Arthur Porges’s Followers (11)

Arthur Porges

Born

in Chicago, Illinois, The United States

August 20, 1915

Died

May 12, 2006

Genre

Science Fiction, Fiction

edit data

was an American author of numerous short stories, most notably during the 1950s and 1960s, though he continued to write and publish stories until his death. He was a teacher of mathematics, brother of Irwin Porges; he began publishing sf with "Modeled in Clay" for Man to Man (August/September 1950), and subsequently published about 220 stories – a few as Peter Arthur, Abel Jacobi, Derek Page and Pat Rogers – without releasing any of them in book collections. Over half that output is mystery fiction and the balance fairly evenly divided between fantasy and sf. He was a strong and inventive writer, especially of fantasy; many of his ingenious mystery stories fall into the "impossible crime" category or are Sherlock Holmes parodies featuring S was an American author of numerous short stories, most notably during the 1950s and 1960s, though he continued to write and publish stories until his death. He was a teacher of mathematics, brother of Irwin Porges; he began publishing sf with "Modeled in Clay" for Man to Man (August/September 1950), and subsequently published about 220 stories – a few as Peter Arthur, Abel Jacobi, Derek Page and Pat Rogers – without releasing any of them in book collections. Over half that output is mystery fiction and the balance fairly evenly divided between fantasy and sf. He was a strong and inventive writer, especially of fantasy; many of his ingenious mystery stories fall into the "impossible crime" category or are Sherlock Holmes parodies featuring Stately Homes. In the sf world, he is probably still best known for "The Fly" (September 1952 F&SF), not to be confused with George Langelaan's twice-filmed tale with the same title, and "The Ruum" (October 1953 F&SF) involving an implacable alien Robot programmed to collect specimens of certain Terran lifeforms, leading to a memorably long and gruelling chase of the protagonist. Most of Porges' best fiction appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and in Amazing Stories and Fantastic under the enlightened editorship of Cele Goldsmith. Porges was fascinated with puzzles resolved by invocation of basic scientific principles. This was the basis of his Ensign de Ruyter series, which began with "Urned Reprieve" (October 1964 Amazing); in "Wheeler Dealer" (March 1965 Amazing), for example, natives of a low-pressure world who devote most of their time to ritual prayer become a useful workforce when the protagonist adapts the Crookes radiometer principle to make their prayer-wheels turn unaided. The series was collected posthumously as Eight Problems in Space (coll of linked stories 2008) edited by Richard Simms.
Porges was content to write and sell stories and did not pursue book collection, so it has been left to others to compile volumes of his best material. Mike Ashley assembled a selection of his best supernatural fiction in The Mirror and Other Strange Reflections (coll 2002), but the majority of his collections have been compiled by Richard Simms, who maintains an Arthur Porges website [see links below]. These include a volume of previously unpublished early writings, The Calabash of Coral Island and Other Early Stories (coll 2008). The essential volume of Porges sf stories is The Ruum and Other Science Fiction Stories (coll 2010). A full list of other volumes is given below ...more

Combine Editions
Arthur Porges’s books

Average rating: 3.89 · 2,758 ratings · 322 reviews · 165 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Ruum and Other Science Fiction Stories 3.69 avg rating — 45 ratings — published 2010	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Devil and Simon Flagg 4.18 avg rating — 17 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Devil and Simon Flagg and Other Fantastic Tales 4.20 avg rating — 15 ratings — published 2009 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Ruum 3.88 avg rating — 16 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Revenge 3.44 avg rating — 16 ratings — published 2009 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Mirror and Other Strange Reflections 3.71 avg rating — 14 ratings — published 2002 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Fly 3.13 avg rating — 16 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Ciencia ficción, selección 18 by Arthur Porges, Arthur Sellings, Charles W. Runyon 3.44 avg rating — 9 ratings — published 1975 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Il Delitto Non Paga Abbastanza by Arthur Porges, C.B. Gilford, Ed Lacy 3.29 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 1970	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	These Daisies Told: The Casebook of Professor Ulysses Price Middlebie 3.14 avg rating — 7 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Arthur Porges…

Quotes by Arthur Porges (?)

“Bah! Do you know,' the Devil confided, 'not even the best mathematicians on other planets - all far ahead than yours - have solved it? Why, there's a chap on Saturn - he looks something like a mushroom on stilts - who solves partial differential equations mentally; and even he's given up.”
― Arthur Porges, The Devil and Simon Flagg

tags: humor, science

1 likes

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Science fiction story set in future and on Mars where machine chases a human. [s]	8	58	Apr 19, 2018 09:04AM
Horror Aficionados : Track the short fiction you read in 2018	36	161	Jan 05, 2019 12:44PM
The Evolution of ...: * What This Folder Is For...	7	73	Feb 08, 2019 06:24AM
The Evolution of ...: * Jim's SF &/or Influential Authors List	29	75	Mar 06, 2019 07:54AM
The Evolution of ...: * What This Folder Is For...	10	63	Mar 07, 2019 07:10AM
The Evolution of ...: * What This Folder Is For...	13	66	Mar 07, 2019 07:21AM
The Evolution of ...: * What This Folder Is For...	13	85	Mar 07, 2019 07:31AM
Weird Fiction: Other Speculative Fiction I am currently reading	52	44	Dec 03, 2019 05:58PM
Horror Aficionados : 2024 Song Title Challenge	153	712	Oct 01, 2024 11:50PM

More…

Arthur Porges’s Followers (11)

Arthur Porges

Combine EditionsArthur Porges’s books

Topics Mentioning This Author

Combine Editions
Arthur Porges’s books