Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom (edit title)

• Rated 3 stars

“As a longtime fan of BoingBoing.net, it was inevitable that I read something by Cory Doctorow. He must have had the same fantasy of hiding out and living in Disney Land that I had as a boy. That premise hooked me.

However, I found this novel to be good but not great, and perhaps not hugely memorable. The premise of ad-hoc factions within the Magic Kingdom is cool, and I really like Doctorow's ideas about a post-death economy that is entirely reputation-based; that seems like a realistic extension of what we are starting to see with digital life.

But, despite a few good ideas, I did not find the plot itself or the characters in the story memorable. So, this became, like many sci-fi books, a passable presentation of some cool ideas via serviceable but also forgettable plot and people.”

• Rated 3 stars

“it was ok”

• Rated 3 stars

“Business intrigue in the near future set against the backdrop of a pluralistic Disneyland. Fair. (First book of the Bahamas trip)”

• Rated 2 stars

“I am not typically a reader of SciFi, but I was drawn to this book because of my love of Disney World. While the book had a interesting premise, it was not my favorite. I found the futuristic terms and language difficult to follow. I enjoyed the references to Disney World and the Magic Kingdom, but the lack of character development was not enough to keep me entertained.”

• Rated 3 stars

“I've heard so much about whuffie these days that I needed to check out this book. Plus I'm a huge Disney fan. The book was good, but not great. Often times predictable. I think someone now familiar with WDW and the magic kingdom would not understand a lot of them book, or at least find it difficult to follow.”

• Rated 3 stars

“Kind of fun, wouldn't say I was really drawn into it. A little sad for the happiest place on earth.”

• Rated 4 stars

“ This is a great satire on society and an entertaining short novel (compared to others) and very quick reading (206 pages).
In the future a cure is found for death. People can live as long as they want or go into hibernation ("dead-heading") for a few hundred years until something more interesting comes along. Scarcity is eliminated across the globe, so no more need for currency or even a full-time job. People work that want to, composing symphonies or whatever for "whuffie" -- which is credit earned in the form of respect and attention.
Volunteers keep Disneyworld running and the story takes place there as politics and sabotage enter the picture, even among volunteers. Very entertaining. This is a great way to get acquainted with a very good writer. Corey Doctorow is like a modern Jonathan Swift. Also check out his website - - - www.craphound.com.”

• Rated 3 stars

“Interesting exploration of a society where you don't have to die, but you probably want to back up.”

• Rated 4 stars

“Should be required reading for everyone. Takes place in the "Magic Kingdom", in Orlando, FL, slightly in the future. Death has been cured, and the Bitch'un society has taken over.”

• Rated 4 stars

“I went into this story with high expectations. The title implied a spoof on the magic kingdom and Disney told in a humourous, sci-fi way. And it did as promised, but the narration which starts in the middle of the story left me confused for most of the novel because the world that Jules inhabits isn't really explained. But aside from that rather large detail, this story was a very funny take on life, the world and the relevance of Disney World. ”