Seated on the patio of Mission Heirloom in the Gourmet Ghetto, Mason, 42, still jetlagged from his return from a writers' retreat in Tuscany, relents a bit when pressed for elaboration. "I hate describing it," he says. "But when forced, I say it's a combination between Mrs. Dalloway and Neuromancer ." That's an elevator pitch that actually says something meaningful. Published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux on April 11, Void Star follows three disparate characters as they navigate a Future world altered by climate change, social inequality, longevity extension, digital brain implants and the machinations of incredibly powerful artificial intelligences.