Reality: The Novel

In this satirical first novel by standup comic Havens, a reality television consultant lives a life as absurd as the shows he pitches. Stanford-educated Trent Tucker wants to create decent programming, but his overtly stereotypical colleagues—the "Flamboyant Homosexual," the "Angry Black Man," the "Token Harlot," etc.—are content to cater to the lowest common denominator. ("We can't kill people on TV," Trent says about a show idea. His team members rebut: "Why do you have to be so negative?") He finally cracks during a meeting, spouting the most ludicrous concepts he can think of. His repugnant boss, P.T., loves the ideas and promotes him to vice president. Soon, Trent begins to collude with a competing creative firm that wants to put a wholesome spin on prime time, and when the rival executive mysteriously dies, Trent suspects P.T. was responsible. In an unconvincing turn, Trent decides to kill P.T. The book is filled with jabs at reality programming—shows include The Curious Polygamist and I Think My Brother's Gay . If the characters are clichéd and the plot hackneyed, the clever surprise ending puts everything in perspective. (Nov.)