Publisher's Synopsis
Fire in the Dark is the story of a recently minted time-traveler struggling to deal with being taken out of time. The Time-Traveler is observed by a motley crew of characters ranging from bumbling romantics to psychopathic surgeons, who all weigh in on how to make meaning in a world concerned only with itself. Take yourself away into the world of the Orion Spur, a massive effort in world-building, and ponder not only the actions and thoughts of the Time-Traveler's witnesses, but also the role of your own intentions in the creation of the world in which you live, the flaws of utopia in an ever-changing world, and the consequences of a life too well-defined.
"Rebecca pushed open both double doors to the front hall of the library. A chill ran up her spine. On both walls leading to the entrance were floor-to-ceiling mirrors. But you're wondering about the chill, aren't you? It was nothing. Not even a draft. Don't worry about it; Rebecca will do that for you. A few times, she had heard that chills from nowhere meant that someone was stepping on your grave from a past life. It hadn't occurred to her at those times that there was any truth to the idea, but when she looked into an infinity of herself, she became less certain.
Flanking her on each side were countless doppelga¨ngers, all moving forward at pace. They all walked toward their uncanny destinations with the same gait, the same curious expression. Rebecca picked out Rebecca, five times removed, and wondered if fifth-Rebecca knew anything that she didn't. Or maybe if she knew the most out of any Rebecca. It could be that Rebecca wasn't even the real Rebecca. It could be that there were no real Rebeccas. But then there would have to be, wouldn't there? At least one of them had to be the original, and it may as well be Rebecca. That settled it, then. So why did she have the feeling that she was being called to from somewhere deep inside the regression? Why was the voice that wasn't there so warm, so inviting. Another chill ran up her spine, and she chased its origin, but the more she tried to find it the farther into the mirrors it seemed to flee. She walked on, keeping her eyes on the worlds reaching out to either side. Watching the endless watchers."
