Saint Joan of New York

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-vi

   PDF

2. Introduction: Physics and the Search for Meaning

   • Mark Alpert

   Pages 1-16

3. Saint Joan of New York

   • Mark Alpert

   Pages 17-229

4. Author’s Note

   • Mark Alpert

   Pages 231-232

SAINT JOAN OF NEW YORK is a novel about a math prodigy who becomes obsessed with discovering the Theory of Everything. Joan Cooper, a 17-year-old genius traumatized by the death of her older sister, tries to rebuild her shattered world by studying string theory and the efforts to unify the laws of physics. But as she tackles the complex equations, she falls prey to disturbing visions of a divine being who wants to help her unveil the universe’s mathematical design. Joan must enter the battle between science and religion, fighting for her sanity and a new understanding of the cosmos.

• String theory
• Theory of Everything
• Calabi-Yau manifold
• Extra dimensions
• Fine-structure constant
• Math prodigy
• Saint Joan
• Joan of Arc
• Belief vs. evidence
• Religious revelation
• Proof of God?

• New York, USA

  Mark Alpert

Mark Alpert is a former editor at Scientific American and an internationally bestselling author of science-fiction thrillers. His first novel, Final Theory (Simon & Schuster, 2008), was published in 24 languages, condensed in Reader’s Digest, and optioned for film. He specializes in writing thrillers that explain scientific advances such as gene editing, brain-computer interfaces, self-replicating machines, and cyborg insects. He lives in New York with his wife and two kids.

Policies and ethics