The Crying of Lot 49 tells the story of Oedipa Maas, a woman who is called upon to execute the will of her former lover, Pierce Inverarity. As she works to fulfill this obligation, she begins to uncover a centuries-old mail distribution conspiracy. Although she discovers multiple clues, included the repeated appearance of a muted post horn and the accompanying acronym of W.A.S.T.E., her investigation seems to yield only more mysteries. Full of references to other pop-culture and literary works, this postmodern classic raises questions of truth and meaning in a consumer-driven society.