Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom

Rating:
Summary: More Whuffie, Please.
Review: An interesting look at a future where interpersonal relationships are the coin of the realm.

Rating:
Summary: Entirely original; a marvelous debut novel
Review: Science fiction, satire, dystopian fiction...if you enjoy slotting your reading into neat categories, "Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom" probably isn't for you. However, if the idea of a fresh, wholly original take on all of these genres appeals to you, read on. "Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom" is at its heart, and amalgam; an amalgam of styles, of genres, of themes, and yet somehow author Cory Doctrow has managed to weave these disparate elements into a cohesive whole.

At its heart, this is the story of Julius, a post-modern man who is a centenarian living in Disney World. His is a world without scarcity or death, and as such, the dynamics of economies have changed radically. A person's rank in society is based upon their "whuffie", essentially the measure of their esteem within the breadth of the human population. While this meritocracy has certain appeals, it is still subject to the capriciousness of human nature, and as such, is still subject to many of the challenges of any of the systems the world currently enjoys (or doesn't). In particular, the need to use esteem in order to achieve capital means that non-stop consensus building plagues most aspects of life and diverts it into entirely unexpected directions.

Which brings us to the crux of Julius' dilemma, namely he has been killed to facilitate another "as hoc" seizing control of the Hall of Presidents, and now his new body is experiencing difficulties with it's internal computing capabilities and, worst of all, the Haunted Mansion may be the next ride to succumb. As Jules and his ad hoc fight to save the ride from losing it's 20th century charm, the pressure really begins to mount.

All this may sound absurd, but within the context of the story it works quite brilliantly. Doctrow introduces a host of interesting sociological and technological theories without becoming pedagogic, while at the same time exploring issues that are fundamental to any society. In particular, he questions whether humans can ever be truly happy absent conflict and purpose, and as such, what happens when the most mundane things become one's raison d'etre. Is it funny and absurd that his characters fight a war of sorts over a Disney ride, or is it sad, or is it both?

In "Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom" Doctrow has produced a thoroughly original novel, that is both a fun read and a thoughtful look at society. He introduces a host of fascinating directions for human and societal evolution, but manages to maintain the reader's interest in a story that would be absurd out of context. Finally, his whuffie based economy has surpassed Ken Macleod's anarcho-capitalism ("The Stone Canal") as my favorite fictional political system, without ever bogging down in philosophical debate or confusing jargon. Great satire, great science fiction, this is a treat that is not to be missed.

Jake Mohlman


Rating:
Summary: An awesome debut
Review: Cory Doctorow is an amazing writer who spins a fascinating tale of love and humanity in a world where death is no longer permanent, set against the seemingly inane backdrop of Walt Disney World. Yet somehow, he makes it all work, taking the reader on a ride with a young centenarian, Jules, his best friend Dan, and Jules' girlfriend, as they fight against removing the very elements of Disney World that make it a human experience.

While this book isn't long, it is incredible and a must-read. Strongly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: enjoyable quick read
Review: I picked up this book yesterday on the strength of Amazon.com reviews, and I finished it this morning. I am very glad to have found Cory Doctorow's work, and am looking forward to reading Eastern Standard Tribe and anything else he writes. If you enjoy the work of Rudy Rucker or Neal Stephenson (to whom homage is paid in a reference on p. 97), odds are you'll like this book. Down and Out takes place in a time when death and scarcity have been defeated, money has been replaced with "Whuffie" which are credits based on reputation with others, and political power is managed by "ad hocracy." This is a light and very enjoyable quick read.

Rating:
Summary: No magic in this kingdom
Review: Corey Doctorow has some wonderfully original and inventive ideas about the future in this book. Unfortunately, he doesn't much with them.

Here he suggests an almost absurdly plausible dystopia where currencey has been replaced by popularity status points (called "whuffie") and people can backup and download their concsiousness into cloned bodies. He also hints at some of the over-arching cultural effects of these innovations. The problem is that he all but abandons this evocative backdrop in favor of a Disneyworld that's been largely unchanged since the seventies. And by comparison, he's actually managed to make the Happiest Place on Earth utterly boring.

Another issue is that the author doesn't really seem to understand how to write in first person. He has a hard time convincingly portrating his protagonist, who's supposed to be a few centuries old. He comes across more like an immature college rave-junkie than a world-wise adult.

There's one chapter where the author describes a zero-gravity party that's literally out-of-this-world. It gives the reader a fascinating peek into Mr. Doctorow's universe. But rather than give us more of this, the author strands us in the Hall of Presidents. Not much here unless you really have some kind of jones for Walt disney World.

Rating:
Summary: Choice Invention!
Review: What would be the value of choices in a world where you could eventually make all of them.?

I am in awe of Cory Doctorow, the concepts of, the narrative home he found to integrate them in Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, a good read to which the ideas easily adhere.

Especially the idea of Whuffle! There is such deep resonance to the idea that people have power in relation to the amount of love admiration sympathy liking whatever felt for them by other people, and that this power can readily be read by perfect strangers.

Providing containment are the contextual layers of the setting - the Haunted Mansion vs the Hall of Presidents in Disney World in a self-replicating existence. The plot provides entertaining illustration, suitably populated. Better, it builds in feedback loops - confidence breeding confidence, everybody loving a lover, instant karma, group psychology, somatic drugs, cults of celebrity ... elevators that won't respond to Whuffless losers ... what other currency would matter in a time without death?! ...


Rating:
Summary: Different, Entertaining, but Predictable
Review: As a recovering Disney Employee (16 years removed) I did immensely enjoy the concept of Future Disney. Cory Doctorow's writing is different and anti-mainstream and for that he gets 3 stars. Character development is good and the reader is rewarded with a great deal of insight into the main leads.

Did I mention that I am an avid Mansion fan? So, of course making the Mansion a part of the secondary conflict was, in my opinion, cool.

I strongly believe that Doctorow's future work will only get better.


Rating:
Summary: fresh. hip. new. fun.
Review: This slim, easy-to-read volume won a whole slew of awards upon its debut, and no wonder. It manages what the very best science fiction strives to achieve--it provides a story that is first about people and their human conflicts, and secondly about the setting.

I almost wrote "unfamiliar setting" there, but I caught myself before I could commit it to Amazon archives ... because upon reflection, the most striking thing about Doctorow's future is how even in its established difference, it stays familiar. One reason I tend to avoid modern tales of the future (ha!) is that there is often a jarring cognitive disconnect that distracts me and colors my perception of what's going on. But not DAOITMK. On every page it remains very true, for all its distance from present reality (which is not such a great distance as you might initially suspect).

Anyway, it was good stuff. In fact, it was such good stuff that I immediately dove into Doctorow's second book <i>Eastern Standard Tribe.</i> I'm only about halfway through, but I'm digging it so far and may well come back to review it when I'm finished.

Rating:
Summary: Thought provoking light read
Review: Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom is a short book. At 204 pages (with large print) its a quick read. It was a fun book, although I didn't really find it as laugh-out-loud funny as some of the other reviewers seemed to. And, I actually expected something better. I didn't close the book thinking it was one of the best books I'd ever read. But I did think it was one of the more thought provoking books I'd read in a while.

Fir all that, Down and Out is a good bit of sci-fi. It brings up some interesting ideas as all good sci-fi should!

The premise of the book is that scarcity and death have both ended. The big concerns of the future are overcrowding and bordem. Under these circumstances where courtesy and interesting ideas would become of paramount importance, the world (or most of it) has transformed into a reputation economy.

The idea of a reputation economy, which we argueably have to some extent today (think credit ratings, time served in jail, where you went to school) is taken to the extreme. You purchase goods, services and experiences not based on how much money you earn but how much Whuffie you have. And you gain Whuffie by being a decent person and by doing cool things that others like. The more Whuffie, the better your life is -- the best restaurants, places to stay, cars, etc. That premise by itself made the book interesting. Imagine living in a world where your behavior is mediated by what people think of it. You can't get rich by swindling others. You have to do it by doing things that people like -- the more people the better.

The other fascinating premised of the book, and certainly one that isn't new, is that no one dies. People backup up their brains regularly and if their bodies dies, they're just restored from backup. I found myself thinking about the ultimate question here. If you're restored from backup are you the same person? Certainly, you think you are. But, is it the same consciousness or did one person die and another one get created?

As I said -- its a fun read and deeper than it looks. Cory Doctrow will have you thinking about the meaning of life and of your life if you let him.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining, but covers familiar ground
Review: This length of this relatively short novel is both its strength and its weakness. Doctorow covers ground many others have broken before him, while adding little to the "big ideas" underlying contemporary sci-fi. However, what little he does add is a worthy and welcome addition. The plot of this slim volume moves along nicely, and Doctorow's breezy, journalism-inspired style makes for a quick and enjoyable read.

Reading "Down and Out," I was immediately reminded of the Culture universe created by Iain M. Banks in his sci-fi novels. Both authors deal with the questions of the nature of life in a post-scarcity society, when all of mankind's material needs are met. While Banks waxes philosophical, Doctorow has a little more fun, and in his world repuation, or "Wuffie," becomes the new currency. An intersting idea, to be sure, but one that is explored in only the most cursory way.

It is clear that Doctorow knows contemporary web-culture. His ideas about on-line collaboration and "ad-hoc" leadership are a logical extension of the blogosphere and the new norms that exist in the digital community. Again, the length of this novel is both its strength and weakness--I found myself wanting Doctorow to dig a little more deeply into these ideas, but was satisfied that the novel's pace was brisk. But, sadly, this is much the same ground William Gibson explored in his novels, and most recently in "Pattern Recognition."

My main complaint about this novel is that the main character is one of the least interesting characters in the novel. In a world populated by a campus Guru, a power-hungry theme-ride designer, and a 19 year-old in a world of centarians, Doctorow's lead seems, well, too "average Joe."

I look forward to reading Doctorow in the future--he is certainly a talent to watch, though I doubt that he is the second coming of William Gibson. "Down and Out" was entertaining, but if you're looking for something with depth, look elsewhere.