Rating: 
Summary: Much fun
Review: People who bought this book also bought Microsoft at 6.
Rating: 
Summary: Magic Kingdom Love Story
Review: I don't read a lot of Sci/Fi, but I love Disney and I really enjoyed this book. The future world Cory Doctorow creates is very believable and you can easily see it blossoming from our presant. Perhaps it's that quality that will grab the sci/fi crowd, but to me the real winning idea is setting the entire thing in Walt Disney World. Now that's an inspired idea! And one that not only gives the story character but an immediate refrence for readers.The story itself is a mix of sci/fi, mystery and character drama. Each one of those genres has it's formulas that they can fall into. By combining them, Doctorow escapes their traps and creates something very unique and memorable. Memorable in the sense of the delimas his characters face becasue fo the world they inhabit. If it's that plausible a future, shouldn't we ponder these questions as well? I'll be recommending 'Down and out in the Magic Kingdom' to all my fellow Disney fans as well as those that want an enjoyable read that also offers something to think about afterwards.
Rating:
Summary: Already a cult classic
Review: "People who bought this book also bought Microsoft at 6."
Rating: 
Summary: a decent first novel
Review: this was a quick read that was really more of a novella than a full length novel. the characterization was good but the plot was a little thin - everything got wrapped up a little too quickly at the end. still, the premise was interesting, and it had kind of a Snow Crash/Wired magazine feel that was enjoyable. All in all, a good read for a plane ride or the beach.
Rating:
Summary: Staring into a mirror and seeing the future
Review: Although I've read a lot of science fiction over my 30-plus years, I've found that typically there's a mechanical process at the heart of it, ticking away plot points, waiting its time to spring into full deus ex machina glory. Meanwhile, romance is awkwardly introduced, and mindblowing ideas are thrown onto the page. Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom suffers from none of these flaws, and will be easily regarded in the future -- that mythical time that never comes -- alongside works of Philip K. Dick, although Doctorow's prose never gets out of control or wound up the way Dick's does. Down and Out isn't a future so much as our inevitable outcome given the current ideas of technology, religion, and consumerism. Nothing in the book seemed unfamiliar, no matter how exotic it was, probably because Doctorow rooted the book so firmly in the Disney Nightmare that is modern entertainment. I've been backstage at Disneyland and have met some cast members and Imagineering designers, and so his description of that kind of taken to the logical extreme occupation of the magic kingdom by people who want to make it better -- rather than make money or who have property rights -- doesn't strike me as odd, and his insights into what makes rides tick should gain him entrance to the Imagineering world. The story at the heart is compelling, and Doctorow engages in only a few Moby Dick like expository techniques to draw you into the world and then body slam you with a concrete instanciation. Death is dead, the future is before is, and the question he asks is, really, what the hell are we going to do with ourselves? Put on the hat with the rounded ears, obviously.
Rating:
Summary: Great first novel
Review: Julius has finally realized his life long dream of living in Disney World. He finds his job with the Liberty Square ad hocs to be fun and his girlfriend Lil keeps him feeling young. When his best friend Dan shows up, he feels his life is complete. But then he's murdered. Granted, it's only his third death, which isn't bad for being over a hundred, but he still takes it rather personally. He's even more surprised when he finds out that Deb moved into the Hall of Presidents while he was out. Deb is leading a group that is slowly bringing all the attractions into the modern era with new technology. Julius and his friends oppose this because they want to keep the park the way it was in the 20th century, technology, storylines, and all. Julius feels he should take a stand, but what can he do? First, the bad. Maybe it's because I don't read that much science fiction, but I had a hard time with the jargon of this book. For the first 50 pages or so, I was really struggling to follow the new terms the characters were using when discussing their lives. But once I got the lingo down, I couldn't put the book down. The story is interesting with quite a few twists and turns. All the characters were interesting and well developed, but I especially liked Julius. He was easy to care about, and I had to know what would happen to him next. I'm a huge Disney fan, so the back drop of Disney World certainly didn't hurt either. In fact, it made me want to visit the park even more. Cory Doctorow is definitely an author to watch. He weaves a good yarn in an interesting vision of the future. I'm already looking forward to whatever he has up his sleeve next.
Rating:
Summary: interesting satire
Review: Sometime in the future, youngster Jules (just over a hundred years old) enjoys being a member of the Bitchun Society. He relishes the freedom to enjoy life by doing whatever he wishes as long as he does nothing to lose respect from others, which would cost him "points". Jules decides he wants to be part of the volunteer crew that works the Haunted Mansion at Disney World. However, he soon finds himself recovering from being murdered and forced to relocate his consciousness in another cloned body. Quite upset with his fourth death, Jules believes the innovative idiots destroying the Hall of Presidents by turning it into a virtual showcase where visitors become the president killed him for being in the way of someone's dream. As he tries to enact revenge for his death and for the heresy committed in the name of progress, Jules loses much of what he values especially the esteem of others, but obtains perceptions shared by few. He wonders about the cost, but war is hell. DOWN AND OUT IN THE MAGIC KINGDOM is an interesting satire that leaves no doubt what Cory Doctorow expects the heritage the twentieth century will leave behind. The story line is kept low-keyed, which adds a realistic feel to the plot, but also leaves the audience wanting more action. Jules is a delightful character ironically worshipping the purity of Disney World as if the place is Mount Olympus, with Mickey and Walt as the Gods. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: What will Disney think?
Review: Does Down And Out's heavy reliance on Disney's intellectual property constitute Fair Use? I asked two longtime Disney insiders for their perspectives on who's the Fairest User of them all. Evil Queen
Reputation: Powerful, jealous, controlling
Location: Fortress-like castle, surrounded by a moat of man-eating Intellectual Property lawyers
The Queen's Arguments:
1. This entire book, set in Disney World, was written for profit, without Disney's consent.
2. Its title contains registered trademark "Magic Kingdom." The nerve!
3. A vaguely M-ckey M-use-looking character appears on the cover. Or maybe he's just wearing the ears. Either way, it's theft.
4. The book reveals proprietary details of the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Carribbean, and other rides' layout and internal workings.
5. Book portrays a murder in the Tiki Room, a drowning in Seven Seas Lagoon, and misery and destruction throughout the park. Impressionable children will be afraid to ever visit Disney World again!
6. Book contains two irreverent references to Jiminy Cricket.
The Queen's Recommendation: "Sue that bastard author and the dinky sci-fi publisher he rode in on!" Snow White
Reputation: Open-minded, open-hearted, young, and friendly to all
Location: The countryside, bustling with life, beauty, wonder, and evolutionary opportunity.
Ms. White's Arguments:
1. The book affirms Disney's central cultural importance and continuing relevance.
2. Mr. Doctorow obviously loves Disney World, and has contributed significant richness to brand.
3. Story would make a fantastic movie. Ka-ching!
4. Disney has always lifted and profited from folklore, so it's only fair to give something back.
5. Allowing public appropriation might help Disney's bottom line. Look at Elvis's estate.
Ms. White's Recommendation: "Option the film rights, and let's hire this Doctorow fellow as one of our Imagineers immediately!"
Rating:
Summary: A grand idea novel!
Review: Dr. Gillian Taylor: Don't tell me you don't use money in the 23rd Century. Kirk: Well we don't. -- Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home Star Trek may be a money-free universe, but they've always left blank the details of how scarce assets like a starship or a Picasso ... or the Haunted Mansion might get allocated. In this fun, fast book, the clearly talented Cory Doctorow explores a full-on reputation economy. With the help of a sophisticated, real-time network, people accumulate and lose a reputation currency called "whuffie." The ideas are an incredibly rich playground, and the author doesn't make you suffer through flat characters or clunky prose to get to them. On the contrary, these are totally alive characters set in a deeply conjured world (which world is Disney World, a place you can feel the author's passion for). By the end, you'll know the characters well enough to be able to judge what impact this new world has -- or doesn't have -- on the fundamentals of human nature. Cory Doctorow deserves much whuffie for this novel. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Read
Review: This is a great read. If you dig Jim Munroe or early Neal Stephenson, then Doctorow is your man. A really solid first novel (and that alone is a rarity!)
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