I kind of enjoy what Ian's job brought to the "life simulator" layer of this game. I think it can be a cool gameplay mechanic to have the player shape their own book. From a literary perspective, I also think it's been a solid source of motivation and conflict due to Ian's job as a reviewer foreshadowing how hard it is to get published even with a good story. And I think it has a solid place in the story as both the creative parallel of Lena's songwriting and an overarching conflict within the story--just as the city is fighting to keep its authenticity while facing soul-crushing influences, Ian and Lena are also facing the struggle of following their own dreams or giving them up for a safer route.
I am, however, getting a little worried about the payoff. First, it seems like a nightmarish headache for EK to write a satisfactory conclusion to this mechanic (writing a book synopsis for each combination that makes the player feel like these choices mattered, figuring out how they'll interact with other dialogue throughout the game, making certain combinations more or less successful, etc.) But secondly, we're spending an awful lot of time away from the mechanic, such that players might not care about the outcome when it finally comes, and will definitely face difficulty in seeing alternative endings without a save editor.
