Chronic City orbits around Chase Insteadman, a former child star navigating life as a permanent fixture in the Upper East Side's social scene, sustained by memories of his astronaut fiancee Janice, who is trapped in space. An accidental meeting with Perkus Tooth, an eccentric pop culture aficionado, drags Chase into a different New York filled with paranoia, conspiracies, and a thirst for truth. As they delve into the city's layered mysteries with their unusual group of friends, they question reality, authenticity, and complicity amidst Manhattan's transactional existence. Jonathan Lethem pens a satirical and poignant reflection on the metropolis, raising the stakes in the search for meaning in a world where even truth seems purchasable.