Austin at Blistered Thumbs recently posted a detailed in-depth essay about the themes, inspirations and symbolism in Alan Wake. The article is spread across three pages and well worth the read with a series of interesting responses. There are spoilers in the text so if you haven't completed the game, I would advise you to read it after.
CLICK HERE to read the essay.
Extract from the essay:
"As a video game, Alan Wake is a third-person shooter/horror game in which you play the eponymous Alan Wake, a writer who is trying to find his missing wife Alice. As a narrative, Alan Wake is an Ouroboros. In simplest terms, the plot is that in the town of Bright Falls, Washington there is an evil force called The Dark Presence that dwells in Cauldron Lake which makes the work of writers manifest in reality. Thomas Zane was one such writer, and after his wife died he attempted to use the power of the lake to resurrect her, only to find that the Presence had taken over her body. In response, Zane wrote himself and his wife out of existence, but left behind means by which to combat the darkness if it ever escaped again, including writing the adventures of Alan Wake, a writer who almost falls prey to the Dark Presence himself."
