DOUBLE THE DANGER AND ZERO ZUCCHINI

A reluctant reader reveals the enigmatic author behind a hit book series.

From C.S. Lewis to N.K. Jemisin, fantastic fiction is littered with authors known by their initials—but there’s none as mysterious as R.R. Knight, author of Gerald in the Warlock’s Weir. With quick-witted, fast-paced narration, Alex Harmon reveals the real-world story behind the literary sensation. Although Aunt Caroline and her wife, Lulu, are expecting, Caroline hopes to bring another bundle of joy into the world: her debut children’s book. When she offers Alex $10 to beat it to a pulp, he finds the story dull (despite featuring a prizewinning zucchini), suggests Caroline liven it up, and accidentally begins contributing ideas. Due to a self-perceived paucity of imagination, he comes to rely on a series of stunts that inform his continued suggestions. These antics spark a creative partnership that soon includes his best friends, Javier, keen cinematographer, and Marta, who is always up for a stunt; precocious but trouble-prone little brother, Alvin; a merry band of elders at the local senior center; and a mysterious, potentially spectral “ghost writer” who begins writing Alex and his friends into the story. Can Alex coax Caroline into creating the sort of book he would want to read without hurting himself—or anybody else? Most characters default to White; Javier’s and Marta’s names cue them as Latinx.

A daring dose of humor, metafiction, and pardonable pandering to nonreaders and librarians alike.