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Concepts better than the plot
“There are some good concepts in this book, but the plot was so flimsy in comparison I ended up not caring. It would have been a much better book with something grander than a power struggle over who manages the Haunted Mansion in Disneyworld.”
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-10-07. -
Whuffie and the search for meaning
“Cory Doctorow's DOWN AND OUT IN THE MAGIC KINGDOM is a futuristic murder mystery set in the future Disney World (which is sort of a museum and tribute to itself). Lots of interesting ideas can be found in this book, which I could barely put down once I started reading it. It is available for free on the site [...], Doctorow' website. It can also be purchased in trade paperback here on Amazon.
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-08-27.
Doctorow presents a society where resources are plentiful and where the respect of others (measured as "whuffie") has replaced money as the currency of the realm. But the biggest change is the idea that death has been overcome. Oh, people can die, but then their minds are just "decanted" into a new body, a clone prepared for them. Minds are digitally stored, and death is no more than a minor inconvenience and perhaps the loss of a few days/weels of memories since the last backup was done.
Jules, a 100+ year old who has spent his life writing symphonies and earning advanced degrees, currently is living at Disney World, where ad-hoc committees are running things, having taken over the place from the shareholders. He's primarily concerned with making the Haunted Mansion an even better experience, mostly by cutting seconds off the queue to exit time, and increasing the ride's capacity. But another ad-hoc has set its sights on some classic attractions, and they have a new technology that is mind blowing. (Almost literally.)
When Jules is killed, and rebooted into a clone, he finds that the time has been used by that other ad-hoc to take over the Hall of Presidents, and Jules becomes convinced that they had something to do with his death. He becomes preoccupied with solving the mystery and preventing them from taking over what he believes is their ultimate target - his beloved Haunted Mansion.
But ultimately, this is less a story about Disney World (a major character as well as a setting, it seems to me) or the technology and sociology of this new society, and more a story about figuring out what makes life worth living. What is there out there than exists to motivate people, to keep them "interested" in living this life? Is it advanced degrees? Enhancing and expressing creativity? Is it "art" like Disney World?
I'm not sure Doctorow answers any of this satisfactorily, but then again, I don't think it affects the story. The questions are there to be asked, and examined, and that doesn't change once the book is closed. The rest is just background. In this story, it's "the way it is".
I may have liked this book more than some because I am an SF fan AND a Disney fan. But I still recommend it wholeheartedly, for the fast, engrossing read that it is.” -
Start at the beginning ...
“This is a great introduction to Cory Doctorow's work and you will be taken aback at what he has to say. Every generation produces a couple of writers who matter and he's clearly one of those for our time. In the internet age it's hard to be brilliant enough to stand out but he does ... enjoy!”
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-05-09. -
1 of 2 members found this review helpful.
Short, Light, Amusing Piece
“This very short, approaching novella length, novel is an amusing piece of writing by a highly acclaimed young writer of the "new" generation. While it was entertaining, I found it to be little more than that.
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-01-21.
The premise involves a future society in which "death" has been abolished along with currency. All means of subsistence (food, clothing, shelter) are available without the need to work. Items of scarcity are allocated through the accumulation of "Whuffie", a currency substitute. Essentially, Whuffie is accumulated through the good will and good deeds which you perform for others.
The brains and memories of the inhabitants are frequently "backed up". In the event of death or disfigurement, a clone is generated and the downloaded memories installed therein. Those tiring of immortality can elect to "deadhead", essentially entering a state of suspended animation for periods of time. There are apparently no corporations as such. All "production" and services are provided by "adhocracies", commune like organizations.
This story is set in a future Disney World, where various ad hocs manage the theme park through a division of labor. A power struggle between two such ad hocs is the central theme of the story. An interesting concept, presented in an entertaining manner, but not in any way remarkable in my opinion. Nevertheless, it is worth the 3-4 hours it takes to polish off.” -
3 of 8 members found this review helpful.
childish, not childlike
“The writing is imaginative, but incredibly childish and immature, and stretches out like a laundry list of the desires of an unpopular teenage boy. The conversations take place between what we're expected to believe are ultra-hip, super-cool people, but the dialog is so weak and strained it sounds like desperate teenage male ultra-nerd banter. The "romance" comes off as if the author has never had a serious relationship with a normal human female. Overall, although the world is large and unique, the characters and dialog are stereotypical of an immature, limited world view. I cannot recommend this book.”
An amazon user wrote this on 2008-10-16.
