Thinking Machine

The Thinking Machine (1907) is a short story collection by Jacques Futrelle. Published at the height of his career as a leading popular detective and science fiction writer, The Thinking Machine collects stories that originally appeared in such publications as The Saturday Evening Post and the Boston American. Celebrated for his brisk storytelling and mastery of suspense, Jacques Futrelle was lost at sea on April 15, 1912 while returning from Europe on the HMS Titanic. His wife, who survived the disaster, had his last book dedicated to “the heroes of the Titanic.” Professor Augustus S. F. X Van Dusen, Ph.D., LL.D., F.R.S., M.D., M.D.S is a man whose intellect is as exhaustive as his name. Having learned the game of chess just hours before, he defeated grandmaster Tchaichowsky using logic and reason alone, earning himself the nickname “The Thinking Machine.” Ever since that fateful day, Van Dusen, with the help of his trusted companion Hutchinson Hatch, is called to solve crimes, complete puzzles, and face challenges no normal man could possibly endure. In “The Problem of Cell 13,” Van Dusen argues that no feat is impossible when the human mind is involved. To prove his theory, he endeavors to escape from a notoriously brutal prison in just one week’s time. Presented alongside six other stories of mystery and adventure, “The Problem of Cell 13” stands out as one of the greatest detective and suspense tales of all time. This edition of Jacques Futrelle’s The Thinking Machine is a classic of American detective fiction reimagined for modern readers.

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Jacques Futrelle (1875-1912) was an American journalist and mystery writer. Born in Georgia, he began working for the Atlanta Journal as a young sportswriter and later found employment with The New York Herald, the Boston Post, and the Boston American. In 1906, he left his career in journalism to focus on writing fiction, producing seven mystery and science fiction novels and a popular series of short stories featuring gifted sleuth Professor Augustus S. F. X. Van Dusen. In April 1912, at the end of a European vacation, he boarded the RMS Titanic with his wife Lily. Although a first-class passenger, he insisted that others, including his wife, board a lifeboat in his place. He is presumed to have died when the passenger ship sunk beneath the frigid Atlantic waves.