Abstract

One of the few established facts about Thomas Pynchon, based on the evidence of his four novels and six short stories, is that somewhere he learned a lot about science. But even this simple declaration immediately invites questions. Where did he learn about science? And, more important, is it science we respond to in reading his work, or the applications of science through engineering and technology? Any attempt to characterize the structure or metaphor of Pynchon's fiction as "scientific" must be shaped by answers to these questions.

How to Cite:

Schachterle, L., (1990) “Pynchon and Cornell Engineering Physics, 1953–54”, Pynchon Notes , 129-137. doi: https://doi.org/10.16995/pn.280