Cory Doctorow
If there is one thing to be said about Cory Doctorow's fiction, let it be said that the reader is never unsure where he stands on the ethical issues he presents in his stories. From Little Brother to "Anda's Game," Doctorow draws a clear line in the sand regarding technology and digital rights. This convinction is usually admirable, but Doctorow's relentless optimism also makes his stories a bit less powerful and prevent them from packing an adequate punch, invariably becoming an unbelievable, deus-ex-machina with sunshine and a smile. This is not to say, for example, that system administrators could not rebuild a world riddled with a cacophony of simultaneous terror attacks (as in "When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth"), but that a story with some wonderfully dark moments does not automatically require a happy, pleasant ending. Doctorow's stories are compelling and feature intriguing plotlines involved the increased ability of nations and corporations to wage "infowar," but occasionally he allows his personal convictions to overwhelm the story, much to its detriment. This effect is most pronounced in "After the Seige," an otherwise moving picture of slightly futuristic lopsided warfare; though his introduction makes his allegorical ambitions clear, the reasons for the seige are presented in a fashiion reminiscient of name-dropping. Doctorow wants Overclocked and "After the Seige" to reflect something, dammit, even if he has to awkwardly cram it in.
This tendency toward the Obvious Hammer is unfortunate, because there are many interesting ideas explored and alluded to throughout the book. "Printcrime," for example, is a well-executed and brief allegory for digital content copying that actually works; instead of torturing a tangentially related plotline, Doctorow allows the technological exploration to drive the plot and, together, they create an excellent little story. "Anda's Game," likewise, manages to avoid the overly-saccharine for the bulk of its story, setting up such an interesting and obvoiusly allegorical situation that the more subjective insertions actually take away from the strength of the plot, which in this case can be trusted to stand on its own (though perhaps with some more believable dialogue). "I, Row-Boat," however, lacks some of this drive and doesn't quite accomplish the depth of meaning it aspires to, due likely to under-explained mental developments that hamper understanding. The centerpiece of Overclocked, "I, Robot," provides an excellent representation of the collection as a whole. Riffing successfully on Asimov and a bit too dramatically on Orwell, the story argues for the freedom of all information to the detriment of both the plot and the argument: it's just too sickly sweet, too perfect, to be believable. This, then, is the fundamental world of Overclocked. Cory Doctorow has many brilliant ideas and fiery opinions, but is unable to successfully utilize short fiction as a platform on which to advocate for them.
Grade: B-
This tendency toward the Obvious Hammer is unfortunate, because there are many interesting ideas explored and alluded to throughout the book. "Printcrime," for example, is a well-executed and brief allegory for digital content copying that actually works; instead of torturing a tangentially related plotline, Doctorow allows the technological exploration to drive the plot and, together, they create an excellent little story. "Anda's Game," likewise, manages to avoid the overly-saccharine for the bulk of its story, setting up such an interesting and obvoiusly allegorical situation that the more subjective insertions actually take away from the strength of the plot, which in this case can be trusted to stand on its own (though perhaps with some more believable dialogue). "I, Row-Boat," however, lacks some of this drive and doesn't quite accomplish the depth of meaning it aspires to, due likely to under-explained mental developments that hamper understanding. The centerpiece of Overclocked, "I, Robot," provides an excellent representation of the collection as a whole. Riffing successfully on Asimov and a bit too dramatically on Orwell, the story argues for the freedom of all information to the detriment of both the plot and the argument: it's just too sickly sweet, too perfect, to be believable. This, then, is the fundamental world of Overclocked. Cory Doctorow has many brilliant ideas and fiery opinions, but is unable to successfully utilize short fiction as a platform on which to advocate for them.
Grade: B-
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