Cory Doctorow is no relation to the great American master E.L. Doctorow, as far as I know, but if he were, the apple, as they say, would have fallen far from that beautiful tree (or has it?). Among several flaws, I?m tempted to call the writing sophomoric (but I?m not going to, for reasons detailed later) and, most damagingly, the novel appears to have been conceived in the early 1990s. Hackers, anyone? That said, the book was a whole lot of fun. Thursday on the train to Wuppertal, I was giggling with joy so much that people looked at me strangely (even more than usual). Also, I have ordered it for a friend?s birthday immediately and will continue to recommend it in the future. It?s an insane amount of fun, plus it?s smart and really educational. Any novel for kids that references Emma Goldman and contains a bibliographic essay that recommends Ginsberg?s ?Howl? is very commendable. And really, it?s an awful amount of fun.
Gung Ho: Cory Doctorow?s ?Little Brother? shigekuni.