^ coming soon, the tragic, climactic finale to the Midshipman trilogy; Lament for the Celestial Midshipman posted by protorp at 1:27 AM on May 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
This sounds more like cheap Neo-Victorian pornography. Or, possibly, a chapter from a late-60s Michael Moorcock novel. posted by GenjiandProust at 4:27 AM on May 9, 2010
DOUBLE DOG DARE YOU. posted by eriko at 7:03 AM on May 9, 2010
I'm going to take one of these titles and write a science fiction story out of it.
I could swear someone actually did do that. Some famous SF story where the title was made up as a joke and then the story written to fit it? posted by DU at 8:30 AM on May 9, 2010
oneswellfoop came up with "war of the tetrahedron". I'd like to see all sorts of polyhedra having wars with each other. The cube and the octahedron would fight against the icosahedron and the dodecahedron. But then all the irregular polyhedra would rise up against them and these former enemies would become allies.
Seriously, why is nobody writing math fiction? (I guess that's kind of what Flatland was?) posted by madcaptenor at 8:49 AM on May 9, 2010
The Girl that Mocked the Accordion - She Dared Defy the Instrument that Ruled The Planet! posted by gamera at 9:37 AM on May 9, 2010
Seriously, why is nobody writing math fiction?
Greg Egan has a fair amount of math SF. posted by DU at 9:44 AM on May 9, 2010
>I could swear someone actually did do that. Some famous SF story where the title was made up as a joke and then the story written to fit it?
Yup, Leigh Brackett's "Purple Priestess of the Mad Moon." It was mentioned as an over-the-top imaginary title in (as I recall) an interview, but a French magazine, in translating the interview, misunderstood and said that she had actually written "La prêtresse pourpre de la lune folle," and somehow or other she wound up writing the story. I can't find anything about this online, but it was in the early '60s. posted by languagehat at 10:51 AM on May 9, 2010
There's been a fair amount of math-related sf, from Flatland (1884) to H.G. Wells's "The Plattner Story" (1896) to probably the most famous, Heinlein's "And He Built a Crooked House" (1940) to perhaps the best, David I. Masson's "Traveller's Rest" (1965). Norman Kagan made a whole career out of math stories; I particularly like "The Mathenauts" (1964). I'm sure there have been many more since I stopped reading sf regularly. posted by languagehat at 10:56 AM on May 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
Molecule that Ruled the Planets
There was a guy on Usenet once who used to rant about something like that. Plutonium, I think, he called himself. posted by acb at 5:23 AM on May 10, 2010
Also, a lot of these could double as Stereolab song titles. Case in point: "The Instrument from the Meteors". posted by acb at 5:25 AM on May 10, 2010
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The Improbable Artisan of Outer Space semi-interesting...
The Radiant Death Ray of Mercy Oxymoronic!
Twilight of the Miniature Tentacle Yeah, I might read that.
The Melody from Within the Moon I think I HAVE read that...
Accursed Machine
The Joyful Instrument I'm thinking series...
Time's Unknowable Lens too intellectual...
The Secret of the Planets of the Future come on, that's not even trying...
The Death Ray that Unleashed the Voltmeter THAT's a LOL
posted by oneswellfoop at 10:50 PM on May 8, 2010 [2 favorites]