  Given an n-manifold M and an n-category C, we define a chain complex (the
"blob complex") B_*(M;C). The blob complex can be thought of as a derived
category analogue of the Hilbert space of a TQFT, and as a generalization of
Hochschild homology to n-categories and n-manifolds. It enjoys a number of nice
formal properties, including a higher dimensional generalization of Deligne's
conjecture about the action of the little disks operad on Hochschild cochains.
Along the way, we give a definition of a weak n-category with strong duality
which is particularly well suited for work with TQFTs.
