Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom

by Cory Doctorow

Copyright 2003 Cory Doctorow
License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 1.0

Categories:  Novel  Science Fiction

Price: Entirely free   NEW:  Gift this book
65 Installments total (Preview)

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?

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.

Opening 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 ...

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