Literature(r)

In this zippy debut, Stitch chronicles a day in the life of Billy Stringer, a bored sports journalist living in a far-future Earth city where reading and writing fiction is illegal. Billy is recruited by the megacorporation Gripping Tails, the only approved fiction producer left. Its latest technology is powered by cognition drives whose fuel is the synaptic activity generated by writing carefully controlled fiction. Before Billy can accept the job, he tries to stash his supply of contraband books, but the corporation will stop at nothing to get the books from Billy before he can off-load them, including threatening to murder Billy and his loved ones. Billy begins as an unlikable and bland main character, but as he morphs into a reluctant hero, he becomes more sympathetic. His race to warn those who matter most to him, and safeguard his books, will keep readers turning pages. (BookLife)