Deep Light
When their sister Maude turns up dead in a distant desert mining town, amateur forensic anthropologist Alex Bennett must put together the pieces she left behind. But superstitious townfolk, Maude’s peculiar research on the radiant blue ore inside the mine, and a botched police investigation soon cast shadows on the circumstances of her death. As they search for answers, Alex finds themself thrown into a mystery that runs far deeper than they dreamed. And somehow it’s all connected to the radiance in the earth, called forth from the soil by the light of the moon…
Deep Light was my senior thesis project for Denison University. Working in an intensive 6-person workshop under the guidance of a faculty creative writing professor, this 45,000-word project (plus a critical essay and reflection) was completed over the course of two semesters. It won distinction honors and has been preserved in the Denison Archive, and a rough version of its first chapter was published in Exile, Denison’s student literary magazine.
Setting
Deep Light is set in an entirely fictional world with technology roughly comparable to the 1920s (plus some fantastical additions) and steampunk in its flavor. It primarily takes place in Blund’s Pass, a former mining town whose commerce flowed from the then-bustling North Blund Radiance Mine. When the mine dried up, so did the town. Few of the former miners remain, and the ruins of abandoned shops and houses dot the land, reminders of what once was.
North Blund Radiance Mine is roughly based on the abandoned Kennecott Mine (pictured here). The landscape that surrounds Blund’s Pass mirrors the Sonoran Desert in the American southwest.
The Radiance
The North Blund Radiance Mine extracts a fantastical substance called radiance from the ground, which is then refined and purified. It powers the world like a combination of gasoline and electricity; everything from automobiles to airships runs on radiance.
Some of the miners of Blund’s Pass have developed a spiritual relationship to the radiance, claiming its raw form has healing properties and can foster a state of communion with the spirits of the earth called the Blue Dreaming. Alex doesn’t buy it, until they begin having their own strange dreams as the full moon draws near, shaking their convictions about how the world works.
Major Characters
Alex Bennett: viewpoint character, forensic anthropologist in training, Maude’s next of kin, and thoroughly out of their depth. Guilt-ridden over a fight with Maude shortly before her death. Anxious, uncertain, sharp-eyed.
Maude Bennett: mechanic, inventor, bike enthusiast, fascinated by the radiance. Assigned by an underfunded government survey to investigate a collapse in the mine using the prototype of a radiance detector she developed. Cheerful, analytically-minded, curious — and dead.
Eloise Cromwell: Maude’s former landlady and classmate, a struggling artist who grew up in Blund’s and moved back after studying art. Hostile towards the townfolk. Experimenting with radiance paints. Enjoys mezcal.
Sheriff Annie Li: Oversaw the investigation into Maude’s death. Sardonic, grizzled, annoyed by Alex. Has been the sheriff too long to be surprised by much anymore. Wants them out of her hair.
Halbert Barlowe: Former foreman of the mine, now owns what’s left of it. Maude’s point of contact for her survey. Soft-spoken, spiritual. Trying to revive the mine to bring commerce back to Blund’s.
Casey Müller: Former miner with one prosthetic arm. Cynical; finds radiant spiritualism silly. Acts as the town’s taxi service with a very janky old automobile. Gossipy.
Zuri Adebayo: Casey’s wife, town archivist. Bad legs; walks with crutches. Knows all about the town’s history.
Baxter Swath: Town pharmacist; deeply spiritual. Sells dubious radiance-infused tinctures and pills. Believes fully in the Gods in the Earth and the powers of the radiance.