A syndicated summer book list published in major newspapers, including the Chicago Sun-Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer, has included made-up books by famous authors. Only five of the 15 titles are real. Isabel Allende’s “Tidewater Dreams” is described as her first climate fiction novel, but she never wrote it. Percival Everett’s “The Rainmakers” is also fake, supposedly set in a near-future American West where artificially induced rain has become a luxury commodity.
According to the marketing director for the Chicago Sun-Times’ parent company, the list was part of licensed content provided by King Features. However, writer Marco Buscaglia claims it was partly generated by Artificial Intelligence and says he is taking responsibility for the mistake.
The publication of fake book titles has sparked outrage among readers and writers. Many feel that this undermines trust in newspapers and their ability to provide accurate information. The Chicago Sun-Times is investigating how the list ended up in print and values its readers’ trust.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2025/05/20/nx-s1-5405022/fake-summer-reading-list-ai