I Hate Didactic Novels. Here's Why This One Works.

The article focuses on the effectiveness of Richard Powers's novel "Playground," despite the author's tendency towards didacticism in his storytelling. Topics include the use of animals as storytelling devices, the exploration of environmental themes and human dilemmas in a South Pacific setting, and the innovative narrative structure that reveals the protagonist's immersion in an AI-generated story, complicating the question of what contemporary novels should achieve.