The Tachypomp: A Mathematical Demonstration

by Edward Page Mitchell

Release: January 1874
Format: Short Story
Genre: Science Fiction
Audience: Adults
Content: No Time Phenomena
Original Language: English

This was Mitchell’s first of many anonymous stories for the New York Sun, and although it contained a clever method of achieving unlimited speed, it had no time travel. But not to worry! Two of [Error: Missing '[/exn]' tag for wikilink]

— Michael Main

Just whisper to him that when he has an infinite number of cars with an infinitesimal difference in their lengths, he will have obtained that infinite speed for which he seems to yearn.

DEBUT

“The Tachypomp: A Mathematical Demonstration,” New York Sun, January 1874..

VARIANTS

3 English variants

TRANSLATIONS

Translations to Romanian

TAGS(SPOILERS!)

Time Periods

Circa AD 1800 to 1899: presumed time period

Themes

FTL without Time Travel

Groupings

Schribner’s Monthly (periodical): March 1874
Cited in Time Machines by Paul J. Nahin ()

INDEXER NOTES (SPOILERS!)

Debut—Although Mitchell worked for the <em>Sun</em> in 1874, we are not yet certain whether citations of this story appearing there in January are correct.