Jacques Futrelle 
49 Tales of The Thinking Machine 
49 detective cases of Professor Augustus S. F. X. Van Dusen, known as ‘The Thinking Machine’

Jacques Futrelle’s ’49 Tales of The Thinking Machine’ is a collection of detective stories featuring Professor Augustus S.F.X Van Dusen, also known as The Thinking Machine, a brilliant and eccentric logician. The stories follow the classic detective fiction formula with intricate plots, clever deductive reasoning, and unexpected twists that keep readers engaged. Futrelle’s writing style is concise and detailed, enhancing the intellectual challenge presented in each story. Set in the early 20th century, these tales provide a window into the cosmopolitan, sophisticated world of the time, making them not only entertaining but also historically intriguing. Futrelle’s work stands out for its innovative approach to mystery fiction, blending logic and innovation in storytelling. His creation of The Thinking Machine paved the way for the development of other eccentric detective characters in literature. Fans of classic detective fiction and intellectual challenges will find ’49 Tales of The Thinking Machine’ a captivating read, showcasing Futrelle’s mastery of the genre and his contribution to the evolution of detective fiction.

About the author

Jacques Heath Futrelle, born on April 9, 1875, in Pike County, Georgia, was an American journalist and mystery writer famed for his unique and intellectual detective stories, especially those featuring the cerebral detective character known as ‘The Thinking Machine’. Before turning to fiction, Futrelle worked as a journalist and theatrical writer, but he eventually became engrossed in the world of detective fiction. His work is typified by the use of intricate, logic-based puzzles, which his hero, Professor Augustus S. F. X. Van Dusen (The Thinking Machine), would unravel in a methodical and scientific manner. Futrelle’s legacy as an author is most famously encapsulated in his collection ’49 Tales of The Thinking Machine’, which showcases his skill in combining complex plots with a rational approach to detective work (Futrelle, 1918). Although Futrelle’s literary career was cut short when he perished in the tragic sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912, his contributions to the genre of detective fiction continue to be celebrated for their ingenuity and influence on later detective narratives. His writing style involved an emphasis on the powers of deductive reasoning and logic, aligning with the rising fascination with science and rationality of the early twentieth-century literati. Despite the brevity of his career, Jacques Futrelle remains a distinguished figure in the annals of crime and mystery literature.