Author Info: Cory Doctorow

Author info for Cory Doctorow

"The Road" by Cormac McCarthy Review 1

Cover Art for "The Road"
by Cormac McCarthy

Book Response 1: #32 (LA) Compare the book to other texts with the same themes or from the same genre.

While this book could definitely be categorized as a post apocalyptic novel, it's originality and unique perspective of what a possible future after a cataclysmic event could be sets it a mile apart from any book I've read under this genre. In a good way. "The Road" is a story of a father and son struggling to survive in a world where almost everything is dead, except for bloodthirsty cannibals. They are constantly on the move in order to find food and water, or on "The Road", traveling to some distant coastline where they hope the world holds a little bit more forgiveness. While most stories within this category, whether the medium is book, movie, or video game form, almost always glorify the perspective in some way. Such as living in a land where most of the population has perished as well as all forms of government and civility along with it, the heroes of these stories give the word "survival" a new meaning. But most of these stories do not seem to depict realistic projections of what the world would be like after something like unstoppable deadly viruses, mass rioting, complete civil unrest, nuclear war, etc. Then again, we are not living in such a state of existence, (yet) so whose to say what the world would be like or not be like? In any case, Cormac McCarthy does an excellent job of depicting a brutal, savage world in which the "Heroes" struggle everyday in every way imaginable to survive where every minute detail is as interesting and important as the next.

"Fight Club" by Chuck Palahniuk Review 2

Movie Cover for "Fight Club"

Book Response 2: #25 (G) Compare and contrast the book to the movie version.

I cannot tell you how much I love the movie fight club. After watching it once all the way through it instantly become one of the best movies I have ever seen. I would recommend anyone and everyone to watch it regardless of background, personality, or even age. 

After reading the book, the movie seems like a home-made amateur movie made in a basement somewhere by kids with way too much time on their hands and active imaginations.

"FIght Club" by Chuck Palahnuik Review 1

Cover art for "Fight Club" by Chuck Palahniuk

Book Response 1: #21(LA) Does this book raise questions about society as a whole or of a particular culture? What view of the world and/or human beings does the author seem to be expressing?


This is a perfect response question to this book because of how many great questions about society and human beings it brings up. You could look at the entire book as a critiquing of the human race, but I don't think thats exactly what the author was intending. Either way he definitely raised a great number of questions and brought the current conditions of our society into an entirely different light for me.

"Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom" by Cory Doctorow Review

Cover art for 

"Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom" 

by Cory Doctorow

Book Response 1: #2 (LA) Write down one quote or short passage that you really loved, you reacted strongly to, or made you stop and think. Write your reaction to that passage.
Passage from book, page 14 paragraph 2:

"I'd get him to concede that Whuffie recaptured the true essence of money: in the old days, if you were broke but respected, you wouldn't starve; contrariwise if you were rich and hated, no sum could buy you security and peace. By measuring the thing that money really represented- your personal capital with your friends and neighbors- you more accurately gauged your success."

The concept of "Whuffie" went "whooshing" over my head the first time I read through this ( haha ). After several re-readings and delving deeper into the book, I found that it's a beautifully simple theory. In the futuristic time period this book takes place in, you could say Whuffie has replaced money, but it is much more than that. As stated in the book and above, it represents your personal capital among anyone and everyone you interact with in every way. You can give it away at will, as well as lose it through negative actions or inaction. It's measured or can be earned through things like favors, jobs you perform, and your overall popularity. 


But it can go both ways. For example someone could hire you to kill someone.