MathFiction: The Wizard (C.S. Godshalk)

a list compiled by Alex Kasman (College of Charleston)

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The Wizard (1989)

C.S. Godshalk
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A mathematically talented youth in a bad neighborhood becomes a drug dealer and may not be able to take advantage of his genius by attending the private school which has offered him a scholarship.

Contributed by Jon Powell

In “The Wizard,” by C. S. Godshalk, the title character is a mathematical genius. At one point in the story, he plants flowers in a spiral of ever-increasing radii. This connects to his mentioning earlier the number twenty-eight as a perfect number.

First appeared in the Boston University literary magazine AGNI in 1989 and reprinted in The Best American Short Stories: 1990. (Thanks to Jon Powell for bringing it to my attention.)

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(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 Wizard

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

Regarding Roderer by Guillermo Martinez
Good Will Hunting by Gus Van~Sant (director) / Matt Damon (Screenplay)
Stand and Deliver by Ramon Menendez
Gifted: A Novel by Nikita Lalwani
Against the Odds by Martin Gardner
Numbers by Dana Dane
Mefisto: A Novel by John Banville
Jumpers by Tom Stoppard
Antonia's Line by Marleen Gorris
Good Will by Jane Smiley

Ratings for The Wizard:

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 (1 votes)

Literary Quality:
4/5 (1 votes)

Categories:

Genre
Motif	Genius, Prodigies,
Topic
Medium	Short Stories,

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(Maintained by Alex Kasman, College of Charleston)