Playground: A Novel

The main character in Playground, Todd Keane is a billionaire and tech wizard. As the end of the novel reveals, his perspective entirely informs the narrative. Todd is the only character who speaks in the first person, and his recollections of the past to his AI unit (which the novel designates through italics) amount to half the book. In the present day, Todd has dementia. He shares his memories with the AI device to preserve them, using it as a backup data storage facility for his ailing mind. Todd’s tech inventions have changed the world, but as his mind slips away, he feels increasingly beholden to the past. His memories of his father influence his understanding of wealth. Todd’s father was a rich stockbroker. The marriage between Todd’s mother and father was often turbulent and chaotic, but Todd grew up in relative material comfort. His dad taught him to be hypercompetitive, and Todd’s company, Playground, most acutely reflects his father’s influence. Todd’s father helped him set up the first iteration of this company, so his influence was the foundation for Todd’s future business success. When Todd’s father died, however, the facade slipped away.