# Mr. Burckhardt — Short Fiction character guide

> Mr. Burckhardt in Short Fiction by Frederik Pohl.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Burckhardt, Poor little Burckhardt

**First appearance:** 0000-asteroid-of-the-damned

## Snapshot

An ordinary man who stumbles onto paperwork proving his whole town is a rerun, Burckhardt pieces together the truth faster than anyone around him can believe.

## Who they are

Burckhardt and Swanson break into a sumptuous office and find a progress report on the Marlin Cigarettes campaign, complete with test groups and probability forecasts. Where Swanson sees nonsense, Burckhardt sees the explanation for Tylerton's endlessly repeating day: the town is being used to test advertising, wiped and restarted each night. His unshakable insistence that the facts fit makes him the story's reluctant detective and its moral center.

## Relationships

### [Swanson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_18_se/characters/swanson)

_professional_

Mr. Burckhardt and Swanson have a formal working relationship, likely as boss and employee or colleagues in a structured setting.

### [Mr. Dorchin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_18_se/characters/mr_dorchin)

_professional_

Mr. Burckhardt and Mr. Dorchin are colleagues or business associates, interacting regularly in a formal capacity.

### [Swanson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_18_se/characters/swanson)

_professional_

Mr. Burckhardt and Swanson have a formal working relationship, likely as boss and employee or colleagues in a structured setting.

### [Mr. Dorchin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_18_se/characters/mr_dorchin)

_professional_

Mr. Burckhardt and Mr. Dorchin are colleagues or business associates, interacting regularly in a formal capacity.

### [Swanson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_18_se/characters/swanson)

_professional_

Mr. Burckhardt and Swanson have a formal working relationship, likely as boss and employee or colleagues in a structured setting.

## In the story

### [The Tunnel Under the World](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_18_se/chapters/the-tunnel-under-the-world)

Guy's father, who appears in the story but is not fully engaged in Guy's suspicions.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_18_se/characters/mr_burckhardt
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_18_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_18_se/characters