March 23, 2006
I will probably not be doing any readings to promote this one
Since writing esoteric anagram-based literary parodies has not exactly turned out to be the quickest road to massive wealth (or, indeed, any wealth to speak of), I have turned my attention instead to...sudoku.
Of course, I don't actually write sudoku, so the only reason for me to have my name on a sudoku book would be by coming up with an interesting twist on the trend. So I created a framework for a book of sudoku puzzles which contains a secret message hidden in 9-letter blocks throughout the book, finding which will lead you to another, even more hidden clue, which in turn gives you a final answer which you can send in (with the traditional SASE) to receive a button proclaiming your sudoku studliness. I wrote the hidden messages and drew up a description of the various constraints under which the puzzles would need to be constructed, and sent that to my coauthor Frank Longo, who then created the actual puzzles. I think the final result is pretty cool, honestly.
Anyway, it's now available for preorder at Amazon! Let me know if you want to buy the movie rights.
Posted by Francis at 05:05 PMYou are a genius to combine my two weaknesses--Sudoku and mail-away emblems of studliness--into one book. I'll buy the book and I'd even watch the movie version.
Posted by: Greg at March 23, 2006 06:16 PMI love that the hardest level is "cruel."
Posted by: Erin at March 23, 2006 07:03 PMWill some advance copies be in Stamford?
Furthermore, will YOU be in Stamford?
Posted by: Tyler at March 23, 2006 08:22 PMNow don't discount your wealth, Francis. It's in the eye of the beholder. Me, I like to think of myself as extremely wealthy. You know, what with my wealth of misfortunes, wealth of ailments, wealth of debt...
Forget wealth. You want riches! (No, that's nothing more than "abundant wealth".) Oh screw it. You want money.
Posted by: Mister The Toad at March 23, 2006 09:16 PMAll right. I'm banning all Evil Midnight Bombers from engaging in any future metapuzzle-writing-for-money this year...
Posted by: The Dan at March 23, 2006 11:19 PMTyler: I will be at Stamford, but, alas, I will not have copies of The Sudoku Code to sell. I will have copies of Holy Tango, though! (^_^)
Mister The Toad: You're right, I already have a wealth of good things -- love, friendship, CDs -- but yes, if I could have some money in addition to all that, that would be nice.
Dan: Yyyyyeah, because everyone at the Mystery Hunt is going to be so disappointed when they find out we didn't give them 200 sudoku puzzles to solve.
Posted by: Francis at March 23, 2006 11:43 PMClever idea, and I like the cover.
Posted by: Matt Gaffney at March 24, 2006 01:13 AMOrange warned me about Sudoku, but I did not heed her plea, and got sucked into them anyway. I can tell I'm never gonna escape it's sinister clutches with you around, Francis.
Does the button when you win come with something else? Your autograph or a lock of hair?
Posted by: monabuonanotte at March 24, 2006 01:27 PMNo, you'll have to stalk me for those, just like everybody else does.
Posted by: Francis at March 24, 2006 01:47 PMSnakes on Sudoku?
Posted by: Alex at March 24, 2006 02:31 PMI think I know what the coin is going to be next year...
Posted by: Doug Orleans at March 24, 2006 10:57 PMSo when I solve this thing, can I also get an autographed picture of you next to me giving a thumbs up? I'm trying to start a collection. You'd be the second (Mick Foley).
I feel it only fair given the massive plug I'm going to give you in my own bloggy thing as soon as I get to work.
Posted by: bpd at March 25, 2006 01:12 PMWow, I just finished "The Sudoku Code." It was the most difficult puzzle I have ever finished. It took me 146 hours. Thanks for the challenge! I understand how a computer program can generate sudoku puzzles but I am all a-gog about how you were able to create this complex of a puzzle. I found the one small mistake in the book, it was on about puzzle pair #55 where the anagram had a wrong letter in it. No matter, the mistake was easily overcome. Thanks again!
Posted by: John Geffre at August 20, 2006 09:36 PMI have a copy of the book is there an expiration date for sending in an answer? Although I'm far from that point. Betty
Posted by: Betty Nye at September 15, 2012 07:46 PMDear Mr. Heaney,
Please help! Haha! I just bought a copy of this book, and I'm struggling! :( could there possibly be an error in my book? I've re-done the first few puzzles over and over again and my answers are always the same: #1 ATFYREOHU, #2 EVAFNIIHS and so on. I know that's not right. (Is it?)
Please help!
Posted by: Michelle at December 1, 2013 01:49 AM