Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom
65 Installments—Entirely free
(Preview)
Members' Rating:
from 28 Ratings and 5 Reviews
Tags: Novel, Science Fiction
ISBN:076530953X
Description
2003 saw the release of Cory Doctorow’s first novel, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom. The “Magic Kingdom” of the title refers to the Magic Kingdom we know today - Disneyworld. And yet, in the futuristic world of this sci-fi thriller, nothing about Disneyworld may stay the same. This beloved place, as we and the novel’s hero, Julius, know it, is threatened by rival groups seeking to take it over and forever alter the entire park. Rides and attractions are slated to be torn down, only to be replaced by high-intensity, virtual-reality experiences. Can Julius stop his adversaries from destroying this landmark?
Back to top
About the Author
Born in 1971 to a Canadian family whose values included political activism, Cory Doctorow devoted much of his youth to activist and social justice causes. After leaving college without a degree, he went on to serve pivotal roles in the field of copyright in the electronic and internet age. In 2003, he published his first novel, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, which was greeted with much success from the science fiction community. A sought-after lecturer, Doctorow recently held the inaugural Fulbright Chair in Public Diplomacy at the University of Southern California. He has since published other works, among them a short-story collection entitled A Place So Foreign and Eight More, and a novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town.
Like this author? Check out the list of books by this author available on DailyLit.
Back to topOpening Lines (Experimental)
I lived long enough to see the cure for death; to see the rise of the Bitchun Society, to learn ten languages; to compose three symphonies; to realize my boyhood dream of taking up residence in Disney World; to see the death of the workplace and of work.
I never thought I'd live to see the day when ...
Copyright
Copyright 2003 Cory Doctorow
License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 1.0
Back to topMember reviews
3/5
Reviewed by christe on May 10, 2009
A What-If closer to our reality than we probably know
Probably the most intriguing thing about the book -- and the probable cause for anyone to pick up up the first time -- is the developing of Disney's fantasy park into a miniature society complete with unfathomable policies and ruthless administrators. There's some sobering sarcasm in here.
5/5 
Reviewed by Bewitchedh15 on May 5, 2009
Excellant read!
It definitely was a mixture of humor and darkness, very well balanced. It took a few pages to really get involved in it, but after I sunk in, I was waiting for the next installment.
I'd like to see another one, but if not, at least I had the opportunity to read this one!
5/5
Reviewed by cstrauber on Mar 15, 2009
Disney for the blogerati
A fascinating blend of modern sensibility and future tech, set in a Disneyland which has become in some senses a worker's paradise and in others a more finely evolved corporate machine.
5/5
Reviewed by calredhead on Mar 5, 2009
worth the critical acclaim
Doctorow's use of jargon, though somewhat confusing at first, draws you into the narrative to give you a feeling of intimacy with the beleagered Julius during his journey inward as he confronts his many flaws while trying to save his beloved Magic Kingdom.
Definitely worth the read. I kept downloading the next part - I counldn't wait until the next day to read it!
3/5
Reviewed by Jaxie on Oct 22, 2008
ok
Interesting premise but a bit slow going at times. The background information was thin so not sure at times what they were talking about. The action often dragged.
Login to review this book
Not yet registered?
Ratings for 'Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom' by Doctorow, Cory
| albert |  | 2008-08-24 | |
| andydan | | 2009-02-20 | |
| barf138 | | 2009-03-07 | |
| Bewitchedh15 | | Read review | 2009-05-05 |
| brownbagcomics | | 2009-06-18 | |
| calredhead | | Read review | 2009-03-05 |
| ChaoticMind | | 2009-02-27 | |
| christe | | Read review | 2009-05-10 |
| cplater | | 2009-03-19 | |
| cresswga | | 2009-03-09 | |
| cstrauber | | Read review | 2009-03-15 |
| davosmith | | 2009-06-09 | |
| Gambitus | | 2009-05-29 | |
| gldnspud | | 2009-03-10 | |
| Jaxie | | Read review | 2008-10-22 |
| kendalboatsman | | 2009-01-16 | |
| Khyarete | | 2008-09-05 | |
| lalligood | | 2008-06-26 | |
| lizkies | | 2008-10-29 | |
| lynn2007 | | 2008-09-07 | |
| Mark_thetrigeek | | 2009-05-31 | |
| michellethelibrarian | | 2009-05-28 | |
| mowren | | 2009-03-17 | |
| natepilling | | 2008-11-28 | |
| OneBttrfly | | 2009-06-24 |
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom
Send 65 installments for free as a gift.
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom
Receive 65 installments for free
Recently on the Forums:
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom: Good ideas, good potential, but a let down.
Mark_thetrigeek
Was looking forward to finally reading something by him. I really wanted to like this book. I th ...
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom: want more?
cresswga
awesome! I am going to bookmark this to read after work today. Thanks for the link.
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom: what drives whuffie?
no_relation
I had the same line of thinking, but from Friday's installment: "I could tell from his tone ...
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom: where in the future are we?
no_relation
I noted that too, Sarolite, and it confused me. Disney's entertained the world since the 1920s, ...
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom: Crack? Seriously?
albert (admin)
Definitely many echos of BNW here. Will be interesting to see where it goes.
