The Sphere and the Labyrinth is the story of Jordana Fitzgerald, an unsuccessful architect whose plans have left no mark on the landscape and who has invested her hopes in her handsome, clever son Seth, an aspiring architect himself. Jordana is unnerved by Seth's erratic behavior following high school graduation, which she attributes to anxiety over his impending departure for college. But a drug-related breakdown and subsequent devastating diagnosis throw a shadow over Seth's future. Tension builds between Jordana and her often absent husband Andrew over Seth's disappearances, hospitalizations, and physical and mental deterioration. As Seth fades and crumbles and begins to pose a threat to them, Jordana and Andrew must face the reality of a life in which their only future is each other.