Solution: Helminthophobia

Written by Tom Weisswange

Each numbered haiku briefly describes a movie whose title contains the given number of letters; these are (here indexed by letter for future reference):

A. SSSSSSS
B. Willard
C. The Birds
D. They Nest
E. A Bug's Life
F. Creepshow
G. Men in Black
H. Stuart Little
I. Arachnophobia
J. The Deadly Bees
K. Joe's Apartment
L. The Worm Eaters
M. Batman and Robin
N. Doctor Dolittle
O. Giant Space Slugs
P. The Killer Shrews
Q. The Secret of NIMH
R. Beginning of the End
S. Meet the Applegates
T. Kingdom of the Spiders
U. The Giant Spider Invasion
V. Monster from the Ocean Floor
W. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
X. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Y. Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death

All of these titles can be traced out in the grid by moving along paths which can change direction, and can go either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, but which never cross or overlap. The positions of the words (by index letter) are as follows:


  I RRRRRR FFEEEE H HJJJ JLLLLL
  IID RBBRF FEEE GHH JJJJLLLLKKK
  IDDRRBBRFFFE GGGHHHH JJL  KKK
  IDDR BBRFFPPEGGGG HHOOJLLLKKKK
   ID RBRNNNPP  G  HHOO OJ KKQQQ
  IIDDIRRNNNPPP GWW  O OJO KQQQQ
  IMIIMINNNPPPVVVW W O OOOQQQQQC
  MMMM MNNPPPPV WYYYYO OO QQQ CC
   M MM NNPVVVVWYYYYYYXXXXXCCC C
  MMMMASS NVVVWWYYYYYXXXXXTC  T
  AA AASSSVVVVW YYYYXX X T TTTTT
  SAASSSVVVVWWWWYYYXXX T TTTTTTT
  SSSVVVWWWWYYYYY XXXXXTTU UUUUU
  SSSVWWWWWYYYYYYXXXXXXTUUUU UUU
  S SVWWW WYYYYY XX X UUUUU UUUU

The unused letters in the grid spell out:

Now perform sixty-four breedings with the rules of Game of Life by J. H. Conway.

When the pattern of unused letters is treated as a pattern of cells in Conway's Game of Life and allowed to breed for sixty-four generations, thirteen cells are alive at the end of this process; they cover the following letters of the original grid:


  ..............................
  ..............................
  ..............................
  ..............................
  ..............................
  .........DEE.....G............
  ..................H.T.........
  .................E..R.........
  .................O............
  ................F..E..........
  .................VE...........
  ..............................
  ..............................
  ..............................
  ..............................

The second and third letters here are erroneous (see Errata page); the solution is DAUGHTER OF EVE.