The Collected Short Stories

This meticulously edited Lewis Carroll collection includes: A Tangled Tale Bruno's Revenge and Other Stories What the Tortoise Said to Achilles A Tangled Tale is a collection of ten brief humorous stories by Lewis Carroll, published serially between April 1880 and March 1885.The stories, or Knots as Carroll calls them, present mathematical problems. In a later issue, Carroll gives the solution to a Knot and discusses readers' answers. The mathematical interpretations of the Knots are not always straightforward. The ribbing of readers answering wrongly – giving their names – was not always well received. Short story "Bruno's Revenge" was originally published in 1867. Some years later, in 1873 or 1874, Carroll had the idea to use this piece as the core for a longer story. Much of the rest of the novel he compiled from notes of ideas and dialogue which he had collected over the years. What the Tortoise Said to Achilles, written by Lewis Carroll in 1895 for the philosophical journal Mind, is a brief dialogue which problematises the foundations of logic. The title alludes to one of Zeno's paradoxes of motion, in which Achilles could never overtake the tortoise in a race. In Carroll's dialogue, the tortoise challenges Achilles to use the force of logic to make him accept the conclusion of a simple deductive argument. Ultimately, Achilles fails, because the clever tortoise leads him into an infinite regression. Charles Lutwidge Dodgson better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll (1832 – 1898), was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer.

Lewis Carroll, the pen name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1832-1898), was a prolific writer, mathematician, and logician. Born in Daresbury, Cheshire, England, Carroll is most famously known for his contributions to children's literature, particularly through his masterpiece 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' and its sequel 'Through the Looking-Glass.' His inventive use of wordplay, logic, and fantasy has fascinated readers for over a century and remains influential in both literary and popular culture. Carroll's work in 'The Collected Short Stories' exhibits his breadth as a storyteller and his ability to infuse narrative with a unique blend of whimsy and complexity. Although best recognized for his narratives set in fantastical realms, Carroll also published works of a serious nature under his real name, notably on mathematical subjects. His literary style often blurred the lines between the nonsensical and the profound, challenging readers to find meaning amidst the apparent chaos of his fictional worlds. Despite his acclaim as an author, Carroll's personal life was marked by a quiet academic career at Christ Church, Oxford, where he lectured in mathematics. Carroll's legacy endures, contributing substantially to the genre of literary nonsense and the canon of Victorian literature, continuing to captivate audiences with his enchanting and innovative storytelling.