Arthur Porges

Arthur Porges (1915-2006) was an American writer known for crafting intricate mystery stories, science fiction tales, and supernatural fiction during the mid-20th century. His work appeared regularly in magazines like Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, and The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. Porges achieved recognition for his detective stories featuring Cyriack Skinner Grey, a retired professor who solved seemingly impossible crimes through scientific knowledge. His most famous story, "The Ruum," published in 1953, became a classic of science fiction and has been frequently anthologized. A mathematics teacher by profession, Porges incorporated scientific and mathematical concepts into his fiction, creating puzzles and solutions that relied on logic and technical expertise. His brother Irwin often collaborated with him on stories, though Arthur was the more prolific of the two. Before his writing career, Porges served in World War II and later earned advanced degrees in mathematics. His literary output includes hundreds of short stories across multiple genres, though he wrote relatively few novels and longer works.

Reader reviews describe Porges as a skilled writer of clever puzzle mysteries and science fiction with surprising twists. His short stories appear in anthologies but many remain hard to find. Readers praise: - Ingenious plot solutions that play fair with clues - Tight, economical writing style - Scientific and mathematical accuracy - Stories that reward rereading Common criticisms: - Characters can feel flat or underdeveloped - Some solutions rely on obscure technical knowledge - Limited emotional depth - Writing can be dry His stories receive steady 4/5 ratings on Goodreads and Amazon, though total review counts are low (under 50 reviews per work). His most-reviewed story "The Ruum" averages 4.2/5. "His solutions are brilliant but sometimes the journey there is mechanical," notes one Amazon reviewer. A Goodreads review praises how "each story is a perfect little puzzle box." Several readers compare him favorably to Arthur C. Clarke for scientific rigor.

The Devil and Simon Flagg and Other Fantastic Tales - Collection of science fiction and fantasy stories including the titular tale about a mathematician challenging the devil.

Three Perfect Murders - Mystery stories featuring detective Ulysses Price Middlebie who solves seemingly impossible crimes.

The Miracle of the Bread and Other Stories - Collection combining fantasy, science fiction and mystery stories published between 1953-1973.

The Ruum - Science fiction story about a man pursued by an alien collecting device through the Canadian wilderness.

A Talent for Murder - Mystery tale featuring retired professor Joel Hoffman solving crimes through mathematical probability.

The Invisible Cage - Science fiction story about an apparently impossible escape from a high-security prison.

Problem Child - Story of a superintelligent infant who terrifies his parents with his abilities.

The Mirror - Horror story about a cursed antique mirror with deadly powers.