Strange Attractors

E=NYC Squared

    New York City. The City That Never Sleeps. What if the key to understanding how such a complex microcosm works is based on a simple equation? If such a formula existed, could the Capital of the World be saved from itself in times of trouble and tragedy?

    According to disgraced professor Spencer Brownfield, the answer is yes! Not only could New York be rescued from imminent threats with a slide rule and a calculator, it’s been done by before by Professor Brownfield. Or so he claims… However, age is catching up with the de facto savior of the Big Apple. To maintain the city in running order, a replacement must be found soon. Will Dr. Brownfield be able to find the right man for the job before the next forecasted disaster strikes? If it strikes at all.

  Manhattan Tourism Authority

     Charles Soule’s (Letter 44) look at the five boroughs through the realm of mathematics is an excellent read. It does start off very slowly; like putting a puzzle together without a box for reference. Yet as the disjointed segments started to come together as beautiful mosaic of the American melting pot. Building a mystery from the ground up is really Soule’s style. Thankfully, he’s got a great foundation in the metropolis that is New York City.

Helping Soule on visuals is native New Yorker Greg Scott. His flowing sketches capture both the good and bad elements of NYC. Scott is also the creative genius behind the flow charts that Brownfield and his colleagues use. The artist takes painstaking care to make each equation match the personality of the characters who draft them. Together,  Soule and Scott are the perfect guides to the Empire City.

    There’s so much to this amazing story. To reveal too much would be a disservice to the reader. One must really explore Strange Attractors with as little knowledge of the plot as possible. But if it helps, I will at least reveal the source of the enigma behind this Boom Entertainment work. It can all be traced back to the music scene of Gotham.

     Unlocking the Music Box

     Soule references New York based bands such as Blondie, the Talking Heads and the Paper Clips extensively throughout this book. The patterns Professor Brownfield notices throughout New York looks almost like sheet music. Now I can’t read music to save my life. But I am sure that at least 1 pattern is this book is actually the musical bridge to Blitzkrieg Bop!

    Math, music, and New York. Thrown in a dash of the Magician’s Apprentice with a smattering of Minority Report and you will have deciphered the mystery of Strange Attractors.

      Worth Consuming!

      Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.