I throughly recommend you read this book

As I have already mentioned I am not one for reading books (although I wish I was), there are so many books I would like to read but just can’t do it. But I do enjoy listening to audio books, so as long as I can find the book I want read aloud I can “read” it and thoroughly enjoy it. So I got a wonderful surprise this week when I was browsing one of my favourite sites (BoingBoing) and I came across this. A fan reading of “Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom”.

Written by Cory Doctorow in 2003 under a Creative Commons license. So anyone is free to make a recording of the book, and even give it away as Cory does on his own site. Cory himself is a member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) as well as contributor to BoingBoing, and a prolific writer on many subjects.

The Story

The story is set in the far future, where technology has advanced so far that death and scarcity are no longer issues for the human race. All the major world problems have been solved in one swoop, so money is no longer required. Without scarcity of products no one needs it any more, so everyone trades in Whuffie, a rating of the respect you gather from others for doing useful and creative things. The higher your Whuffie the more respect you get, and the more respect you command from others.

When we meet Julius he has already into his hundreds, but with out outward appearance of mid twenties. He has already live a full life, composed three symphonies. But when you can live forever, and you can do anything what do you do with your life, what do you do? You go and live in Disney Land!

So we follow Julius’s life with with girlfriend Lil as they live and work in the magic kingdom, working there fixing and looking after the rides. A peiceful and sublime existance. With different groups look after different parts of the park, it falls to them and their group to look after the “Haunted Mansion”.

All is going well until Debra arrives and Julius is suddenly killed. Annoyed at being murdered, Julius sets out to solve the question of who killed him, why, and to work a way to stop Debra taking over his beloved “Haunted Mansion” and the rest of the park.

Review

This is a truly excellent book, a fascinating look into a weird and wonderful far future. It is not often I am presented with new science fiction ideas, but this book delivered to me some truly innovative ideas. As well as some emotional looks at the consequences of this technology. But always presented in a positive way, a way allowing humans to do as they please instead of a “Terminator” style future. It makes a refreshing change to think the future will be much better than if is now.

But as compelling as the technology is, it is weaved into an equally as compelling story. A look at this man’s life as he goes from having it all, to a complete wreck, all in the bitter sweet world of Walt Disney. This is where the book has its brightest and darkest moments, even in a future where you can do anything, and death is not the end of you, what do you have to do to define yourself? Is the world of the Magic Kingdom any more or less real than the world outside?

I recommend reading this book. It will present you with something new, that is not easy to swallow. With a truly inspired twist that I just did not see coming.

More Info

More information on the book: The official web site

Or get the excellent audio version I listened to

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