It all starts when a twenty-something software programming genius is visited while he sleeps by a mysterious figure referred to as the Troll. "We're going to change the world," the Troll tells the narrator. Soon we're introduced to an assortment of off-beat characters: a red-haired, one-eared, female temptress; a pot-smoking tech reporter; a computer-generated Halfling; and a few venture capitalists who are all interested in finding the Troll. Mostly taking place in San Francisco, Hunt for the Troll is a quirky hybrid of mystery, pulp, and modern fairy tale.

Hunt for the Troll is Mark Richardson's debut novel. His short fiction has appeared in numerous literary and crime journals, including Hobart, Fugue, Segue, Crime Factory, Switchback, and Prime Number Magazine. He lives in Northern California with his wife and two children.