The Gold Bug Variations is a national bestseller and a magnificent story that probes the meaning of love, science, music, and art. Written by the brilliant author Richard Powers, the novel intricately intertwines two love stories in a double helix of desire.

In 1957, the brilliant biologist Stuart Ressler sets out to crack the genetic code. Yet his efforts are sidetracked by other, more complex codes – social, moral, musical, and spiritual – as he falls in love with a member of his research team.

Years later, another young man and woman investigate a different mystery: why did the promising Ressler suddenly vanish from the world of science? Strand by strand, these two love stories intertwine in an enthralling tale about new love and the mysteries of science.