Legendary puzzle inventor and columnist Martin Gardner passed away at the age of 95 late last month. Ever since he created the Mathematical Games column for Scientific American in 1956, he's been the preeminent puzzlemaker in America, releasing over 70 books in addition to his endlessly delightful magazine columns. As far as we know, his last known puzzle contribution was for Wired's Mystery Issue in May, 2009.
Some well-known puzzle and game designers comment on his passing below.
Will Shortz, New York Times crossword editor: "Probably more than any other living person when I was young, Martin Gardner was responsible for my interest in puzzles. He was the main adviser on puzzle books for Dover Books, which I grew up on, and he personally selected and edited the classic puzzles of Sam Loyd and Henry Ernest Dudeney. It was his judicious work that made me dream of a career in puzzling."
Wei-Hwa Huang, four-time World Puzzle Champion: "When I was 15, I wrote in Martin Gardner as my 'Favorite Celebrity' in a questionnaire. I was told that I wasn't allowed to just make up names. Martin, you're still my favorite celebrity."
Mike Selinker, co-founder of Lone Shark Games: So for their Mystery issue, Wired asked me if I knew Gardner. I didn't, so I used the opportunity to find him. He didn't have an email account, so I called him out of the blue and asked if he wanted to help me with a puzzle. He initially said no, because he hadn't written a puzzle for publication in many years. But through several delightful phone calls—remember, no email—we batted around enough thoughts that he eventually agreed to contribute one. I didn't know at the time that it would be his last new contribution to a magazine. Working with him was one of the best puzzlemaking experiences I've ever had. He was generous with his precious time—more than I expect I'll be when I'm 95 and some puzzlemaking punk who's shocked that I don't have a 3D hololink brainmail account comes knocking.
Richard Garfield, Inventor of Magic: The Gathering, President of Three Donkeys: "Martin Gardner, more than anyone else, connected games, puzzles and mathematics in my mind. His playfulness and inquisitiveness in these areas was infectious—it steered me toward these areas and, I think, gave me a more playful and inquisitive outlook on life. I never met him, but I did write to him as a graduate student and his response to me speaks of his generosity with his time and is a treasure to me. I am certain his spirit will live on for quite a while—I can already see my children's outlook is more Gardneresque than mine was at their age."
Eric Harshbarger, LEGO sculptor and puzzle designer: "Growing up I was always fascinated by puzzles and math brain-teasers. During college I bought many books from the terribly small 'mathematics/science' section at the campus bookstore. I would read them thoroughly, and the ideas I gleaned propelled my interest into what would eventually be two degrees in pure mathematics. Years later I started collecting Alice in Wonderland memorabilia, and, of course, purchased a copy of The Annotated Alice. It was only then, with a couple of my bookshelves full of interesting books, that I realized that the same person had authored so many of them. Without even knowing who he was, I had amassed a collection of nearly a dozen works by Martin Gardner. This person, this 'Martin Gardner,' had been influencing me for decades. I get asked all of the time how one gets to have some of the interesting jobs I've pursued in my lifetime. There are many factors that have led me to where I am in my life, and I am sure that Martin Gardner is one of the most significant."
