Abstract

A Theory of Darkness is a cross-genre mystery novel that works within the conventions of the mystery-genre to explore and subvert commonplace beliefs about the nature of time, identity, and fantasy. The novel features Sally Smith, a clerk at 'The Mystery' bookstore, as she begins to receive anonymous letters that challenge many of her assumptions and beliefs, and push her to confront herself and the world around her. On a quest to uncover Anonymous's identity that leads her to seedy spots and peculiar characters, Sally must examine the very notion of a mystery and what it means to know. In a novel where characters range from a private detective and a femme fatale, to a physicist and a bookstore owner, plot and structure stand side by side with experimentation and theory. Using Sally's quest to find Anonymous as a frame for the larger mystery of humanity's search for understanding, A Theory of Darkness gives new meaning to the 'dark'