Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

No doubt this is a very cleverly constructed puzzle, albeit focusing (pun intended) on a pretty awful piece of writing.

However, the ambiguity re the correct abbreviation is a pity. Having read the previous posts, it's still unclear which to choose with absolute certainty.

Personally I don’t think there’s an ambiguity.

There’s only really one normal interpretation of what the “hideous truth” could be as that is the whole point of the story. The guy puts on his thematic things and sees something horrific

Very late to this. All done apart from parsing 4 clues (for which I have the answers---except perhaps one unchecked letter):
40A, 34D, 35D, 37D. Help would be much appreciated.

Per my post at #40, I'm glad I'm not the only one who has found this frustrating, thus spoiling what is otherwise a superb construction. The puzzle is complex enough and doesn't need further (deliberate?) ambiguity in the preamble.

I eventually opted for the single letter on the basis that the hideous truth is what Fr sees when he puts the objects on. However, it's clear that others disagree and the point about the M character not being mentioned in the Wiki entry was at the root of my original query.

Going back 40 or so years to when I first started entering, the only way to have verified the answer would have been to go to the nearest library and read the story. Yet there's a fair chance the theme would have been rejected before publication as being too obscure and not sufficiently accessible.

I've just had a look on the Listener Crossword site and the 'Guidance for Setters' still states: 'The accessibility of thematic information is carefully considered. Although the editors would not rule out a puzzle that required solvers to visit a local library, they will try to ensure that the reference material is likely to be available there and that the extra effort will be rewarding. It should not be required simply to access a trivial piece of information that is not well-integrated into the puzzle.'

This badly needs updating. No reference at all to the internet or online tools, without which many contemporary puzzles couldn't be solved (and don't get me started on needing Excel to solve a mathematical!). For absolute certainty, this is a puzzle that would have benefited from a single source of truth being specified - either 'the text' or 'the relevant Wikipedia entry'.

To be fair, I've somewhat reconsidered my position. If you can find the original text, it is clear what the answer should be I think. It is unfortunate that the right answer isn't mentioned in the wiki article and a plausible wrong answer is suggested by the wiki article.

orientfan - I think it’s safe to assume that the story itself should always be considered the source of truth and if one has access to wiki then one has access to the story.

For those who just went to wiki and put the name there I don’t know how they would understand what the preamble is going on about with the initials representing the four generations.

I think as a golden rule, if one doesn’t fully understand the preamble one should keep looking.

Hi old wolfie All the clues you specify have misprints. In 37 it is in the third word, the answer bejing hidden in the clue, whilst 34 and 35 both have misprints in the first word! In 40ac it is in the second word. As for MY problem, do 48 of the 50 cells show a message reading through 2 of the shapes? If so, then I cannot see it!

Primeprospect, they don’t spell a message, but form an image

Made some big letters, decided not to bother with the endgame beyond that as I can't see where it's going. There's a whole sea of stuff in Wikipedia that might be relevant but I can't spot the useful information.

Agree it’s probably the single letter not the double, but definitely ambiguous, even after reading the original text.

Shame, because otherwise an excellent puzzle, with some very tricky clues. Pleasure to solve until that very last point