As news of a possible Wall Street bailout agreement hit the wires, journalists and editors wondered how history will remember these dark days.

Over at HarperStudio, Julia Cheiffetz is editing a finance book by journalist Anna Bernasek, but she keeps quizzing her author for insight into the current crisis. Instead of predictions, Bernasek focuses on a gloomy hypothetical question: "who will ultimately bear the financial losses[?]"

Browsing through the 25 Harshest Reactions to the Wall Street Bailout, you can see the contours of an epic tome about politics, back-room deals, and monumental consequences. It could be a Daily Show coffee table book, a post-apocalyptic thriller, or a grim John Steinbeck novel. So far, the two best book titles are: The Greatest Depression (from New York magazine) and The Bailout of All Bailouts (from former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich).

How will writers tell this story when the first wave of financial books hit shelves next year?