MATHEMATICAL FICTION:

a list compiled by Alex Kasman (College of Charleston)

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Puzzles from Other Worlds (1984)
Martin Gardner
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Contributed by Vijay Fafat

This is the second collection of science fiction puzzles which Martin Gardner wrote for the Issac Asimov Science Fiction Magazine. The preface describes the book well (as well as the process of mathematical thinking and the process of logical generalizations when it comes to math problems):

(quoted from Puzzles from Other Worlds)

Since Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine started in 1976, I have had the pleasure and honor of contributing to each issue a puzzle clothed in a science-fiction or fantasy story line. The first thirty-six of these vignettes were published in 1981 as Science Fiction Puzzle Tales. This book reprints the next thirty-seven. As in the previous collection, I have added to the final answers some additional comments about whatever I think will most interest readers. In many cases these remarks derive from pleasant correspondence with readers of Asimov's magazine.

See also Science Fiction Puzzle Tales.

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 Puzzles from Other Worlds
According to my `secret formula', the following works of mathematical fiction are similar to this one:
  1. Science Fiction Puzzle Tales by Martin Gardner
  2. The Puzzling Adventures of Dr. Ecco by Dennis Shasha
  3. Crimes and Math Demeanors by Leith Hathout
  4. Conned Again, Watson! Cautionary Tales of Logic, Math and Probability by Colin Bruce
  5. A Tangled Tale by Lewis Carroll
  6. Visitors from Oz : The Wild Adventures of Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Woodsman by Martin Gardner
  7. The Extraordinary Hotel or the Thousand and First Journey of Ion the Quiet by Naum Ya. Vilenkin
  8. Not a Chance by Peter Haff
  9. Hilbert's Hotel by Ian Stewart
  10. The Kissing Number by Ian Stewart
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Categories:
GenreScience Fiction, Didactic,
Motif
TopicLogic/Set Theory,
MediumShort Stories,

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Exciting News: The 1,600th entry was recently added to this database of mathematical fiction! Also, for those of you interested in non-fictional math books let me (shamelessly) plug the recent release of the second edition of my soliton theory textbook.

(Maintained by Alex Kasman, College of Charleston)