Alex reclined in his chair, kneading his hands to dispel the irritation still prickling in his fingertips. It was unlike him to react so emotionally to feedback. His fiction was what his agent Daniel called ‘fast food for gourmet taste buds’. Years ago, such a description would have sparked indignation in Alex. Now, he merely shrugged, accepting the commercial reality of his work….

A bell chimes softly as you enter the coffee shop on Kingsland Road. On the wall hangs a sign you've seen countless times before—a dancing bean that says 'Welcome to the Happy Bean.' The girl with dreadlocks behind the counter…