More NerdCore Science Fiction From Cory Doctorow

Andrew Leonard writes "Cory Doctorow has published a new short story in Salon. This time around, he's imagined a cyberpunk wi-fi future, with spectrum cops, a mobile multinational startup, and guerilla warfare on Indian reservations. Readers who liked his previous story, "0wnz0red" will undoubtedly savor this one." We've posted things about Cory before, but I personally enjoy his writing, so here's more!

Comments

Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom

[mcgroarty]

Also, it's worth mentioning that Cory's got a new book out. You can read about (or download!) Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom online, or you can make Cory a buck and pick it up in dead tree form.

He's enjoyed a few brief jumps up the best seller lists at Amazon. He's been up to the triple digits. It'd be cool to see him pushed into the double digits.

It's official

[_typo]

Wi-Fi is the Never Ending Buzzword (tm)!

Easier to view

[br0ck]

This may be obvious, but try the print layout to skip paging and avoid the huge ads in the middle of the text.

Average writing skill

[coinreturn]

His ability to write is rather average. The underdeveloped characters are stereotypes and he uses excruciating detail to describe minutia which DOES NOT MATTER. Writing involves showing the TELLING details and having a strong sense of POV.

Nowadays, everyone with a computer thinks hes a writer!

Re:Average writing skill

[Mononoke]

Why anyone would compare his stuff to the likes of HHGTTG or Snow Crash is beyond me.

Maybe they had great difficulty getting through those books also.

A better question might be...

[Ieshan]

Why does everyone with a computer think they're a critic? =P

give salon money

[tomlord]

Salon has a bunch of good content. Maybe you agree that this story is good. Subscribe!

0wnz0red

[LesPaul75]

I read 0wnz0red last week -- someone here on /. had a link to it in their sig. One of the great things about Doctorow's sci-fi is the "feasibility" of it. In particular, I wonder how close we really are to the microcontroller that interfaces directly to the human nervous system. Ten years? Twenty? Surely it will happen within our lifetimes (?). When it does, let's just hope that the API is open-source. :)

Not the best writer

[HisMother]

As other folks have pointed out, this guy's writing is heavy on irrelevant details, and weak on character development (i.e., salient details.) One thing I never figured out on reading 0wnz0r3d (sp?) was which of the two main characters were gay, if either was. It's not the most important detail, but it seems relevant to character development - yet I don't think it's answerable based on the text.

Nerdcore?

[Tuxinatorium]

By that do you mean nerds' porn or nerd porn? Like goatse?

Re:if you want GOOD scifi...

[Clover_Kicker]

>if you want GOOD scifi... (Score:2)
>by zephc (225327) Neutral on 06:55 PM January 16th, 2003 (#5098298)
>
>check out the Prime Intellect [kuro5hin.org] novella-length story

Oh come now, let's do a stronger sales pitch for an excellent story.

From the into to Prime Intellect:

In the best possible future, there will be
no war, no famine, no crime,
no sickness, no oppression,
no fear, no limits, no shame... ...and nothing to do.

This online novel contains strong language and explicit violence.
If you are under 21 years old, or easily offended, please leave.

Here's a brief excerpt to give you a taste:

Later, Raven made the traditional toast. Her strong voice boomed out through the rooms and courtyards she had envisioned. Caroline's handcuffs disappeared, and like everyone else she found herself holding a drink. "It's time for our toast," Raven declared. "Who are we going to toast?"
"PRIME INTELLECT!" answered over four thousand enthusiastic voices.
"To Prime Intellect, for making the world safe from people like us!"
And four thousand people, instead of tossing back those drinks, inverted their glasses, baptising the floor in alcohol.
"My heart just isn't in that toast any more," a balding older man told Caroline. She wondered briefly if he had chosen to be old for some reason, or if it was his way of letting nature take its course. "I mean, we're amateurs against Prime Intellect. I killed six college students. It killed the whole universe. Not even in the same league."

Sub-average posting skill

[mjang]

Your ability to post a negative comment about someone who has spent a lot of time on something they care about (and giving it away for free) is rather average. It's hardly worth the score 5 you currently have. The over-capitalization of words and excruciatingly uninspired or thought-provoking critique really does not matter.

Nowadays, everyone with a slashdot account thinks they're a critic!

Re:Download the book and send him money

[mcgroarty]

If you want immediate gratification, download the book and send him some money.

He explicitly asks people not to do this, though I do understand the appeal; that was my first thought too. But his thinking seems to be that if it looks like he's making a profit away from the publisher, the publisher may not agree to letting him publish a free version next time.

He suggests buying a book and donating it to a library. I'd also suggest buying a copy or two as gifts... it's good reading!

Re:Doctorow on the Screensavers Tonight

[CleverNickName]

Well, they just showed a shot of him. Thick black glasses, flat top, blue Star Trek : TOS shirt, no hat.

TOS shirt?!

TOS shirt?!

TEE OH ESS SHIRT?!

Oh Cory, why hast thou forsaken me?