obsession with math has a tragically negative impact on his relationship with his wife. [In fact, since the math seems to turn him from a relatively loving husband into someone who is extremely abusive to his wife, I am labeling this story with the "Evil Mathematician" tag.]
After a failed attempt to make a TV version of this story in the 1970's (the story was deemed too "sexy" for the BBC) it was made into a short film starring Ewan McGregor and Peter Capaldi in 2002. (Thanks to CofC student José Montés for letting me know that the film is now available for free at Vimeo.)
| Contributed by
Nelson Walker
I was very glad to find your website on Mathematical Fiction. I wanted to
tell you about the short story "Solid Geometry" by Ian McEwan (written in
the mid 1970s) - the short story is currently in the anthology "First Love,
Last Rites".
I just read this short story and I was surprised how closely it resembles
the old 1940s short story "No-Sided Professor", which you have featured on
your website. I have No-Sided Professor in one of my older sci-fi
anthologies, and I have read the short story several times.
"Solid Geometry" is about a man discovering mathematical diagrams in a diary
from the 1800s, and is able to fold sheets of paper which disappear; also
people can be folded in a similar manner and disappear.
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| Contributed by
Mikko
Very disturbing and intriguing short story. I recommend.
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| Contributed by
Anonymous
A disturbing story that has stayed with me since I first read it thirty years ago.
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