Is Different. One of these pieces was titled Chains or Chain-Links. The story investigated--in abstract, conceptual, and fictional terms--many of the problems that captivated future generations of mathematicians, sociologists, and physicists within the field of network theory.

Technological advances in communications and travel enabled friendship networks to grow larger and span greater distances. In particular, Karinthy believed that the modern world was "shrinking" from this ever-increasing connectedness