"Zero-Sum" is an anthology that interweaves stories fraught with the gravity of zero-sum games, where the stakes are as high as life and death. Within this collection, Joyce Carol Oates explores the predatory nature of human relationships and the complexities of the inner self. A mentorship with malicious undertones, deviously intelligent high school girls seek justice, a woman's trust falters under threat, while another battles with the unsettling role of motherhood. At its core, a writer's flirtation with the finality of existence sends a chilling message about the sacrifices made in the name of art.