Tom Brown

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I have 273 stories published in 24 collections on the site.
My stories have been read 411046 times and 18 of my stories have been cherry picked.
445 of my 3,061 comments have been voted Great Feedback with a total of 448 votes

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Tom Brown

Born South-African, I went to a dual medium primary school and Afrikaans high school, NG Church mostly and sunday school Methodist. At school achieved top positions in science and mathematics olympiads, after as well completing two years of engineering studies with very good results but I did not graduate, I had to stop due to mental health problems.

Graduating under WK Bartoszek at Unisa, MSc (1997) and Pretoria University, Niko Sauer PhD (2006), formal interests were to be in abstract analysis and broadly in applied mathematics. All of my qualifications were with honours.

I had permanent teaching positions at Unisa and at Wits, however since not having been academically active, and as such absent from formal academic research for very long now, years. Advanced study and research was in Markov operators and stochastic processes; vector valued Laplace transforms applied to semigroups and families of evolution equations (Empathies).
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Unfortunately I have had a history of medical treatment for psychiatric illness with diagnosis of a bipolar mood disorder.

It was very fortunate in that my condition responded very well to medicine it helps if you cooperate and comply, if not, you don't have much of a chance. Also I am totally abstinent from alcohol and other mood altering substances for great many years, it did not accord with my constitution at all. As a chain smoker I also managed to kick the habit, more than a decade smoke-free now, by the Grace of God.

I have always been able to function completely normal and independently in society my isolation was not because of my own doing it was due to circumstances, and has just been getting stricter I seem to have almost no contact outside, save only for AbcTales. My saving grace.

I am  totally isolated and financially barely getting by. 

Although I am still studying mathematics and applications, more popular accessible kind of work, while interested and looking forward to hopefully be active in research or industry again.

God is in the details of the details. God is in the timing of the timing.
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Apart from studies in the natural sciences I am interested in languages and literature in general as well as religion. In high school I majored in German also, and Biology, in the meanwhile I have taught myself French, well enough to read (with a bit of difficulty).

Lately I have been writing more popular general interest essays and also trying for a bit of balance with mathematics and while keeping things understandable for most people.

Thus not involved at all with any social media, and having time for writing, leisure, watching movies, reading fiction, classics mostly, poetry and  music. I miss my friends, and would really love getting outdoors and in nature more.
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Favourite authors are Jules Verne, HG Wells and Jack London, Shakespeare and poets William Blake and Dylan Thomas. I like adventure, science fiction and fantasy movies my all time greatest are the Narnia stories and the Lord of the Rings.

The meal best enjoyed is a breakfast of bacon eggs on toast fried chips with fresh orange juice, and for supper an ox-tail stew. I like eating out romantic. For recreation nature hikes, camping and fishing, listening to good music and reading, classics mostly, and good movies. I love dogs my best one was a Maltese poodle Freddy.

I love rain and lightning thunderstorms and rainbows. As well as writing and publishing here on AbcTales.
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These are my stories!

Keep your feet on the ground and reach for the Stars!

 

 

My stories

Out of Africa

Tom Brown Apart from studies in the natural sciences I am interested in languages and literature in general as well as religion. Lately I have been...
1 likes

Science and Scientists

In my personal opinion chemistry is not really science at all it is still the same as alchemy. It seemed to me they can always correctly predict and...

Bunkers, Dads and Clubs

At last freed in the real world now, but my dad died and I a rebel without a cause. During third year engineering studies my grandfather died also...

Bunkers

Beginning high-school the lowest class he lent me rugby toggs and a jersey from someone for my first rugby game, I was on lock even being the...
1 likes

Collecting Pocket Calculators

I collect old calculating machines for a hobby, anything, like shop counter adding, specialised scientific calculators, financial ones etc. Any old...

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445 of my comments have received 448 Great Feedback votes

1 Vote

we all did

Posted on Mon, 15 Dec 2025

When I was in primary school we all did. They feed on leaves you put in the box - either lettuce or mulberry leaves but you have to stick to one. At first they are tiny but they grow quickly munching the leaf edges ravenously and we buy sell or...

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Posted in Perilous journey

1 Vote

The Rainbow Nation

Posted on Thu, 28 Aug 2025

The Rainbow Nation

South Africa

“There is always something new from Africa”.

~

https://www.abctales.com/collection/south-africa-0

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Posted in Out of Africa

1 Vote

True!

Posted on Thu, 04 Dec 2025

Very good. All things are possible under the Modern Moon,

True! Tom

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Posted in under the Modern Moon

1 Vote

strange days

Posted on Mon, 01 Dec 2025

Those were very strange times indeed, and they can come knocking again any time ... with pain and suffering. AIDS isn't a joke either.

I remember at a time "yuppy flu" was so prevalent but now seems agreed it was "depression" after all and...

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Posted in CEPHALALGIA.

1 Vote

the present

Posted on Thu, 04 Dec 2025

Isn't it ironic Rhiannon? Tragic. Reminds us to live in the "now" and the story is like my late mother she also had grand plans for touring the world she saved many years had the money and time and everything but then in the end she passed...

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Posted in An elderly dream

1 Vote

WITS

Posted on Wed, 27 Mar 2024

Once proud heritage, striving for equality and excellence.

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Posted in Brutal Honesty

1 Vote

WITS

Posted on Fri, 01 Nov 2024

I don't understand what it is that makes you think I want something from you?

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Posted in Uncle Justice

1 Vote

Your stories are beautiful Jenny

Posted on Tue, 11 Nov 2025

Your stories are beautiful Jenny, I wish to see much more of Britain and Europe, but I'm not fanatical as my mother was. That was very tragic she worked her whole life to have the funds and oppurtunity to travel and then, just when she retired...

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Posted in Old Man Of Storr

1 Vote

Unbelievable

Posted on Wed, 19 Nov 2025

In SA we don't complain, "we vote with our feet". Don't let the bastards grind you.

All the best – Tom

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Posted in Satin. Part One.

1 Vote

It is really bad

Posted on Wed, 19 Nov 2025

This is really bad the one lot is worse than the other.

Good luck

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Posted in Satin. Part Two.

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