<P> The story is set in a post-disaster , dystopic future city , appearing to be somewhere in the United States , called the Urb , which has been disturbed by an earthquake known as `` The Big Shake '' . The Urb is plagued by poverty , thieves , gang warfare , and the use of mindprobes . These mindprobes include variations such as `` trendies '' ( mindprobes about Eden ) . They are analogous to hard drugs and enable users to temporarily escape their harsh lives through images like movies being played in their heads . Genetically improved people , called `` proovs , '' live in a city called Eden , with a beautiful society , food and water . Eden is separated from the Urb by the `` Forbidden Zone , '' a deadly and dangerous minefield . Spaz is a 14 - year - old boy who can not use mindprobes because of his epilepsy and whose adoptive family has abandoned him because they feared the symptoms of his illness . Spaz runs errands for Billy Bizmo , the latch - boss ( leader ) of his own gang , the `` Bully Bangers , '' in a section of the Urb . On one of his errands , Spaz is sent to `` rip - off '' Ryter , a very old man who possesses the lost arts of literacy and literature . </P>
<P> The story is set in a post-disaster , dystopic future city , appearing to be somewhere in the United States , called the Urb , which has been disturbed by an earthquake known as `` The Big Shake '' . The Urb is plagued by poverty , thieves , gang warfare , and the use of mindprobes . These mindprobes include variations such as `` trendies '' ( mindprobes about Eden ) . They are analogous to hard drugs and enable users to temporarily escape their harsh lives through images like movies being played in their heads . Genetically improved people , called `` proovs , '' live in a city called Eden , with a beautiful society , food and water . Eden is separated from the Urb by the `` Forbidden Zone , '' a deadly and dangerous minefield . Spaz is a 14 - year - old boy who can not use mindprobes because of his epilepsy and whose adoptive family has abandoned him because they feared the symptoms of his illness . Spaz runs errands for Billy Bizmo , the latch - boss ( leader ) of his own gang , the `` Bully Bangers , '' in a section of the Urb . On one of his errands , Spaz is sent to `` rip - off '' Ryter , a very old man who possesses the lost arts of literacy and literature . </P>
where does the last book in the universe take place
where does the last book in the universe take place
a post-disaster , dystopic future city , appearing to be somewhere in the United States , called the Urb
a post-disaster , dystopic future city , appearing to be somewhere in the United States , called the Urb