MathFiction: After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall (Nancy Kress)

a list compiled by Alex Kasman (College of Charleston)

...
After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall (2012)

Nancy Kress
(click on names to see more mathematical fiction by the same author)
...

The last 26 humans alive resort to kidnapping children from the past in order to save themselves from the oppressive aliens who keep them in "The Shell". Mathematics enters in the form of Julie Kahn, a statistician working for the FBI in 2013 (which is "the past" in the novel) who discovers a pattern in the kidnappings that leads her to the strange truth.

There really isn't much math here (the word "algorithm" is thrown around a lot), but it is always nice to see a hero (or heroine) using mathematics, and the format of the novel (three separate timelines interwoven, as the title suggests) is effective.

Buy this work of mathematical fiction and read reviews at 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 After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall

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

Time, Like an Ever Rolling Stream by Judith Moffett
The Investigation by Stanislaw Lem
Reading by Numbers by Aidan Doyle
The Image in the Mirror by Dorothy Leigh Sayers
Mirror Image by Isaac Asimov
Moriarty by Modem by Jack Nimersheim
The Adventure of the Russian Grave by William Barton / Michael Capobianco
Music of the Spheres by Ken Liu
The Fatal Equation by Arthur Strangeland
The Translated Man by Chris Braak

Ratings for After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall:

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:
1/5 (1 votes)

Literary Quality:
4/5 (1 votes)

Categories:

Genre	Mystery, Science Fiction,
Motif	Aliens, Female Mathematicians, Time Travel,
Topic	Probability/Statistics,
Medium	Novels,

Home All New Browse Search About

Your Help Needed: Some site visitors remember reading works of mathematical fiction that neither they nor I can identify. It is time to crowdsource this problem and ask for your help! You would help a neighbor find a missing pet...can't you also help a fellow site visitor find some missing works of mathematical fiction? Please take a look and let us know if you have seen these missing stories anywhere!.

(Maintained by Alex Kasman, College of Charleston)