Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom

Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom is a science fiction novella set in Walt Disney World. It tells the story of Jules, who has finally realised his life long dream of living in the Magic Kingdom.

Disney World, the greatest achievement of the twentieth century is now under the care of a network of volunteer “ad-hocs” who keep the attractions running as they always have, with only small high-tech enhancements. However there is a small groups of ad-hocs who want to bring Disney World into the modern era with new technology. Jules and his friends oppose this because they want to keep the park the way it was in the 20th century, technology, story lines, and all. For Jules this is an attack on the artistic purity of Disney World itself. But what can he do?

This book is a fascinating portrayal of how our social interactions might change in a digital world. When most commodities can be replicated at no cost, scarce resources like reputation and skill acquire new value. This economy of regard has already taken hold in some parts of the internet and Doctorow has extended this structure to society at large and shows how an individuals fortune can rise and tumble with the whims of the crowd.

I will admit this book has a few problems. The story was very rushed at some points which made it difficult to understand, the last 20 pages in particular. However even though I was a tad confused in some places I really enjoyed this book. I mean seriously, how many books do you come across that are set in Walt Disney World.

Originally posted on bluchickenninja.com

Forgive me if this review is a little fuzzy. I'm fighting a nasty virus which has left me able to do very little besides lie on the couch all day and watch the position of the sun change. During that time, I did manage to finish this book, so thoughts:

This book answered the pressing question of how to make Valerie interested in political drama: Set your drama in Disneyworld. Doctorow found the perfect microcosm universe in which to meditate on his philosophies. The book is a love letter to Disneyworld, and the theme I found most compelling was the idea of preserving the old attractions hundreds of years into the future when they are still just as beloved. It's nice to see speculative fiction that shows people don't really want everything to change. Doctorow's world has ended scarcity, plugged people into the net 24/7, and even learned to cheat death, but people still enjoy a trip down the Caribbean (with or without Jack Sparrow). Upgraded and tweaked sure, but Doctorow's future Magic Kingdom is still perfectly recognizable. I had a lot of fun just imagining the very serious conversations happening in full Haunted Mansion costumes.

This book deals with a ton of speculative themes which my stuffy brain is not really up to exploring, but I'll try anyway. First, the idea of Whuffie and meritocracy which I find both intriguing and terrifying. I'm glad that Doctorow doesn't give us too many details on Dan and Julius' arguments on the subjects because that would have been too forced philosophic, but I still have a lot of questions on how a Whuffie-based economy works. On how the whole Bitchun society works, really. We all like to think that based purely on our own karma, we'd do okay in the world, but if I really stopped to analyze mine, I'm not sure I'd come out on top. I'm also still curious about the different kinds of Whuffie. Again, I'm thankful Doctorow never departs from the story to expound, but I'd have loved to see more of these pieces of the world in action.

Dead-heading is another curiously blase topic. I love the logic that no one complains about it because everyone who had a philosophical bone to pick is already dead. Everyone left was raised to pretty much accept it. You were murdered? Oh big deal, ya baby. Get over it. I love that Julius feels bad about feeling bad about his own murder.

The theme that really hit home with me though was when Julius goes offline. As one of the few people left who haven't gone smartphone, I often feel like a backwater hick, but too much connection leaves me drained and ... well, disconnected. It's when Julius is offline that he has his idea of bringing in the human elements of the Mansion, crowd-sourcing its cast, and making it a social experience over an individual one. That's the part where we cheer for him, however melodramatic he may be at other points in the book. The idea that he will permanently lose life events because he is offline and doesn't want to visit a doctor, is terrifying and creates tension where a death-free society should have none. This part is just masterful.

I can't say I really like Julius (or Dan or Lil for that matter). I think I was so focused on the themes and the settings, I never really bonded with any of the people. The themes and setting were interesting enough to keep me plowing through the pages, though. The Julius/Dan/Lil triangle was a bit predictable and seemed an easy way of building strife. I could have done without that, and Julius and Lil had enough problems as a couple that I didn't think Dan was necessary to make things worse. Dan changing his opinion from death to dead-heading was also kind of an anti-climax. It's one of those where I'm happy he's not dying, but I have no idea why he suddenly went back on all his principles. Dan and Julius' relationship is so complex, and they so often just ignore the awful things that go down between them. I guessed Dan was part of the murder conspiracy in the beginning, but it's interesting that this doesn't really damage their friendship, less even than Dan's affair with Lil. Murdering someone is like stealing 20 bucks from their wallet. It's an awful thing to do, but really no harm done, right pal? A dynamic I do not understand, but did enjoy reading.

I'm definitely curious to read more of Doctorow's recent works now and see how he's matured after this first novel. He has such a crisp, easy to read style and never gets bogged down by science. It's the brand of social-science fiction that I enjoy the most. A great weekend read for anyone who loves Disney and Science Fiction.