I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom: A Novel By Jason Pargin

In The Box, a standalone darkly humorous thriller by New York Times bestselling author Jason Pargin, modern America grapples with anxiety and paranoia. The story begins just outside Los Angeles when an unsuspecting driver encounters a mysterious young woman perched on a large black box. She makes an outrageous offer: $200,000 in cash for him to transport her and the enigmatic box across the country to Washington, D.C.

With the promise of an easy payday comes a set of bizarre rules: he must not look inside the box, ask questions, or disclose their mission to anyone. They must leave at once, abandoning all trackable devices. The driver, both intrigued and uneasy, agrees, and they hit the road as an unlikely duo.

As they journey through America, rumors spiral out of control on social media, suggesting that the box may be linked to a meticulously planned terror attack aimed at igniting civil war. The tension mounts as paranoia takes hold, and the pair becomes the center of a national spectacle.

However, the truth behind the box and the woman may be even stranger than the wildest conspiracy theories. As the driver navigates this chaotic landscape filled with eccentric misfits, he must confront not only the bizarre reality of their situation but also the absurdity of the world around him. In a narrative that blends humor with thrilling suspense, The Box challenges perceptions of truth and the nature of fear in an increasingly anxious society.