The Book — M. Clifford

It begins with four words: "Don't read The Book." All information, past and present, is controlled by The Book, a handheld digital reading device that exists in a paperless, sustainable, dystopian future that looks shockingly similar to our own. Among the multitude of Book lovers, we find Holden Clifford, a simple sprinkler-fitter who is content with his small life. Through his favorite story, The Catcher in the Rye, Holden discovers an inconsistency between the digital version and a rare paper page, preserved in the form of "recycled" wallpaper in his favorite Chicago bar, The Library. His quest for answers leads him beyond the page to discover a secret library of books and a man named Winston who explains the subtle, potent censorship of every story ever written. Alongside a group of like-minded readers called the Ex Libris, Holden dedicates himself to freeing the world from the grip of the Publishing House. His heroic mission draws him hastily into a dangerous scheme to overthrow the Editors of The Book and save the last remnant of printed words left on earth. As his mission unfolds and the depth of their government's deception reveals itself, Holden is forced to accept that the only way to succeed may be to sacrifice the one thing they love more than life---books. THE BOOK is a cautionary tale, pertinent for our time, in the way 1984 and Fahrenheit 451 were for their own. The theme is expected to resonate with lovers of all books, digital and paperbound.