Dec 21, 2019

Advent Calendar: 21st Wormhole

Let's get political!

Cory Doctorow
Radicalized
Marc says: This collection contains four thematically very different novellas. There's "Unauthorized Bread", a quintessentially Doctorowian tale about the fight for ownership with consumer technology. "Model Minority" is a superhero story on how society deals with the alien in their midst, and could not be more timely. "Radicalized" talks about desperation and online communities, and could not be more chilling. "The Masque Of The Red Death" is the story that everyone who ever felt the slightest urge to be a prepper should read, and also a fascinating display of the so-called meritocratic mindset.
I've always liked Doctorow's shorter fiction, it seems to me that he pulls less punches and is willing to go where it really hurts. And despite the grimness on display he remains a fundamentally positive author who believes in humanity and the ability to do good with rational, yet empathetic, action. My favourite story in this collection was "Radicalized" itself, the protagonist Joe Gorman might just be one of the best characters Doctorow has ever written, but I'd recommend all four stories.

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