About the book:
A clever, playful novel about Alice Butler, a toy company codebreaker who becomes entangled in corporate intrigue, cryptography, and a mysterious quest. Blending mathematics, consumerism, and coming-of-age themes, Thomas delivers an intelligent story that questions creativity and capitalism.
Witty, smart, and unexpectedly philosophical.
Condition:
Great secondhand condition.
Minor wear to spine.
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About the author:
Scarlett Thomas (1972 to present)
Born in London in 1972, Scarlett Thomas grew up in a literary family and studied English at the University of East Anglia. She has worked as a journalist and creative writing teacher while building a reputation for clever, metafictional, and intellectually playful fiction. Her work often reflects her interest in narrative theory, popular culture, and the philosophy of storytelling.
Her early success came with Dead Clever (1998) and other early novels, but it was PopCo (2004) and The End of Mr. Y (2006) that brought wider attention. Thomas is known for witty, idea-rich fiction that blends literary fiction, mystery, and speculative elements. Her style is smart, accessible, and often playfully self-aware.
Deeply influenced by writers like Italo Calvino, Jorge Luis Borges, and Thomas Pynchon, as well as the British experimental tradition, Thomas is adjacent to authors like Douglas Coupland, Jonathan Lethem, and other contemporary voices who blend intellectual playfulness with engaging storytelling. She has influenced writers interested in narrative theory, popular culture, and metafiction.
Recurring preoccupations include the nature of storytelling, consumer culture, mathematics and philosophy, the power of narrative to shape reality, and the search for meaning in a media-saturated world. Major works include PopCo, The End of Mr. Y, Our Tragic Universe, and Oligarchy.
Thomas teaches creative writing and continues to write fiction that rewards curious readers.
Scarlett Thomass influence lies in her clever fusion of literary fiction with popular genres and big ideas, helping keep the novel intellectually lively and playful while remaining distinctive in her blend of wit, philosophy, and narrative ingenuity.
