Smartly written speculative fiction that makes incisive points about reality tv, celebrity, human achievement, and the ways that public figures utilize the media to manipulate others' perceptions of them. The surprises, much like a reality show, come fast and furious and really capture the scripted/real dichotomy of the genre. The characters are interesting and well-defined (and you can truly see the reality tv archetypes at play), and the pieces situation in the midwest offers pointed and essential commentary on urban coastal America vs. the more rural midwest.