Although the idea of using mathematical theories to control events in a city seems fanciful at first blush, upon consideration it feels like the sort of thing that might not be outside the realm of possibility. Strange Attractors is one of those stories that exists just on the edge of science fiction. Wilson is drawn back in, and soon becomes obsessed with Brownfield’s theories. Brownfield explains that the reason New York City is so resilient is because he is working to keep it that way. It turns out that Brownfield is (he claims) using his theories to “adjust” events in New York City in subtle ways, continually working against the ever-increasing flow of chaos and darkness in the city. Wilson cooperates gamely for a while, but when he eventually gets fed up and decides to quit, Brownfield surprises him by demonstrating what those seemingly random tasks can achieve when done in concert.

When Wilson shows up to help with those projects, Brownfield sends him off on a number of apparently random tasks without any explanation. However, Wilson is desperate for help with his thesis, so he persists and manages to talk Brownfield into giving him access to his research in exchange for helping with a few “projects”. Among other things, Brownfield explains that he eats exactly 1700 calories a day – no more, no less – and closes their meeting by releasing a rat into a crowded restaurant. Wilson soon discovers that the professor, Spencer Brownfield, is a bit of an eccentric.

Problem is, he’s struggling with the topic – comparing the resiliency of New York City after 9/11 to the struggles of New Orleans after Katrina – so he decides to track down a former Columbia professor who wrote about similar subject decades ago. He’s a career-minded guy, and is currently working on a thesis topic suggested by his advisor and designed specifically to get him hired at a high-paying job after graduation. In Strange Attractors, Heller Wilson is a grad student studying complexity theory, a branch of mathematics devoted to the study of complex systems. Full disclosure: I received a free review copy of this book from Net Galley.

The Beauty, Vol. 1 by Jeremy Haun