Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow

I've done a lot of reading about Walt Disney World while planning to go there for our honeymoon, and came across a few pieces of fiction that take place there. Cory Doctorow's Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom takes place in a far off future where technology has made immortality possible and some people have chosen to live their extended lives inside the famous theme park.

The main character Julius has died four times, and has been restored to life by means of a backup consciousness being loaded into an accelerated-growth clone. It seems similar to the idea of starting a video game from your last save point. This is also a world in which all money is obsolete because resources are plentiful, so the only form of currency is a type of quantified social media popularity called Whuffie. Julius works as part of an ad-hoc group who are busy refining the attractions in the Magic Kingdom's Liberty Square area, and his specific interest lies with the Haunted Mansion.

This struck a chord with me, as I've been fascinated with the inner workings of the Haunted Mansion ever since I saw a special about Imagineering on the Disney Channel as a kid. Unfortunately, the one time I went to Disney World with my family about ten years ago, the Mansion was closed for refurbishment! Imagine (no pun intended) my disappointment. At least I take comfort in knowing I'll be returning for a visit next year. But I digress.

Julius's fourth death has been a murder taking place in Adventureland, and he suspects the hit was ordered by Debra, who is in charge of the changes being made at the Hall of Presidents. Her revolutionary idea involves broadcasting the personalities and experiences of the Presidents directly into the brains of the guests, as everyone is constantly connected to the future version of the web. Julius himself has been sporadically losing his connection to the mental implants, and finds himself obsessively plotting revenge against Debra and her ad hoc.

In a relatively short book, Doctorow establishes his fictional technology in an understandable way and extrapolates on the new frontiers of theme park wizardry in fascinating ways. However, the through-line of the plot isn't very deep, and Julius is rather petty with his relationships and motivation. He also stays friends with his colleague Dan through way more betrayals than I can see anyone putting up with. This books futuristic concepts will stay with me, but the story could perhaps have used some expanding.

Check out more about Doctorow's books at his website Craphound.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Post-apocalyptic fiction seems to fascinate us as a society, from The Walking Dead to the Fallout games, to the sitcom "The Last Man on Earth". In Station Eleven, Emily St. John Mandel gives us a future world that is realistic enough that she objects to it being called science fiction, since it doesn't depict any advanced technology.

There has been a pandemic called the Georgia Flu that has wiped out most of the world's population. The novel jumps around in time, showing moments both before and after the fall of civilization, and follows a number of different characters in Toronto, Chicago, and beyond. Despite the changing perspectives, it's always made very clear at what time a chapter is taking place. We first meet Kirsten Raymonde when she's in a production of King Lear, and at eight years old she witnesses the on-stage death of her castmate Arthur Leander. This signals the beginning of the pandemic, and twenty years later she still remembers Arthur and the graphic novel written by Arthur's first wife titled "Station Eleven."

Scattered throughout the book are excerpts from an interview of Kirsten conducted by a librarian in the town of New Petoskey, fifteen years after the flu hit. These give more insight into what she has been up to in the intervening time since the collapse, including her joining the traveling group of musicians known as the Symphony. She barely remembers the conveniences of technology that the world is now without, such as air conditioning and airplanes, and children younger than her never experienced them at all. Kirsten and her friend August end up seeking the Museum of Civilization in the Severn City airport that they've heard rumors about.

On Day One of the pandemic, when Arthur died playing King Lear, entertainment journalist Jeevan Chaudary was there to write a story about the play, and attempted futile CPR on the actor. Jeevan had covered Arthur's film career and personal life for years, and serves as a secondary protagonist in this novel. It's through Jeevan's eyes that we experience what things were like within the first few months of the Georgia Flu.

Station Eleven was an engrossing read. All the transitions between past, present, and future were integrated into the story so they weren't jarring, and the characters experiencing the worldwide disaster felt realistic in their relationships and concerns.

To buy the book or get more information, visit the author's website.