MATHEMATICAL FICTION:

a list compiled by Alex Kasman (College of Charleston)

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Only Say the Word (2005)
Niall Williams
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This novel about loss and grief includes a minor character (the protagonist's brother) who has mathematical talent and "retreats" into numbers. He believes that "for every problem there is a true and perfect solution" and eventually applies his skills to gambling (apparently providing the perfect solution to the problems of his life.)

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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 Only Say the Word
According to my `secret formula', the following works of mathematical fiction are similar to this one:
  1. God Doesn't Shoot Craps by Richard Armstrong
  2. Gambler's Rose by G.W. Hawkes
  3. Improbable by Adam Fawer
  4. The Spoilers by Desmond Bagley
  5. Numbers by Dana Dane
  6. Case of Lies by Perri O\'Shaughnessy
  7. Summa Mathematica by Sean Doolittle
  8. Qui perd gagne! by Laurent Bénégui (Director)
  9. Going Out by Scarlett Thomas
  10. The Last Casino by Pierre Gill (director) / Steven Westren (screenplay)
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Categories:
Genre
MotifAnti-social Mathematicians,
Topic
MediumNovels,

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Exciting News: The total number of works of mathematical fiction listed in this database recently reached a milestone. The 1,500th entry is The Man of Forty Crowns by Voltaire. Thanks to Vijay Fafat for writing the summary of that work (and so many others). I am also grateful to everyone who has contributed to this website. Heck, I'm grateful to everyone who visited the site. Thank you!

(Maintained by Alex Kasman, College of Charleston)