Jerry Becker is a publicist at Tempus Publishing House. Tempus is a midrange house that competes with the biggest names to find bestsellers. Jerry has yet to discover the next hit author, a personal dream of his. However, when his screener Myra brings him a manuscript called The Long War, all that is about to change...or so he thinks.  After being unable to put the book down until he finishes all twelve hundred and twelve pages, Jerry invites the author, a young man from Laconia named Edward Patterson, to meet him in the city and officially sign his publishing deal. Once Edward signs off on a seventy-five thousand dollar advance for his next three books, the pair go out to lunch to celebrate.  At this meal, Jerry learns that Edward is not the author of The Long War. Rather, Edward designed an AI named Max to write the book. This news shakes Jerry to his core, as Max flawlessly delivered the next American classic in just a few days. In a fit of disbelief and rage, Jerry throws Edward, and his computer, in front of a bus. He sells The Long War in Edward’s name to cover up the true genius behind the novel.