A Subway Named Mobius
Armin Joseph Deutsch | |
|---|---|
| Occupation(s) | Astronomer, writer |
| Known for | Author of "A Subway Named Mobius" |
A Subway Named Mobius is a 1950 science fiction short story authored by American astronomer Armin Joseph Deutsch. First appearing in Astounding Science Fiction, the narrative examines the impact of adding a new connection to the Boston MTA system (currently known as the MBTA), thereby increasing its complexity. Since its initial publication, the story has been featured in various anthologies and earned a fourth-place nomination for the 2001 Retro Hugo Award.
Plot
Following the inauguration of the Boylston Shuttle, Boston MTA train number 86 mysteriously vanishes. System manager Whyte is unable to account for this disappearance, especially since the network continues to behave as though the train remains active—consuming power and activating signals across distant sections.
Harvard mathematician Professor Roger Tupelo proposes that the introduction of the shuttle has elevated the system's topological complexity to an infinite degree, causing the train to exist within an additional spatial and temporal dimension. The leading authority on such matters, Professor Turnbull from MIT—who is presumed to be aboard the missing train—is unreachable.
Attempts to track down the train prove unsuccessful. Tupelo cautions that shutting down the shuttle line will prevent the train’s return. Despite involving topologists, enduring legal challenges, and federal inquiries over ten weeks, no solution is found.
Ultimately, Tupelo discovers himself on board the vanished train, where time appears frozen for its passengers. After halting the train inside a tunnel and communicating with Whyte, he learns that another train has subsequently disappeared.
Publication history
The story first appeared in the December 1950 issue of Astounding Science Fiction. It was included in an anthology in 1952 and republished under the title "Non-Stop" in the 1953 UK edition of Argosy. In 2001, it secured fourth place in the Retro Hugo Awards.
Topology
The title alludes to the Möbius strip, and references to a Klein bottle underscore the narrative’s emphasis on intricate spatial configurations.
Adaptations
This work served as inspiration for the 1996 Argentine film Moebius, which transposes the setting to Buenos Aires.
External links
- A Subway Named Mobius at Faded Page
- A Subway Named Mobius at ISFDB