Book excerpt: A companion volume to "one of the most original works of recent American Cinema"* Donnie Darko was the surprise cult hit of 2001. Appearing nationwide on critic's year-end top-ten lists, the quirky independent film's effortless blending of science fiction, horror, adolescent angst, and social satire defied description while simultaneously providing "an unexpectedly poignant catharsis for Sept. 11 blues" (Jan Stuart, Newsday). Its Möbius strip-like narrative about Donnie, a troubled teenager who can see into the future, continues to inspire fans to obsessive heights. The Donnie Darko Book includes the film's screenplay, an in-depth interview with writer-director Richard Kelly, facsimile pages from The Philosophy of Time Travel book that Donnie uses to go back in time, as well as photos and drawings from the film and the artwork it inspired.