Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom - Hardcover

Doctorow, Cory

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0765304368 ISBN 13: 9780765304360

Publisher: Tor Books, 2003

Synopsis

Realizing his boyhood dream of moving to the twentieth-century artistic creation of Disney World, young centenarian Jules becomes incensed by a new group that would make changes to the Hall of Presidents by replacing the audioanimatronics with brain interfaces.

About this title

Review:

In Cory Doctorow's Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, things are not well in the land of Space Mountain. The operations of Disney World, in this glimpse into the near future, are administered by "ad-hocs", volunteer groups devoted to retaining the old-fashioned charms of the amusement park in a society that has otherwise undergone radical change. Now that you can back up the contents of your brain and download it into a fresh clone, death has become obsolete. And rather than acquiring wealth, people are concerned with earning Whuffie, a measure of good will and admiration among your fellow immortals.

As one of the people in charge of the theme park's Haunted Mansion, Jules has no shortage of Whuffie. While he's delighted with his job and his perky girlfriend Lil, he's increasingly suspicious of the ambitious ad-hoc that's just revamped the Hall of Presidents. "Ad hoc?" Jules grumbles at one point. "Hell, call them what they were: an army." After Jules is "killed"--for the fourth time in the hundred years he's been around--he realises that the Haunted Mansion is under threat, along with the rest of his beloved Magic Kingdom.

It's the sort of wild, tech-savvy premise a reader might expect from someone with Doctorow's CV--among other things, he's one of the editors of the popular Weblog Boing Boing and a 2000 Hugo Award winner for best new writer. Doctorow, a Toronto native who now lives in San Francisco, makes savvy references to recent SF landmarks such as Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age and Snow Crash, and fans of Carl Hiaasen may be reminded of the amusement-park warfare in Native Tongue and the anti-Mickey bile of Team Rodent: How Disney Devours the World. But what Doctorow's first novel lacks in originality, it more than makes up for in terms of exuberance and appeal. The action is funny and swiftly paced as the increasingly unhinged Jules tries to discover the identity of his "murderer" and protect the Haunted Mansion. Along the way, Doctorow reconfigures society in a dazzling variety of ways and creates a future that he can call his own. --Jason Anderson, Amazon.ca

Review:

"He sparkles! He fizzes! He does backflips and breaks the furniture! Science fiction needs Cory Doctorow."
--Bruce Sterling, author of" The Hacker Crackdown "and "Distraction"
"This is science fiction for the non-SF reader as well as for hardcore fans of the genre--think Carl Hiassen crossed with Philip K. Dick, with just a dash of Disney magic."
--Kathryn Lively, author of "Saints Preserve Us"
"In a world of affluence and immortality, the big battles will be fought over culture, not politics. That's the starting-point of "Wired "contributor Doctorow's daring novel.... Few challenges to copyright giants are as entertaining as this book."
--"Wired"
"Cory Doctorow is the most interesting new SF writer I've come across in years. He starts out at the point where older SF writers' speculations end."
--Rudy Rucker, author of "Spaceland "
"A kinetic, immersive yarn...wholly entertaining."
--"The Onion AV Club"
In a world of affluence and immortality, the big battles will be fought over culture, not politics. That's the starting-point of "Wired "contributor Doctorow's daring novel.... Few challenges to copyright giants are as entertaining as this book.

A kinetic, immersive yarn...wholly entertaining.

He sparkles! He fizzes! He does backflips and breaks the furniture! Science fiction needs Cory Doctorow.--Bruce Sterling, author of The Hacker Crackdown and Distraction

Cory Doctorow is the most interesting new SF writer I've come across in years. He starts out at the point where older SF writers' speculations end.--Rudy Rucker, author of Spaceland

He sparkles! He fizzes! He does backflips and breaks the furniture! Science fiction needs Cory Doctorow. Bruce Sterling, author of The Hacker Crackdown and Distraction

This is science fiction for the non-SF reader as well as for hardcore fans of the genre--think Carl Hiassen crossed with Philip K. Dick, with just a dash of Disney magic "Kathryn Lively, author of Saints Preserve Us"

In a world of affluence and immortality, the big battles will be fought over culture, not politics. That's the starting-point of "Wired "contributor Doctorow's daring novel.... Few challenges to copyright giants are as entertaining as this book. "Wired"

Cory Doctorow is the most interesting new SF writer I've come across in years. He starts out at the point where older SF writers' speculations end. Rudy Rucker, author of Spaceland

A kinetic, immersive yarn...wholly entertaining. "The Onion AV Club""

He sparkles! He fizzes! He does backflips and breaks the furniture! Science fiction needs Cory Doctorow. Bruce Sterling, author of The Hacker Crackdown and Distraction

This is science fiction for the non-SF reader as well as for hardcore fans of the genre--think Carl Hiassen crossed with Philip K. Dick, with just a dash of Disney magic Kathryn Lively, author of Saints Preserve Us

In a world of affluence and immortality, the big battles will be fought over culture, not politics. That's the starting-point of Wired contributor Doctorow's daring novel.... Few challenges to copyright giants are as entertaining as this book. Wired

Cory Doctorow is the most interesting new SF writer I've come across in years. He starts out at the point where older SF writers' speculations end. Rudy Rucker, author of Spaceland

A kinetic, immersive yarn...wholly entertaining. The Onion AV Club

"

"He sparkles! He fizzes! He does backflips and breaks the furniture! Science fiction needs Cory Doctorow." --Bruce Sterling, author of The Hacker Crackdown and Distraction

"This is science fiction for the non-SF reader as well as for hardcore fans of the genre--think Carl Hiassen crossed with Philip K. Dick, with just a dash of Disney magic" --Kathryn Lively, author of Saints Preserve Us

"In a world of affluence and immortality, the big battles will be fought over culture, not politics. That's the starting-point of Wired contributor Doctorow's daring novel.... Few challenges to copyright giants are as entertaining as this book." --Wired

"Cory Doctorow is the most interesting new SF writer I've come across in years. He starts out at the point where older SF writers' speculations end." --Rudy Rucker, author of Spaceland

"A kinetic, immersive yarn...wholly entertaining." --The Onion AV Club

About this edition

• Publisher: Tor Books
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0765304368
• ISBN 13: 9780765304360
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 208