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January 12, 2003

Rebrain

cage.jpgJust finished reading Cory Doctorow's Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom and it's certainly the most enjoyable long read I've ever had on a computer (I found the html version much more comfortable than the pdf ... or, you know, you could buy it).



More than that, it's a great sci-fi story that reminds me a lot of Philip K. Dick - a mystery where the identity of the victim is more important than the identity of the criminal. As in Do Androids Dream, you learn about the future through the accumulation of small, fascinating details rather than the expositional dump. This is good. As is repainting Disney World as ubergeek utopia. To wit:

The Haunted Mansion was experiencing a major empty spell: the Snow Crash Spectacular parade had just swept through Liberty Square en route to Fantasyland, dragging hordes of guests along with it, dancing to the JapRap sounds of the comical Sushi-K and aping the movements of the brave Hiro Protagonist.
Everything that goes into the future of Magic Kingdom is a little more interesting than the mystery to be solved, so the resolution doesn't come off as super-satisfying. Still, it's a great read.

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