I really liked this! The whole prime numbers thing was such a fun idea, and I honestly didn’t expect the USB drives at the end. Now I really want to know what’s on them.
Wow! This is such an interesting concept! I love how quickly we get into the mystery, not much time spent explaining backstory, we just jump right into her 5th birthday.
There is so much left unsaid and unasked. It really lets the reader try and decipher what it all means. Why the black candles? Why are they not questioning the gifts? Why the move to flashdrives? I can't wait to keep reading to find out all the answers! Thank you for sharing!
Yeah. Those are the questions I have to answer when I write the sequel to this story. Still working on them, trying to escape the all-too-obvious "Chosen One" trope.
The next Grand father Calloway birthday is 31. (Course we know that already.). The one after that would be 127, though I don't know if Jill will make it that far.
Many mathematicians have a trait GH Hardy called "friendship with the integers." That is, every number is an individual with a personality. Eleven is of course a prime. But it is special in a way among the primes. 11 is the 5th prime. 5 is the 3rd prime, 3 the second, 2 the first. Most prime numbers will not lead you back to 1 in this sequence. (For instance, 13 is the sixth prime, but 6 is not prime.) 31 is the eleventh prime. the 31st prime is 127. This is called the primeth recurrence
TBH, I'm not sure it'll be entirely positive. There's obviously some kind of secret about Jill that Grandfather Calloway knew. I'll have to figure out what that is when I continue the story.
But I don't think Jill will ever be helpless. It isn't her.
This is such a good idea to blend maths knowledge with storytelling! Enjoyed this;)
Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
I really liked this! The whole prime numbers thing was such a fun idea, and I honestly didn’t expect the USB drives at the end. Now I really want to know what’s on them.
Thanks! I'm so glad you liked it.
"Now I really want to know what’s on them."
Yup, I still have to figure that out.
Excellent storytelling!
The birthday gifts idea is very clever, and I’m excited to read the “Thirty-one” story once it’s available and find out what will happen next! 💯
Wow! This is such an interesting concept! I love how quickly we get into the mystery, not much time spent explaining backstory, we just jump right into her 5th birthday.
There is so much left unsaid and unasked. It really lets the reader try and decipher what it all means. Why the black candles? Why are they not questioning the gifts? Why the move to flashdrives? I can't wait to keep reading to find out all the answers! Thank you for sharing!
That was a really deep story. I assume there’s a good reason for 31 for the final number. I look forward to part 2 to find out what it is.
I’m intrigued - what’s on the USB drives?
Why is Grandfather Calloway so mysterious? What will happen on Jill’s 101st birthday!? (If my maths is right)
Yeah. Those are the questions I have to answer when I write the sequel to this story. Still working on them, trying to escape the all-too-obvious "Chosen One" trope.
The next Grand father Calloway birthday is 31. (Course we know that already.). The one after that would be 127, though I don't know if Jill will make it that far.
Many mathematicians have a trait GH Hardy called "friendship with the integers." That is, every number is an individual with a personality. Eleven is of course a prime. But it is special in a way among the primes. 11 is the 5th prime. 5 is the 3rd prime, 3 the second, 2 the first. Most prime numbers will not lead you back to 1 in this sequence. (For instance, 13 is the sixth prime, but 6 is not prime.) 31 is the eleventh prime. the 31st prime is 127. This is called the primeth recurrence
https://oeis.org/A007097
Well that is far cleverer than I thought it was.
I’ll bring it up at next week’s Fibonacci Conference (this year’s as big as the last two combined)
Very neat story! Thank you!
I'm crap at maths but found this entertaining. It's what we call a cosy story, i.e. it's about family things. It's very sweet and I'm glad I read it.
Glad you liked it.
It was a challenge to write in the voice of a 5, 8, 11-year-old girl, albeit a very gifted one.
It's refreshing to see an entirely positive story, one that encourages problem solving.
Too many stories, even well written ones, are negative, promoting the feeling of helplessness.
Thanks.
TBH, I'm not sure it'll be entirely positive. There's obviously some kind of secret about Jill that Grandfather Calloway knew. I'll have to figure out what that is when I continue the story.
But I don't think Jill will ever be helpless. It isn't her.
I liked watching Jill slowly figure out the pattern over the years. Another great story, thank you!
Thanks. I enjoyed that, too.