Ritual in the Dark is Colin Wilson’s debut novel, first published in 1960. The story follows Gerard Sorme, a would-be writer who befriends Austin Nunne, a wealthy aesthete with a dark secret—he is a sadistic murderer driven by a twisted philosophy of freedom. Inspired by the Jack the Ripper case, the novel blends existentialism, crime, and psychological tension, offering a chilling exploration of morality and obsession