Source blog: craphound.com
Catch me at San Francisco Public Library on Mar 13, discussing my new novel ?The Bezzle? with Robin Sloan!
At long last, the San Francisco stop of the book tour for my new novel The Bezzle has been finalized: I’ll be at the San Francisco Public Library Main Branch on Wednesday, March 13th, in conversation with Robin Sloan! The event starts at 6PM with Cooper Quintin from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, talking about the... more
The Majority of Censorship is Self-Censorship
Today for my podcast, I read The majority of censorship is self-censorship, originally published in my Pluralistic blog. It’s a breakdown of Ada Palmer’s excellent Reactor essay about the modern and historical context of censorship. I recorded this on a day when I was home between book-tour stops (I’m out with my new techno crime-thriller,... more
How I Got Scammed
Today for my podcast, I read How I Got Scammed, originally published in my Pluralistic blog. It’s a story of how the attacker has to get lucky once, while the defender has to never make a single mistake. This is my last podcast before I take off for my next book-tour, for my new novel,... more
Come see me on tour! LA, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, Calgary, Phoenix, Portland, Providence, Boston, New York City, Toronto, San Diego, Salt Lake City, Tucson, Chicago, Amherst, Torino, Tartu.
Come see me on tour! (permalink) My next novel is The Bezzle, a high-tech ice-cold revenge thriller starring Marty Hench, a two-fisted forensic accountant, as he takes on the sleaziest scams of the first two decades of the 2000s, from hamburger-themed Ponzis to the unbelievably sleazy and evil prison-tech industry: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250865878/thebezzle I’m taking Marty on... more
My Marshall McLuhan Lecture on enshittification from Berlin?s transmediale conference
Last week, I traveled to Berlin to give the annual Marshall McLuhan lecture to open the Transmediale festival. I gave the talk to a full house at the Canadian embassy, and the embassy was kind enough to upload their video of the speech. This podcast is a rip of the audio from that Youtube video.... more
What kind of bubble is AI?
This week on my podcast, I read my latest Locus Magazine column. “What kind of bubble is AI?” In it, I ask what will be left behind after the AI bubble bursts: You’ve got one week left to back the Kickstarter for my next novel, The Bezzle, the followup to Red Team Blues. I’m preselling... more
The Bezzle, read by Wil Wheaton (excerpt)
This week on my podcast, a preview of Wil Wheaton’s reading on the audiobook of The Bezzle, which I’m preselling through a Kickstarter campaign that I hope you’ll consider backing! MP3
The Bezzle, read by Wil Wheaton (excerpt)
This week on my podcast, a preview of Wil Wheaton’s reading on the audiobook of The Bezzle, which I’m preselling through a Kickstarter campaign that I hope you’ll consider backing! MP3
The Internet?s Original Sin
This week on my podcast, I read my final Medium column The internet’s original sin, about the failure of trying to stretch copyright to cover every problem on the internet. Copyright is a regulation. It regulates the supply-chain of the entertainment industry. Copyright matters a lot to me, because I?m in the industry. But unless... more
Daddy-Daughter Podcast, 2023 edition
12 years ago, my four-year-old daughter’s nursery school let us know they’d be shutting down for Christmas a day before my wife’s office closed down, so I took the kid into my office in London to do some coloring, play with toys, and, eventually, record a podcast. It was hilarious. In the years since, we’ve... more
Don?t Be Evil
This week on my podcast, I read my Locus Magazine column “Don’t Be Evil,” about the microeconomics and moral injury of enshittification. It?s tempting to think of the Great Enshittening ? in which all the internet services we enjoyed and came to rely upon became suddenly and irreversibly terrible ? as the result of moral... more
Announcing The Lost Cause Tour
Today is the day that my new novel, The Lost Cause, goes on sale, and I’m hitting the road with it! I hope you can make it out – tell your friends! Los Angeles: I’ll be at the Studio City branch of the LA Public Library tonight, Monday, November 13 at 1830hPT; there’ll be a... more
Moral Hazard (from Communications Breakdown)
This week on my podcast, I read my short story “Moral Hazard,” published last month in MIT Press’s Communications Breakdown, a science fiction anthology edited by Jonathan Strahan. “Moral Hazard” is a story about inequality, fintech, and the problems of “solutionism.” I know exactly where I was the day I decided to give every homeless... more
The Canadian Miracle, Part 2
This week on my podcast, I read the second and final part of my short story, “The Canadian Miracle,” a story set in the world of my forthcoming pre-apocalyptic Green New Deal novel, The Lost Cause, which comes out on November 14. Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping. -Fred... more
The Canadian Miracle, Part 2
This week on my podcast, I read the second and final part of my short story, “The Canadian Miracle,” a story set in the world of my forthcoming pre-apocalyptic Green New Deal novel, The Lost Cause, which comes out on November 14. Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping. -Fred... more
The Canadian Miracle, Part 1
This week on my podcast, I read part one of my short story, “The Canadian Miracle,” a story set in the world of my forthcoming pre-apocalyptic Green New Deal novel, The Lost Cause, which comes out on November 14. Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping. -Fred Rogers, 1986 It’s... more
The Canadian Miracle, Part 1
This week on my podcast, I read part one of my short story, “The Canadian Miracle,” a story set in the world of my forthcoming pre-apocalyptic Green New Deal novel, The Lost Cause, which comes out on November 14. Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping. -Fred Rogers, 1986 It’s... more
Microincentives and Enshittification
This week on my podcast, I read a recent Medium column, “Microincentives and Enshittification” (open access link), about how Google went from being a company whose products were eerily good and whose corporate might was more often on the side of right than wrong, to being a company whose products are locked in a terminal... more
The Lost Cause (excerpt)
This week on my podcast, I present the prologue and first chapter of The Lost Cause, my forthcoming solarpunk novel of Green New Deal world threatened by seagoing anarcho-capitalist billionaire wreckers and their white nationalist militia shock-troops. The book comes out on November 14 from Tor/Macmillan (US/Canada) and Head of Zeus/Bloomsbury (UK/Australia/NZ/SA, etc). As with... more
The Lost Cause (excerpt)
This week on my podcast, I present the prologue and first chapter of The Lost Cause, my forthcoming solarpunk novel of Green New Deal world threatened by seagoing anarcho-capitalist billionaire wreckers and their white nationalist militia shock-troops. The book comes out on November 14 from Tor/Macmillan (US/Canada) and Head of Zeus/Bloomsbury (UK/Australia/NZ/SA, etc). As with... more
How To Think About Scraping
This week on my podcast, I read a recent Medium column. “How To Think About Scraping: In privacy and labor fights, copyright is a clumsy tool at best,” about the real risks (and benefits) of web-scraping, and how to formulate policy responses that preserve those benefits while targeting the harms head-on” Scraping when the scrapee... more
Plausible Sentence Generators
This week on my podcast, I read my latest Locus column. “Plausible Sentence Generators,” about my surprising, accidental encounter with a chatbot, and what it says about the future of the bullshit wars. When I came back to the tab a couple minutes later, I found that the site had fed my letter to a... more
Enshitternet: The old, good internet deserves a new, good internet
This week on my podcast, I read a recent Medium column. “Enshitternet: The old, good internet deserves a new, good internet,” clarifying that our aspiration shouldn’t be to restore the internet’s former glory, but to make a new and glorious internet. The enshitternet wasn?t inevitable. It was the result of specific policy choices: the decision... more
The Internet Con: How to Seize the Means of Computation (audiobook outtake)
This week’s podcast is a special one: the introduction and chapter one of the audio edition of The Internet Con: How To Seize the Means of Computation, which Verso will publish on September 5, 2023. I made my own DRM-free audiobook for this, reading it under the direction of the incredible Gabrielle de Cuir at... more
Let the Platforms Burn: The Opposite of Good Fires is Wildfires
This week on my podcast, I read a recent Medium column. “Let the Platforms Burn: The Opposite of Good Fires is Wildfires,” making the case that we should focus more on making it easier for people to leave platforms, rather than making the platforms less terrible places to be. Tech bosses know the only thing... more
Ideas Lying Around
This week on my podcast, I read a recent Medium column. “Ideas Lying Around,” about archivillain Milton Friedman’s surprisingly good theory of change, and how to apply it to progressive politics. Enter Friedman: to people reeling in crisis, Friedman insisted that the missing oil was somehow the product of unionization, pollution controls, women?s lib, and... more
The Swivel-Eyed Loons Have a Point
This week on my podcast, I read my lastest Locus column. “The Swivel-Eyed Loons Have a Point,” about the unlikely – but undeniable – common ground I share with the most unhinged far-right conspiracists. The swivel-eyed loons at the anti-15-minute-city protests point out that such a scheme constitutes a form of pervasive location-tracking surveillance, and... more
The Red Team Blues tour: Burbank, SF, PDX, Berkeley, YVR, Calgary, Gaithersburg, DC, Toronto, Hay, Oxford, Nottingham, Manchester, London, Edinburgh, Berlin
Burbank: Apr 26, 6PM, Dark Delicacies San Francisco: Apr 30, 2PM, San Francisco Public Library (with Annalee Newitz) PDX/Cedar Hills: May 2, 7PM, Powell’s (with Andy Baio) Mountain View: May 5, 7PM, Books, Inc (with Mitch Kapor) Berkeley: May 6/7, Bay Area Book Fair (with Glynn Washington and Wendy Liu) Vancouver: May 10, 9:50AM, Open... more
How To Make a Child-Safe TikTok
Red Team Blues: Behind the Scenes with Wil Wheaton
This week on my podcast, I bring you some clips of Wil Wheaton’s recording sessions for the audiobook of Red Team Blues, my next novel, an anti-finance finance thriller starring the 67 year old forensic accountant Martin Hench, who specializes in high-tech scams. I’m currently kickstarting this audiobook, pre-selling audiobooks, ebooks and hardcovers. I have... more
Red Team Blues
This week on my podcast, I read a selection from my next novel, Red Team Blues, an anti-finance finance thriller about Marty Hench, a 67 year old hard-charging forensic accountant who’s seen every finance scam that Silicon Valley has come up with over the previous 40 years. Marty’s ready to retire, but an old friend... more
Gig Work Is the Opposite of Steampunk
This week on my podcast, I read my recent Medium column, Gig Work Is the Opposite of Steampunk, making the Luddite case against bossware and other jobs where your boss is an app. The rise of gig work produced a massive surge of ?craft? workers who toiled on their own premises, most notably the drivers... more
Twiddler
This week on my podcast, I read my recent Medium column, Twiddler, which further explores my theory of enshittification, and the factors that make it endemic to digital platforms. The early internet promised more than disintermediation ? it also promised endless configurability, where users and technologists could install after-market code that altered the functioning of... more
Tiktok?s enshittification
This week on my podcast, I read my Pluralistic blog post, Tiktok’s enshittification, which sets out a kind of master theory of enshittification, illustrated by Tiktok’s platform dynamics. Here is how platforms die: first, they are good to their users; then they abuse their users to make things better for their business customers; finally, they... more
Social Quitting
This week on my podcast, I read my latest Locus column, “Social Quitting, about the enshittification lifecycle of social media platforms. But as Facebook and Twitter cemented their dominance, they steadily changed their services to capture more and more of the value that their users generated for them. At first, the companies shifted value from... more
Daddy-Daughter Podcast, 2022 Edition
When my daughter Poesy was four, her nursery school let us know that they were shutting down a day before my wife?s office closed for the holidays, leaving us with a childcare problem. Since I worked for myself, I took the day off and brought her to my office, where we recorded a short podcast,... more
Twitch Does a Chokepoint Capitalism
When Amazon bought Twitch, the story was that the new conglomerate would be more efficient and that would benefit everyone – streamers and audiences. That’s the story we hear about every anticompetitive merger, and it’s always a lie. One major efficiency that the Amazon-Twitch merger was supposed to produce? Lower bandwidth costs. That’s one of... more
Sound Money
This week on my podcast, I read “Sound Money,” my latest column for Medium, which explains why money creation is necessary for a prosperous economy, despite the scaremongering of “inflation hawks.” MP3
What is Chokepoint Capitalism?
This week on my podcast, I read “What is Chokepoint Capitalism?” a recent column for Medium explaining the thesis of my new book with Rebecca Giblin, which explains how creative labor markets got rigged, and how we can unrig them. (Image: Erik B. Anderson, CC BY-SA 4.0, modified) MP3
View a SKU: Let?s Make Amazon Into a Dumb Pipe
This week on my podcast, I read “View a SKU: Let?s Make Amazon Into a Dumb Pipe,” a recent column for Medium discussing how interoperability could flip Amazon’s monopoly power on its head and enable us all to coveniently shop locally. MP3
Why none of my books are available on Audible
This week on my podcast, I read “Why none of my books are available on Audible,” a short audiobook I produced to be distributed through Amazon’s ACX platform, explaining how that platform’s sloppy rights verification and mandatory DRM screws over writers. MP3 (Image: Paris 16, CC BY-SA 4.0; Dmitry Baranovskiy, CC BY 4.0; modified)
Reasonable Agreement: On the Crapification of Literary Contracts
This week on my podcast, I read a recent Medium column, Reasonable Agreement: On the Crapification of Literary Contracts, about the growing trend of standard, non-negotiable contract terms in freelance writing contracts that are outrageous in their unfairness. MP3
Monopolists Want to Create Human Inkjet Printers
This week on my podcast, I read a recent blog post, Monopolists Want to Create Human Inkjet Printers, exploring the way that med-tech mergers are bringing the ghastly inkjet printer business-model to artificial pancreases. (Image: Cryteria, CC BY 3.0; Björn Heller, CC BY 2.0 (German); modified) MP3
Regulatory Capture: Beyond Revolving Doors and Against Regulatory Nihilism
Regulatory Capture: Beyond Revolving Doors and Against Regulatory Nihilism. This week on my podcast, I read a recent Medium column, Regulatory Capture: Beyond Revolving Doors and Against Regulatory Nihilism., about the origins of the theory of regulatory capture, and the all-important, but rarely discussed difference between right and left theories of regulatory capture. MP3
Against Cozy Catastrophies
This week on my podcast, I read a recent Medium column, Against Cozy Catastrophies, about the how the changeover from universal, state- or employer-provided pensions to market-based pensions like the 401(k) have created an inescapable, slow motion catastrophe, where the only thing worse than being one of the lucky few with retirement savings is being... more
Apple?s Cement Overshoes
This week on my podcast, I read a recent Medium column, Apple?s Cement Overshoes, about the malicious compliance in Apple’s “home repair kits.” (Image: Conall, CC BY 2.0, modified) MP3
About Those Killswitched Ukrainian Tractors
This week on my podcast, I read a recent Medium column, About those kill-switched Ukrainian tractors, suggesting that what John Deere did to Russian looters, anyone can do to farmers, anywhere. (Image: Cryteria, CC BY 3.0, modified) MP3
Revenge Of The Chickenized Reverse Centaurs
This week on my podcast, I read a recent Medium column, Revenge of the Chickenized Reverse-Centaurs, about the relationship between algorithms, interoperability and worker power. (Image: Cryteria, CC BY 3.0, modified) MP3
Big Tech Isn?t Stealing News Publishers? Content
This week on my podcast, I read a recent Medium column, Big Tech Isn’t Stealing News Publishers’ Content, about the calls from the news industry for tech companies to pay licensing fees for quoted news-snippets, and why this both ignores and worsens the real problem: ad-fraud. MP3
When Automation Becomes Enforcement
This week on my podcast, I read a recent Medium column, When Automation Becomes Enforcement, about the debate of interoperability and end-to-end encryption in the EU’s Digital Markets Act, and how that relates to the long-running battle over who’s in charge: you, or your computer? MP3
The Best Defense Against Rubber-Hose Cryptanalysis
This week on my podcast, I read a recent Medium column, The Best Defense Against Rubber-Hose Cryptanalysis, which explores the contradiction at the heart of Bitcoin advocacy. MP3
The Byzantine Premium
This week on my podcast, I read a recent Medium column, The Byzantine Premium, which explores the contradiction at the heart of Bitcoin advocacy. (Image: Jakub-gdPL and FAMartin, CC BY-SA 4.0; Delwar Hossain, BD, CC BY 4.0; Jernej Furman, CC BY 2.0; modified) MP3
What is ?Peak Indifference??
This week on my podcast, I read a recent Medium column, What is ?Peak Indifference?? in which I explain my theory of how we change – or fail to change – in the face of wicked problems. (Image: Cameron Strandberg/CC BY 2.0, modified) MP3
Vertically Challenged
This week on my podcast, I read my latest Locus column, Vertically Challenged, about “how and why to break up Big Tech.” MP3
All (Broadband) Politics Are Local
This week on my podcast, I read a recent Medium column, All (Broadband) Politics Are Local, about the near-miraculous shift in the political will to provide universal fiber to all Americans, and what you can do to spur this process on. MP3
We Should Not Endure a King
This week on my podcast, I read a recent Medium column, We Should Not Endure a King: Antitrust is a political cause, not an economic one, addressed to leftists who are skeptical of antitrust as a market-based solution that implictly accepts markets as the legitimate arbiter of our social relations. MP3
The Internet Heist (Part III)
This week on my podcast, I read a recent Medium column, The Internet Heist (Part III), the third and final part of a three-part series about the early days of the internet copyright wars, when Hollywood studios came within a whisker of getting a veto over all new digital technology. MP3
The Internet Heist (Part II)
This week on my podcast, I read a recent Medium column, The Internet Heist (Part II), the second part of a three-part series about the early days of the internet copyright wars, when Hollywood studios came within a whisker of getting a veto over all new digital technology. MP3
The Internet Heist (Part I)
This week on my podcast, I read a recent Medium column, The Internet Heist (Part I), the first part of a three-part series about the early days of the internet copyright wars, when Hollywood studios came within a whisker of getting a veto over all new digital technology. MP3
A Bug in Early Creative Commons Licenses Has Enabled a New Breed of Superpredator
This week on my podcast, I read a recent Medium column, A Bug in Early Creative Commons Licenses Has Enabled a New Breed of Superpredator about my experience with Pixsy, a new kind of copyright troll that targets Creative Commons users. MP3 Image: Nenad Stojkovic (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hand_on_the_computer_mouse_-_50202556601.jpg CC BY 2.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
Science Fiction is a Luddite Literature
This week on my podcast, I read my latest Locus column, Science Fiction is a Luddite Literature about the technological critique the Luddites embodied, the unfair rep they got, and how it applies to today’s tech hellscape. MP3
Daddy-Daughter Podcast, 2021 Edition
When my daughter Poesy was four, her nursery school let us know that they were shutting down a day before my wife’s office closed for the holidays, leaving us with a childcare problem. Since I worked for myself, I took the day off and brought her to my office, where we recorded a short podcast,... more
Give Me Slack
This week on my podcast, I read my latest Medium column, Give Me Slack about the many second (and third, and fourth) chances I got as a kid and a student, and how the educational and work system has put paid to them. MP3
Jam To-Day
This week on my podcast, I read my latest Medium column, Jam To-Day, about how interoperability is unique among competition remedies in that it does good from day one. (Image: Oleg Sidorenko, CC BY 2.0, modified) MP3
The Unimaginable
This week on my podcast, I read my latest Locus column, The Unimaginable, about science fiction, Thatcherism, and imagining a transition to a post-climate-emergency future. MP3
Against the great forces of history
This week on my podcast, I read my latest Medium column, Against the great forces of history, about what Ada Palmer?s University of Chicago Papal election LARP can teach us about our own future. MP3
Dead Letters
This week on my podcast, I read my latest Medium column, Dead Letters, about the spam wars and they way they’ve led to a corporate enclosure of email, making it nearly impossible to run an independent, standalone newsletter. MP3
Hope, Not Optimism
This week on my podcast, I read my latest Medium column, Hope, Not Optimism, articulating a theory of political change that draws on technology, law, social movements and commercial pressure. MP3
The Attack Surface paperback is out (and a once-in-a-lifetime deal on the Little Brother audiobooks)
It’s my book-birthday! Today marks publication of the Tor (US/Canada) paperback edition of ATTACK SURFACE, a standalone adult Little Brother book. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250757517/attacksurface Little Brother and its sequel Homeland were young adult novels that told the tale of Marcus Yallow, a bright young activist in San Francisco who works with his peers to organize resistance to... more
Take It Back
This week on my podcast, I read my latest Medium column, Take It Back,” on the relationship between copyright reversion, bargaining power, and authors? rights. MP3
Breaking In (fixed)
This week on my podcast, I read my latest Locus column, Breaking In, on the futility of seeking career advice from established pros who haven’t had to submit over the transom in 20 years, where you should get career advice, and what more established writers can do for writers who are just starting out. MP3
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility and Facebook?s Secret War on Switching Costs
This week on my podcast, I read a pair of editorials I published on EFF’s Deeplinks blog: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility: Platforms Want To Be Utilities, Self-Govern Like Empires and Facebook?s Secret War on Switching Costs, both about antitrust and Big Tech. MP3
Disneyland at a stroll
This week on my podcast, I read Expectations management, and Disneyland at a stroll, parts five and six of my ongoing Medium series on “amusement parks, crowd control, and load-balancing,” on what we can learn about aggregate demand management and scarcity from the history of queues at Disney theme parks. Part I: Are We Having... more
Managing Aggregate Demand
This week on my podcast, I read Managing aggregate demand, part four of my ongoing Medium series on “amusement parks, crowd control, and load-balancing,” on what we can learn about aggregate demand management and scarcity from the history of queues at Disney theme parks. Part I: Are We Having Fun Yet? Part II: Boredom and... more
Are We Having Fun Yet?
This week on my podcast, I read the first three installments in my ongoing Medium series on “amusement parks, crowd control, and load-balancing,” on what we can learn about aggregate demand management and scarcity from the history of queues at Disney theme parks. Part I: Are We Having Fun Yet? Part II: Boredom and its... more
Tech Monopolies and the Insufficient Necessity of Interoperability
This week on my podcast, my latest Locus column, Tech Monopolies and the Insufficient Necessity of Interoperability, about the true purpose of fighting monopolies – not competition, nor interoperability, but rather, human freedom. (Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/99783447@N07/9433864982/, CC BY, modified) MP3
Self Publishing
This week on my podcast, my latest Medium column, Self Publishing, about the consolidation in publishing and what to do about it. MP3
Qualia
This week on my podcast, my May 2021 Locus Magazine column, Qualia, about the illusory “fairness” of a politics that turns on “objective” qualities. Image: OpenStax Chemistry: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Figure_24_01_03.jpg CC BY: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en MP3
Inside The Clock Tower
This week on my podcast, my latest short story, Inside the Clock Tower, science fiction for Consumer Reports that paints a picture of how tech platforms might work if the ACCESS Act passes and the big companies have to allow others to interoperate with them. MP3
The Rent?s Too Damned High
This week on my podcast, my latest Medium column, The Rent’s Too Damned High, about the long con of convincing Americans that they will grow prosperous through housing wealth, not labor rights. MP3
I Quit
This week on my podcast, my latest Medium column, I Quit: Peak indifference, big tobacco, disinformation and death, on the connection between smoking cessation, monopoly, corruption, the climate emergency, and the denial epidemic. MP3
The Memex Method
This week on my podcast, my inaugural column for Medium, The Memex Method, a reflection on 20 years of blogging, and how it has affected my writing. MP3
How To Destroy Surveillance Capitalism (Part 07)
This week on my podcast, the conclusion to my seven-part serialized reading of my 2020 Onezero/Medium book How To Destroy Surveillance Capitalism, now available in paperback (you can also order signed and personalized copies from Dark Delicacies, my local bookstore). MP3
How To Destroy Surveillance Capitalism (Part 06)
This week on my podcast, part six of a serialized reading of my 2020 Onezero/Medium book How To Destroy Surveillance Capitalism, now available in paperback (you can also order signed and personalized copies from Dark Delicacies, my local bookstore). MP3
How To Destroy Surveillance Capitalism (Part 05)
This week on my podcast, part five of a serialized reading of my 2020 Onezero/Medium book How To Destroy Surveillance Capitalism, now available in paperback (you can also order signed and personalized copies from Dark Delicacies, my local bookstore). MP3
Norwegian and German editions of How to Destroy Surveillance Capitalism
Thanks to groups of German- and Norwegian-speaking volunteers, there’s now a CC-licensed Norwegian and German edition of How to Destroy Surveillance Capitalism! They join the existing French edition.
How To Destroy Surveillance Capitalism (Part 04)
This week on my podcast, part four of a serialized reading of my 2020 Onezero/Medium book How To Destroy Surveillance Capitalism, now available in paperback (you can also order signed and personalized copies from Dark Delicacies, my local bookstore). MP3
How To Destroy Surveillance Capitalism (Part 03)
This week on my podcast, part three of a serialized reading of my 2020 Onezero/Medium book How To Destroy Surveillance Capitalism, now available in paperback (you can also order signed and personalized copies from Dark Delicacies, my local bookstore). MP3
How To Destroy Surveillance Capitalism (Part 02)
This week on my podcast, part two of a serialized reading of my 2020 Onezero/Medium book How To Destroy Surveillance Capitalism, now available in paperback (you can also order signed and personalized copies from Dark Delicacies, my local bookstore). MP3
How To Destroy Surveillance Capitalism (Part 01)
This week on my podcast, part one of a serialized reading of my 2020 Onezero/Medium book How To Destroy Surveillance Capitalism, now available in paperback (you can also order signed and personalized copies from Dark Delicacies, my local bookstore). MP3
Past Performance is Not Indicative of Future Results
This week on my podcast, I read my November 2020 Locus column, Past Performance is Not Indicative of Future Results, a critical piece on machine learning and artificial intelligence that takes aim at the fallacy that improvements to statistical inference will someday produce a conscious, cognitive software construct. It’s a followup to my July 2020... more
Free Markets
This week on my podcast, I read my lastest Locus column, Free Markets, a postmortem of sorts on the delivery issues with my record-breaking audiobook Kickstarter for Attack Surface, the third Little Brother book. MP3
Privacy Without Monopoly: Data Protection and Interoperability (Part 3)
This week on my podcast, the third and final part of “Privacy Without Monopoly: Data Protection and Interoperability,” a major new EFF paper by my colleague Bennett Cyphers and me. It’s a paper that tries to resolve the tension between demanding that tech platforms gather, retain and mine less of our data, and the demand... more
Privacy Without Monopoly: Data Protection and Interoperability (Part 2)
This week on my podcast, Part Two of “Privacy Without Monopoly: Data Protection and Interoperability,” a major new EFF paper by my colleague Bennett Cyphers and me. It’s a paper that tries to resolve the tension between demanding that tech platforms gather, retain and mine less of our data, and the demand that platforms allow... more
Privacy Without Monopoly: Data Protection and Interoperability (Part 1)
This week on my podcast, Part One of “Privacy Without Monopoly: Data Protection and Interoperability,” a major new EFF paper by my colleague Bennett Cyphers and me. It’s a paper that tries to resolve the tension between demanding that tech platforms gather, retain and mine less of our data, and the demand that platforms allow... more
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (part 31 ? CONCLUSION)
Here’s part thirty-one, the conclusion of my new reading of my novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (you can follow all the installments, as well as the reading I did in 2008/9, here). This is easily the weirdest novel I ever wrote. Gene Wolfe (RIP) gave me an amazing quote for it: “Someone... more
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (part 30)
Here’s part thirty of my new reading of my novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (you can follow all the installments, as well as the reading I did in 2008/9, here). This is easily the weirdest novel I ever wrote. Gene Wolfe (RIP) gave me an amazing quote for it: “Someone Comes to... more
Talking Attack Surface in the LA Review of Books
In an interview in the LA Review of Books, Technology and Politics Are Inseparable: An Interview with Cory Doctorow, Eliot Peper digs into the backstory and ethos of the Little Brother books in general and Attack Surface in particular: Attack Surface explores how technology is not the solution to social problems, but a morally neutral... more
A free Danish ebook of Little Brother
Science Fiction Cirklen is a Danish collective that works to translate and publish science fiction in Danish; years ago, they published a print edition of the book and have now released a free, Creative Commons-licensed ebook edition in Epub and PDF!
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (part 29)
Here’s part twenty-nine of my new reading of my novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (you can follow all the installments, as well as the reading I did in 2008/9, here). This is easily the weirdest novel I ever wrote. Gene Wolfe (RIP) gave me an amazing quote for it: “Someone Comes to... more
Launching a print edition of HOW TO DESTROY SURVEILLANCE CAPITALISM
Last August, Onezero published my first nonfiction book in nearly a decade: HOW TO DESTROY SURVEILLANCE CAPITALISM is a short book (or long pamphlet) that presents an anti-monopoly critique of the “surveillance capitalism” theory. https://onezero.medium.com/how-to-destroy-surveillance-capitalism-8135e6744d59 The book’s a free online read, and now it’s a paper artifact. Next Thursday, Onezero will launch both a DRM-free... more
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (part 28)
Here’s part twenty-eight of my new reading of my novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (you can follow all the installments, as well as the reading I did in 2008/9, here). This is easily the weirdest novel I ever wrote. Gene Wolfe (RIP) gave me an amazing quote for it: “Someone Comes to... more
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (part 27)
Here’s part twenty-seven of my new reading of my novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (you can follow all the installments, as well as the reading I did in 2008/9, here). This is easily the weirdest novel I ever wrote. Gene Wolfe (RIP) gave me an amazing quote for it: “Someone Comes to... more
Mashapedia
Well this is pretty terrific: Pavel Anni was so taken with my 2020 novel ATTACK SURFACE (the third Little Brother novel) that he’s created “Mashapedia,” a chapter-by-chapter breakdown of the real world technologies in the tale. https://pavelanni.github.io/attack-surface-tech/attack-surface-tech.html Pavel is both comprehensive and comprehensible, with short definitions and links for the mundane (MIT Media Lab, EL... more
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (part 26)
Here’s part twenty-six of my new reading of my novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (you can follow all the installments, as well as the reading I did in 2008/9, here). This is easily the weirdest novel I ever wrote. Gene Wolfe (RIP) gave me an amazing quote for it: “Someone Comes to... more
Daddy-Daughter Podcast, 2020 Edition
When my daughter Poesy was four, her nursery school let us know that they were shutting down a day before my wife’s office closed for the holidays, leaving us with a childcare problem. Since I worked for myself, I took the day off and brought her to my office, where we recorded a short podcast,... more
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (part 25)
Here’s part twenty-five of my new reading of my novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (you can follow all the installments, as well as the reading I did in 2008/9, here). This is easily the weirdest novel I ever wrote. Gene Wolfe (RIP) gave me an amazing quote for it: “Someone Comes to... more
The Attack Surface Lectures: Tech in SF
The Attack Surface Lectures were a series of eight panel discussions on the themes in my novel Attack Surface, each hosted by a different bookstore and each accompanied by a different pair of guest speakers. This program is ?Tech in SF? hosted by Interabang Books in Dallas, TX, with guest-hosts Annalee Newitz and Ken Liu.... more
Talking interop on EFF?s podcast
How to Fix the Internet is EFF’s amazing new podcast: nuanced discussions of tech law and ethics with incredible experts, interviewed and contextualized by EFF executive director Cindy Cohn and strategy director Danny O’Brien. https://pluralistic.net/2020/11/13/said-no-one-ever/#fix-it I devoured the first three episodes. I mean, I started working with EFF nearly 19 years ago (!) but I... more
The Attack Surface Lectures: Sci-Fi Genre
The Attack Surface Lectures were a series of eight panel discussions on the themes in my novel Attack Surface, each hosted by a different bookstore and each accompanied by a different pair of guest speakers. This program is “Sci-Fi Genre” hosted by Fountain Books in Richmond, VA, with guest-hosts Sarah Gailey and Chuck Wendig. It... more
The Attack Surface Lectures: Little Revolutions
The Attack Surface Lectures were a series of eight panel discussions on the themes in my novel Attack Surface, each hosted by a different bookstore and each accompanied by a different pair of guest speakers. This program is “Little Revolutions,” hosted by Skylight Books in Los Angeles, with guest-hosts Tochi Onyebuchi and Bethany C. Morrow.... more
The Attack Surface Lectures: Cyberpunk and Post Cyberpunk
The Attack Surface Lectures were a series of eight panel discussions on the themes in Cory Doctorow’s novel Attack Surface, each hosted by a different bookstore and each accompanied by a different pair of guest speakers. This program is “Cyberpunk and Post-Cyberpunk,” hosted by Anderson’s Books in Napierville, IL, with guest-hosts Bruce Sterling and Christopher... more
The Attack Surface Lectures: Intersectionality: Race, Surveillance, and Tech and Its History
The Attack Surface Lectures were a series of eight panel discussions on the themes in my?s novel Attack Surface, each hosted by a different bookstore and each accompanied by a different pair of guest speakers. This program is “??Intersectionality: Race, Surveillance, and Tech and Its History,” hosted by The Booksmith in San Francisco, with guest-hosts... more
The Attack Surface Lectures: Cross-Media Sci-Fi
The Attack Surface Lectures were a series of eight panel discussions on the themes in my?s novel Attack Surface, each hosted by a different bookstore and each accompanied by a different pair of guest speakers. This program is “Cross-Media Sci Fi” hosted by the Brookline Booksmith in Brookline, MA, with guest-hosts John Rogers and Amber... more
Attack Surface Lectures master post
The Attack Surface Lectures were a series of eight panel discussions on the themes in my’s novel Attack Surface, each hosted by a different bookstore and each accompanied by a different pair of guest speakers. 1. Politics and Protest with Ron Deibert (Citizen Lab) and Eva Galperin (EFF) Strand Bookstore, October 13, 2020 Original Youtube... more
The Attack Surface Lectures: Politics and Protest
The Attack Surface Lectures were a series of eight panel discussions on the themes in my’s novel Attack Surface, each hosted by a different bookstore and each accompanied by a different pair of guest speakers. This program is “Politics and Protest,” hosted by The Strand in NYC, with guest-hosts Eva Galperin and Ron Deibert. It... more
The Attack Surface Lectures: Politics and Protest (fixed)
The Attack Surface Lectures were a series of eight panel discussions on the themes in my’s novel Attack Surface, each hosted by a different bookstore and each accompanied by a different pair of guest speakers. This program is “Politics and Protest,” hosted by The Strand in NYC, with guest-hosts Eva Galperin and Ron Deibert. It... more
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (part 23)
Here’s part twenty-three of my new reading of my novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (you can follow all the installments, as well as the reading I did in 2008/9, here). This is easily the weirdest novel I ever wrote. Gene Wolfe (RIP) gave me an amazing quote for it: “Someone Comes to... more
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (part 22)
Here’s part twenty-two of my new reading of my novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (you can follow all the installments, as well as the reading I did in 2008/9, here). This is easily the weirdest novel I ever wrote. Gene Wolfe (RIP) gave me an amazing quote for it: “Someone Comes to... more
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (part 21)
Here’s part twenty-one of my new reading of my novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (you can follow all the installments, as well as the reading I did in 2008/9, here). This is easily the weirdest novel I ever wrote. Gene Wolfe (RIP) gave me an amazing quote for it: “Someone Comes to... more
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (part 20)
Here’s part twenty of my new reading of my novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (you can follow all the installments, as well as the reading I did in 2008/9, here). This is easily the weirdest novel I ever wrote. Gene Wolfe (RIP) gave me an amazing quote for it: “Someone Comes to... more
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (part 19)
Here’s part nineteen of my new reading of my novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (you can follow all the installments, as well as the reading I did in 2008/9, here). This is easily the weirdest novel I ever wrote. Gene Wolfe (RIP) gave me an amazing quote for it: “Someone Comes to... more
Stop Techno Dystopia with SRSLY WRONG
SRSLY WRONG is a leftist/futuristic podcast incorporating sketches in long-form episodes; I became aware of them last year when Michael Pulsford recommended their series on “library socialism”, an idea I was so stricken by that it made its way into The Lost Cause, a novel I’m writing now. The Wrong Boys invited me on for... more
My appearance on the Judge John Hodgman podcast!
I’ve been a fan of the Judge John Hodgman podcast for so many years, and often threaten my wife with bringing a case before the judge whenever we have a petty disagreement. I was so pleased to appear on the JJHO podcast (MP3) this week as part of the podcast tour for Attack Surface!
Talking writing with the Writing Excuses crew
A million years ago, I set sail on the Writing Excuses Cruise, a writing workshop at sea. As part of that workshop, I sat down with the Writing Excuses podcast team (Mary Robinette Kowal, Piper J Drake, and Howard Taylor) and recorded a series of short episodes explaining my approach to writing. I had clean... more
Attack Surface is out!
Today is the US/Canada release-date for Attack Surface, the third Little Brother book. It’s been a long time coming (Homeland, the second book, came out in 2013)! It’s the fourth book I’ve published in 2020, and it’s my last book of the year. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250757531 When the lockdown hit in March, I started thinking about what... more
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (part 18)
Here’s part eighteen of my new reading of my novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (you can follow all the installments, as well as the reading I did in 2008/9, here). Content warning for domestic abuse and sexual violence. This is easily the weirdest novel I ever wrote. Gene Wolfe (RIP) gave me... more
Danish Little Brother, now a free, CC-licensed download
Science Fiction Cirklen is a member-funded co-op of Danish science fiction fans; they raise money to produce print translations of sf novels that Danes would otherwise have to read in English. They work together to translate the work, commission art, and pay to have the book printed and distributed to bookstores in order to get... more
Free copies of Attack Surface for institutions (schools, libraries, classrooms, etc)
Figuring out how to tour a book in the lockdown age is hard. Many authors have opted to do a handful of essentially identical events with a couple of stores as a way of spreading out the times so that readers with different work-schedules, etc can make it. But not me. My next novel, Attack... more
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (part 17)
Here’s part seventeen of my new reading of my novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (you can follow all the installments, as well as the reading I did in 2008/9, here). This is easily the weirdest novel I ever wrote. Gene Wolfe (RIP) gave me an amazing quote for it: “Someone Comes to... more
Attack Surface on the MMT Podcast
I was incredibly happy to appear on the MMT Podcast again this week, talking about economics, science fiction, interoperability, tech workers and tech ethics, and my new novel ATTACK SURFACE, which comes out in the UK tomorrow (Oct 13 US/Canada): https://pileusmmt.libsyn.com/68-cory-doctorow-digital-rights-surveillance-capitalism-interoperable-socks We also delved into my new nonfiction book, HOW TO DESTROY SURVEILLANCE CAPITALISM, and... more
Attack Surface on the MMT Podcast
I was incredibly happy to appear on the MMT Podcast again this week, talking about economics, science fiction, interoperability, tech workers and tech ethics, and my new novel ATTACK SURFACE, which comes out in the UK tomorrow (Oct 13 US/Canada): https://pileusmmt.libsyn.com/68-cory-doctorow-digital-rights-surveillance-capitalism-interoperable-socks We also delved into my new nonfiction book, HOW TO DESTROY SURVEILLANCE CAPITALISM, and... more
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (part 16)
Here’s part sixteen of my new reading of my novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (you can follow all the installments, as well as the reading I did in 2008/9, here). This is easily the weirdest novel I ever wrote. Gene Wolfe (RIP) gave me an amazing quote for it: “Someone Comes to... more
Announcing the Attack Surface tour
It’s been 12 years since I went on my first book tour and in the years since, I’ve met and spoken with tens of thousands of readers in hundreds of cities on five continents in support of more than a dozen books. Now I’ve got another major book coming out: ATTACK SURFACE. How do you... more
Announcing the Attack Surface tour
It’s been 12 years since I went on my first book tour and in the years since, I’ve met and spoken with tens of thousands of readers in hundreds of cities on five continents in support of more than a dozen books. Now I’ve got another major book coming out: ATTACK SURFACE. How do you... more
Poesy the Monster Slayer
POESY THE MONSTER SLAYER is my first-ever picture book, illustrated by Matt Rockefeller and published by Firstsecond. It’s an epic tale of toy-hacking, bedtime-avoidance and monster-slaying. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781626723627 The book’s publication was attended by a superb and glowing review from Kirkus: “The lights are out, and the battle begins. She knows the monsters are coming, and... more
Poesy the Monster Slayer
POESY THE MONSTER SLAYER is my first-ever picture book, illustrated by Matt Rockefeller and published by Firstsecond. It’s an epic tale of toy-hacking, bedtime-avoidance and monster-slaying. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781626723627 The book’s publication was attended by a superb and glowing review from Kirkus: “The lights are out, and the battle begins. She knows the monsters are coming, and... more
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (part 15)
Here’s part fifteen of my new reading of my novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (you can follow all the installments, as well as the reading I did in 2008/9, here). This is easily the weirdest novel I ever wrote. Gene Wolfe (RIP) gave me an amazing quote for it: “Someone Comes to... more
IP
This week on my podcast, I read the first half of my latest Locus Magazine column, “IP,” the longest, most substantial column I’ve written in my 14 years on Locus‘s masthead. IP explores the history of how we have allowed companies to control more and more of our daily lives, and has come to mean,... more
My first-ever Kickstarter: the audiobook for Attack Surface, the third Little Brother book
I have a favor to ask of you. I don’t often ask readers for stuff, but this is maybe the most important ask of my career. It’s a Kickstarter ? I know, ‘another crowdfunder?’ ? but it’s: a) Really cool; b) Potentially transformative for publishing. c) Anti-monopolistic Here’s the tldr: Attack Surface ? AKA Little... more
My first-ever Kickstarter: the audiobook for Attack Surface, the third Little Brother book
I have a favor to ask of you. I don’t often ask readers for stuff, but this is maybe the most important ask of my career. It’s a Kickstarter ? I know, ‘another crowdfunder?’ ? but it’s: a) Really cool; b) Potentially transformative for publishing. c) Anti-monopolistic Here’s the tldr: Attack Surface ? AKA Little... more
Attack Surface Kickstarter Promo Excerpt!
This week’s podcast is a generous excerpt – 3 hours! – of the audiobook for Attack Surface, the third Little Brother book, which is available for pre-order today on my very first Kickstarter. This Kickstarter is one of the most important moments in my professional career, an experiment to see if I can viably publish... more
Attack Surface Kickstarter Promo Excerpt!
This week’s podcast is a generous excerpt – 3 hours! – of the audiobook for Attack Surface, the third Little Brother book, which is available for pre-order today on my very first Kickstarter. This Kickstarter is one of the most important moments in my professional career, an experiment to see if I can viably publish... more
Get Radicalized for a mere $2.99
The ebook of my 2019 book RADICALIZED — finalist for the Canada Reads ward, LA Library book of the year, etc — is on sale today for $2.99 on all major platforms! Books There are a lot of ways to get radicalized in 2020, but this is arguably the cheapest.
How to Destroy Surveillance Capitalism
For this week’s podcast, I read an excerpt from “How to Destroy Surveillance Capitalism,” a free short book (or long pamphlet, or “nonfiction novella”) I published with Medium’s Onezero last week. HTDSC is a long critical response to Shoshanna Zuboff’s book and paper on the subject, which re-centers the critique on monopolism and the abusive... more
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (part 14)
Here’s part fourteen of my new reading of my novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (you can follow all the installments, as well as the reading I did in 2008/9, here). This is easily the weirdest novel I ever wrote. Gene Wolfe (RIP) gave me an amazing quote for it: “Someone Comes to... more
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (part 13)
Here’s part thirteen of my new reading of my novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (you can follow all the installments, as well as the reading I did in 2008/9, here). This is easily the weirdest novel I ever wrote. Gene Wolfe (RIP) gave me an amazing quote for it: “Someone Comes to... more
Terra Nullius
Terra Nullius is my March 2019 column in Locus magazine; it explores the commonalities between the people who claim ownership over the things they use to make new creative works and the settler colonialists who arrived in various “new worlds” and declared them to be empty, erasing the people who were already there as a... more
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (part 12)
Here’s part twelve of my new reading of my novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (you can follow all the installments, as well as the reading I did in 2008/9, here). This is easily the weirdest novel I ever wrote. Gene Wolfe (RIP) gave me an amazing quote for it: “Someone Comes to... more
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (part 11)
Here’s part eleven of my new reading of my novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (you can follow all the installments, as well as the reading I did in 2008/9, here). This is easily the weirdest novel I ever wrote. Gene Wolfe (RIP) gave me an amazing quote for it: “Someone Comes to... more
Testing Itunes Duration Tag
https://archive.org/download/Cory_Doctorow_Podcast_351/Cory_Doctorow_Podcast_351_-_Someone_Comes_to_Town_Someone_Leaves_Town_010.mp3
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (part 10)
Here’s part ten of my new reading of my novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (you can follow all the installments, as well as the reading I did in 2008/9, here). This is easily the weirdest novel I ever wrote. Gene Wolfe (RIP) gave me an amazing quote for it: “Someone Comes to... more
Full Employment
This week’s podcast is a reading of Full Employment, my latest Locus column. It’s a counter to the argument about automation-driven unemployment – namely, that we will have hundreds of years of full employment facing the climate emergency and remediating the damage it wreaks. From relocating all our coastal cities to replacing aviation routes with... more
Full Employment
My latest Locus column is “Full Employment,” in which I forswear “Fully Automated Luxury Communism” as totally incompatible with the climate emergency, which will consume 100%+ of all human labor for centuries to come. https://locusmag.com/2020/07/cory-doctorow-full-employment/ This fact is true irrespective of any breakthroughs in AI OR geoengineering. Technological unemployment is vastly oversold and overstated (for... more
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (part 09)
Here’s part nine of my new reading of my novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (you can follow all the installments, as well as the reading I did in 2008/9, here). This is easily the weirdest novel I ever wrote. Gene Wolfe (RIP) gave me an amazing quote for it: “Someone Comes to... more
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (part 08)
Here’s part eight of my new reading of my novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (you can follow all the installments, as well as the reading I did in 2008/9, here). This is easily the weirdest novel I ever wrote. Gene Wolfe (RIP) gave me an amazing quote for it: “Someone Comes to... more
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (part 07)
Here’s part seven of my new reading of my novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (you can follow all the installments, as well as the reading I did in 2008/9, here). This is easily the weirdest novel I ever wrote. Gene Wolfe (RIP) gave me an amazing quote for it: “Someone Comes to... more
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (part 06)
Here’s part six of my new reading of my novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (you can follow all the installments, as well as the reading I did in 2008/9, here). This is easily the weirdest novel I ever wrote. Gene Wolfe (RIP) gave me an amazing quote for it: “Someone Comes to... more
Talking tech and protests with the Out of Left Field podcast
The kind folks at the Out of Left Field podcast just hosted me for a discussion of protests, surveillance tech and liberation (MP3).
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (part 05)
Here’s part five of my new reading of my novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (you can follow all the installments, as well as the reading I did in 2008/9, here). There’s more of Kurt in this week’s episode; as I mentioned in last week’s intro, Kurt is loosely based on my old... more
Rave for ?Poesy the Monster Slayer?
No matter how many books I write (20+ now!), the first review for a new one is always scary. That goes double when the book is a first as well – like Poesy the Monster Slayer, my first-ever picture book, which comes out from First Second on Jul 14. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781626723627 So it was with delight... more
How Big Tech Monopolies Distort Our Public Discourse
This week, I’m podcasting How Big Tech Monopolies Distort Our Public Discourse, a new article I wrote for the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Deeplinks blog. It’s the most comprehensive of the articles I’ve written about the problems of surveillance capitalism, a subject I’ve also addressed in a forthcoming, book-length essay. In a nutshell, my dispute with... more
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (part 04)
Here’s part four of my new reading of my novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (you can follow all the installments, as well as the reading I did in 2008/9, here). In this installment, we meet Kurt, the crustypunk high-tech dumpster-diver. Kurt is loosely based on my old friend Darren Atkinson, who pulled... more
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (part 03)
Here’s part three of my new reading of my novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (you can follow all the installments, as well as the reading I did in 2008/9, here). This is easily the weirdest novel I ever wrote. Gene Wolfe (RIP) gave me an amazing quote for it: “Someone Comes to... more
Rules for Writers
For this week’s podcast, I take a break from my reading of my 2009 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, to read aloud my latest Locus column, Rules for Writers. The column sums up a long-overdue revelation I had teaching on the Writing Excuses cruise last fall: that the “rules” we advise writers... more
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (part 02)
Here’s part two of my new reading of my novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (you can follow all the installments, as well as the reading I did in 2008/9, here). In this installment, we meet Kurt, the crustypunk high-tech dumpster-diver. Kurt is loosely based on my old friend Darren Atkinson, who pulled... more
A new Marcus Yallow/Little Brother story!
On Oct 12, Tor Books will publish ATTACK SURFACE, the third Little Brother book – unlike the previous two, it’s not YA, and unlike the previous two, it stars Masha, the young woman who works for the DHS and then a private security firm. It’s a book about rationalization and redemption: how good people talk... more
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (part 01)
Here’s part one (MP3) of my new reading of my novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, which debuted last weekend on the Podapalooza festival. It’s easily the weirdest novel I ever wrote. Gene Wolfe (RIP) gave me an amazing quote for it: “Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town is a glorious book,... more
John Scalzi?s The Last Emperox
I am about to start a serialized podcast reading of my novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, whose first hour I’ve already got in the can. It debuts later this week on the Podapalooza festival, a pay-what-you-like, virtual podcasting festival that benefits Givedirectly, which makes direct cash grants to families affected by coronavirus... more
Radio Free Burrito Presents Return To Pleasure Island By Cory Doctorow (fixed)
Wil Wheaton and I swapped podcasts! I read his 2008 journal entries about Little Brother and parenting, and he released a fantastic audiobook (MP3) of my story Return to Pleasure Island from my first short story collection, A Place So Foreign and Eight More.
Radio Free Burrito Presents Return To Pleasure Island By Cory Doctorow
Wil Wheaton and I swapped podcasts! I read his 2008 journal entries about Little Brother and parenting, and he released a fantastic audiobook (MP3) of my story Return to Pleasure Island from my first short story collection, A Place So Foreign and Eight More.
Radio Free Burrito Presents Return To Pleasure Island By Cory Doctorow
Wil Wheaton and I swapped podcasts! I read his 2008 journal entries about Little Brother and parenting, and he released a fantastic audiobook (MP3) of my story Return to Pleasure Island from my first short story collection, A Place So Foreign and Eight More.
Podcast swap: Wil Wheaton on Little Brother
This week for my podcast, I’m doing a swap with Wil Wheaton and his podcast! he’s gonna read one of my short stories, and I’m reading a couple of his public journal entries about the role my novel Little Brother played in helping him parent his son Nolan (MP3). It’s a lovely memory and a... more
The Jubilee: Fill Your Boots
My latest podcast (MP3) is a reading of my 2017 Locus column “The Jubilee: Fill Your Boots ,” about the nature of material scarcity, which is a subject of enormous significance at this moment as production has ground to a halt, and in which the use of the internet to coordinate our activity is at... more
I’ve got a old-fashioned link-blog, Pluralistic, where I post a daily list of links with commentary and analysis. If you’d prefer to get it as a newsletter, you can subcribe to the Plura-list. Both are free from surveillance and advertising.
Author?s Note from Attack Surface
My latest podcast (MP3) is a reading of the author’s note from “Attack Surface” — the third Little Brother book, which comes out on Oct 12. I recorded this for the audiobook edition of Attack Suface, which I’ve been recording all last week with Amber Benson and the Cassandra de Cuir from Skyboat Media. If... more
88 Names podcast (fixed) (for real)
The brilliant writer Matt Ruff just published a new heist novel about gold-farming and MMORPGs called 88 NAMES that’s like Snow Crash meets The King and I: https://boingboing.net/2020/03/17/3d-gen-gold-farmers.html Matt’s doing a podcast about the book with Blake Collier, and I appeared in the latest episode: https://www.riseupdaily.com/88namespodcast/2020/03/28/episode-3/ We cover a lot of ground: “the state of... more
88 Names podcast (fixed!)
The brilliant writer Matt Ruff just published a new heist novel about gold-farming and MMORPGs called 88 NAMES that’s like Snow Crash meets The King and I: https://boingboing.net/2020/03/17/3d-gen-gold-farmers.html Matt’s doing a podcast about the book with Blake Collier, and I appeared in the latest episode: https://www.riseupdaily.com/88namespodcast/2020/03/28/episode-3/ We cover a lot of ground: “the state of... more
88 Names podcast
The brilliant writer Matt Ruff just published a new heist novel about gold-farming and MMORPGs called 88 NAMES that’s like Snow Crash meets The King and I: https://boingboing.net/2020/03/17/3d-gen-gold-farmers.html Matt’s doing a podcast about the book with Blake Collier, and I appeared in the latest episode: https://www.riseupdaily.com/88namespodcast/2020/03/28/episode-3/ We cover a lot of ground: “the state of... more
Data ? the new oil, or potential for a toxic oil spill?
My latest podcast is a reading (MP3) of “Data ? the new oil, or potential for a toxic oil spill?” — a column I wrote for Kaspersky in which I argue that data was never “the new oil” ? instead, it was always the new toxic waste: “pluripotent, immortal ? and impossible to contain.” Data... more
My appearance on Cool Tools
This week, I appear on the Cool Tools podcast to discuss my favorite, most indispensible gadgets and services and why I love them. https://kk.org/cooltools/cory-doctorow-science-fiction-author/ My top picks were my Crkt Snap-Lock knife – a one-handed-opening, lightweight, super versatile pocket knife that I carry everywhere. https://www.crkt.com/snap-lock.html I also chose my Chinese OEM underwater MP3 player. I... more
Data is the new toxic waste
In a new article for Kaspersky, I argue that data was never “the new oil” – instead, it was always the new toxic waste: “pluripotent, immortal ? and impossible to contain.” https://www.kaspersky.com/blog/secure-futures-magazine/data-new-toxic-waste/34184/ Data breaches are inevitable (any data you collect will probably leak; any data you retain will definitely leak) and cumulative (your company’s data... more
Talking digital writing careers with the Writing Excuses podcast
Back when cruise ships were a thing, I went out on the Writing Excuses Cruise as an instructor with Mary Robinette Kowal and friends. While there, we recorded an episode of the Writing Excuses podcast. In a mere 25 minutes, we pack in a lot of material: how to break into the field, what a... more
The Masque of the Red Death and Punch Brothers Punch
As a followup to my last podcast, which featured the Macmillan audiobook of my novella “The Masque of the Red Death”, this week’s podcast starts with a reading of Poe’s original 1842 story, “The Masque of the Red Death. It’s some next-level gothic stuff. As a chaser, I close this week’s podcast with a reading... more
The Masque of the Red Death
Edgar Allen Poe wrote “The Masque of the Red Death” in 1842. It’s about a plutocrat who throws a masked ball in his walled abbey during a plague with the intention of cheating death. My novella “The Masque of the Red Death” is a tribute to Poe; it’s from my book Radicalized. It’s the story... more
When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth
In this special Covid-19 edition of my podcast, I revisit my end-of-the-world short story When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth, originally published in Baen’s Universe in 2005. Hundreds of people have emailed and tweeted me about this story this week, so I thought it was long overdue that I revisited it (I last read it into... more
A Lever Without a Fulcrum Is Just a Stick
For my latest podcast, I read my latest Locus op-ed, A Lever Without a Fulcrum Is Just a Stick, which analyzes why giving creators more copyright hasn’t made them richer, and proposes other kinds of authors’ rights that would translate into real money for real creators. The fact that the company can?t reproduce your book... more
Audio from the Kelowna Canada Reads event with Sarah Penton
Last night I sat down for an interview and lively Q&A at the Kelowna Public Library with the CBC’s Sarah Penton as part of the Canada Reads national book prize, for which my book Radicalized is a finalist. Courtney Dickson was kind enough to send me raw audio from the board and to give me... more
A Lever Without a Fulcrum Is Just a Stick
My latest Locus column explores what copyright expert Rebecca Giblin calls “The New Copyright Bargain” – a copyright system designed around enriching authors above all, rather rather than treating authors’ incomes as an incidental output of enriching entertainment or tech corporations. The column is called “A Lever Without a Fulcrum is Just a Stick.” Copyright... more
Interview with the Firewalls Don?t Stop Dragons podcast (Part II)
A couple of weeks ago, I posted Part I of my interview with the Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons podcast, a podcast that covers computer security in a way that is accessible to nontechnical people. Carey Parker has posted part II (MP3) of the interview, where we dig into Right to Repair, Adversarial Interoperability, and monopoly... more
Disasters Don?t Have to End in Dystopias
For my latest podcast, I read my 2017 Wired op-ed, Disasters Don?t Have to End in Dystopias, a discussion of the themes in my novel Walkaway. The thesis is that our estimations of probability of danger are unduly influenced by our ability to vividly imagine that danger (this is called the “availability heuristic”), so stories... more
Talking Radicalized with CBC?s Shelagh Rogers on The Next Chapter
My book Radicalized is a finalist for Canada Reads, the CBC’s national book prize. I sat down with Sheelagh Rogers, host of The Next Chapter, for a wide-ranging interview (MP3) about the book and the Trump-era anxiety that drove me to write it.
Gopher: When Adversarial Interoperability Burrowed Under the Gatekeepers? Fortresses
For my latest podcast, I read my latest EFF Deeplinks post, Gopher: When Adversarial Interoperability Burrowed Under the Gatekeepers’ Fortresses. It’s the latest installment in my case histories of “adversarial interoperability” — once the main force that kept tech competitive. Today, I tell the story of Gopher, the web’s immediate predecessor, which burrowed under the... more
Pluralist, your daily link-dose: 24 Feb 2020
Today’s links How “Authoritarian Blindness” kept Xi from dealing with coronavirus: Zeynep Tufekci in outstanding form. The Snowden Archive: every publicly available Snowden doc, collected and annotated. Key computer vision researcher quits: facial recognition is a moral quagmire. My interview on adversarial interoperability: you can’t shop your way out of late-stage capitalism. 81 Fortune 100... more
Pluralist, your daily link-dose: 22 Feb 2020
Today’s links Tax Justice Network publishes a new global Financial Secrecy Index: US and UK, neck-and-neck What Marc Davis lifted from the Addams Family while designing the Haunted Mansion: Amateurs plagiarize, artists steal ICANN should demand to see the secret financial docs in the .ORG selloff: at least it’s an Ethos Wells Fargo will pay... more
Pluralist, a daily link-dose: 21 Feb 2020
Today’s links Bloomberg’s campaign NDA is a gag order that covers sexual abuse and other crimes: Bloomberg’s lowest moment at the debate came when he fumfuhed over whether he’d release women from his corporate NDAs. Private Equity has sabotaged every attempt to end emergency room “surprise billing”: AKA, “Why didn’t you ask your ambulance driver... more
Pluralist, a daily link-dose: 20 Feb 2020
Today’s links The 2020 Nebula Award Finalists: a bumper crop of outstanding SF Uber driver/sharecroppers drive like maniacs to make quota: subprime lending + gig economy = stay off the roads Barclay’s bankers forced to endure nagging work-computer spyware: the shitty technology adoption curve at work Bernie Sanders leads in 10 out of 10 polls:... more
Pluralist: 19 Feb 2020
Contents The Woman Who Loved Giraffes: a documentary about Anne Innis Dagg, the magnificent feminist biologist and critic of pseudoscience like evolutionary psychology. Machine learning doesn’t fix racism: experiments in using machine-learning “risk assessment” for bail hearings collapse in ignominy. Rethinking “de-growth” and material culture: great commentary from Kate “McMansion Hell” Wagner. Bernie Sanders is... more
Little Brother: a virtual ?escape room? created by an 11th grade class in Germany!
Ulrich Oberender and his 11th grade students in a German high school created this “Edu-Breakout” based on my novel Little Brother: it’s a series of puzzles and challenges based on the book that engage deeply with both the privacy technology and the privacy ethics that run through the book! They call it “a digital escape... more
Talking Adversarial Interoperability with the Firewalls Don?t Stop Dragons podcast (Part I)
It’s been a few years since I last sat down with Carey Parker and his Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons podcast, and last week I corrected that oversight, recording a long interview about the Right to Repair, Adversarial Interoperability, and Sonos’s e-waste gambit. Part I is up now (MP3), and part II will be up in... more
Persuasion, Adaptation, and the Arms Race for Your Attention
For my latest podcast, I read my January 2018 Locus column, Persuasion, Adaptation, and the Arms Race for Your Attention. The essay proposes that we are be too worried about the seemingly unstoppable power of opinion-manipulators and their new social media superweapons. Not because these techniques don?t work (though when someone who wants to sell... more
Podcast: In Serving Big Company Interests, Copyright Is in Crisis
For my latest podcast, I read my Copyright Week post for EFF’s Deeplinks blog, , In Serving Big Company Interests, Copyright Is in Crisis. The essay discusses how the “author’s monopoly” of copyright is of less and less use in serving as leverage for dealing with publishers and other parts of the entertainment supply chain.... more
I?m the Author Guest of Honor at Baycon 2020, May 22-25!
Baycon is a large, regional science fiction convention that’s been serving the Bay Area for 38 years; I attended several times when I lived in San Francisco and this year I was tickled to be invited to attend as Author Guest of Honor. The event is May 22-25 (Memorial Day Weekend) at the San Mateo... more
The case for ? cities that aren?t dystopian surveillance states
For my latest podcast, I read my Guardian Cities column, “The case for … cities that aren’t dystopian surveillance states,” which was the last piece ever commissioned for the section. The Guardian commissioned the piece after reading my Toronto Life blurb about how a “smart city” could be focused on enabling its residents, rather than... more
Radicalized is a Canada Reads finalist, will be a graphic novel, and is eligible for the Hugo Award!
My 2019 book Radicalized has been named one of the five finalists for Canada Reads, the CBC’s annual book prize — Canada’s leading national book award, alongside of the Governor General’s award! My book was nominated by Akil Augustine, a beloved Canadian sportscaster and storyteller, and he’ll be championing the book through the Canada Reads... more
Imagining a ?smart city? that treats you as a sensor, not a thing to be sensed
The editors of Guardian Cities (previously) saw my Toronto Life blurb about how a “smart city” could be focused on enabling its residents, rather than tracking and manipulating them, and asked me to write a longer piece on the theme: The case for … cities where you’re the sensor, not the thing being sensed is... more
Inaction is a form of action
In my latest podcast (MP3), I read my latest Locus column, Inaction is a Form of Action,, where I I discuss how the US government’s unwillingness to enforce its own anti-monopoly laws has resulted in the dominance of a handful of giant tech companies who get to decide what kind of speech is and isn’t... more
Radicalized makes the CBC?s annual Canada Reads longlist
The Canadian Broadcasting Coporation’s annual Canada Reads prize is one of Canada’s top literary prizes, ranking with the Governor General’s prize for prestige and reach; it begins early in January with the announcement of a longlist of 15 recommended books, and then these are whittled down to a shortlist of five books later in the... more
Science fiction and the unforeseeable future: In the 2020s, let?s imagine better things
In my latest podcast (MP3), I read my Globe and Mail editorial, Science fiction and the unforeseeable future: In the 2020s, let?s imagine better things, where I reflect on what science fiction can tell us about the 2020s for the Globe‘s end-of-the-decade package; I wrote about how science fiction can’t predict the future, but might... more
Permitting the growth of monopolies is a form of government censorship
In my latest Locus column, Inaction is a Form of Action, I discuss how the US government’s unwillingness to enforce its own anti-monopoly laws has resulted in the dominance of a handful of giant tech companies who get to decide what kind of speech is and isn’t allowed — that is, how the USG’s complicity... more
Machine learning is innately conservative and wants you to either act like everyone else, or never change
Next month, I’m giving a keynote talk at The Future of the Future: The Ethics and Implications of AI, an event at UC Irvine that features Bruce Sterling, Rose Eveleth, David Kaye, and many others! Preparatory to that event, I wrote an op-ed for the LA Review of Books on AI and its intrinsic conservativism,... more
Science fiction, Canada and the 2020s: my look at the decade ahead for the Globe and Mail
The editors of Canada’s Globe and Mail asked me to reflect on what science fiction can tell us about the 2020s for their end-of-the-decade package; I wrote about how science fiction can’t predict the future, but might inspire it, and how the dystopian malaise of science fiction can be turned into a inspiring tale of... more
Party Discipline, a Walkaway story (Part 4) (the final part!)
In my latest podcast (MP3), I conclude my serial reading of my novella Party Discipline, which I wrote while on a 35-city, 45-day tour for my novel Walkaway in 2017; Party Discipline is a story set in the world of Walkaway, about two high-school seniors who conspire to throw a “Communist Party” at a sheet... more
Radicalized is one of the LA Public Library?s books of the year!
It’s not just the CBC and the Wall Street Journal — I was delighted to see this morning that Radicalized, my 2019 book of four science fiction novellas made the LA Public Library’s list of the top books of 2019! “As always his writing is sharp and clear, covering the absurdities that surround and infiltrate... more
My annual Daddy-Daughter Xmas Podcast: interview with an 11-year-old
Every year, I record a short podcast with my daughter, Poesy. Originally, we’d just sing Christmas carols, but with Poesy being nearly 12, we’ve had a moratorium on singing. This year, I interviewed Poe about her favorite Youtubers, books, apps, and pass-times, as well as her feelings on data-retention (meh) and horses (love ’em). And... more
Party Discipline, a Walkaway story (Part 3)
In my latest podcast (MP3), I continue my serial reading of my novella Party Discipline, which I wrote while on a 35-city, 45-day tour for my novel Walkaway in 2017; Party Discipline is a story set in the world of Walkaway, about two high-school seniors who conspire to throw a “Communist Party” at a sheet... more
Radicalized is one of the Wall Street Journal?s top sf books of 2019!
Radicalized, my collection of four novellas, is one of the Wall Street Journal‘s picks for best sf books of 2019! My thanks to Tom Shippey, who listed it alongside of David Walton’s Three Laws Lethal, Daniel Suarez’s Delta-v, Erin Craig’s House of Salt and Sorrows and Michael Swanwick’s The Iron Dragon’s Mother!
Party Discipline, a Walkaway story (Part 2)
In my latest podcast (MP3), I continue my serial reading of my novella Party Discipline, which I wrote while on a 35-city, 45-day tour for my novel Walkaway in 2017; Party Discipline is a story set in the world of Walkaway, about two high-school seniors who conspire to throw a “Communist Party” at a sheet... more
Radicalized is one of the CBC?s best books of 2019!
Well this is pretty great! Radicalized, my book of four novellas, is one of the CBC’s picks for best Canadian fiction of 2019. It’s in pretty outstanding company, too, including Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments.
Party Discipline, a Walkaway story (Part 1)
In my latest podcast (MP3), I’ve started a serial reading of my novella Party Discipline, which I wrote while on a 35-city, 45-day tour for my novel Walkaway in 2017; Party Discipline is a story set in the world of Walkaway, about two high-school seniors who conspire to throw a “Communist Party” at a sheet... more
Talking with the Left Field podcast about Sidewalk Labs?s plan to build a surveilling ?smart city? in Toronto
We’ve been closely following the plan by Google sister company Sidewalk Labs to build a surveilling “smart city” in Toronto; last week, I sat down with the Out of Left Field podcast (MP3) to discuss what’s going on with Sidewalk Labs, how it fits into the story of Big Tech, and what the alternatives might... more
Talking Adversarial Interoperability with Y Combinator
Earlier this month while I was in San Francisco, I went over to the Y Combinator incubator to record a podcast (MP3); we talked for more than an hour about the history of Adversarial Interoperability and what its role was in creating Silicon Valley and the tech sector and how monopolization now threatens adversarial interop... more
The Engagement-Maximization Presidency
In my latest podcast (MP3), I read my May, 2018 Locus column, “The Engagement-Maximization Presidency,” where I propose a theory to explain the political phenomenon of Donald Trump: we live in a world in which communications platforms amplify anything that gets ?engagement? and provides feedback on just how much your message has been amplified so... more
Talking about Disney?s 1964 Carousel of Progress with Bleeding Cool: our lost animatronic future
Back in 2007, I wrote a science fiction novella called “The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrrow,” about an immortal, transhuman survivor of an apocalypse whose father is obsessed with preserving artifacts from the fallen civilization, especially the Carousel of Progress, an exhibition that GE commissioned from Disney for the 1964 World’s Fair in New York, which... more
I made Wil Wheaton recite the digits of Pi for four minutes, then a fan set it to music
There’s a scene in my novel Homeland (the sequel to Little Brother) in which the first 1,000 digits of Pi are featured; when it came time to produce the audiobook edition, poor Wil Wheaton — the narrator — ended up reading out Pi for four solid minutes, with some entirely understandable difficulties. Nick Land set... more
Jeannette Ng Was Right: John W. Campbell Was a Fascist
In my latest podcast (MP3), I read my new Locus column, “Jeannette Ng Was Right: John W. Campbell Was a Fascist,“which revisits Jeannette Ng’s Campbell Awards speech from this summer’s World Science Fiction convention. As far as I know, I’m the only person to have won both awards named for Campbell, which, I think, gives... more
Jeannette Ng was right: John W Campbell was a fascist
My latest Locus Magazine column is Jeannette Ng Was Right: John W. Campbell Was a Fascist, which revisits Jeannette Ng’s Campbell Awards speech from this summer’s World Science Fiction convention. As far as I know, I’m the only person to have won both awards named for Campbell, which, I think, gives me license to speak... more
Talking with The Storyteller?s Thread about YA literature, activism, and technological rebellion
Séan Connors is a young adult literature researcher at the University of Arkansas, whose podcast, The Storyteller’s Thread, features long-form interviews with young adult writers “on their writing process; on social and political topics that influence their work; on their motivation for writing for young readers: and on other writers and artists whose work challenges... more
Affordances: a new science fiction story that climbs the terrible technology adoption curve
In my latest podcast (MP3), I read my short story “Affordances,” which was commissioned for Slate/ASU’s Future Tense Fiction. it’s a tale exploring my theory of “the shitty technology adoption curve,” in which terrible technological ideas are first imposed on poor and powerless people, and then refined and normalized until they are spread over all... more
?Affordances?: a new science fiction story that climbs the terrible technology adoption curve
“Affordances” is my new science fiction story for Slate/ASU’s Future Tense project; it’s a tale exploring my theory of “the shitty technology adoption curve,” in which terrible technological ideas are first imposed on poor and powerless people, and then refined and normalized until they are spread over all the rest of us. The story makes... more
Can we change our politics with science fiction? A conversation with the How Do You Like It So Far podcast
Henry Jenkins (previously) is the preeminent scholar of fandom and culture; Colin Maclay is a communications researcher with a background in tech policy; on the latest episode of their “How Do You Like It So Far” podcast (MP3), we had a long discussion about a theory of change based on political work and science fictional... more
Talking science fiction, technological self-determination, inequality and competition with physicist Sean Carroll
Talking science fiction, technological self-determination, inequality and competition with physicist Sean Carroll Sean Carroll is a physicist at JPL and the author of many popular, smart books about physics for a lay audience; his weekly Mindscape podcast is a treasure-trove of incredibly smart, fascinating discussions with people from a wide variety of backgrounds. The latest... more
Materiality: a new science fiction story for the Oslo Architecture Triennale about sustainable, green abundance
In my latest podcast (MP3), I read my short story “Materiality,” which was commissioned for Gross Ideas: Tales of Tomorrow’s Architecture, a book edited by Edwina Attlee, Phineas Harper and Maria Smith that is part of the Oslo Architecture Triennale. The editors pitched me on writing a story about sustainability and de-financialization in architecture, and... more
Talking corruption, technology, empiricism and fairness with the Bitcoin Podcast
I’m something of a Bitcoin skeptic; although I embrace the ideals of decentralization and privacy, I am concerned about the environmental, technological and social details of Bitcoin. It was for that reason that I was delighted to spend a good long time chatting with the hosts of the Bitcoin Podcast (MP3), digging into our points... more
Crowdfunding a symposium on a green, postcapitalist economics in Brussels, Nov 11
On November 11, the Edgeryders nonprofit assocation is bringing me to Brussels for a day-long event called The Science Fiction Economics Lab, where I’ll be jointly keynoting with Edgeryders economist Alberto Cottica, a lifelong science fiction fan, about radical futuristic economic ideas for a more cooperative, sustainable future. It’s a stage-setting exercise that then leads... more
False Flag
In my latest podcast (MP3), I read my Green European Journal short story about the terrible European Copyright Directive which passed last March, False Flag. Published in December 2018, the story highlights the ways in which this badly considered law creates unlimited opportunities for abuse, especially censorship by corporations who’ve been embarassed by whistleblowers and... more
Part two of my novella ?Martian Chronicles? on Escape Pod: who cleans the toilets in libertopia?
Last week, the Escape Pod podcast published part one of a reading of my YA novella “Martian Chronicles,” which I wrote for Jonathan Strahan’s Life on Mars anthology: it’s a story about libertarian spacesteaders who move to Mars to escape “whiners” and other undesirables, only to discover that the colonists that preceded them expect them... more
Why do people believe the Earth is flat?
In my latest podcast (MP3), I read my Globe and Mail column, Why do people believe the Earth is flat?, which connects the rise of conspiratorial thinking to the rise in actual conspiracies, in which increasingly concentrated industries are able to come up with collective lobbying positions that result in everything from crashing 737s to... more
Revealing the cover of ?Poesy the Monster Slayer,? my first-ever picture book!
Firstsecond (publishers of In Real Life, the bestselling middle-grades graphic novel Jen Wang and I made) have just revealed the cover for Poesy the Monster Slayer, my first-ever picture book, illustrated by Matt Rockefeller and scheduled for publication in July 2020. Poesy is a book about a little girl who is obsessed with monsters, who... more
?Martian Chronicles?: Escape Pod releases a reading of my YA story about rich sociopaths colonizing Mars
Back in 2011, I wrote a young adult novella called “Martian Chronicles,” which I podcasted as it was in progress; it’s a story about the second wave of wealthy colonists lifting off from climate-wracked, inequality-riven Earth to live in a libertarian utopia on Mars. The story (part of a series of stories that use titles... more
One way to determine whether your publisher is happy with your work
Being a Tor author is pretty swell. (Thanks, Patrick!)
Short documentary on the quest to re-decentralize the internet
I sat down for an interview for Reason’s short feature, The Decentralized Web Is Coming, which documents the surging Decentralized Web movement, whose goal is to restore the internet’s early, decentralized era, before it turned into five giant services filled with screenshots from the other four.
Come see me in Portland, Maine next Monday with James Patrick Kelly
I’m coming to Maine to keynote the Maine Library Association conference in Newry next Monday; later that day, I’m appearing with James Patrick Kelly at the Portland, Maine Main Library, from 6:30PM-8PM (it’s free and open to the public) This is the first time I’ve been to Maine, and I can’t wait!
My appearance on Futurithmic
I was delighted to sit down with my old friend Michael Hainsworth for his new TV show Futurithmic, where we talked about science fiction, technological self-determination, internet freedom. They’ve just posted the episode and it’s fabulous!
Why do people believe the Earth is flat?
I have an op-ed in today’s Globe and Mail, “Why do people believe the Earth is flat?” wherein I connect the rise of conspiratorial thinking to the rise in actual conspiracies, in which increasingly concentrated industries are able to come up with collective lobbying positions that result in everything from crashing 737s to toxic baby-bottle... more
Charles de Lint on Radicalized
I’ve been a Charles de Lint fan since I was a kid (see photographic evidence, above, of a 13-year-old me attending one of Charles’s signings at Bakka Books in 1984!), and so I was absolutely delighted to read his kind words in his books column in Fantasy and Science Fiction for my latest book, Radicalized.... more
Podcast: DRM Broke Its Promise
In my latest podcast (MP3), I read my new Locus column, DRM Broke Its Promise, which recalls the days when digital rights management was pitched to us as a way to enable exciting new markets where we’d all save big by only buying the rights we needed (like the low-cost right to read a book... more
Come see me in Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Toronto and Maine!
I’m about to leave for a couple of weeks’ worth of lectures, public events and teaching, and you can catch me in many places: Santa Cruz (in conversation with XKCD’s Randall Munroe); San Francisco (for EFF’s Pioneer Awards); Toronto (for Word on the Street, Seeding Utopias and Resisting Dystopias and 6 Degrees); Newry, ME (Maine... more
Talking RADICALIZED and MAKERS on Writers Voice
The Writers Voice podcast just published their interview with me about Radicalized; as a bonus, they include my decade-old interview about Makers in the recording! MP3
Critical essays (including mine) discuss Toronto?s plan to let Google build a surveillance-based ?smart city? along its waterfront
Sidewalk Labs is Google’s sister company that sells “smart city” technology; its showcase partner is Toronto, my hometown, where it has made a creepy shitshow out of its freshman outing, from the mass resignations of its privacy advisors to the underhanded way it snuck in the right to take over most of the lakeshore without... more
Podcast: Barlow?s Legacy
Even though I’m at Burning Man, I’ve snuck out an extra scheduled podcast episode (MP3): Barlow’s Legacy is my contribution to the Duke Law and Tech Review’s special edition, THE PAST AND FUTURE OF THE INTERNET: Symposium for John Perry Barlow: ?Who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present controls the past.?1... more
Podcast: Barlow?s Legacy
Even though I’m at Burning Man, I’ve snuck out an extra scheduled podcast episode (MP3): Barlow’s Legacy is my contribution to the Duke Law and Tech Review’s special edition, THE PAST AND FUTURE OF THE INTERNET: Symposium for John Perry Barlow: ?Who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present controls the past.?1... more
They told us DRM would give us more for less, but they lied
My latest Locus Magazine column is DRM Broke Its Promise, which recalls the days when digital rights management was pitched to us as a way to enable exciting new markets where we’d all save big by only buying the rights we needed (like the low-cost right to read a book for an hour-long plane ride),... more
My MMT Podcast appearance, part 2: monopoly, money, and the power of narrative
Last week, the Modern Monetary Theory Podcast ran part 1 of my interview with co-host Christian Reilly; they’ve just published the second and final half of our chat (MP3), where we talk about the link between corruption and monopoly, how to pitch monetary theory to people who want to abolish money altogether, and how stories... more
Where to catch me at Burning Man!
This is my last day at my desk until Labor Day: tomorrow, we’re driving to Burning Man to get our annual dirtrave fix! If you’re heading to the playa, here’s three places and times you can find me: The Liminal Labs Couch Chat, Weds, 12 noon, at Camp Liminal Labs (8:15 and Center Camp). Liminal... more
Podcast: A cycle of renewal, broken: How Big Tech and Big Media abuse copyright law to slay competition
In my latest podcast (MP3), I read my essay “A Cycle of Renewal, Broken: How Big Tech and Big Media Abuse Copyright Law to Slay Competition”, published today on EFF’s Deeplinks; it’s the latest in my ongoing series of case-studies of “adversarial interoperability,” where new services unseated the dominant companies by finding ways to plug... more
My appearance on the MMT podcast
I’ve been following the Modern Monetary Theory debate for about 18 months, and I’m largely a convert: governments spend money into existence and tax it out of existence, and government deficit spending is only inflationary if it’s bidding against the private sector for goods or services, which means that the government could guarantee every unemployed... more
Podcast: Interoperability and Privacy: Squaring the Circle
In my latest podcast (MP3), I read my essay “Interoperability and Privacy: Squaring the Circle, published today on EFF’s Deeplinks; it’s another in the series of “adversarial interoperability” explainers, this one focused on how privacy and adversarial interoperability relate to each other. Even if we do manage to impose interoperability on Facebook in ways that... more
Podcast: ?IBM PC Compatible?: how adversarial interoperability saved PCs from monopolization
In my latest podcast (MP3), I read my essay “IBM PC Compatible”: how adversarial interoperability saved PCs from monopolization, published today on EFF’s Deeplinks; it’s another installment in my series about “adversarial interoperability,” and the role it has historically played in keeping tech open and competitive. This time, I relate the origin story of the... more
Paul Di Filippo on Radicalized: ?Upton-Sinclairish muckraking, and Dickensian-Hugonian ashcan realism?
I was incredibly gratified and excited to read Paul Di Filippo’s Locus review of my latest book, Radicalized; Di Filippo is a superb writer, one of the original, Mirrorshades cyberpunks, and he is a superb and insightful literary critic, so when I read his superlative-laden review of my book today, it was an absolute thrill... more
Houstonites! Come see Hank Green and me in conversation tomorrow night!
Hank Green and I are doing a double act tomorrow night, July 31, as part of the tour for the paperback of his debut novel, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing. It’s a ticketed event (admission includes a copy of Hank’s book), and we’re presenting at 7PM at Spring Forest Middle School in association with Blue Willow... more
Podcast: Adblocking: How About Nah?
In my latest podcast (MP3), I read my essay Adblocking: How About Nah?, published last week on EFF’s Deeplinks; it’s the latest installment in my series about “adversarial interoperability,” and the role it has historically played in keeping tech open and competitive, and how that role is changing now that yesterday’s scrappy startups have become... more
Podcast: Adversarial Interoperability is Judo for Network Effects
In my latest podcast (MP3), I read my essay SAMBA versus SMB: Adversarial Interoperability is Judo for Network Effects, published last week on EFF’s Deeplinks; it’s a furhter exploration of the idea of “adversarial interoperability” and the role it has played in fighting monopolies and preserving competition, and how we could use it to restore... more
Appearance on the Jim Rutt Podcast
Jim Rutt — former chairman of the Santa Fe Institute and ex-Network Solutions CEO — just launched his new podcast, and included me in the first season! (MP3) It was a characteristically wide-ranging, interdisciplinary kind of interview, covering competition and adversarial interoperability, technological self-determination and human rights, conspiracy theories and corruption. There’s a full transcript... more
Podcast: Occupy Gotham
In my latest podcast (MP3), I read my essay Occupy Gotham, published in Detective Comics: 80 Years of Batman, commemorating the 1000th issue of Batman comics. It’s an essay about the serious hard problem of trusting billionaires to solve your problems, given the likelihood that billionaires are the cause of your problems. A thousand issues... more
I appeared on Nanowrimo?s awesome Write-Minded podcast to talk about Radicalized
It turned out really well! Today?s dystopian fiction seems to be closer to reality than the dystopian fiction of the past. Brooke and Grant explore this new reality with Cory Doctorow, whose socially conscientious science fiction novels delve into topics of political consequence. From the ways in which anxieties fuel science fiction writers to how... more
Where to catch me at San Diego Comic-Con!
I’m headed back to San Diego for Comic-Con next weekend, and you can catch me on Friday, Saturday and Sunday: Friday, 5PM: Signing in AA04 Saturday, 5PM: Panel: Writing: Craft, Community, and Crossover (with James Killen, Seanan McGuire, Charlie Jane Anders,, Annalee Newitz, and Sarah Gailey), Room 23ABC Sunday, 10AM: Signing and giveaway for Radicalized,... more
Steering with the Windshield Wipers
In my latest podcast (MP3), I read my May Locus column: Steering with the Windshield Wipers. It makes the argument that much of the dysfunction of tech regulation — from botched anti-sex-trafficking laws to the EU’s plan to impose mass surveillance and censorship to root out copyright infringement — are the result of trying to... more
Fake News is an Oracle
In my latest podcast, I read my new Locus column: Fake News is an Oracle. For many years, I’ve been arguing that while science fiction can’t predict the future, it can reveal important truths about the present: the stories writers tell reveal their hopes and fears about technology, while the stories that gain currency in... more
?Fake News is an Oracle?: how the falsehoods we believe reveal the truth about our fears and aspirations
For many years, I’ve been arguing that while science fiction can’t predict the future, it can reveal important truths about the present: the stories writers tell reveal their hopes and fears about technology, while the stories that gain currency in our discourse and our media markets tell us about our latent societal aspirations and anxieties.... more
Houston! Come see Hank Green and me on July 31
I’m coming to Houston on July 31 to appear with Hank Green at an event for the paperback launch of his outstanding debut novel An Absolutely Remarkable Thing: we’re on a 7PM at Spring Forest Middle School (14240 Memorial Drive, Houston, TX 77079); it’s a ticketed event and the ticket price includes a copy of... more
Podcast number 300: ?Adversarial Interoperability: Reviving an Elegant Weapon From a More Civilized Age to Slay Today?s Monopolies?
I just published the 300th installment of my podcast, which has been going since 2006 (!); I present a reading of my EFF Deeplinks essay Adversarial Interoperability: Reviving an Elegant Weapon From a More Civilized Age to Slay Today’s Monopolies, where I introduce the idea of “Adversarial Interoperability,” which allows users and toolsmiths to push... more
Join me today at 12PM Pacific for a New York Times/Periscope livestream about my ?op-ed from the future?
Yesterday, the New York Times published my “op-ed from the future,” an essay entitled “I Shouldn?t Have to Publish This in The New York Times,” which tried to imagine what would happen to public discourse if the Big Tech platforms were forced to use algorithms to police their users’ speech in order to fight extremism,... more
?I Shouldn?t Have to Publish This in The New York Times?: my op-ed from the future
I was honored to be invited to contribute to the New York Times‘s excellent “Op-Eds From the Future” series (previously), with an op-ed called “I Shouldn’t Have to Publish This in The New York Times,” set in the near-future, in which we have decided to solve the problems of Big Tech by making them liable... more
My Atlseccon keynote
In which I tie together infosec, monopoly, corruption, human rights and conspiracy theories
Competition can fix Big Tech, but only if we don?t make ?bigness? a legal requirement
I’m all for making Big Tech small again and fixing the internet so that it’s not just five giant websites filled with screenshots from the other four, not to mention doing something about market dominance, corporate bullying, rampant privacy invasions and so on. But a persistent thread in the past year’s efforts to “fix the... more
Los Angeles! Come see me at Exposition Park library this Thursday, talking about Big Tech, monopolies, mind control and the right of technological self-determination
From 6PM-730PM this Thursday, May 23, I’m presenting at the Exposition Park Library (Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Regional Library, 3900 S Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90062) on the problems of Big Tech and how the problems of monopolization (in tech and every other industry) is supercharged by the commercial surveillance industry — and what... more
?What does it mean to keep the internet free?? An in-depth discussion with Why? on North Dakota Public Radio
A couple of weeks ago, I recorded a long, in-depth discussion on the subject of “What does it mean to keep the internet free” with Jack Russell Weinstein from Why?, the Institute for Philosophy in Public Life’s program on North Dakota Public Radio (MP3). Weinstein and I ranged pretty far and wide about what internet... more
Naked Capitalism reviews Radicalized
Naked Captalism is one of my favorite sites, both for its radical political commentary and the vigorous discussions that follow from it; now, John Siman has posted a review of my latest book, Radicalized, which collects four intensely political science fiction stories about our present day and near future. Siman’s review frames Radicalized as a... more
LA! Come see me this Saturday at the Nebula Awards Conference, and next Thursday at Exposition Park Library!
This Saturday, May 18, I’ll be appearing at the Nebula Awards Conference, at the Marriott Warner Center in Woodland Hills: I’ll be participating in the 1:30PM mass signing in the Grand Ballroom and then I’ll be on the “Megatrends for the Near Future” panel at 4PM in A/B Salon. And then on Thursday, May 23d,... more
re:publica 2019 ? Cory Doctorow: It?s monopolies, not surveillance.
Houston! I?m at Comicpalooza all weekend!
I’m one of the guests of honor at this weekend’s Comicpalooza festival in Houston, Texas: in addition to my keynote and signing, you can catch me at panels on copyright, robots and AI, cyberpunk, copyright (again!).
?Steering With the Windshield Wipers?: why nothing we?re doing to fix Big Tech is working
My latest Locus column is “Steering with the Windshield Wipers,” and it ties together the growth of Big Tech with the dismantling of antitrust law (which came about thanks to Robert Bork’s bizarre alternate history of antitrust, a theory so ridiculous that it never would have gained traction except that it promised to make rich... more
How the diverse internet became a monoculture
I appeared on this week’s Canadaland podcast (MP3) with Jesse Brown to talk about the promise of the internet 20 years ago, when it seemed that we were headed for an open, diverse internet with decentralized power and control, and how we ended up with an internet composed of five giant websites filled with screenshots... more
A wonderful review for Radicalized in the Winnipeg Free Press
Joel Boyce: The tagline of Cory Doctorow?s latest release is ?dystopia is now.? In four novellas, the Canadian ex-pat ably covers a broad swath of pressing social concerns ranging from police racism to affordable American health care through an only slightly science-fictional lens. No prior volume has so perfectly encapsulated who Doctorow is or what... more
Ottawa! I?m speaking tomorrow at the Writers Festival (and then Re:publica in Berlin and Comicpalooza in Houston!)
Tomorrow night at 7:30PM, I’m giving a presentation about my new book, Radicalized, as part of the Ottawa Writers Festival, at Christ Church Cathedral (414 Sparks St.) — I haven’t spoken in Ottawa for years (maybe a decade?!) so I’m really looking forward to it. From there, I’m heading to Berlin for May 7, where... more
I?m teaching on this year?s Writing Excuses Cruise!
I’m one of the guest instructors on this year’s Writing Excuses Cruise, a nine-day intensive writing program on land and at sea, departing from Galveston and putting into port at Cozumel, Georgetown, and Falmouth, with a roster of instructors including Brandon Sanderson, Piper Drake, Kathy Chung, K Tempest Bradford, DongWon Song, Mary Robinette Kowal, Dan... more
Internet Activist Cory Doctorow on How to Change the World
I spoke with Arik Korman from I Heart Radio about #Radicalized, hope, my theory of change, and a better technological future! Cory Doctorow, blogger, journalist, science fiction author, and co-editor of the blog Boing Boing, talks about why he’s a great believer in the Internet, warts and all; how, as a white male, he became... more
Talking Radicalized, monopoly and DRM with the Techdirt podcast
I’m on this week’s Techdirt podcast (MP3) talking about my latest book Radicalized — this being Techdirt, the talk quickly moved to DRM, and then to tech policy, monopolism, breaking up the Big Tech platforms, and neofeudalism.
Ottawa! I?ll be at the Writers Festival this Saturday night (then Berlin for Re:publica and Houston for Comicpalooza!)
This Saturday, May 4, at 7:30PM, I’ll be presenting at the Ottawa Writers Festival, talking about my novel Radicalized and how it ties into surveillance, monopoly, refugees, climate change, racism and oligarchy — all the good stuff! From there, I’m heading to Berlin’s Re:publica Festival, to give a keynote entitled “It’s monopolies, not surveillance,” on... more
Talking Radicalized with the LA Public Library: Trump derangement syndrome, engagement algorithms, and novellas as checked luggage
The LA Public Library’s Daryl M interviewed me about my new book, Radicalized, specifically, about how my Trump anxiety (created, in part, by the platforms’ relentless use of “engagement” tools to nonconsensually eyeball-fuck me with Trump headlines) led to the book’s germination, as well as the specific inspirations for each of the four novellas, and... more
Halifax! I?m speaking at Atlseccon on April 24 (then Toronto, Ottawa, Berlin and Houston!)
I’m coming to Halifax to give the closing keynote on day one of Atlseccon on April 24th: it’s only my second-ever visit to the city and the first time I’ve given a talk there, so I really hope you can make it! From there, I’m headed to Toronto, where I’m giving a keynote called The... more
Tor?s Ebook Club is giving away copies of my novel WALKAWAY!
Every month, Tor Books’ free Ebook Club gives away a different novel to people who have signed up; this month, the selection is my most recent novel, Walkaway! Sign up between now and the 20th to get your free copy (this only works in Canada and the US; different publishers have the rights in other... more
Talking Radicalized with John Scalzi in the LA Times
Ahead of our panel at the LA Times Festival of Books on Sunday, John Scalzi interviewed me about my new book Radicalized for his column in the Times. John tells the story of how I was the first writer he met after he embarked on his career — it was at the Toronto Worldcon —... more
San Diego! I?m keynoting the 40th anniversary of the Friends of the Public Library tomorrow (then: UCLA and LA Times Festival of Books)
Tomorrow night (Thursday, April 11), I’m headlining a free event celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Friends of the San Diego Public Library from 7-9PM: it’s at the Central Library’s Neil Morgan Auditorium (330 Park Blvd., San Diego 92101). The tl;dr of my speech: “libraries as one of the few remnants of a world where... more
Interview with the Left Field podcast about Radicalized and the EU Copyright Directive
While I was out on tour with Radicalized, I recorded an interview (MP3) with the Left Field podcast (“A couple of socialists with a couple of beers. We talk about Canadian politics and current events around the world”). We covered a lot of ground, particularly around the catastrophic EU Copyright Directive and, of course, the... more
Occupy Gotham: my essay about the class war at the heart of Batman
The book Detective Comics: 80 Years of Batman commemorates the 1000th issue of Batman comics; my contribution is an essay called Occupy Gotham, about the terror of letting a billionaire vigilante decide who is and isn’t a criminal (featuring Lessig and Piketty jokes!).
Burbank! I?ll be at Dark Delicacies this weekend (then San Diego, UCLA, LA Times Festival of Books)
Next week is my Southern California nonstop Radicalized and advocacy week: I’m starting with a signing at Burbank’s Dark Delicacies on Sunday at 4PM, alongside Leslie S. Klinger & Lisa Morton, who are signing their new anthology Ghost Stories: Classic Tales of Horror & Suspense. Next, I’m keynoting the San Diego Public Library’s 40th anniversary... more
Talking about Radicalized with the CBC: Privilege, atavism, techno-realism and seizing the means of information
The CBC’s Ryan B Patrick interviewed me about my latest sf book, Radicalized and how the four novellas in it relate to struggles for liberation, racial justice, technological self-determination, inequality and a sustainable climate plan. Some of the stories in Radicalized are darker than the ones I’ve written in the past decade, reflecting my own... more
Video from my Radicalized tour appearance at Toronto Public Library?s Metro Reference Library
As part of our spring 2019 lineup for the eh List series, Cory Doctorow discussed Radicalized, his timely novel on the social, technological, and economic visions of today and what society could be in the near, near future. Watch Cory Doctorow in conversation with Barry Hertz. This event was held in the Atrium of Toronto... more
Interview with My Summer Lair
Another great podcast interview from my Radicalized book tour: this one with My Summer Lair (MP3) where host Sammy Younan and I discussed the book from a Canadian perspective (we recorded in Toronto) and really dug into some of the book’s themes.
Talking Radicalized, rum, writing, self-care and technological self-determination with Security Sandbox
During my book tour for Radicalized, I recorded a podcast interview (MP4) with the Security Sandbox podcast (formerly Hacker Culture). Host Sean Sun and I carried on a wide-ranging, hacker-centric discussion that covered everything from the EU Copyright Directive to writing discipline to my recipe for ginger liqueur — and, of course, the new book.
Socal! I?ll be in Burbank on April 7, San Diego on April 11 and UCLA on April 12
I’ve got a couple of hometown appearances coming up, including a rare west-side event: on Sunday, April 7 at 4PM, I’ll be at Burbank’s Dark Delicacies for a final signing in their old store before they occupy their new digs around the corner, and then I’m taking off my writer hat and putting on my... more
Come see me this weekend at Anaheim?s Wondercon!
This weekend, I’m wrapping up the tour for my new book Radicalized at Anaheim’s Wondercon, where I’m giving a keynote appearance on Saturday at 4PM (Even if You’re Paying for the Product, You’re Still the Product, room 211), followed by a panel on Sunday at 11AM (Technology Is Cold; People Are Warm, Room 300B), followed... more
Seattle! Come see me Thursday at the Central Library with my new book RADICALIZED! Next up: Anaheim for Wondercon!
We had a fantastic time last night at the Ft Vancouver Library Revolutionary Reads event for Radicalized, my latest sf book; on Thursday I’ll be in Seattle, appearing at the the Central Library at 7PM. From there, I finish the tour with a weekend at Wondercon in Anaheim. See you there (tell your friends)! (Image:... more
Portland! Come see me tonight in Fort Vancouver with my new book RADICALIZED! Next up: Seattle & Anaheim!
Thanks to everyone who came out to last night’s book tour event with Richard Kadrey at Berkeley Arts and Letters; I’m in the final stretch of the tour now, with a keynote tonight at 7PM at the Ft Vancouver Library’s Revolutionary Reads series, (Clark Community College?s Gaiser Hall, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver WA 98663)... more
Talking Radicalized on Syfy Wire
San Francisco! Come see me and Richard Kadrey in Berkeley on Monday with my new book RADICALIZED! Next up: Portland/Ft Vancouver, Seattle & Anaheim!
I’ve had a fabulous weekend at Chicago’s C2E2 festival as part of my Radicalized book-tour, and now I’m heading to San Francisco for an appearance on Monday night at Berkeley Arts & Letters at 7:30PM with Richard Kadrey. Then it’s on to The Revolutionary Reads series at Ft Vancouver (outside of Portland, OR), and then... more
Video from the Radicalized launch with Julia Angwin at The Strand
Last week’s NYC book launch for Radicalized took the form of a fantastic conversation with the journalist Julia Angwin; the Strand folks were kind enough to video it and they’ve posted it to Youtube. Julia is incredibly smart and a wonderful interviewer, and we had some great Q&A as well.
Talking Radicalized on CBC?s Day 6, with Tim Maughan, author of Infinite Detail
This morning, CBC’s flagship weekend programme Day Six aired its latest episode (MP3), a conversation between host Brent Bambury, me, and Tim Maughan, the author of an outstanding debut novel called Infinite Detail. (Image: Jason Vermes/CBC)) It’s often said that sci-fi’s role is to project the future, but Doctorow is skeptical of that perspective. “What... more
Chicago! I?m at C2E2 this weekend with my new book RADICALIZED! Next up: San Francisco, Portland/Ft Vancouver, Seattle & Anaheim!
Last night’s book tour event in Toronto was a smashing success! Thanks to everyone who came! I just checked in for my flight to Chicago for a weekend’s worth of appearances at C2E2, and then on Monday I’ll be at Berkeley Arts & Letters at 7:30PM with Richard Kadrey, then The Revolutionary Reads series at... more
Toronto! I?m at the Metro Reference Library tonight at 7PM with my new book RADICALIZED! Next up: Chicago, San Francisco, Portland/Ft Washington?
We had a hell of an event last night at The Strand in NYC, and I’m about to head to the airport for my flight to Toronto for tonight’s event at the Metro Reference Library, hosted by the Globe & Mail’s Barry Hertz. Tomorrow it’s Chicago’s C2E2 festival and then to Berkeley for an event... more
NYC! I?m coming to The Strand tonight at 7PM with my new book RADICALIZED! Next up: Toronto, Chicago, San Francisco?
Thanks to everyone who came to last night’s launch event at San Diego’s Mysterious Galaxy! The next stop on my tour is an event at 7PM at The Strand in NYC where I’ll be appearing with the award-winning investigative journalist Julia Angwin, who is pinch-hitting for Anand Giridharadas, who has had a family emergency. Tomorrow... more
San Diego! I?m coming to town tonight with my new book Radicalized! (next: NYC, Toronto, Chicago?)
Thanks to the folks who came to last night’s LA launch for Radicalized, my latest book of science fiction for adults; I’m about to hop a train to San Diego for an event tonight at Mysterious Galaxy at 7:30 PM. From there, the tour takes me to NYC on Wednesday (The Strand, 7PM); then Toronto... more
Los Angeles! I?m launching my new book Radicalized with Lexi Alexander tonight (next: San Diego, NYC, Toronto?)
Tonight is the launch for my latest book of science fiction for adults, Radicalized: I’ll be at the Barnes and Novel at The Grove in Los Angeles, in conversation with director/activist/stuntwoman/champion kickboxer Lexi Alexander, starting at 7PM. From there, the tour takes me to San Diego tomorrow (Mysterious Galaxy, 7:30 PM; then NYC on Wednesday... more
Radicalized is one of The Verge?s picks for March!
Well, this is awesome: Andrew Liptak picked my next book, Radicalized as one of The Verge’s picks for March! The tour starts Monday! Cory Doctorow is best known for novels, but his new book is a little different: it?s made up of four novellas set in the near future ? ?Unauthorized Bread,? about a woman... more
I?m going out on tour with my new science fiction book RADICALIZED and I hope to see you!
Radicalized is my next science fiction book, out on March 18 from Tor Books: it contains four novellas about the hope and misery of our moment, from refugees resisting life in an automated IoT hell to health care executives being targeted by suicide bombers who have been traumatized by watching their loved ones die after... more
Where to catch me this weekend at SXSW
I’m heading back to Austin for the SXSW Interactive festival and you can catch me three times this weekend: first on the Untold AI panel with Malka Older, Rashida Richardson and Christopher Noessel (5-6PM, Fairmont Manchester AB); then at the EFF Austin Party with Cindy Cohn and Bruce Sterling (7PM, 1309 Bonham Terrace); and on... more
Critical praise for RADICALIZED, my next book, from Booklist and Publishers Weekly
My next book of science fiction for adults is Radicalized, which will be published on March 19 (I’ll be making tour appearances across the US, Canada and Germany starting on March 18); the early critical notices have started to come in and gosh, they are embarrassingly effusive! From Publishers Weekly: “Doctorow (Walkaway) captures the mix... more
Terra Nullius: Grifters, settler colonialism and ?intellectual property?
Terra Nullius is my latest column in Locus magazine; it explores the commonalities between the people who claim ownership over the things they use to make new creative works and the settler colonialists who arrived in various “new worlds” and declared them to be empty, erasing the people who were already there as a prelude... more
Beyond ?more copyright?: how do we improve artists? lives and livelihoods through policy?
Last year while I was on tour in Australia with my novel Walkaway, I sat down for an interview with legal scholar Rebecca Giblin (previously), whose Authors’ Interest project studies how we would craft copyright (and other policies) if we wanted to benefit creators, rather than enriching corporations; we talked about the power and limits... more
Interview with Taming the Net: ?How to preserve the freedom of the internet without letting the internet destroy democracy.?
I recently recorded an interview with Yascha Mounk for Slate’s “Taming the Net podcast (MP3), whose mission is: “How to preserve the freedom of the internet without letting the internet destroy democracy.” Mounk and I talked about how the internet enables abuses, but also enables us to push back against those abuses.
A free excerpt from UNAUTHORIZED BREAD, my latest audiobook
Unauthorized Bread is the first installment of my next science fiction book for adults, Radicalized, which comes out in just over a month; the audiobook is available DRM-free on Google Play and direct from me. Unauthorized Bread is a story about refugees, rent-seeking, DRM and the housing crisis, and the audiobook, read by Lameece Issaq,... more
Announcing the audiobook for Unauthorized Bread: a DRM-free tale of DRM-locked appliances, refugees, and resistance
Unauthorized Bread is the first of four audiobooks that make up my forthcoming book Radicalized and read by the talented actor Lameece Issaq. The book, published by Macmillan Audio, is a Google Play exclusive, as part of a deal I made to celebrate the launch of a major DRM-free audiobook store that challenges Audible’s monopoly... more
Announcing the audiobook for Unauthorized Bread: a DRM-free tale of DRM-locked appliances, refugees, and resistance
Unauthorized Bread is the first of four audiobooks that make up my forthcoming book Radicalized and read by the talented actor Lameece Issaq. The book, published by Macmillan Audio, is a Google Play exclusive, as part of a deal I made to celebrate the launch of a major DRM-free audiobook store that challenges Audible’s monopoly... more
Video and audio from my closing keynote at Friday?s Grand Re-Opening of the Public Domain
On Friday, hundreds of us gathered at the Internet Archive, at the invitation of Creative Commons, to celebrate the Grand Re-Opening of the Public Domain, just weeks after the first works entered the American public domain in twenty years. I had the honor of delivering the closing keynote, after a roster of astounding speakers. It... more
Interview on A World That Might Just Work with Terrence McNally
This week, I sat down for an interview (MP3) with Terrence McNally for his World That Just Might Work show to talk about information politics, science fiction, oligarchy, resistance, and hope!
Revealed! The cover of RADICALIZED, my next book of science fiction
On March 19, Tor Books will release my next book, Radicalized, whose four novellas are the angry, hopeful stories I wrote as part of my attempt to make sense of life in our current moment. As with my novel Walkaway and the reissues of my adult backlist, Radicalized will have a cover by the amazing... more
Big Tech loves disruption, when they?re doing the disruption
My latest Locus Magazine column is “Disruption for Thee, But Not for Me,” and it analyzes how Big Tech has been able to “disrupt” incumbent industries, but has repurposed obscure technology regulations to prevent anyone from meting out the same treatment to their new digital monopolies. I cite the example of Uber and Lyft, which... more
Video from the launch of the EFF/McSweeney?s ?End of Trust? project launch with Cindy Cohn, Annalee Newitz, and me!
The End of Trust is the first-ever nonfiction issue of McSweeney’s, co-edited by McSweeney’s editors and the staff of the Electronic Frontier Foundation; on December 11, we held a sold-out launch event in San Francisco with EFF executive director Cindy Cohn, science fiction writer and EFF alumna Annalee Newitz, and me. Lisa Rein recorded the... more
Christmas podcast with Poesy, 2018 edition
An annual tradition (MP3)! Poesy is now 10 — nearly 11! — and this year, she’s decided to offer us a detailed makeup tutorial, with some bonus horseback riding advice. There’s even a musical number! MP3
False Flag: my science fiction story about the future of copyright filters in an Article 13 Europe
The Green European Journal has published a package on the proposed new European Copyright Directive: first, an outstanding interview with the rebel Pirate Party MEP Julia Reda (previously); and then a new science fiction story I’ve written to show what a future where our speech is governed by unaccountable black-box copyright censorbots might look like:... more
Podcast: ?Sole and Despotic Dominion? and ?What is the Internet For??
Here’s my reading (MP3) of my Locus column, “What is the Internet For?” (which asks, “Is the internet a revolutionary technology?”) and my short story for the fiftieth anniversary of Reason Magazine, Sole and Despotic Dominion, which builds on my 2015 Guardian column, If Dishwashers Were iPhones. MP3
Talking dystopia, utopia, science fiction and theories of change on the Netzpolitik podcast
When I was in Berlin last month, I stopped into the offices of Netzpolitik (previously), the outstanding German digital rights activist group, where I recorded an interview for their podcast (MP3), talking about science fiction, utopianism, dystopianism, how we can change the world, and why my kid has so many names.
Videos from the University of Chicago ?Censorship and Information Control? seminar
This year, I helped University of Chicago science fiction writer and renaissance scholar Ada Palmer and science historian Adrian Johns host a series of interdisciplinary seminars on “Censorship, Information Control, & Revolutions in Information Technology from the Printing Press to the Internet.” Thanks to our generous Kickstarter backers, we were able to raise money to... more
San Franciscans! Come celebrate the launch of the EFF/McSweeney?s special privacy issue with me on Dec 11!
I’m heading to San Francisco next week for a launch party on December 11th celebrating the release of The End of Trust, a collaboration between EFF and McSweeney’s on internet surveillance and the future of the net; the event is at 7:30PM at Manny?s at 3092 16th Street (RSVP here), and I’ll be on a... more
Sole and Despotic Dominion: my story about the future of private property for Reason
Reason’s December issue celebrates the magazine’s 50th anniversary with a series of commissioned pieces on the past and future of the magazine’s subjects: freedom, markets, property rights, privacy and similar matters: I contributed a short story to the issue called Sole and Despotic Dominion, which takes the form of a support chat between a dishwasher... more
Talking about the DMCA and 20 years of tech law malpractice on PRI?s Marketplace
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act — tech’s stupidest law — turns 20 this year; I chatted with Molly Wood on Marketplace Tech about the law’s history and how dismally little we’ve learned from it, repeating and even magnifying its mistakes today. (MP3)
The internet is made up revolutionary technologies, but isn?t revolutionary
My latest Locus Magazine column is What the Internet Is For: it describes the revolutionary principle (end-to-end communications) and technologies (general purpose computers, strong cryptography) that undergird the net, but also cautions that these are, themselves, not sufficient to revolutionize the world. All these tools are available to establishments just as much as they are... more
My keynote for Ethereum Devcon: without the rule of law, crypto fails
I was one of the keynote speakers at last week’s Ethereum Devcon in Prague, where I gave a talk called “Decentralize, Democratize, or Die,” about the way that bad tech policy (crypto backdoors, the DMCA’s ban on security disclosures, etc) come from weak states where the super-rich get to call the shots, and how things... more
Reminder: I?m speaking in Berlin tonight at the DTK-Wasserturm
I’m in Berlin today, promoting the German edition of my novel Walkaway: the kindly folks at Otherland Books are hosting me tonight at a free event at DTK Wasserturm, where I’ll be presenting with Marcus Richter. Hope to see you there! Tell your friends!
I?m speaking in Berlin on November 5!
I’m going to be in Berlin next week to promote the German edition of my novel Walkaway: I’ll be appearing at DTK-Wasserturm from 20h-22h, sponsored by Otherland Books. Entry is free — I hope to see you there!
?Radicalized? will be my next book!
I’ve just closed a new book deal: Tor Books will publish “Radicalized,” which tells four stories of hope, conflict, technology and justice in the modern world and near future in March 2019; along with the book deal is a major audiobook deal with Macmillan Audio and a screen deal with Topic Studios (a sister company... more
Talking about Ron Howard?s Haunted Mansion album with the Comedy on Vinyl podcast
It’s been two years since I last sat down with Jason Klamm for his Comedy on Vinyl podcast (we were discussing Allan Sherman’s My Son, The Nut); we were past due for a rematch. Jason asked me to come on one more time (MP3) to discuss the Disneyland Little Long Playing Record The Story and... more
Hey, Swarthmore! I?m headed your way next week
I’m heading to the east coast next week, first for a lecture series in NYC for Columbia University (including a conversation with Radiolab’s Jad Abumrad about Big Tech, monopolies and democratic technology); and from there I’m headed to Pennsylvania for a talk about my novel Walkaway at Swarthmore, on Sept 28 from 7-9PM at the... more
Podcast: Today, Europe Lost The Internet. Now, We Fight Back.
Here’s my reading (MP3) of Today, Europe Lost The Internet. Now, We Fight Back, written for EFF Deeplinks on the morning of the EU’s catastrophic decision to vote in the new Copyright Directive with all its worst clauses intact. MP3
To do in LA this Saturday: I?m speaking at the Pasadena Loves YA festival!
Angelenos! Bring your teens to the Pasadena Loves YA festival this Saturday; I’m chairing a panel on graphic novels with Mairghread Scott and Tillie Walden; other panels and events go on all day, from 11-4PM, at the Central Branch of Pasadena Public Library, 285 E Walnut St, Pasadena CA 91101. Admission is free!
Don?t just fine Big Tech for abuses; instead, cut them down to size
My latest Locus Magazine column is Big Tech: We Can Do Better Than Constitutional Monarchies, and it’s a warning that the techlash is turning into a devil’s bargain, where we make Big Tech pay for a few cosmetic changes that do little to improve bullying, harassment, and disinformation campaigns, and because only Big Tech can... more
I?m heading to New York for a lecture series at Columbia!
Columbia University’s Brown Institute is hosting me for a trio of lectures later this month in New York City: I kick off with a conversation with the Brown’s Dennis Tenen about science fiction, copyright, and the arts on Sept 25, then a lecture on copyright and surveillance on Sept 26, and wrap up with an... more
Interview with EdSurge about educational technology, school surveillance, open access, and radical pedagogy
At this year’s World Science Fiction, Tina Nazerian from EdSurge interviewed me (MP3) for a podcast about the future of educational technology, open access, surveillance in schools, and educational freedom.
Interview with Fringe FM on Surveillance Capitalism, Big Tech and the future of the internet
While at the World Science Fiction Convention, I sat down with Matt Ward from the FringeFM podcast for an interview (MP3) about the future of the internet, and how Shoshanna Zuboff’s notion of surveillance capitalism connects up with mass inequality, the GDPR, the upcoming EU copyright rules, and the future of writing and science fiction.
Deep dive into my backlist with the B&N Podcast
Talking with the B&N Podcast at San Diego Comic-Con is becoming an annual tradition for me; this year’s interview (MP3) with Joel Cunningham was a fun tour through my adult backlist, starting with my debut novel Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom and working our way through all six books, which Tor just reissued... more
I?m heading to Burning Man! (here?s where to find me)
Hey you! I’m driving to the Playa this Thursday, and there’s a small but significant chance that you’ll be there too! If you’re around, come and say hi! Thursday, Aug 30 at noon: I’m co-hosting the second annual Liminal Speaks lecture, with Crystal Beasley and Jonathan Steuer. Our topic this year is “Who Am I... more
Talking surveillance, elections, monopolies, and Facebook on the Bots and Ballots podcast
Grant Burningham interviewed me for his Bots and Ballots podcast (MP3), covering a bunch of extremely timely tech-politics issues: Facebook and the impact of commercial surveillance on democratic elections; Alex Jones, censorship and market concentration; and monopolism and the future of the internet.
Talking the hard questions of privacy and freedom with the Yale Privacy Lab podcast
This week, I sat down for an hour-long interview with the Yale Privacy Lab‘s Sean O’Brien (MP3); Sean is a frequent Boing Boing contributor and I was honored that he invited me to be his guest on the very first episode of the Lab’s new podcast. As you might imagine, Sean had some sophisticated —... more
Come see me at the Edinburgh Festival and/or Worldcon!
I’m heading to Scotland for the Edinburgh Festival where I’m appearing with the wonderful Ada Palmer on August 12th at 845PM (we’re talking about the apocalypse, science fiction and hopefulness); from there, I’m heading to the 76th World Science Fiction Convention in San Jose, California, where I’ll be doing a bunch of panels, signings and... more
My closing keynote from the second Decentralized Web Summit
Two years ago, I delivered the closing keynote at the Internet Archive’s inaugural Decentralized Web event; last week, we had the second of these, and once again, I gave the closing keynote, entitled Big Tech’s problem is Big, not Tech. Here’s the abstract: For decades, we fought complacency over Big Tech. That’s over. The techlash... more
Talking copyright, internet freedom, artistic business models, and antitrust with Steal This Show
I’m on the latest episode of Torrentfreak’s Steal This Show podcast (MP3), where I talk with host Jamie King about “Whether file-sharing & P2P communities have lost the battle to streaming services like Netflix and Spotify, and why the ?copyfight? is still important; how the European Copyright Directive eats at the fabric of the Web,... more
I?ll be live on BookTV?s In Depth on August 5!
I’m headed to DC to sit down in studio with BookTV’s “In Depth” on August 5; it’ll air live on Aug 5 at 12PM Eastern/9AM Pacific and be repeated on August 6 at 12AM Eastern/(9PM Pacific on Aug 5) and on Aug 11 at 9AM Eastern/6AM Pacific. It’s a phone-in!
See you at Comic-Con!
I’m one of the “special guests” at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con! If you’re attending, I hope you’ll come by and see some of my programming items, especially my spotlight interview with Cecil Castellucci (Friday, July 20, 1330h-1430h, Room 24ABC), where I’ll be making an exciting announcement. Here’s my full schedule, including some extracurriculars not... more
Podcast: Zuck?s Empire of Oily Rags
Here’s my reading (MP3) of Zuck’s Empire of Oily Rags, a Locus Magazine column about the corruption implicit in surveillance capitalism, which creates giant risks to users by collecting sensitive information about them in order to eke out tiny gains in the efficacy of targeted advertising. The commercial surveillance industry may not be very good... more
Portuguese translation of Zuck?s Empire of Oily Rags
Brent Longborough did me the enormous favor of translating my latest Locus column, Zuck’s Empire of Oily Rags, into Portuguese, and sent it to me to publish. Cory Doctorow: Zuck e seu Império de Trapos Oleosos 2 de julho de 2018 Cory Doctorow Durante vinte anos, os defensores da privacidade vem soando o alarme sobre... more
The economics of Walkaway
Edgeryders’ Alberto Cottica has published a detailed analysis of the economics of Walkaway, at the micro-, mezzo-, and macroscale. It’s a good, crisp analysis that really captures what I was going for. Writers are notoriously bad at knowing what they’re doing and why, and good criticism is just as interesting for writers to read as... more
Mark Zuckerberg and his empire of oily rags
Surveillance capitalism sucks: it improves the scattershot, low-performance success-rate of untargeted advertising (well below 1 percent) and doubles or triples it (to well below 1 percent!). But surveillance captialism is still dangerous: all those dossiers on the personal lives of whole populations can be used for blackmail, identity theft and political manipulation. As I explain... more
Podcast: Let?s get better at demanding better from tech
Here’s my reading (MP3) of Let’s get better at demanding better from tech, a Locus Magazine column about the need to enlist moral, ethical technologists in the fight for a better technological future. It was written before the death of EFF co-founder John Perry Barlow, whose life’s work was devoted to this proposition, and before... more
Podcast: Petard, Part 04 ? CONCLUSION
Here’s the fourth and final part of my reading (MP3) of Petard (part one, part two, part three), a story from MIT Tech Review’s Twelve Tomorrows, edited by Bruce Sterling; a story inspired by, and dedicated to, Aaron Swartz — about elves, Net Neutrality, dorms and the collective action problem. MP3
Podcast: Petard, Part 03
Here’s the third part of my reading (MP3) of Petard (part one, part two), a story from MIT Tech Review’s Twelve Tomorrows, edited by Bruce Sterling; a story inspired by, and dedicated to, Aaron Swartz — about elves, Net Neutrality, dorms and the collective action problem. MP3
Talking Walkaway, anarchism, social justice and revolution with The Final Straw Radio
I recorded a great interview (MP3) about my novel Walkaway and how it fits into radical politics; a free, fair and open internet; the Nym Wars, parenting, and insurgency.
Talking the writers? life with the Australia Broadcasting Company?s Green Room show
Earlier this spring, while I was on my Australia/NZ tour, I sat down with Australian author Nick Earls for his Green Room show, (MP3) to gossip, complain, and daydream about the writer’s life.
Where to find me at Phoenix Comics Fest this week
I’m heading to Phoenix Comics Fest tomorrow (going straight to the airport from my daughter’s elementary school graduation) (!), and I’ve got a busy schedule so I thought I’d produce a comprehensive list of the places you can find me in Phoenix: Wednesday, May 23: Elevenageddon at Poisoned Pen books, 4014 N Goldwater Blvd, Scottsdale,... more
The paperback of Walkaway is out today, along with reissues of all my adult novels in matching covers!
Today marks the release of the paperback of Walkaway, along with reissues of my five other adult novels, all in matching covers designed by the incredible Will Stahle (and if ebooks are your thing, check out my fair-trade ebook store, where you can get all my audiobooks and ebooks sold on the same terms as... more
Talking education and technology with the Future Trends Forum
“Science fiction writer and cyberactivist Cory Doctorow joined the Future Trends Forum to explore possibilities for technology and education.”
Podcast: Petard, Part 02
Here’s the second part of my reading (MP3) of Petard (part one), a story from MIT Tech Review’s Twelve Tomorrows, edited by Bruce Sterling; a story inspired by, and dedicated to, Aaron Swartz — about elves, Net Neutrality, dorms and the collective action problem. MP3
Talking privacy and GDPR with Thomson Reuters
Thomson Reuters interviewed me for their new series on data privacy and the EU General Data Protection Regulation; here’s the audio! What if you just said when you breach, the damages that you owe to the people whose data you breached cannot be limited to the immediate cognizable consequences of that one breach but instead... more
Donald Trump is a pathogen evolved to thrive in an attention-maximization ecosystem
My latest Locus column is The Engagement-Maximization Presidency, and it proposes a theory to explain the political phenomenon of Donald Trump: we live in a world in which communications platforms amplify anything that gets “engagement” and provides feedback on just how much your message has been amplified so you can tune and re-tune for maximum... more
Announcing ?Petard,? a new science fiction story reading on my podcast
Here’s the first part of my reading (MP3) of Petard, a story from MIT Tech Review’s Twelve Tomorrows, edited by Bruce Sterling; a story inspired by, and dedicated to, Aaron Swartz — about elves, Net Neutrality, dorms and the collective action problem. MP3
Boston, Chicago and Waterloo, I?m heading your way!
This Wednesday at 1145am, I’ll be giving the IDE Lunch Seminar at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, 100 Main Street. From there, I head to Chicago to keynote Thotcon on Friday at 11am. My final stop on this trip is Waterloo’s Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, May 9 at 2PM. I hope to see you!... more
Raleigh-Durham, I?m headed your way! CORRECTED!
CORRECTION! The Flyleaf event is at 6PM, not 7! I’m delivering the annual Kilgour lecture tomorrow morning at 10AM at UNC, and I’ll be speaking at Flyleaf Books at 6PM — be there or be oblong! Also, if you’re in Boston, Waterloo or Chicago, you can catch me in the coming weeks!. Abstract: For decades,... more
Little Brother is 10 years old today: I reveal the secret of writing future-proof science fiction
It’s been ten years since the publication of my bestselling novel Little Brother; though the novel was written more than a decade ago, and though it deals with networked computers and mobile devices, it remains relevant, widely read, and widely cited even today. In an essay for Tor.com, I write about my formula for creating... more
Interview with Monocle?s Meet the Writers
Last month, while at Adelaide Writers Week, I sat down with the excellent Georgina Godwin to record an interview (MP3) for Monocole’s “Meet the Writers” podcast. They’ve only just published it and I’m very pleased with how it turned out: we got into some territory that I don’t usually cover. Also: they had the interview... more
Podcast: The Man Who Sold the Moon, Part 08: the FINAL INSTALLMENT
Here’s the eighth and final part of my reading (MP3) (part seven, part six, part five, part four, part three, part two, part one) of The Man Who Sold the Moon, my award-winning novella first published in 2015’s Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future, edited by Ed Finn and Kathryn Cramer. It’s my... more
Talking Walkaway at Melbournes Wheeler Centre
The Wheeler Centre just posted the audio (MP3) of my event there with C.S. Pacat, as part of my Australia/NZ book tour. It’s a great interview, and we had a lively Q&A!
Talking Walkaway at Melbourne?s Wheeler Centre
The Wheeler Centre just posted the audio (MP3) of my event there with C.S. Pacat, as part of my Australia/NZ book tour. It’s a great interview, and we had a lively Q&A!
Podcast: The Man Who Sold the Moon, Part 07
Here’s part seven of my reading (MP3) (part six, part five, part four, part three, part two, part one) of The Man Who Sold the Moon, my award-winning novella first published in 2015’s Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future, edited by Ed Finn and Kathryn Cramer. It’s my Burning Man/maker/first days of a... more
Podcast: The Man Who Sold the Moon, Part 07
Here’s part seven of my reading (MP3) (part six, part five, part four, part three, part two, part one) of The Man Who Sold the Moon, my award-winning novella first published in 2015’s Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future, edited by Ed Finn and Kathryn Cramer. It’s my Burning Man/maker/first days of a... more
Podcast: The Man Who Sold the Moon, Part 06 [FIXED]
Here’s part six of my reading (MP3) (part five, part four, part three, part two, part one) of The Man Who Sold the Moon, my award-winning novella first published in 2015’s Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future, edited by Ed Finn and Kathryn Cramer. It’s my Burning Man/maker/first days of a better nation... more
Podcast: The Man Who Sold the Moon, Part 06 [FIXED]
Here’s part six of my reading (MP3) (part five, part four, part three, part two, part one) of The Man Who Sold the Moon, my award-winning novella first published in 2015’s Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future, edited by Ed Finn and Kathryn Cramer. It’s my Burning Man/maker/first days of a better nation... more
Podcast: The Man Who Sold the Moon, Part 05 [FIXED]
Here’s part five of my reading (MP3) (part four, part three, part two, part one) of The Man Who Sold the Moon, my award-winning novella first published in 2015’s Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future, edited by Ed Finn and Kathryn Cramer. It’s my Burning Man/maker/first days of a better nation story and... more
Podcast: The Man Who Sold the Moon, Part 05 [FIXED]
Here’s part five of my reading (MP3) (part four, part three, part two, part one) of The Man Who Sold the Moon, my award-winning novella first published in 2015’s Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future, edited by Ed Finn and Kathryn Cramer. It’s my Burning Man/maker/first days of a better nation story and... more
Podcast: The Man Who Sold the Moon, Part 06
Here’s part six of my reading (MP3) (part five, part four, part three, part two, part one) of The Man Who Sold the Moon, my award-winning novella first published in 2015’s Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future, edited by Ed Finn and Kathryn Cramer. It’s my Burning Man/maker/first days of a better nation... more
Hugo nominations close tomorrow!
If you attended either of the past two World Science Fiction Conventions or are registered for the next one in San Jose, California, you’re eligible to nominate for the Hugo Awards, which you can do here — you’ve only got until midnight tomorrow! The 2017 Locus Recommended Reading List is a great place to start... more
Classroom materials for Little Brother from Mary Kraus
Mary Kraus — who created a key to page-numbers in the Little Brother audiobook for students with reading disabilities — continues to create great classroom materials for Little Brother: Who’s Who in “Little Brother” is a Quizlet that teaches about the famous people mentioned in the book, from Alan Turing to Rosa Luxembourg; while the... more
Hey, Wellington! Im headed your way!
I’ve just finished a wonderful time at the Adelaide Festival and now I’m headed to the last stop on the Australia/New Zealand tour for Walkaway: Wellington! I’m doing a pair of events at Writers & Readers Week at the New Zealand Festival; followed by a special one-day NetHui on copyright and then a luncheon seminar... more
How to be better at being pissed off at Big Tech
My latest Locus column, “Lets Get Better at Demanding Better from Tech,” looks at how science fiction can make us better critics of technology by imagining how tech could be used in difference social and economic contexts than the one we live in today. The “pro-tech” side’s argument is some variation on, “You can’t get... more
A key to page-numbers in the Little Brother audiobook
Mary Kraus teaches my novel Little Brother to health science interns learning about cybersecurity; to help a student who has a print disability, Mary created a key that maps the MP3 files in the audiobook to the Tor paperback edition. She was kind enough to make her doc public to help other people move easily... more
Im coming to the Adelaide Festival this weekend (and then to Wellington, NZ!)
I’m on the last two cities in my Australia/NZ tour for my novel Walkaway: today, I’m flying to Adelaide for the Adelaide Festival, where I’m appearing in several program items: Breakfast with Papers on Sunday at 8AM; a book signing on Monday at 10AM in Dymocks at Rundle Mall; “Dust Devils,” a panel followed by... more
Hey, Sydney! Im coming to see you tonight (then Adelaide and Wellington!)
I’m just about to go to the airport to fly to Sydney for tonight’s event, What should we do about Democracy? It’s part of the Australia/New Zealand tour for Walkaway, and from Sydney, I’m moving on to the Adelaide Festival and then to Wellington for Writers and Readers Week and the NetHui one-day event on... more
My short story about better cities, where networks give us the freedom to schedule our lives to avoid heat-waves and traffic jams
I was lucky enough to be invited to submit a piece to Ian Bogost’s Atlantic series on the future of cities (previously: James Bridle, Bruce Sterling, Molly Sauter, Adam Greenfield); I told Ian I wanted to build on my 2017 Locus column about using networks to allow us to coordinate our work and play in... more
Podcast: The Man Who Sold the Moon, Part 05
Here’s part five of my reading (MP3) (part four, part three, part two, part one) of The Man Who Sold the Moon, my award-winning novella first published in 2015’s Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future, edited by Ed Finn and Kathryn Cramer. It’s my Burning Man/maker/first days of a better nation story and... more
Do We Need a New Internet?
I was one of the interview subjects on an episode of BBC’s Tomorrow’s World called Do We Need a New Internet? (MP3); it’s a fascinating documentary, including some very thoughtful commentary from Edward Snowden.
The 2018 Locus Poll is open: choose your favorite science fiction of 2017!
Following the publication of its editorial board’s long-list of the best science fiction of 2017, science fiction publishing trade-journal Locus now invites its readers to vote for their favorites in the annual Locus Award. I’m honored to have won this award in the past, and doubly honored to see my novel Walkaway on the short... more
The Man Who Sold the Moon, Part 04 [FIXED]
Here’s part four of my reading (MP3) (part three, part two, part one) of The Man Who Sold the Moon, my award-winning novella first published in 2015’s Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future, edited by Ed Finn and Kathryn Cramer. It’s my Burning Man/maker/first days of a better nation story and was a... more
Podcast: The Man Who Sold the Moon, Part 04
Here’s part four of my reading (MP3) (part three, part two, part one) of The Man Who Sold the Moon, my award-winning novella first published in 2015’s Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future, edited by Ed Finn and Kathryn Cramer. It’s my Burning Man/maker/first days of a better nation story and was a... more
Hey, Australia and New Zealand, Im coming to visit you!
I’m about to embark on a tour of Australia and New Zealand to support my novel Walkaway, with stops in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, and Wellington! I really hope you’ll come out and say hello! Perth: Feb 24-25, Perth Festival Melbourne: Feb 27: An expansive conversation about the imperfect present and foreseeable future with CS... more
Nominations for the Hugo Awards are now open
If you were a voting member of the World Science Fiction Convention in 2017, or are registered as a voting member for the upcoming conventions in 2018 or 2019, you are eligible to nominate for the Hugo Awards; the Locus List is a great way to jog your memory about your favorite works from last... more
The 2017 Locus List: a must-read list of the best science fiction and fantasy of the past year
Every year, Locus Magazine’s panel of editors reviews the entire field of science fiction and fantasy and produces its Recommended Reading List; the 2017 list is now out, and I’m proud to say that it features my novel Walkaway, in excellent company with dozens of other works I enjoyed in the past year. The Rift,... more
Podcast: The Man Who Sold the Moon, Part 03
Here’s part three of my reading (MP3) of The Man Who Sold the Moon, my award-winning novella first published in 2015’s Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future, edited by Ed Finn and Kathryn Cramer. It’s my Burning Man/maker/first days of a better nation story and was a kind of practice run for my... more
Im speaking at UCSD on Feb 9!
I’m appearing at UCSD on February 9, with a talk called “Scarcity, Abundance and the Finite Planet: Nothing Exceeds Like Excess,” in which I’ll discuss the potentials for scarcity and abundance — and bright-green vs austere-green futurism — drawing on my novels Walkaway, Makers and Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom. The talk is... more
My keynote from ConveyUX 2017: I Cant Let You Do That, Dave.
The Internets broken and thats bad news, because everything we do today involves the Internet and everything well do tomorrow will require it. But governments and corporations see the net, variously, as a perfect surveillance tool, a perfect pornography distribution tool, or a perfect video on demand toolnot as the nervous system of the 21st... more
The Man Who Sold the Moon, Part 02
Here’s part two of my reading (MP3) of The Man Who Sold the Moon, my award-winning novella first published in 2015’s Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future, edited by Ed Finn and Kathryn Cramer. It’s my Burning Man/maker/first days of a better nation story and was a kind of practice run for my... more
With repetition, most of us will become inured to all the dirty tricks of Facebook attention-manipulation
In my latest Locus column, “Persuasion, Adaptation, and the Arms Race for Your Attention,” I suggest that we might be too worried about the seemingly unstoppable power of opinion-manipulators and their new social media superweapons. Not because these techniques don’t work (though when someone who wants to sell you persuasion tools tells you that they’re... more
Interview with the National Science Teachers Associations Lab Out Loud podcast
Back in 2010, I appeared as a guest on the National Science Teachers Association’s Lab Out Loud podcast, and this year, they had me back as part of their celebration of their first decade; they’ve just published the interview, (MP3) which was primarily about my novel Walkaway.
A Hopeful Look At The Apocalypse: An interview with PRIs Innovation Hub
I chatted with Innovation Hub, distributed by PRI, about the role of science fiction and dystopia in helping to shape the future (MP3). Three Takeaways 1. Doctorow thinks that science-fiction can give people ideas for what to do if the future turns out in different ways. Like how William Gibsons Neuromancer didnt just predict the... more
Podcast: The Man Who Sold the Moon, Part 01
Here’s part one of my reading (MP3) of The Man Who Sold the Moon, my award-winning novella first published in 2015’s Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future, edited by Ed Finn and Kathryn Cramer. It’s my Burning Man/maker/first days of a better nation story and was a kind of practice run for my... more
Reviving my Christmas daddy-daughter podcast, with Poesy!
For nearly every year since my daughter Poesy was old enough to sing, we’ve recorded a Christmas podcast; but we missed it in 2016, due to the same factors that made the podcast itself dormant for a couple years — my crazy busy schedule. But this year, we’re back, with my off-key accompaniment to her... more
Talking Walkaway on the Barnes and Noble podcast
I recorded this interview last summer at San Diego Comic-Con; glad to hear it finally live! Authors are, without exception, readers, and behind every book there is&another book, and another. In this episode of the podcast, were joined by two writers for conversations about the vital books and ideas that influence inform their own work.... more
An 8th graders brilliant trailer for Walkaway
Net Neutrality is only complicated because monopolists are paying to introduce doubt
My op-ed in New Internationalist, Dont break the 21st century nervous system, seeks to cut through the needless complexity in the Net Neutrality debate, which is as clear-cut as climate change or the link between smoking and cancer — and, like those subjects, the complexity is only there because someone paid to introduce it. When... more
Hey, Kitchener-Waterloo, Im headed your way next Monday!
I was honoured to be invited to address the University of Waterloo on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Cheriton School of Computer Science; my father is a proud Waterloo grad (and I’m a proud Waterloo dropout!), and so this is indeed a very special opportunity for me. Moreover, the kind folks at... more
How to get a signed, personalized copy of any of my books, shipped anywhere in the world!
The kind folks at Dark Delicacies, my local specialist horror bookstore here in beautiful Burbank, California have volunteered to fill orders for my novels; since they’re walking distance from my front door, I’ll be popping in there a couple of times every week between now and Xmas to sign and inscribe any orders you place;... more
The Fight for a Free, Fair and Open Internet | Bioneers 2017
According to journalist, blogger, creative commons advocate, Electronic Frontier Foundation Fellow, and award-winning science fiction author Cory Doctorow, the fight for a free, fair and open Internet isnt the most important fight on the planet, but you cant win any of the other major battles without it. Although the Net is the nervous system of... more
How I lifehacked my way into a corner
My latest Locus column is “How to Do Everything (Lifehacking Considered Harmful),” the story of how I was present at the birth of “lifehacking” and how, by diligently applying the precept that I should always actively choose how I prioritize my time, I have painted my way into a (generally pleasant) corner that I can’t... more
Londoners! Ill be speaking at Waterstones Gower Street with Ada Palmer on Nov 8
By a very happy coincidence, Ada Palmer and I are both passing through London on November 8 and we’re doing a joint event at the Waterstones in Gower Street, starting at 6:30! The tickets (which include wine) are £6/£4 for students; you can book them here.
Talking Walkaway on the CNet book-club podcast
CNet has started a new book-club podcast, and they honored me by picking my novel Walkaway as their second-ever title. We had a long and far-ranging discussion last week about the book and the themes it raises: disasters, economics, technological immortality, community, trolling, bohemianism, and much more (MP3). Since a big part of “Walkaway” concerns... more
My adult novels are being reissued with covers to match Walkaway!
When I first saw Will Stahle‘s cover art for my novel Walkaway, I was pleased beyond all reason (and not least because I am an unabashed Stahle fanboy, as he is behind some of the greatest covers of our era, from Yiddish Policeman’s Union to Autonomous to A Darker Shade of Magic to All the... more
Boring, complex and important: the deadly mix that blew up the open web
On Monday, the World Wide Web Consortium published EME, a standard for locking up video on the web with DRM, allowing large corporate members to proceed without taking any steps to protect accessibility work, security research, archiving or innovation. I spent years working to get people to pay attention to the ramifications of the effort,... more
Our technology is haunted by demons controlled by transhuman life-forms
In my latest Locus column, “Demon-Haunted World,” I propose that the Internet of Cheating Things — gadgets that try to trick us into arranging our affairs to the benefit of corporate shareholders, to our own detriment — is bringing us back to the Dark Ages, when alchemists believed that the universe rearranged itself to prevent... more
Walkaway won the Dragon Award for Best Apocalyptic Novel
Yesterday, I left the Black Rock Desert after Burning Man and my phone came to life and informed me that my novel Walkaway had been awarded DragonCon’s Dragon Award for Best Apocalyptic Novel! I couldn’t be more pleased. My sincere thanks to all the voters who supported the novel! By the way, Tor.com published Party... more
Party Discipline: a novella set in the world of Walkaway
I wrote the novella Party Discipline while I was on my grueling US/Canada/UK tour for my novel Walkaway, last spring. Today, Tor.com publishes the tale, in which two seniors at Burbank High confront their uncertain future by planning a “Communist party” in which they take over a defunct factory and start it up again, a... more
See you at Burning Man!
Tomorrow, I’m turning off my email and hitting the road for Burning Man, where I’ll be giving three talks, and I hope to see you there: at 4PM on Weds, Aug 20, I’m speaking at Palenque Norte at Camp Soft Landing; at noon on Thursday, Aug 31, I’ll be speaking at my home camp, Liminal... more
Burbank! Ill see you tonight at 7PM at the Buena Vista library
My Walkaway book-tour is basically over, but I’m taking a little victory lap tonight at my local library, the Buena Vista Branch of the Burbank Public Library. Hope to see you there!
Walkaway is a finalist for the Dragon Awards and is #1 on Locuss hardcover bestseller list
Dragon Con’s Dragon Award ballot was just published and I’m delighted to learn that my novel Walkaway is a finalist in the “Best Apocalyptic Novel” category, along with Daniel Humphreys’ A Place Outside the Wild, Omar El Akkad’s American War, Declan Finn and Allan Yoskowitz’s Codename: Unsub, N.K. Jemisin’s The Obelisk Gate, Rick Heinz’s The... more
A Hopeful Look At The Apocalypse: interview with Innovation Hub
I’m on the latest episode of Innovation Hub (MP3): Science-fiction is a genre that imagines the future. It doesnt necessarily predict the future (after all, where are flying cars?), but it grapples with the technological and societal changes happening today to better understand our world and where its heading. So, what does it mean when... more
Hey, Little Rock, AR: theres a special stage performance of Little Brother coming your way for Banned Books Week!
Adapted by Josh Costello from the novel by Cory Doctorow September 15, 16, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30, 2017 Directed by Ryan Whitfield and Jason Green SYNOPSIS While skipping school and playing an alternate reality game, San Francisco teenager Marcus Yallow ends up in the middle of a terrorist attack and on the wrong... more
Come see me at San Diego Comic-Con!
There are three more stops on my tour for Walkaway: tomorrow at San Diego Comic-Con, next weekend at Defcon 25 in Las Vegas, and August 10th at the Burbank Public Library. My Comic-Con day is tomorrow/Sunday, July 23: first, a 10AM signing at the Tor Books booth (#2701); then a panel, The Future is Bleak,... more
Rudy Rucker on Walkaway
Walkaway is my first novel for adults since 2009 and I had extremely high hopes (and not a little anxiety) for it as it entered the world, back in April. Since then, I’ve been gratified by the kind words of many of my literary heroes, from William Gibson to Bruce Sterling to the kind cover... more
San Diego! Come hear me read from Walkaway tomorrow night at Comickaze Liberty Station!
I’m teaching the Clarion Science Fiction writing workshop at UCSD in La Jolla this week, and tomorrow night at 7PM, I’ll be reading from my novel Walkaway at Comickaze Liberty Station, 2750 Historic Decatur Rd #101, San Diego, CA 92106. Hope to see you!
Im profiled in the new issue of Locus Magazine
Cory Doctorow: Bugging In: Walkaway is an optimistic disaster novel. Its about people who, in a crisis, come together, rather than turning on each other. Its villains arent the people next door, whove secretly been waiting for civilizations breakdown as an excuse to come and eat you, but the super-rich who are convinced that without... more
Talking Walkaway with Reason Magazine
Of all the press-stops I did on my tour for my novel Walkaway, I was most excited about my discussion with Katherine Mangu-Ward, editor-in-chief of Reason Magazine, where I knew I would have a challenging and meaty conversation with someone who was fully conversant with the political, technological and social questions the book raised. I... more
How to write pulp fiction that celebrates humanitys essential goodness
My latest Locus column is “Be the First One to Not Do Something that No One Else Has Ever Not Thought of Doing Before,” and it’s about science fiction’s addiction to certain harmful fallacies, like the idea that you can sideline the actual capabilities and constraints of computers in order to advance the plot of... more
My presentation from ConveyUX
Last March, I traveled to Seattle to present at the ConveyUX conference, with a keynote called “Dark Patterns and Bad Business Models”, the video for which has now been posted: The Internets broken and thats bad news, because everything we do today involves the Internet and everything well do tomorrow will require it. But governments... more
Interview with Wired UKs Upvote podcast
Back in May, I stopped by Wired UK while on my British tour for my novel Walkaway to talk about the novel, surveillance, elections, and, of course, DRM. (MP3)
Ill see you this weekend at Denver Comic-Con!
I just checked in for my o-dark-hundred flight to Denver tomorrow morning for this weekend’s Denver Comic-Con, where I’m appearing for several hours on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, including panels with some of my favorite writers, like John Scalzi, Richard Kadrey, Catherynne Valente and Scott Sigler: Friday: * 1:30-2:30pm The Future is Here :: Room... more
Audio from my NYPL appearance with Edward Snowden
Last month, I appeared onstage with Edward Snowden at the NYPL, hosted by Paul Holdengraber, discussing my novel Walkaway. The library has just posted the audio! It was quite an evening
Bruce Sterling reviews WALKAWAY
Bruce Sterling, Locus Magazine: Walkaway is a real-deal, generically traditional science-fiction novel; its set in an undated future and it features weird set design, odd costumes, fights, romances, narrow escapes, cool weapons, even zeppelins. This is the best Cory Doctorow book ever. I dont know if its destined to become an SF classic, mostly because... more
Canada: Trump shows us what happens when good politicians demand surveillance powers
The CBC asked me to write an editorial for their package about Canadian identity and politics, timed with the 150th anniversary of the founding of the settler state on indigenous lands. They’ve assigned several writers to expand on themes in the Canadian national anthem, and my line was “We stand on guard for thee.” I... more
Talking about contestable futures on the Imaginary Worlds podcast
I’m in the latest episode of Imaginary Worlds, “Imagining the Internet” (MP3), talking about the future as a contestable place that we can’t predict, but that we can influence. We were promised flying cars and we got Twitter instead. That’s the common complaint against sci-fi authors. But some writers did imagine the telecommunications that changed... more
How to get a signed, personalized copy of Walkaway sent to your door!
The main body of the tour for my novel Walkaway is done (though there are still upcoming stops at Denver Comic-Con, San Diego Comic-Con, the Burbank Public Library and Defcon in Las Vegas), but you can still get signed, personalized copies of Walkaway! My local, fantastic indie bookstore, Dark Delicacies, has a good supply of... more
New Yorkers! Ill see you tomorrow at Bookcon on the Walkaway tour (then SF, Chicago, Denver&) (!)
I just got to NYC for Bookcon, where I’m
Bad news: tech is making us more unequal. Good news: tech can make us more equal.
My latest Guardian column is Technology is making the world more unequal. Only technology can fix this; in it, I argue that surveillance and control technology allow ruling elites to hold onto power despite the destabilizing effects of their bad decisions — but that technology also allows people to form dissident groups and protect them... more
My guest-appearance on Hello From the Magic Tavern
I’m a huge fan of the fantastically rude improv/current affairs/high fantasy podcast Hello From the Magic Tavern, I’ve enjoyed it ever since I binge-listened to the first season halfway through. Last month, I dropped into the Cards Against Humanity studios where the podcast is recorded while in Chicago on my book tour, where I sat... more
Talking WALKAWAY with Reason
My novel WALKAWAY is something of a fusion of the best elements of the anti-authoritarian left and the anti-authoritarian right. In a meaty interview with Reason Magazine, I discuss the politics and economics, and theories of human action with Reason magazine Editor in Chief Katherine Mangu-Ward.
Liverpool, Ill see you tonight on the Walkaway tour! (then Birmingham, Hay-on-Wye, San Francisco&) (!)
Thanks to everyone who came out for last night’s final London event on the UK Walkaway tour, at Pages of Hackney with Olivia Sudjic; today I’m heading to Waterstones Liverpool One for an event with Dr Chris Pak, followed by a stop tomorrow at Waterstones in Birmingham and then wrapping up in the UK with... more
London! Ill be at Pages of Hackney tonight with Olivia Sudjic! (then Liverpool, Birmingham, Hay&) (!)
Last night’s sold-out Walkaway tour event with Laurie Penny at Waterstones Tottenham Court Road was spectacular (and not just because they had some really good whisky behind the bar), and the action continues today with a conversation with Olivia Sudjic tonight at Pages of Hackney, where we’ll be discussing her novel Sympathy as well as... more
London! Ill see you tonight on the Walkaway tour! (then Liverpool, Birmingham, and Hay&) (!)
Last night’s kick-off event for the UK Walkaway tour was brilliant, thanks to the magic combination of the excellent Tim Harford, the excellent people of Oxford, and the excellent booksellers at Blackwells! Tonight I’ll be at Forbidden Planet at 6PM to sign books, then we’re walking over to Waterstone’s Tottenham Court Road for
Mary Shelleys Frankenstein shows us how science fiction predicts the present and shapes the future
Frankenstein: Annotated for Scientists, Engineers, and Creators of All Kinds is a new MIT Press book commemorating the bicentennial of the publication of Mary Shelley’s seminal novel “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus.” I was honored to be asked to contribute an essay to the edition, which they titled Ive Created a Monster! And so can... more
Oxford, Ill see you tonight on the Walkaway tour (then London, Liverpool, Birmingham&) (!)
I’m in the UK for the British Walkaway tour, which kicks off tonight at 7PM in Oxford where I’ll be in conversation with Tim Harford at Blackwells. Then I’m doing three events in London: a signing at Forbidden Planet at 6PM on Tuesday, then a conversation with Laurie Penny at Waterstones Tottenham Court Road at... more
Burbank: Im coming to you today on the Walkaway tour! (then Oxford, London, Liverpool&) (!)
I took great advantage of my 36 hour hiatus from the Walkaway tour, but I’m back at it today, with a 2PM appearance at Burbank’s Dark Delicacies, before I go straight to the airport to fly to the UK for my British tour. On Monday, I’ll be at Blackwell’s Oxford at 7PM with Tim Harford;... more
Talking Walkaway with Suicide Girls Radio
Nicole Powers interviewed me for Suicide Girls Radio and transcribed our wide-ranging, political conversation that ranged over Calexit, computer law, Occupy, and science fiction’s role in the world. NP: I watched your New York Public Library Q&A with Edward Snowden two days ago. You both spoke about immorality being used as a MacGuffin in the... more
Vancouver, Ill see you at tonights Walkaway tour stop (then Burbank, Oxford, London&) (!)
Many thanks to the good folks who came out to Bellingham’s Village Books for last night’s Walkaway event; tonight, I’ll be appearing in Vancouver before flying home to Burbank for an event at my local Dark Delicacies on Saturday and then going straight to the airport for the start of my UK tour. I’ll be... more
Talking Walkaway on the Techdirt podcast
Last week I sat down with Mike Masnick, the crusading technology journalist who coined the “Streisand Effect” and runs the fantastic site Techdirt, and we had a good, chewy discussion (MP3) about my new novel Walkaway; he’s just posted it to the Techdirt podcast. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
See you tonight for the Walkaway tour stop in Bellingham! (then Vancouver, Burbank, Oxford&) (!)
Thanks to everyone (especially Neal Stephenson) who came out to last night’s Walkaway event in Seattle: if you’re in the area and couldn’t make it, you get another chance tonight when I’ll be at Bellingham’s Village Books at 7PM. After the event, I’m driving to Vancouver for an appearance tomorrow at the Vancouver Writers’ Festival,... more
A few tickets left for tonights event in Seattle! (the Bellingham, Vancouver, Burbank&) (!)
We had a fabulous time last night at Portland’s Powell’s City of Books and now I’m on the runway to fly up to Seattle for tonight’s event at the Neptune Theater with Neal Stephenson (it’s not too late to get tickets!) — then tomorrow I’ll be at Bellingham’s Village Books before heading to the Vancouver... more
See you tonight at Powells, Portland! (then Seattle, Bellingham, Vancouver&) (!)
Yesterday’s Walkaway event at San Diego’s Mysterious Galaxy was terrific (there was birthday cake) and now I’m flying to Portland for an event at Powell’s City of Books tonight with Andy “Waxy” Baio before heading to Seattle for an event with Neal Stephenson at the Neptune Theater, then a stop in Bellingham’s Village Books. From... more
See you this afternoon, San Diego! (then Portland, Seattle, Bellingham&) (!)
We had a great Walkaway tour stop last night in Scottsdale, AZ, and now I’m headed to San Diego to help the legendary Mysterious Galaxy store celebrate its birthday, closing out a fantastic day of speakers, readers and signings at 4PM. Tomorrow, I’ll be in Portland, OR, with Andy “Waxy” Baio, speaking at Powell’s City... more
See you tonight, Scottsdale, AZ! (then San Diego, Portland, Seattle&) (!)
Thanks to everyone who came out to last night’s Walkaway tour-stop at Houston’s Brazos Books; I’m just arriving at the airport to fly to Phoenix for tonight’s event at Scottsdale’s Poisoned Pen Books with Brian David Johnson. Tomorrow, you’ll find me in San Diego at Mysterious Galaxy’s Birthday Bash, and then on Sunday I’ll be... more
Houston, Ill see you tonight on the Walkaway tour! (then Scottsdale, San Diego, Portland&) (!)
Thanks to everyone who turned up last night for a stellar event at Austin’s Book People! I’m about to head to the airport to fly to Houston, where I’ll appearing tonight at 7PM at Brazos Books, before heading to Scottsdale, AZ for appearance at Poisoned Pen (with Brian David Johnson)> From there, it’s appearances in... more
See you tonight in Austin! (then Houston, Scottsdale, San Diego&) (!)
We had a fantastic event last night at Denver’s Tattered Cover — thanks to everyone, especially the Denhack crew, for making it so great — and now I’m headed to the airport to fly to Austin for an event tonight at Bookpeople with a special guest appearance from EFF-Austin! Tomorrow night I’m at Houston’s Brazos... more
Wrapping up the Crooked Timber seminar on Walkaway: Coases Spectre
Two weeks ago, the excellent Crooked Timbre groupblog kicked off a symposium on my novel Walkaway, inviting ten scholars, practitioners, activists and thinkers to weigh in on the novel with thoughtful, sometimes sharply critical essays. Today, Crooked Timber publishes my response, an essay called “Coase’s Spectre,” about the underlying themes of the novel (as I... more
See you tonight in Denver! (then Austin, Houston, Scottsdale&) (!)
Thanks to all of you who came out to my tour-stop last night for Walkaway at Winnipeg’s McNally Robinson bookstore — what a fine time we had! Now I’m leaving for the airport to fly to Denver, where I’m appearing at Tattered Cover at 7PM. Tomorrow, I’ll be at Austin’s Book People, before heading to... more
See you tonight in Winnipeg! (then Denver, Austin, Houston&) (!)
Thanks to everyone who’s come out for the Walkaway tour so far! Tonight, I’ll be appearing at Winnipeg’s McNally Robinson bookstore, then it’s off to Denver’s Tattered Cover, Austin’s Book People and Houston’s Brazos Bookstore. From there, the tour takes me to Scottsdale/Phoenix (where I’m appearing with Brian David Johnson), San Diego, Portland (where I’m... more
How to support a writers career
Since the earliest days of my novel-writing career, readers have written to me to thank me for my books and to ask how they can best support me and other writers whose work they enjoy. Nearly 15 years later, I have a pretty comprehensive answer for them! Writers’ commercial and critical fortunes are intertwined: a... more
My column about Snowden, surveillance and WALKAWAY in the International Business Times
I have a column in today’s International Business Times: Unchecked Surveillance Technology Is Leading Us Towards Totalitarianism, where I discuss this week’s NYPL event with Edward Snowden and how mass surveillance connects to the themes in my novel Walkaway. In my science fiction novel Walkaway, I see an optimistic escape from the looming surveillance disaster.... more
A chat with the NEA, about WALKAWAY and sundry subjects
The National Endowment for the Arts podcast recorded a great, wide-ranging interview with me (MP3) about my novel Walkaway and a variety of subjects, from copyright reform to arts funding to the future of the arts and technology.
Chicagoans! Where to find me and Max Temkin on the Walkaway tour!
On Sunday, I’ll be appearing at Chicago’s Volumes Books with Max “Cards Against Humanity” Temkin, as part of the Walkaway tour (which includes stops tonight in Chapel Hill at Flyleaf Books with Mur Lafferty; tomorrow in Cincinnati at Joseph Beth; and more dates in Winnipeg, Denver, Austin, Houston, Scottsdale/Phoenix, San Diego, Portland, Seattle, Bellingham, Vancouver... more
Weaponized narrative: the stories we tell change our theories about the world
My latest Locus Magazine column is Weaponized Narrative, about the pulp fiction convention of mashing up “man against nature” stories with “man against man” stories to tell “man against nature stories” (first the tornado smashes your house, then your neighbors come over to eat you). These stories only work if you suspend your disbelief about... more
Walkaway tour! Richmond, Chapel Hill, Cincinnati, Chicago and more!
I’m in New York City today for the Walkaway tour and the event — an onstage conversation with Edward Snowden — is sold out (you can watch the livestream free, starting 7PM eastern), but there’s still space at my upcoming events. I’ll be at Richmond, VA’s Fountain Bookstore at 6:30PM on May the 4th (yes,... more
Watch the livestream for tomorrows NYPL discussion of Walkaway with Edward Snowden
I’m on the US tour for my new novel Walkaway (I’ll be at DC’s Politics and Prose tonight), and tomorrow, I’m doing a sold-out appearance with Edward Snowden onstage at the New York Public Library; although the event is packed, I’ve just learned that there will be a free livestream starting at 7PM Eastern.
See you tomorrow in DC (then NYC, Richmond, Chapel Hill, etc!)
My US/Canadian tour for my novel Walkaway continues tomorrow with a 7PM event at Politics & Prose; I’m in NYC the next night (with Edward Snowden) and it’s sold out but you might be able to get some rush tickets; then on to Fountain Books in Richmond, VA; then Flyleaf in Chapel Hill. There are... more
Announcing the Walkaway audiobook, with Wil Wheaton, Amber Benson, Amanda Palmer and more!
Here’s Wil Wheaton reading “Communist Party,” the opening chapter of “Walkaway,” my first novel for adults since 2009’s “Makers.” Wil is joined on the independently produced audiobook by Amber Benson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Amanda Palmer (The Dresden Dolls), Mirron Willis, Gabrielle de Cuir, Lisa Renee Pitts and Justine Eyre. It was directed by Gabrielle... more
Extreme wealth inequality will always devour the societies that produce it
My new novel Walkaway (US tour/UK tour) is set in a world that is being torn apart by out-of-control wealth inequality, but not everyone thinks that inequality is what destabilizes the world — there’s a kind of free-market belief that says the problem is really poverty, not inequality, and that the same forces that make... more
Announcing the official UK Walkaway Tour!
My UK publisher, Head of Zeus, has published the official tour schedule for the British tour for Walkaway, with stops in Oxford (with Tim Harford), London (with Laurie Penny), Liverpool (with Chris Pak), Birmingham, and the Hay Literary Festival (with Dr Adam Rutherford). Hope to see you there! A reminder that my US/Canadian tour is... more
Talking Walkaway on the Author Stories podcast
My novel Walkaway came out today and I sat down yesterday with the Author Stories Podcast to talk about writing, publishing, and, of course, the novel.
Come to the Chicago Walkaway event with Max Temkin, get a multitool!
My publicist just found an extra box of the cool promotional Walkaway multitools, and she’s generously offered to give them to the next 100 people to reserve tickets to the May 7th Walkaway event at Chicago’s Royal George Theater, where I’m presenting with CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY creator Max Temkin (current ticket-holders, don’t worry, you get... more
A Crooked Timber seminar on Walkaway
My latest novel, Walkaway, was published today, and the Crooked Timber block has honored me with a seminar on the book, where luminaries from Henry Farrell to Julia Powles to John Holbo to Astra Taylor to Bruce Schneier weigh in with a series of critical essays that will run in the weeks to come, closing... more
A hyperlinked bibliography for Homeland
Jonathan Voß did me the kindness of adding hyperlinks to the afterword/bibliography for my 2013 novel Homeland. Thank you Jonathan! When I was a kid, facts were hard to come by. If you wanted to know how to hack a pay phone, you’d have to find someone else who knew how to do it, and... more
The Haunted Mansion Ghost Post wins a Themed Entertainment Award!
When I wrote about the Haunted Mansion loot crates (“Ghost Post”) last March, what I couldn’t say was that I was the writer on the project, penning the radio scripts, newspapers, letters, and associated gubbins and scraps that went along with the three boxes of custom-made props and merch, tying them together into a series... more
Walkaway Q&A: great debut novels, collections, and favorites
With less than a week to go until the debut of Walkaway, my next novel for adults, Portland’s Powell’s Bookstore has run a long Q&A with me about the book, my writing habits, my favorite reads, and many other subjects. I’ll be at Powell’s on May 14 with Andy “Waxy” Baio as interlocutor — it’s... more
Walkaway Q&A: great debut novels, collections, and favorites
With less than a week to go until the debut of Walkaway, my next novel for adults, Portland’s Powell’s Bookstore has run a long Q&A with me about the book, my writing habits, my favorite reads, and many other subjects. I’ll be at Powell’s on May 14 with Andy “Waxy” Baio as interlocutor — it’s... more
Read: Chapter 3 of Walkaway, in which a university rises from the ashes
There’s only 8 days until the publication of Walkaway (stil time to pre-order signed hardcovers: US, UK), and Tor.com has just published a sneak peek at chapter 3: “Takeoff.” I’m getting ready to hit the road and tour with the book: 20+ cities in the US and Canada are announced, with more to come in... more
Read: Chapter 3 of Walkaway, in which a university rises from the ashes
There’s only 8 days until the publication of Walkaway (stil time to pre-order signed hardcovers: US, UK), and Tor.com has just published a sneak peek at chapter 3: “Takeoff.” I’m getting ready to hit the road and tour with the book: 20+ cities in the US and Canada are announced, with more to come in... more
I am LOVING the new livery for the South Korean edition of Little Brother and the forthcoming Homeland
How optimistic disaster stories can save us from dystopia
I’ve got an editorial in this month’s Wired magazine about the relationship between the science fiction stories we read and our real-world responses to disasters: Disasters Dont Have to End in Dystopias; it’s occasioned by the upcoming publication of my “optimistic disaster novel” Walkaway (pre-order signed copies: US/UK; read excerpts: Chapter 1, Chapter 2; US/Canada... more
How optimistic disaster stories can save us from dystopia
I’ve got an editorial in this month’s Wired magazine about the relationship between the science fiction stories we read and our real-world responses to disasters: Disasters Dont Have to End in Dystopias; it’s occasioned by the upcoming publication of my “optimistic disaster novel” Walkaway (pre-order signed copies: US/UK; read excerpts: Chapter 1, Chapter 2; US/Canada... more
Read: Communist Party: the first chapter of Walkaway
There’s still time to pre-order your signed first-edition hardcover of Walkaway, my novel which comes out on April 25 (US/UK), and while you’re waiting for that to ship, here’s chapter one of the novel, “Communist Party” (this is read by Wil Wheaton on the audiobook, where he is joined by such readers as Amanda Palmer... more
Read: Communist Party: the first chapter of Walkaway
There’s still time to pre-order your signed first-edition hardcover of Walkaway, my novel which comes out on April 25 (US/UK), and while you’re waiting for that to ship, here’s chapter one of the novel, “Communist Party” (this is read by Wil Wheaton on the audiobook, where he is joined by such readers as Amanda Palmer... more
Heres the schedule for my 25-city US-Canada Walkaway tour!
There’s 25 stops in all on the US/Canada tour for WALKAWAY, my next novel, an “optimistic disaster novel” that comes out on April 25 (more stops coming soon, as well as publication of my UK tour). I’ll be joined in various cities by many worthies, from Neal Stephenson (Seattle) to Ed Snowden (New York) to... more
Heres the schedule for my 25-city US-Canada Walkaway tour!
There’s 25 stops in all on the US/Canada tour for WALKAWAY, my next novel, an “optimistic disaster novel” that comes out on April 25 (more stops coming soon, as well as publication of my UK tour). I’ll be joined in various cities by many worthies, from Neal Stephenson (Seattle) to Ed Snowden (New York) to... more
Fair trade ebooks: how authors could double their royalties without costing their publishers a cent
My latest Publishers Weekly column announces the launch-date for my long-planned “Shut Up and Take My Money” ebook platform, which allows traditionally published authors to serve as retailers for their publishers, selling their ebooks direct to their fans and pocketing the 30% that Amazon would usually take, as well as the 25% the publisher gives... more
Fair trade ebooks: how authors could double their royalties without costing their publishers a cent
My latest Publishers Weekly column announces the launch-date for my long-planned “Shut Up and Take My Money” ebook platform, which allows traditionally published authors to serve as retailers for their publishers, selling their ebooks direct to their fans and pocketing the 30% that Amazon would usually take, as well as the 25% the publisher gives... more
Preorder my novel Walkaway and get a pocket multitool
Tor has produced a multitool to commemorate my forthcoming novel Walkaway, and if you pre-order the book, they’ll send you one! Protip: pre-order from Barnes and Noble and you’ll get a signed copy! The book has received some humblingly great early notices: Edward Snowden: Is Doctorow’s fictional Utopia bravely idealistic or bitterly ironic? The answer... more
Preorder my novel Walkaway and get a pocket multitool
Tor has produced a multitool to commemorate my forthcoming novel Walkaway, and if you pre-order the book, they’ll send you one! Protip: pre-order from Barnes and Noble and you’ll get a signed copy! The book has received some humblingly great early notices: Edward Snowden: Is Doctorow’s fictional Utopia bravely idealistic or bitterly ironic? The answer... more
Fill Your Boots: my column on how technology could let us work like artisans and live like kings
My latest Locus column is “Fill Your Boots,” in which I talk about how scientists, sf writers, economists and environmental activists have wrestled with the question of abundance — how the “green left” transformed left wing politics from the promise of every peasant living like a lord to the promise of every lord living like... more
Reply All covers DRM and the W3C
In the latest episode of Reply All, a fantastic tech podcast, the hosts and producers discuss the situation with DRM, the future of the web, and the W3C — a piece I’ve been working on them with for a year now. The issue is a complicated and eye-glazingly technical one, and they do a genuinely... more
Coming to DC on March 6: a panel on right to repair, DRM, and property rights in the digital age
On Monday, March 6 at 10AM, I’ll be participating in a non-partisan R-Street event on “Property Rights in the Digital Age,” with participants from the Heritage Foundation, R-Street, the Open Technology Institute, and Freedomworks: “As we enter an age near total connectivity, we must ask ourselves, are our laws keeping up with technology? Do we... more
New Yorkers! Come see Edward Snowden and me onstage at the NYPL on the Walkaway tour!
I’m touring 20 US cities (plus dates in Canada and the UK!) with my forthcoming novel Walkaway; the full tour hasn’t been announced yet, but I’m delighted to reveal that the NYC stop on May 3 will be at the New York Public Library, where my interlocutor will be the whistleblower Edward Snowden. Tickets are... more
New Yorkers! Come see Edward Snowden and me onstage at the NYPL on the Walkaway tour!
I’m touring 20 US cities (plus dates in Canada and the UK!) with my forthcoming novel Walkaway; the full tour hasn’t been announced yet, but I’m delighted to reveal that the NYC stop on May 3 will be at the New York Public Library, where my interlocutor will be the whistleblower Edward Snowden. Tickets are... more
Now in the UK! Pre-order signed copies of the first edition hardcover of Walkaway, my first adult novel since Makers
The UK’s Forbidden Planet is now offering signed hardcovers of Walkaway, my first novel for adults since 2009 — this is in addition to the signed US hardcovers being sold by Barnes and Noble. Walkaway has scored starred reviews in Booklist (“memorable and engaging” and “ultimately suffused with hope”) and Kirkus (“A truly visionary techno-thriller... more
Now in the UK! Pre-order signed copies of the first edition hardcover of Walkaway, my first adult novel since Makers
The UK’s Forbidden Planet is now offering signed hardcovers of Walkaway, my first novel for adults since 2009 — this is in addition to the signed US hardcovers being sold by Barnes and Noble. Walkaway has scored starred reviews in Booklist (“memorable and engaging” and “ultimately suffused with hope”) and Kirkus (“A truly visionary techno-thriller... more
Pre-order a signed first edition of Walkaway, which got a starred review in Booklist today!
Here’s a reminder that you can pre-order a signed first edition hardcover of Walkaway, my first novel for adults since 2009, which William Gibson called “A wonderful novel” and Edward Snowden called “a reminder that the world we choose to build is the one we’ll inhabit” and Kim Stanley Robinson called “a utopia is both... more
Pre-order a signed first edition of Walkaway, which got a starred review in Booklist today!
Here’s a reminder that you can pre-order a signed first edition hardcover of Walkaway, my first novel for adults since 2009, which William Gibson called “A wonderful novel” and Edward Snowden called “a reminder that the world we choose to build is the one we’ll inhabit” and Kim Stanley Robinson called “a utopia is both... more
The cover of this weeks Bookseller!
The cover of this weeks Bookseller!
Clarion Workshop now accepting applications for sf writers to learn with Lynda Barry, Nalo Hopkinson, CC Finlay&and me!
The instructors for this summer’s Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy writers’ workshop are Dan Chaon, Lynda Barry, Nalo Hopkinson, Andrea Hairston, Cory Doctorow, C.C. Finlay and Rae Carson: the workshop runs from Jun 25-Aug 5 at UCSD in La Jolla, California. It’s an intensive, boot-camp style writing workshop that’s been running annually since 1968. New... more
Why the Trump era is the perfect time to go long on freedom and short on surveillance
My new Locus column is “Its Time to Short Surveillance and Go Long on Freedom,” which starts by observing that Barack Obama’s legacy includes a beautifully operationalized, professional and terrifying surveillance apparatus, which Donald Trump inherits as he assumes office and makes ready to make good on his promise to deport millions of Americans and... more
Kirkus just gave me an AWESOME Christmas present: this starred review for WALKAWAY
Kirkus Reviews is one of the publishing industry’s toughest gauntlets, used by librarians and bookstore buyers to help sort through the avalanche of new titles, and its reviews often have a sting in their tails aimed at this audience, a pitiless rehearsal of the reasons you wouldn’t want to stock this book — vital intelligence... more
Kirkus just gave me an AWESOME Christmas present: this starred review for WALKAWAY
Kirkus Reviews is one of the publishing industry’s toughest gauntlets, used by librarians and bookstore buyers to help sort through the avalanche of new titles, and its reviews often have a sting in their tails aimed at this audience, a pitiless rehearsal of the reasons you wouldn’t want to stock this book — vital intelligence... more
Free audiobook of Car Wars, my self-driving car/crypto back-door apocalypse story
Last month, Melbourne’s Deakin University published Car Wars, a short story I wrote to inspire thinking and discussion about the engineering ethics questions in self-driving car design, moving beyond the trite and largely irrelevant trolley problem. Shortly after, I went into Skyboat Media’s studio and recorded an audio edition of the story, which the Deakin... more
Everything is a Remix, including Star Wars, and thats how I became a writer
Kirby Ferguson, who created the remarkable Everything is a Remix series, has a new podcast hosted by the Recreate Coalition called Copy This and he hosted me on the debut episode (MP3) where we talked about copying, creativity, artists, and the future of the internet (as you might expect!). Are you one of the many... more
Mr Robot has driven a stake through the Hollywood hacker, and not a moment too soon
Mr Robot is the most successful example of a small but fast-growing genre of “techno-realist” media, where the focus is on realistic portrayals of hackers, information security, surveillance and privacy, and it represents a huge reversal on the usual portrayal of hackers and computers as convenient plot elements whose details can be finessed to meet... more
A new edition of the Information Doesnt Want to Be Free audiobook featuring Neil Gaiman
“Information Doesn’t Want to Be Free” is my 2014 nonfiction book about copyright, the internet, and earning a living, and it features two smashing introductions — one by Neil Gaiman and the other by Amanda Palmer. I released an audio edition of the book in 2014, read by the incomparable Wil Wheaton, who also read... more
My keynote from the OReilly Security Conference: Security and feudalism: Own or be pwned
Here’s the 32 minute video of my presentation at last month’s O’Reilly Security Conference in New York, “Security and feudalism: Own or be pwned.” Cory Doctorow explains how EFF is battling the perfect storm of bad security, abusive business practices, and threats to the very nature of property itself, fighting for a future where our... more
Car Wars: a dystopian science fiction story about the nightmare of self-driving cars
Melbourne’s Deakin University commissioned me to write a science fiction story about the design and regulation of self-driving cars, inspired by my essay about the misapplication of the “Trolley Problem” to autonomous vehicles. The story, Car Wars, takes the form of a series of vignettes that illustrate the problem with designing cars to control their... more
Im helping launch Echoes of Sherlock Homes at LAs Chevalier Books tomorrow night
In 2014, lawyer and eminent Sherlockian Les Klinger comprehensively won the legal battle to establish that Sherlock Holmes is in the public domain and available for anyone to use, abuse, alter, celebrate or mock; now with a new anthology of completely unauthorized Sherlock tales, Echoes of Sherlock Holmes, Klinger and co-editor Laurie R. King have... more
Sole and Despotic Dominion: how a 20th century copyright law is abolishing property for humans (but not corporations)
In the 18th century, William Blackstone wrote the seminal “Commentaries on the Laws of England,” which contained one of the foundational definitions of property: “that sole and despotic dominion which one man claims and exercises over the external things of the world, in total exclusion of the right of any other individual in the universe.”... more
Interview with IEEE-USA Insight Podcast
I was interviewed for the IEEE-USA Insight Podcast last summer in New Orleans, during their Future Leaders Summit, where I was privileged to give the keynote (MP3)
Talking about Allan Sherman on the Comedy on Vinyl podcast
Jason Klamm stopped my office to interview me for his Comedy on Vinyl podcast, where I talked about the first comedy album I ever loved: Allan Sherman’s My Son, the Nut. I inherited my mom’s copy of the album when I was six years old, and listened to it over and over until I discovered... more
Apply for a Shuttleworth Fellowship!
https://vimeo.com/54762523 I’m the “Honourary Steward” for this year’s Shuttleworth Fellowship, this being a valuable and prestigious prize given to people who are undertaking to make the world a better, more open place (“social innovators who are helping to change the world for the better and could benefit from a social investment model with a difference”).... more
Come see me in Portland, Riverside, LA, and San Francisco
I’ve got a busy couple of weeks coming up! I’m speaking tomorrow at Powell’s in Portland, OR for Banned Books Week; on Wednesday, I’m at UC Riverside speaking to a Philosophy and Science Fiction class; on Friday I’ll be at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, speaking on Canada’s dark decade of policy... more
How free software stayed free
I did an interview with the Changelog podcast (MP3) about my upcoming talk at the O’Reilly Open Source conference in London, explaining how it is that the free and open web became so closed and unfree, but free and open software stayed so very free, and came to dominate the software landscape. Desperate is often... more
If DRM is so great, why wont anyone warn you when youre buying it?
Last month, I filed comments with the Federal Trade Commission on behalf of Electronic Frontier Foundation, 22 of EFF’s supporters, and a diverse coalition of rightsholders, public interest groups, and retailers, documenting the ways that ordinary Americans come to harm when they buy products without realizing that these goods have been encumbered with DRM, and... more
The privacy wars have been a disaster and theyre about to get a LOT worse
In my latest Locus column, The Privacy Wars Are About to Get A Whole Lot Worse, I describe the history of the privacy wars to date, and the way that the fiction of “notice and consent” has provided cover for a reckless, deadly form of viral surveillance capitalism. As bad as things have been, they’re... more
See you at Burning Man!
I’m about to switch off my email until September 5 and drive to Black Rock City for 10 days of incinerating the dude. If you’re going this year, drop by Liminal Labs — with whom I am immensely privileged to camp — and have some cold brew and say hi! We’re at 5&F this year... more
Talking about the pro-security, anti-DRM business model on the OReilly Radar Podcast
On this just-released episode of the O’Reilly Radar podcast (MP3), I talk about EFF’s lawsuit against the US government to invalidate Section 1201 of the DMCA, which will make it legal to break DRM in order to fix security vulnerabilities in the Internet of Things devices that, today, are almost invariable insecure, and are also... more
Podcast: Live from HOPE on Radio Statler
While I was in NYC to keynote the 11th Hackers on Planet Earth convention, I sat down with the Radio Statler folks and explained what I was going to talk about, as well as bantering with the hosts about the relative merits of DEFCON and HOPE and the secret to managing cons and marriages (MP3).
Podcast: How well kill all the DRM in the world, forever
I’m keynoting the O’Reilly Security Conference in New York in Oct/Nov, so I stopped by the O’Reilly Security Podcast (MP3) to explain EFF’s Apollo 1201 project, which aims to kill all the DRM in the world within a decade. A couple things changed in the last decade. The first is that the kinds of technologies... more
My Kansas City World Science Fiction Convention schedule
I’m flying into Kansas City for part of Midamericon II, the 74th World Science Fiction Convention, and while there, I’ll be on panels, give a reading, and sit down with fans for a kaffeeklatsch. Here’s my schedule: Thursday: Is Cyberpunk Still a Thing? Thursday 12:00 13:00, 3501H (Kansas City Convention Center) Cyberpunk hit with... more
EFF is suing the US government to invalidate the DMCAs DRM provisions
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has just filed a lawsuit that challenges the Constitutionality of Section 1201 of the DMCA, the “Digital Rights Management” provision of the law, a notoriously overbroad law that bans activities that bypass or weaken copyright access-control systems, including reconfiguring software-enabled devices (making sure your IoT light-socket will accept third-party lightbulbs; tapping... more
My interview on Utah Public Radios Access Utah
Science fiction novelist, blogger and technology activist Cory Doctorow joins us for Tuesdays AU. In a recent column, Doctorow says that all the data collected in giant databases today will breach someday, and when it does, it will ruin peoples lives. They will have their houses stolen from under them by identity thieves who forge... more
As browsers decline in relevance, theyre becoming DRM timebombs
My op-ed in today’s issue of The Tech, MIT’s leading newspaper, describes how browser vendors and the W3C, a standards body that’s housed at MIT, are collaborating to make DRM part of the core standards for future browsers, and how their unwillingness to take even the most minimal steps to protect academics and innovators from... more
Peak indifference: privacy as a public health issue
My latest Locus column, “Peak Indifference”, draws a comparison between the history of the “debate” about the harms of smoking (a debate manufactured by disinformation merchants with a stake in the controversy) and the current debate about the harms of surveillance and data-collection, whose proponents say “privacy is dead,” while meaning, “I would be richer... more
Im profiled in the Globe and Mail Report on Business magazine
The monthly Report on Business magazine in the Canadian national paper The Globe and Mail profiled my work on DRM reform, as well as my science fiction writing and my work on Boing Boing. I’m grateful to Alec Scott for the coverage, and especially glad that the question of the World Wide Web Consortium’s terrible... more
How to protect the future web from its founders own frailty
Earlier this month, I gave the afternoon keynote at the Internet Archive’s Decentralized Web Summit, and my talk was about how the people who founded the web with the idea of having an open, decentralized system ended up building a system that is increasingly monopolized by a few companies — and how we can prevent... more
Video: Guarding the Decentralized Web from its founders human frailty
Earlier this month, I gave the afternoon keynote at the Internet Archive’s Decentralized Web Summit, speaking about how the people who are building a new kind of decentralized web can guard against their own future moments of weakness and prevent themselves from rationalizing away the kinds of compromises that led to the centralization of today’s... more
How we will keep the Decentralized Web decentralized: my talk from the Decentralized Web Summit
At yesterday’s Internet Archive Decentralized Web Summit, the afternoon was given over to questions of security and policy. I gave the opening talk, “How Stupid Laws and Benevolent Dictators can Ruin the Decentralized Web, too,” which was about “Ulysses pacts“: bargains you make with yourself when your willpower is strong to prevent giving into temptation... more
You are not a wallet: complaining considered helpful
My new Guardian column, It’s your duty to complain that’s how companies improve, is a rebuttal to those who greet public complaints about businesses’ actions with, “Well, just don’t buy from them, then.” This idea posits that your role in the market is to be a kind of ambulatory wallet, whose only options are... more
How security and privacy pros can help save the web from legal threats over vulnerability disclosure
I have a new op-ed in today’s Privacy Tech, the in-house organ of the International Association of Privacy Professionals, about the risks to security and privacy from the World Wide Web Consortium’s DRM project, and how privacy and security pros can help protect people who discover vulnerabilities in browsers from legal aggression. I’ve got an... more
Revealed: the amazing cover for Walkaway, my first adult novel since 2009
Next April, Tor Books will publish Walkaway, the first novel I’ve written specifically for adults since 2009; it’s scheduled to be their lead title for the season and they’ve hired the brilliant designer Will Staehle (Yiddish Policeman’s Union, Darker Shade of Magic) for the cover, which Tor has just revealed. Staehle’s cover features a die-cut... more
OReilly Hardware Podcast on the risks to the open Web and the future of the Internet of Things
I appeared on the O’Reilly Hardware Podcast this week (MP3, talking about the way that DRM has crept into all our smart devices, which compromises privacy, security and competition. In this episode of the Hardware podcast, we talk with writer and digital rights activist Cory Doctorow. Hes recently rejoined the Electronic Frontier Foundation to fight... more
Peace in Our Time: how publishers, libraries and writers could work together
Publishing is in a weird place: ebook sales are stagnating; publishing has shrunk to five major publishers; libraries and publishers are at each others’ throats over ebook pricing; and major writers’ groups are up in arms over ebook royalties, and, of course, we only have one major book retailer left — what is to be... more
The open webs guardians are acting like its already dead
The World Wide Web Consortium — an influential standards body devoted to the open web — used to make standards that would let anyone make a browser that could view the whole Web; now they’re making standards that let the giant browser companies and giant entertainment companies decide which browsers will and won’t work on... more
30% off OReillys Open Source Convention in Austin, May 16-19
O’Reilly’s venerable, essential OSCON is in Austin, Texas this year, meaning that you’ll get to combine brain-thumpingly good talks and workshops of free/open source tools and techniques with some of the world’s best BBQ, millions of bats, my favorite toy store anywhere, and one of the best indie bookstores you could hope to visit. I’m... more
Screw optimism, we need hope instead
I wrote an essay called “Fuck Optimism” for a print project from F-Secure, about how we’ll make the Internet a 21st century electronic nervous system that serves humanity and stop it from being a tool to oppress, surveil and displace humans. In honor of Digital Freedom Month, F-Secure and Little Atoms have republished it online.... more
Whuffie would be a terrible currency
My latest Locus column, Wealth Inequality Is Even Worse in Reputation Economies, explains the ways in which “reputation” makes a poor form of currency — in a nutshell, reputation doesn’t fulfill most of the roles we expect from currency (store of value, unit of exchange, unit of account), and it is literally a popularity contest... more
Apple vs FBI: The privacy disaster is inevitable, but we can prevent the catastrophe
My new Guardian column, Forget Apple’s fight with the FBI our privacy catastrophe has only just begun, explains how surveillance advocates have changed their arguments: 20 years ago, they argued that the lack of commercial success for privacy tools showed that the public didn’t mind surveillance; today, they dismiss Apple’s use of cryptographic tools... more
Scroogled: the day Google went evil
My short story Scroogled has been reprinted on Lithub, as part of the promotion for Watchlist: 32 Stories by Persons of Interest, a forthcoming anthology about surveillance with stories by Etgar Keret, T.C. Boyle, Robert Coover, Aimee Bender, Jim Shepard, Alissa Nutting, Charles Yu and others. Scroogled is the story of “the day Google became... more
South Korean lawmakers stage filibuster to protest anti-terror bill, read from Little Brother
Since 2001, authoritarians in the South Korean government have been attempting to pass mass surveillance legislation, and they have seized upon the latest North Korean saber-rattling as the perfect excuse for ramming it through the SK Parliament. Members of the opposition Minjoo Party have vowed to block the legislation by staging the first Korean parliamentary... more
Math denialism: crypto backdoors and DRM are the alternative medicine of computer science
My latest Guardian column, The FBI wants a backdoor only it can use but wanting it doesnt make it possible, draws a connection between vaccine denial, climate denial, and the demand for backdoors in secure systems, as well as the call for technologies that prevent copyright infringement, like DRM. The thing all these issues... more
The Eleventh HOPE: NYC, Jul 22-24 (Im keynoting!)
After literally decades of trying to make it to one of 2600 Magazine’s legendary HOPE (Hackers on Planet Earth) events, held every two years in NYC, I will be coming to town this year for it — and giving one of the keynotes. HOPE is in the pantheon of great information security, electronic privacy and... more
I was a Jeopardy! clue
I got quite a treat yesterday afternoon when my email and Twitter filled up with people letting me know that I was mentioned in a Jeopardy! clue! I was joined in a category about science fiction novels with John Redshirts Scalzi, Jeff Annihilation VanderMeer, and Ernest Ready Player One Cline. Presumably, there was a fifth... more
My talk at the Southern California Linux Expo (SCaLE)
Last Friday, I travelled to Pasadena to give the morning keynote at SCaLE; they livecast the whole event, and you can watch it here. No Matter Who’s Winning the War on General Purpose Computing, You’re Losing If cyberwar were a hockey game, it’d be the end of the first period and the score would be... more
Well probably never Free Mickey
It’s Copyright Week, and I’ve kicked it off with a post at the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Deep Links explaining why, regardless of copyright term extension, Mickey Mouse will probably never be “free” — but that doesn’t mean that Disney is acting irrationally in its fight as hard as they are for eternal copyrights. Rather, they’re... more
My University of Waterloo talk: No Matter Whos Winning the War on General Purpose Computing, Youre Losing
Late last year, the Computer Science Club at the University of Waterloo (a university I am proud to have dropped out of!) invited me to give a lecture: No Matter Who’s Winning the War on General Purpose Computing, You’re Losing. They’ve posted it in many formats for your enjoyment. http://mirror.csclub.uwaterloo.ca/csclub/cory-doctorow-f2015.mp4 If cyberwar were a hockey... more
Indias Internet activists have a SOPA moment: no poor Internet for poor people
My latest Guardian column, ‘Poor internet for poor people': India’s activists fight Facebook connection plan, tells the story of how India’s amazing Internet activists have beaten back Facebook’s bid to become gatekeeper to the Internet for the next billion users. They’ve been assisted in this by Facebook’s own stupid mistakes, to be sure, but all... more
Resilience over rigidity: how to solve tomorrows computer problems today
My new Locus Magazine column, Wicked Problems: Resilience Through Sensing, proposes a solution the urgent problem we have today of people doing bad stuff with computers. Where once “bad stuff with computers” meant “hacking your server,” now it could potentially mean “blocking air-traffic control transmissions” or “programming your self-driving car to kill you.” The traditional... more
Podcast: Happy Xmas! (guest starring Poesy)
It’s been a year since I sat down at the mic, but it’s Christmas and we have a tradition to uphold. Now we’re settling in here in Burbank and I’ve got a new computer, I’m hoping to get everything running again and get back to a regular schedule. MP3
If you think self-driving cars have a Trolley Problem, youre asking the wrong questions
In my latest Guardian column, The problem with self-driving cars: who controls the code?, I take issue with the “Trolley Problem” as applied to autonomous vehicles, which asks, if your car has to choose between a maneuver that kills you and one that kills other people, which one should it be programmed to do? The... more
Interview on Paul Holdengrabers Call from Paul podcast
I appeared on the current episode of “A Call From Paul” (MP3), a podcast created by Paul Holdengraber, who curates the NY Public Library’s amazing interview series. Paul and I talked about London, UK politics, class war, education, and books.
What I told the kid who wanted to join the NSA
In my latest Guardian column, I tell the story of my recent lecture at West Point’s Cyber Institute, where a young cadet took me aside as asked what I thought of their plans for joining the NSA. The cadet had good reasons to want to join the NSA: they were justly concerned about the Internet... more
Free talk on surveillance, copyright and DRM tomorrow in Berlin: PINEAPPLE!
I’m in Berlin to speak at OEB, a conference on technology and education. It costs a hefty sum to attend the whole event, but my talk tomorrow at 1200h, “No Matter who’s Winning the War on General Purpose Computing, You’re Losing ” is free. Just show up at the Hotel Intercontinental on Budapester Strasse and... more
I Cant Let You Do That, Dave: why computer scientists should care about DRM
I have an editorial in the current issue of Communications of the Association of Computing Machinery, a scholarly journal for computer scientists, in which I describe the way that laws that protect digital locks (like America’s DMCA) compromise the fundamentals of computer security. At the Electronic Frontier Foundation, we’re anxious to talk with computer scientists... more
Wide-ranging interview (surveillance, DRM, copyfight, climate, class war) in the Sydney Morning Herald
Chris Zappone’s published a long, wide-ranging interview with me in the Sydney Morning Herald where I try to connect the dots between digital rights, surveillance, climate change, and wealth disparity. Doctorow points to the internet itself and inequality two things that have a surprising link. “I think wealth inequality is related to the internet... more
Outstanding critical review of Information Doesnt Want to Be Free in the LA Review of Books
McKenzie Wark, author of the classic Hacker Manifesto, has written a long, smart review of my book Information Doesn’t Want to Be Free (now in paperback) for the Los Angeles Review of Books. It’s a genuinely excellent piece of critical writing — I think it’s my favorite review of this book so far. A number... more
Authors Alliance guide to Open Access
The Authors Alliance, a nonprofit writers’ organization, conducted a wide-ranging piece of research on the experience of authors with open access publishing, including my own experiences with Creative Commons and commercial publishing. That said, most of the essay focuses on academic and scientific authors, who may be institutionally bound to publish under open access, or... more
I won the Comment Awards prize for Technology and Digital Commentator of the Year!
I woke this morning to the delightful news that I won Editorial Intelligence’s 2015 prize for Technology and Digital Commentator of the Year for my work on the Guardian. I’m honoured and delighted — thank you to the jury and the organisation, and to Martha Lane Fox for her presentation of the award!
Turns out that unsubscribing from spam actually works
After my spam hit a point where I couldn’t actually download my email faster than it was arrivingI spent a month clicking the unsubscribe links in all the spams in my inbox. Weirdly, it worked. What’s weirder is that I discovered that most of that spam was coming from organizations I knew, even ones I... more
The Internet will always suck
Have you ever wondered why the Internet is always just a little bit too slow to support the kind of activity you’re trying to undertake? My latest Locus column, The Internet Will Always Suck, hypothesizes that whenever the Internet gets a little faster or cheaper, that unlocks a bunch of applications that couldn’t gain purchase... more
Scholarly article on activism and technology in my YA novels
Anika Ullmann, a graduate student in Cultural Studies Leuphana University in Luneberg, Germany, has published a paper on the relationship of my young adult novels to political radicalism, the hacker ethic and the “First Days of a Better Nation.” I found it a great and insightful read, and Annika kindly made a copy available for... more
Come see me at Santa Monicas Diesel Books on Thursday
We’re launching the new paperback edition of “Information Doesn’t Want to Be Free, my book of practical advice and theory for artists trying to make sense of the net (it features intros by Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer, too!) at Santa Monica’s Diesel Books. I’ll be there (225 26th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90402), from... more
How a mathematician teaches Little Brother to a first-year seminar
Derek Bruff teaches a first-year college writing seminar in mathematics, an unusual kind of course that covers a lot of ground, and uses a novel as some of its instructional material — specifically, my novel Little Brother. Bruff’s written up an excellent and fascinating description of the unit that uses the novel, which he’s just... more
Korean edition of Little Brother
It hits shelves today, featuring an essay I wrote specifically for this edition, tying together Korean politics — especially surveillance and censorship — with global mass-surveillance and the themes in the book.
See me in Utah, Boston, Toronto and Waterloo!
This/next week, I’m speaking in events in Park City, Utah (Future in Review); Boston (The Freedom to Innovate Summit, the Berman Center and Suffolk University); Toronto (Seneca College); Markham (In Conversation and Storytellers); and the University of Waterloo! Come say hi! (Image: Terri Oda, CC-BY)
Data breaches are winning the privacy wars, so what should privacy advocates do?
Data breaches are winning the privacy wars, so what should privacy advocates do? My latest Guardian column, “Why is it so hard to convince people to care about privacy,” argues that the hard part of the privacy wars (getting people to care about privacy) is behind us, because bad privacy regulation and practices are producing... more
How to save online advertising
My latest Guardian column, How to save online advertising, looks at the writing on the wall for ad-blockers and ad-supported publishing, and suggests one way to keep ads viable. The mistrust between advertisers and publishers has given rise to a fourth entity in this ecosystem: ad counters. These are companies that generously offer to independently... more
My novel Utopia will hit shelves in 2017
My biggest (and, IMO, best) adult novel has just sold to Tor for a very pleasing sum of money; it will hit shelves in 2017. Here’s my editor in Publishers Weekly: The novel, which marks Doctorows first solo adult fiction effort since 2009s Makers, is set in the latter part of this century; Hayden described... more
NYC to-do: Art, Design, and The Future of Privacy, Sept 17
A night of talks and conversations about privacy and tech, centered on humane design and user-experience — I’m speaking there! There’s a really full roster of hackers, cryptographers, designers, writers, architects, critical theorists, sociologists and others appearing. The event’s at 1930h at Brooklyn’s Pioneer Works, and it’s free! Join artists, cryptographers, critical theorists, architects, designers,... more
Dear Internet of Things: human beings are not things
My new Locus column is What If People Were Sensors, Not Things to be Sensed? The column’s argument is that the Facebook model for the IoT is a nightmare: your devices are emissaries of distant corporations that gather data on you and decide what information to derive from it and to feed back to you.... more
Little Brother optioned by Paramount
My bestselling 2008 novel YA novel Little Brother has been optioned by Paramount, with Don Murphy (Natural Born Killers, Transformers) as the producer. Suffice it to say, I’m pretty excited about this. The rights to the Orwellian-themed novel were picked up by Angry Films in 2010, with Don Murphy now bringing the property to Paramount.... more
Coming to Renos Grassroots Books this Friday!
I’m doing a Q&A and signing at Reno’s Grassroots Books — a local, indie store with an emphasis on affordable reading for all — this Friday, Aug 28 at 6:30PM — just a quick stop on the way to That Thing in the Desert. I hope you’ll come by and say hello!
Guardian column: Ulysses pacts and spying hacks: warrant canaries and binary transparency
As the world’s governments exercise exciting new gag-order snooping warrants that companies can never, ever talk about, companies are trying out a variety of “Ulysses pacts” that automatically disclose secret spying orders, putting them out of business. A “Ulysses pact” is a negotiating tactic in which one party voluntarily surrenders some freedom of action, named... more
Interview with OReilly Radar podcast
I did an interview (MP3) with the O’Reilly Radar podcast at the Solid conference last month; we talked about the Apollo 1201 project I’m doing with EFF. In the absence of any other confounding factors, obnoxious stuff that vendors do tends to self-correct, but theres an important confounding factor, which is that in 1998, Congress... more
Parenting and the Internet: the smarter, missing third way
My new Guardian column, What is missing from the kids internet? discusses three different approaches to teaching kids information literacy: firewall-based abstinence education; trust/relationship-based education, and a third way, which is the proven champion of the offline world. That third way is making media for kids and grownups to use/enjoy/experience together. It’s what made the... more
Q&A from Clarion West benefit/reading in Seattle
Here’s the Q&A portion of the Cory Doctorow in Conversation event I did to benefit the Clarion West Writers’ Workshop in Seattle on July 28, 2015. The audio was provided Frank Catalano, who also conducted the interview. MP3
My upcoming events in Seattle
I’m teaching the Clarion West writing workshop in Seattle in late July, and you can come see me at two events, one on July 25, the other on July 28. Postcyberpunk and Paella: An intimate evening with Cory Doctorow and Peter Biddle to benefit Clarion West. July 25, 2015 at 7 p.m. Cory Doctorow in... more
Why were still talking about Terminator and the Matrix
My July 2015 Locus column, Skynet Ascendant, suggests that the enduring popularity of images of homicidal, humanity-hating AIs has more to do with our present-day politics than computer science. As a class, science fiction writers imagine some huge slice of all possible futures, and then readers and publishers select from among these futures based on... more
Summer reading lists!
Canada’s public institutions were very good to me today! The CBC included Little Brother on its list of 100 Great YA Novels that make you proud to be Canadian. Not to be outdone, the Toronto Public Library put the book on its Fight The Power: Books For Youth Activists. As if that wasn’t enough, TPL... more
On Big Datas shrinking returns
In my new Guardian column, I point out that the big-data-driven surveillance business model is on the rocks. Once upon a time, you could sell soap with a slogan like “You will be clean,” but we become resistant to ads. While Big Data initially generated some promising sell-through results, these days, companies like Facebook are... more
The Internet of Things That Do What You Tell Them my talk at last weeks Solid Conference
From Solid Conference 2015: From ecosystem strategies to the war on terror, from the copyright wars to the subprime lending industry, it seems like everyone wants to build an Internet of Treacherous Things whose primary loyalty is to someone other than the people with whose lives they are intimately entwined. Your gesture-driven, voice-controlled future is... more
Cybersecurity podcast
I’m a guest on this week’s New America Foundation cybersecurity podcast, hosted by Amanda Gaines and Peter Warren Singer (whose new book, Ghost Fleet, a novel about cybersecurity, is about to hit the stands) and edited by the great John Taylor Williams. MP3 link
My PDF 2015 talk: An Internet of Things That Do As Theyre Told
The Internet may not be the question, but its the answer
My latest Guardian column looks at the fiction and reality of “Internet Utopianism,” and the effect that a belief in the transformative power of the Internet has had on movements, companies, and norms. I have been among the Internet Utopians for most of my life. I read Barlow, dropped out of university, and became a... more
Man Who Sold the Moon wins the Sturgeon Award!
This weekend, my short story “The Man Who Sold the Moon” won the The Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award, a juried prize for the best science fiction story of the year. The story originally appeared in the anthology Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future, edited by Kathryn Cramer and Ed Finn, based on a... more
Context: the DRM-free audio edition of my essay collection
Downpour has published a DRM-free audio edition of my essay collection Context (with an intro by Tim O’Reilly), the companion volume to my collection Content (introduced by John Perry Barlow). The collection is read by Paul Michael Garcia, who also read Content. As the subtitle (“Further Selected Essays on Productivity, Creativity, Parenting, and Politics in... more
Context: the DRM-free audio edition of my essay collection
Downpour has published a DRM-free audio edition of my essay collection Context (with an intro by Tim O’Reilly), the companion volume to my collection Content (introduced by John Perry Barlow). The collection is read by Paul Michael Garcia, who also read Content. As the subtitle (“Further Selected Essays on Productivity, Creativity, Parenting, and Politics in... more
New Yorkers! Come hear me speak this Saturday!
I’ll be at the NY Academy of Medicine from 1-3PM, explaining why “Information doesn’t want to be free…but people do.” — tell your friends!
New Yorkers! Come hear me speak this Saturday!
I’ll be at the NY Academy of Medicine from 1-3PM, explaining why “Information doesn’t want to be free…but people do.” — tell your friends!
Bruce Sterlings introduction to the Italian edition of Little Brother
Italy’s Multiplayer Edizioni just launched a beautiful new Italian edition of Little Brother with an introduction by Bruce Sterling. It’s the second essay that Bruce has written for one of my books, and it’s my favorite — I was so pleased with it that I asked his permission to reproduce it here, which he’s graciously... more
Bruce Sterlings introduction to the Italian edition of Little Brother
Italy’s Multiplayer Edizioni just launched a beautiful new Italian edition of Little Brother with an introduction by Bruce Sterling. It’s the second essay that Bruce has written for one of my books, and it’s my favorite — I was so pleased with it that I asked his permission to reproduce it here, which he’s graciously... more
Google anti-trust action is dumb, but the EU should be worried about online giants
My latest Guardian column, Can anything curb the dominance of the internet’s big guns? points out that everything governments do to tame the online giants has no effect on them — but makes it nearly impossible for new companies to compete with them. Theres no better example of this than the VATMOSS VAT mess. Amazon,... more
Google anti-trust action is dumb, but the EU should be worried about online giants
My latest Guardian column, Can anything curb the dominance of the internet’s big guns? points out that everything governments do to tame the online giants has no effect on them — but makes it nearly impossible for new companies to compete with them. Theres no better example of this than the VATMOSS VAT mess. Amazon,... more
My Webstock 2015 talk: Light a candle, curse the darkness and win the war on general purpose computers to save the world
https://vimeo.com/123473929 If were going to solve the serious, existential risks to the human race things like environmental apocalypse were going to need social and technical infrastructure that can support evidence-driven, public-spirited institutions that can help steer us to a better place. Alas, were in trouble there, too. Were living in a nearly airtight... more
My Webstock 2015 talk: Light a candle, curse the darkness and win the war on general purpose computers to save the world
https://vimeo.com/123473929 If were going to solve the serious, existential risks to the human race things like environmental apocalypse were going to need social and technical infrastructure that can support evidence-driven, public-spirited institutions that can help steer us to a better place. Alas, were in trouble there, too. Were living in a nearly airtight... more
Clean Reader is a free speech issue
My latest Guardian column, Allow Clean Reader to swap ‘bad’ words in books it’s a matter of free speech expands on last week’s editorial about the controversial ebook reader, which lets readers mangle the books they read by programatically swapping swear-words for milder alternatives. I agree with the writers who say that the app... more
Clean Reader is a free speech issue
My latest Guardian column, Allow Clean Reader to swap ‘bad’ words in books it’s a matter of free speech expands on last week’s editorial about the controversial ebook reader, which lets readers mangle the books they read by programatically swapping swear-words for milder alternatives. I agree with the writers who say that the app... more
A conversation about privacy and trust in open education
For Open Education Week, Jonathan Worth convened a conversation about privacy and trust in open education called Speaking Openly in which educators and scholars recorded a series of videos responding to one another’s thoughts on the subject. The takes are extremely varied, and come from Audrey Waters, Nishant Shah, Ulrich Boser, Dan Gillmor, and me,... more
A conversation about privacy and trust in open education
For Open Education Week, Jonathan Worth convened a conversation about privacy and trust in open education called Speaking Openly in which educators and scholars recorded a series of videos responding to one another’s thoughts on the subject. The takes are extremely varied, and come from Audrey Waters, Nishant Shah, Ulrich Boser, Dan Gillmor, and me,... more
Audiobook of Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town
Blackstone has adapted my 2005 urban fantasy novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town for audiobook, narrated by Bronson Pinchot, who does a stunning job. It’s available as a DRM-free audiobook at all the usual places, including the DRM-free audiobook store Downpour. However, Itunes and Audible refuse to carry this — or any of... more
Audiobook of Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town
Blackstone has adapted my 2005 urban fantasy novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town for audiobook, narrated by Bronson Pinchot, who does a stunning job. It’s available as a DRM-free audiobook at all the usual places, including the DRM-free audiobook store Downpour. However, Itunes and Audible refuse to carry this — or any of... more
Internet-fired elections and the politics of business as usual
I’ve got a new Guardian column, Internet-era politics means safe seats are a thing of the past, which analyzes the trajectory of Internet-fuelled election campaigning since Howard Dean, and takes hope in the launch of I’ll Vote Green If You Do. The Obama campaigns went further. Building on the Dean campaign, two successive Obama campaigns... more
Internet-fired elections and the politics of business as usual
I’ve got a new Guardian column, Internet-era politics means safe seats are a thing of the past, which analyzes the trajectory of Internet-fuelled election campaigning since Howard Dean, and takes hope in the launch of I’ll Vote Green If You Do. The Obama campaigns went further. Building on the Dean campaign, two successive Obama campaigns... more
No future for you: cultural institutions cant afford to play along with pointy-headed bosses
My new Guardian column, Go digital by all means, but don’t bring the venture capitalists in to do it, is an open letter to the poor bastards who run public institutions, asking them to hold firm on delivering public value and not falling into the trap of running public services “like a business.” When you... more
No future for you: cultural institutions cant afford to play along with pointy-headed bosses
My new Guardian column, Go digital by all means, but don’t bring the venture capitalists in to do it, is an open letter to the poor bastards who run public institutions, asking them to hold firm on delivering public value and not falling into the trap of running public services “like a business.” When you... more
DRM-free audiobook of Eastern Standard Tribe
Blackstone audio has produced a professional, DRM-free audiobook of my 2003 novel EST, a novel about jet-lag, conspiracies, management consultants, crypto-contracts and P2P that William Gibson called “Utterly contemporary and deeply peculiar — a hard combination to beat (or, these days, to find)” Warren Ellis called it “just far enough ahead of the game to... more
DRM-free audiobook of Eastern Standard Tribe
Blackstone audio has produced a professional, DRM-free audiobook of my 2003 novel EST, a novel about jet-lag, conspiracies, management consultants, crypto-contracts and P2P that William Gibson called “Utterly contemporary and deeply peculiar — a hard combination to beat (or, these days, to find)” Warren Ellis called it “just far enough ahead of the game to... more
2014s best science fiction and fantasy
Locus magazine has published its annual recommended I was delighted and honored to find that my stories “Petard” (from Twelve Tomorrows) and “The Man Who Sold the Moon” (from Hieroglyph) (excerpt) made the cut (both have also been selected for several of this year’s Year’s Best anthos, for which I am extremely grateful!). For me,... more
2014s best science fiction and fantasy
Locus magazine has published its annual recommended I was delighted and honored to find that my stories “Petard” (from Twelve Tomorrows) and “The Man Who Sold the Moon” (from Hieroglyph) (excerpt) made the cut (both have also been selected for several of this year’s Year’s Best anthos, for which I am extremely grateful!). For me,... more
Overclocked is now a DRM-free audiobook
My multi-award-winning short story collection Overclocked is now a DRM-free audiobook, courtesy of Downpour.com. And no, it’s not on Audible, because they refuse to carry my books unless I let them put DRM on them. Have you ever wondered what its like to live through a bioweapon attack or to have every aspect of your... more
Overclocked is now a DRM-free audiobook
My multi-award-winning short story collection Overclocked is now a DRM-free audiobook, courtesy of Downpour.com. And no, it’s not on Audible, because they refuse to carry my books unless I let them put DRM on them. Have you ever wondered what its like to live through a bioweapon attack or to have every aspect of your... more
How to fix copyright in two easy steps (and one hard one)
My new Locus column, A New Deal for Copyright, summarizes the argument in my book Information Doesn’t Want to Be Free, and proposes a set of policy changes we could make that would help artists make money in the Internet age while decoupling copyright from Internet surveillance and censorship. There are two small policy interventions... more
How to fix copyright in two easy steps (and one hard one)
My new Locus column, A New Deal for Copyright, summarizes the argument in my book Information Doesn’t Want to Be Free, and proposes a set of policy changes we could make that would help artists make money in the Internet age while decoupling copyright from Internet surveillance and censorship. There are two small policy interventions... more
Consumerist on Information Doesnt Want to Be Free
Consumerist’s Kate Cox has turned in a long, excellent, in-depth review of my book Information Doesn’t Want to Be Free, really nailing the book’s thesis. Namely, that extremist copyright laws don’t just mess up artists, but actually endanger all our privacy, freedom and whole digital lives. Doctorow draws two bright lines connecting copyright law to... more
Consumerist on Information Doesnt Want to Be Free
Consumerist’s Kate Cox has turned in a long, excellent, in-depth review of my book Information Doesn’t Want to Be Free, really nailing the book’s thesis. Namely, that extremist copyright laws don’t just mess up artists, but actually endanger all our privacy, freedom and whole digital lives. Doctorow draws two bright lines connecting copyright law to... more
My talk on the Internet of Things, wealth disparity, surveillance, evidence-based policy and the future of the world
Here’s the audio from last night’s talk on the Internet of Things at Central European University in Budapest! It was recorded by the Mindenki Joga Radio Show.
My talk on the Internet of Things, wealth disparity, surveillance, evidence-based policy and the future of the world
Here's the audio from last night's talk on the Internet of Things at Central European University in Budapest! It was recorded by the Mindenki Joga Radio Show.
My talk on the Internet of Things, wealth disparity, surveillance, evidence-based policy and the future of the world
Here’s the audio from last night’s talk on the Internet of Things at Central European University in Budapest! It was recorded by the Mindenki Joga Radio Show.
Interview with the RiYL podcast about personal politics and big-P politics
I sat down for an interview with the RiYL podcast (MP3) at NYCC last fall. We covered a lot of material that I don’t get a lot of chances to talk about, particularly the relationship between personal politics and big-P politics. Listening to it again, I’m very satisfied with how it turned out.
Interview with the RiYL podcast about personal politics and big-P politics
I sat down for an interview with the RiYL podcast (MP3) at NYCC last fall. We covered a lot of material that I don't get a lot of chances to talk about, particularly the relationship between personal politics and big-P politics. Listening to it again, I'm very satisfied with how it turned out.
Interview with the RiYL podcast about personal politics and big-P politics
I sat down for an interview with the RiYL podcast (MP3) at NYCC last fall. We covered a lot of material that I don’t get a lot of chances to talk about, particularly the relationship between personal politics and big-P politics. Listening to it again, I’m very satisfied with how it turned out.
Podcast: Happy Xmas! (guest starring Poesy)
It’s that time again! School is out, but I’m still working, so the kid came to the office with me, just in time to record a new podcast. This year, Poesy performs a stirring rendition of Jingle Bells, with dirty words! MP3
Podcast: Happy Xmas! (guest starring Poesy)
It's that time again! School is out, but I'm still working, so the kid came to the office with me, just in time to record a new podcast. This year, Poesy performs a stirring rendition of Jingle Bells, with dirty words! MP3
Podcast: Happy Xmas! (guest starring Poesy)
It’s that time again! School is out, but I’m still working, so the kid came to the office with me, just in time to record a new podcast. This year, Poesy performs a stirring rendition of Jingle Bells, with dirty words! MP3
LISTEN: Wil Wheaton reads Information Doesnt Want to Be Free
I’ve posted the first chapter (MP3) of Wil Wheaton’s reading of my book Information Doesn’t Want to Be Free (which sports introductions by Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer!), which is available as a $15 DRM-free audiobook, sweetened by samples from Amanda Palmer and Dresden Dolls’ “Coin-Operated Boy.” Buy Now In sharply argued, fast-moving chapters, Cory... more
LISTEN: Wil Wheaton reads Information Doesnt Want to Be Free
I've posted the first chapter (MP3) of Wil Wheaton's reading of my book Information Doesn't Want to Be Free (which sports introductions by Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer!), which is available as a $15 DRM-free audiobook, sweetened by samples from Amanda Palmer and Dresden Dolls' "Coin-Operated Boy." In sharply argued, fast-moving chapters, Cory Doctorows Information … [Read more]
LISTEN: Wil Wheaton reads Information Doesnt Want to Be Free
I’ve posted the first chapter (MP3) of Wil Wheaton’s reading of my book Information Doesn’t Want to Be Free (which sports introductions by Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer!), which is available as a $15 DRM-free audiobook, sweetened by samples from Amanda Palmer and Dresden Dolls’ “Coin-Operated Boy.” In sharply argued, fast-moving chapters, Cory Doctorows Information... more
Interview with Radio New Zealands This Way Up
Radio New Zealand National’s This Way Up recorded this interview with me, which airs tomorrow (Saturday), about my book Information Doesn’t Want to Be Free (MP3).
Interview with Radio New Zealands This Way Up
Radio New Zealand National's This Way Up recorded this interview with me, which airs tomorrow (Saturday), about my book Information Doesn't Want to Be Free (MP3).
Interview with Radio New Zealands This Way Up
Radio New Zealand National’s This Way Up recorded this interview with me, which airs tomorrow (Saturday), about my book Information Doesn’t Want to Be Free (MP3).
Interview with The Command Line podcast
I just appeared on the Command Line podcast (MP3) to talk about Information Doesn't Want to Be Free -- Thomas and I really had a wide-ranging and excellent conversation: In this episode, I interview Cory Doctorow about his latest book, Information Doesnt Want to be Free: Laws for the Internet Age. If you are interested … [Read more]
Interview with The Command Line podcast
I just appeared on the Command Line podcast (MP3) to talk about Information Doesn’t Want to Be Free — Thomas and I really had a wide-ranging and excellent conversation: In this episode, I interview Cory Doctorow about his latest book, Information Doesnt Want to be Free: Laws for the Internet Age. If you are interested... more
Information Doesnt Want to Be Free: the audiobook, read by Wil Wheaton (if you were to share this, Id consider it a personal favor!)
I've independently produced an audiobook edition of my nonfiction book Information Doesn't Want to Be Free: Laws for the Internet Age, paying Wil Wheaton to narrate it (he did such a great job on the Homeland audiobook, with a mixdown by the wonderful John Taylor Williams, and bed-music from Amanda Palmer and Dresden Dolls. Both … [Read more]
Information Doesnt Want to Be Free: the audiobook, read by Wil Wheaton (if you were to share this, Id consider it a personal favor!)
I’ve independently produced an audiobook edition of my nonfiction book Information Doesn’t Want to Be Free: Laws for the Internet Age, paying Wil Wheaton to narrate it (he did such a great job on the Homeland audiobook, with a mixdown by the wonderful John Taylor Williams, and bed-music from Amanda Palmer and Dresden Dolls. Both... more
Information Doesnt Want to Be Free Audiobook
Information Doesn't Want to Be Free, read by Wil Wheaton With introductions by Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer
Information Doesnt Want to Be Free Audiobook
Information Doesn't Want to Be Free, read by Wil Wheaton With introductions by Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer
When Ed Snowden met Marcus Yallow
Here's a scene from Citizenfour, Laura Poitras's acclaimed documentary on Edward Snowden, showing Snowden packing his bags to leave Hong Kong, showing the book on his nightstand: my novel Homeland. I literally could not be more proud than I am right now. Thanks to Poitras and her helper, Maria, for this clip.
When Ed Snowden met Marcus Yallow
Here’s a scene from Citizenfour, Laura Poitras’s acclaimed documentary on Edward Snowden, showing Snowden packing his bags to leave Hong Kong, showing the book on his nightstand: my novel Homeland. I literally could not be more proud than I am right now. Thanks to Poitras and her helper, Maria, for this clip.
Why should we care about characters?
I appear in the latest edition of the Writing Excuses podcast (MP3), recorded live at Westercon in Salt Lake City last summer, with Mary Robinette Kowal, Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells and Howard Tayler, talking about why we care about characters.
Why should we care about characters?
I appear in the latest edition of the Writing Excuses podcast (MP3), recorded live at Westercon in Salt Lake City last summer, with Mary Robinette Kowal, Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells and Howard Tayler, talking about why we care about characters.
Little Brother middle school English curriculum materials
James Scot Brodie is a teacher at Presidio Middle School in San Francisco, where Jen Wang and I spoke last month on our tour for In Real Life; prior to my arriving, he assigned my book Little Brother to his students, and produced some curricular materials that he's generously given to me to publish. Little … [Read more]
Little Brother middle school English curriculum materials
James Scot Brodie is a teacher at Presidio Middle School in San Francisco, where Jen Wang and I spoke last month on our tour for In Real Life; prior to my arriving, he assigned my book Little Brother to his students, and produced some curricular materials that he’s generously given to me to publish. Little... more
Wide-ranging conversation with Portlands KBOO about Information Doesnt Want to Be Free
Last month, I sat down for a long conversation (http://kboo.fm/sites/default/files/episode_audio/kboo_episode.2.141120.1100.2682.mp3">MP3) with Ken Jones for the Between the Covers at Portland, Oregon's KBOO community radio station, talking about my book Information Doesn't Want to be Free. They've posted the audio so people from outside of Portland can hear it too!
Wide-ranging conversation with Portlands KBOO about Information Doesnt Want to Be Free
Last month, I sat down for a long conversation (MP3) with Ken Jones for the Between the Covers at Portland, Oregon’s KBOO community radio station, talking about my book Information Doesn’t Want to be Free. They’ve posted the audio so people from outside of Portland can hear it too!
Information Doesnt Want to Be Free interview with Baltimore morning radio
I'm heading to Ann Arbor, DC and Baltimore this week for a series of talks -- I did a a quick interview with Baltimore's WYPR (MP3) that came out very well!
Information Doesnt Want to Be Free interview with Baltimore morning radio
I’m heading to Ann Arbor, DC and Baltimore this week for a series of talks — I did a a quick interview with Baltimore’s WYPR (MP3) that came out very well!
Huxleyed into the Full Orwell
Huxleyed Into the Full Orwell is a new short story I wrote for Vice Magazine's just-launched science fiction section Terraform, which also has new stories up by Claire Evans, Bruce Sterling, and Adam Rothstein. "Huxleyed" is a story about the way that entertainment companies' war on general purpose computing could lead into a horrible mashup … [Read more]
Huxleyed into the Full Orwell
Huxleyed Into the Full Orwell is a new short story I wrote for Vice Magazine’s just-launched science fiction section Terraform, which also has new stories up by Claire Evans, Bruce Sterling, and Adam Rothstein. “Huxleyed” is a story about the way that entertainment companies’ war on general purpose computing could lead into a horrible mashup... more
Audio from Seattle Hieroglyph event with Neal Stepehenson
Here's an MP3 of the audio from the Reigniting Societys Ambition with Science Fiction event that I did with Neal Stephenson and Ed Finn at Seattle Town Hall on Oct 26, to promote the Hieroglyph anthology, designed to inspire optimistic technologies to solve the Earth's most urgent problems. I had a story in it called … [Read more]
Stories are a fuggly hack
My latest Locus Magazine column is Stories Are a Fuggly Hack, in which I point out the limits of storytelling as an artform, and bemoan all the artists from other fields -- visual art, music -- who aspire to storytelling in order to make their art. There are other media, much more abstract media, that … [Read more]
Amanda Palmers Art of Asking: art for the crowdfunding age
Amanda Palmer's new book Art of Asking is a moving and insightful memoir of her life performing music while making personal connections with her fans; I wrote a long, in-depth review of it for The New Statesman. There's a litmus test for how you will likely feel about Palmer's Kickstarter: Palmer invited local musicians in … [Read more]
UK launch of In Real Life at Orbital Comics, London, Nov 12
I've just come back to the UK from my US tour for In Real Life, the New York Times bestselling graphic novel Jen Wang and I made; I'll be launching it in London at the incomparable Orbital Comics, near Leicester Square, on the evening of Weds, 12 Nov. The event is free, and I'll be … [Read more]
London, Tue night: Biella Coleman and I talk about Hackers and Hoaxers: Inside Anonymous
Anthropologist Gabriella Coleman (author of the brilliant Coding Freedom) spent years embedded with Anonymous and has written an indispensable account of the Anonymous phenomenon. I'm going to join Biella for a live appearance at Foyles Books in central London on Tuesday night at 7PM, in an event moderated by James Bridle. Tickets are £5 , … [Read more]
Interview with The Geekcast
I sat down at New York Comic-Con with Aaron from The Geekcast podcast for a long, interesting interview (MP3) on a wide variety of subjects about art, computers, games and justice!
Im coming to Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, SF/Palo Alto!
As the tour with my graphic novel In Real Life draws to a close, my next tour, with my nonfiction book Information Doesn't Want to Be Free kicks off with stops down the west coast. I've also got stops coming up in Warsaw, London, Stockholm, Ann Arbor, Baltimore, DC, and Denver -- here's the whole … [Read more]
Theres no back door that only works for good guys
My latest Guardian column, Crypto wars redux: why the FBI's desire to unlock your private life must be resisted, explains why the US government's push to mandate insecure back-doors in all our devices is such a terrible idea -- the antithesis of "cyber-security." As outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder invokes child kidnappers and terrorists, it's … [Read more]
My In Real Life book-tour!
I'm heading out on tour with my new graphic novel In Real Life, adapted by Jen Wang from my story Anda's Game. I hope you'll come out and see us! We'll be in NYC, Princeton, LA, San Francisco, Seattle, Austin, Minneapolis and Chicago! (I'm also touring my new nonfiction book, Information Doesn't Want to Be … [Read more]
Homeland wins Copper Cylinder award for best Canadian YA sf novel
The Copper Cylinder Prize, voted on by members of the Sunburst Award Society awarded best YA novel to Homeland; best adult novel went to Guy Gavriel Kay's River of Stars. It's a fantastic honour, in some ways even better than winning the juried Sunburst Award, because popular awards are given to books that have wide … [Read more]
Privacy for Normal People
My latest Guardian column, Privacy technology everyone can use would make us all more secure, makes the case for privacy technology as something that anyone can -- and should use, discussing the work being done by the charitable Simply Secure foundation that launches today (site is not yet up as of this writing), with the … [Read more]
Excerpt from In Real Life, YA graphic novel about gold farmers
In Real Life is the book-length graphic novel adapted by Jen Wang from my short story Anda's Game, about a girl who encounters a union organizer working to sign up Chinese gold-farmers in a multiplayer game. Tor.com has published a long excerpt from the book, showcasing Jen's wonderful art, character development and writing! In Real … [Read more]
Amazon vs Hachette is nothing: just WAIT for the audiobook wars!
In my latest Locus column, Audible, Comixology, Amazon, and Doctorows First Law, I unpick the technological forces at work in the fight between Amazon and Hachette, one of the "big five" publishers, whose books have not been normally available through Amazon for months now, as the publisher and the bookseller go to war over the … [Read more]
Information Doesnt Want to Be Free
Here's the audio of my closing keynote speech at last Friday's Dconstruct (this was the tenth Dconstruct; I'm pleased to say that I also gave the closing speech at the very first one!). You can hear audio from the rest of the speakers too.
Starred review in Kirkus for INFORMATION DOESNT WANT TO BE FREE, my next book
My next book, Information Doesnt Want to Be Free, comes out in November, but the reviews have just started to come in. Kirkus gave it a stellar review. Many thanks to @neilhimself and @amandapalmer for their wonderful introductions! In his best-selling novel Ready Player One, Ernest Cline predicted that decades from now, Doctorow (Homeland, 2013, … [Read more]
High-school English study guide for Homeland, the sequel to Little Brother
Neil Anderson from the Association from Media Literacy has produced an excellent study guide for my novel Homeland (the sequel to Little Brother) -- Anderson's guide encourages critical thinking about politics, literary technique, technology, privacy, surveillance, and history. I'm immensely grateful to Anderson for his good work here. I often hear from teachers who want … [Read more]
Excerpt from my story The Man Who Sold the Moon
Medium have published an excerpt from "The Man Who Sold the Moon, my 36,000 word novella in Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future, a project to inspire optimism and ambition about the future and technology that Neal Stephenson kicked off (see also What Will it Take to Get Us Back to the Moon?). … [Read more]
Free cybersecurity MOOC
The Open University's "Introduction to Cyber Security" is a free online course -- with optional certificate -- that teaches the fundamentals of crypto, information security, and privacy; I host the series, which starts on Oct 13." The course is designed to teach you to use privacy technologies and good practices to make it harder for … [Read more]
Podcast: Petard from Tech Reviews Twelve Tomorrows
Here's a reading (MP3) of the first part of my story "Petard: A Tale of Just Desserts" from the new MIT Tech Review anthology Twelve Tomorrows, edited by Bruce Sterling. The anthology also features fiction by William Gibson, Lauren Beukes, Chris Brown, Pat Cadigan, Warren Ellis, Joel Garreau, and Paul Graham Raven. The 2013 summer … [Read more]
Adversarial Compatibility: hidden escape hatch rescues us from imprisonment through our stuff
My latest Guardian column, Adapting gadgets to our needs is the secret pivot on which technology turns, explains the hidden economics of stuff, and how different rules can trap you in your own past, or give you a better future. Depending on your view, the stuff you own is either a boon to business or … [Read more]
Tech Reviews annual science fiction issue, edited by Bruce Sterling, featuring William Gibson
The summer annual features stories "inspired by the real-life breakthroughs covered in the pages of MIT Technology Review," including "Petard," my story about hacktivism; and "Death Cookie/Easy Ice," an excerpt from William Gibson's forthcoming (and stone brilliant) futuristic novel The Peripheral. Other authors in the collection include Lauren Beukes, Chris Brown, Pat Cadigan, Warren Ellis, … [Read more]
Neal Stephenson and Cory speaking at Seattles Town Hall, Oct 26
We're getting together to talk about Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future , a project that Stephenson kicked off -- I've got a story in it called "The Man Who Sold the Moon." The project's mission is to promote "Asimovian robots, Heinleinian rocket ships, Gibsonian cyberspace& plausible, thought-out pictures of alternate realities in … [Read more]
My London Worldcon schedule
I'll be joining thousands of fans and hundreds of presenters at Loncon 3, the 72nd World Science Fiction Convention, later this week. I hope to see you there! Weds, Aug 13 * 18h: Group signing at Forbidden Planet, Shaftesbury Ave, with Chris Achilleos, Madeline Ashby, Gregory Benford, Adam Christopher, Wesley Chu, Phil & Kaja Foglio, … [Read more]
Disrupting elections with Kickstarter-like campaigning apps
The UK parliamentary farce over #DRIP showed us that, more than any other industry, the political machine is in dire need of disruption. In my latest Guardian column, How the Kickstarter model could transform UK elections, I suggest that the way that minority politicians could overcome the collective action deadlock of voters being unwilling to … [Read more]
Documentary on the making of the Homeland audiobook with Wil Wheaton
Skyboat Media produced this great little documentary about Wil Wheaton's recording sessions for the audiobook of my novel Homeland, in which he had to read out Pi for four minutes straight, read out dialog in which the narrator had a fanboy moment about meeting Wil Wheaton, and many other fun moments.
Homeland wins the Prometheus award!
I am delighted and honored to announce that my novel Homeland has won the Prometheus Award for best novel, tying with Ramez Naam's excellent novel Nexus. I am triply honored because this is the third Prometheus I've won -- the other two being for Little Brother and Pirate Cinema. My sincere thanks to the Libertarian … [Read more]
How to save the CBC, making it a global online participatory leader
In my latest Guardian column, What Canada's national public broadcaster could learn from the BBC, I look at the punishing cuts to the CBC, and how a shelved (but visionary) BBC plan to field a "creative archive" of shareable and remixable content could help the network lead the country into a networked, participatory future. The … [Read more]
OECD predicts collapse of capitalism
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development -- a pro-establishment, rock-ribbed bastion of pro-market thinking -- has released a report predicting a collapse in global economic growth rates, a rise in feudal wealth disparity, collapsing tax revenue and huge, migrating bands of migrant laborers roaming from country to country, seeking crumbs of work. They proscribe … [Read more]
Coming to SLC and PDX
I'm heading to Salt Lake City this week for Westercon, followed by an appearance at the SLC Library on Monday. Next week, I'll be in PDX for three library gigs: Beaverton, Tigard, and Hillsboro. See you there!
Podcast: How Amazon is holding Hachette hostage
Here's a reading (MP3) of my latest Guardian column, How Amazon is holding Hachette hostage, which examines how Hachette's insistence on DRM for their ebooks has taken away all their negotiating leverage with Amazon, resulting in Amazon pulling Hachette's books from its catalog in the course of a dispute over discounting: Under US law (the … [Read more]
My talk at the Edinburgh Publishing Conference
Here's my talk at last week's Edinburgh Publishing Conference, called "Information Doesn't Want to Be Free."
How Hachette made the rope that Amazon is hanging it with
In my latest Guardian column, "How Amazon is holding Hachette hostage," I discuss the petard that the French publishing giant Hachette is being hoisted upon by Amazon. Hachette insisted that Amazon sell its books with "Digital Rights Management" that only Amazon is allowed to remove, and now Hachette can't afford to pull its books from … [Read more]
My Tedxoxbridge talk: How to break the Internet
I gave a talk last month in Cambridge at the Tedxoxbridge event called How to break the Internet, about how urgent it is that the Internet is fundamentally broken, and why we should be hopeful that we can fix it.
Homeland shortlisted for the Sunburst Award
I'm honoured and delighted to learn that my novel Homeland has been shortlisted for Canada's Sunburst Award, a juried prize for excellence in speculative fiction. I've won the Sunburst twice before, and this is one of my proudest accomplishments; I'm indebted to the jury for their kindness this year. The other nominees are a very … [Read more]
Podcast: News from the future for Wired UK
Here's a reading (MP3) of a short story I wrote for the July, 2014 issue of Wired UK in the form of a news dispatch from the year 2024 -- specifically, a parliamentary sketch from a raucous Prime Minister's Question Time where a desperate issue of computer security rears its head: Quick: what do all … [Read more]
Interviewing Leila Johnstone about Hack Circus
My latest Guardian column is an interview with Leila Johnston about her Hack Circus project, which includes a conference, a podcast and a print magazine, all with a nearly indefinable ethic of independence and art for its own sake. The opposite of useful is not always useless, as such. The opposite of reportage is not … [Read more]
Coming to Salt Lake City and Portland, OR
I'm about to hit the road again, starting in Salt Lake City, where I'll be a Guest of Honor at Westercon (Jul 3-6), and will follow it up with an appearance at the SLC library (Jul 7); then I'm doing a three-day library tour around PDX, with stops in Beaverton (Jul 8), Tigard (Jul 9) … [Read more]
Audio from todays keynote on digital publishing
This morning, I gave the keynote speech the 2014 conference of The Literary Consultancy in London, about the future of publishing. They got the audio up with lightning speed (I'm in the auditorium, listening to the follow-on panel). MP3 Link
ZOMGTERRISTSGONNAKILLUSALL tee, now in tote form
My ZOMGTERRISTSGONNAKILLUSALLRUNHIDE TSA tee-shirt (of Poop Strong fame) is available in tote-bag form, a fact I had somehow missed!
Podcast: Cybersecurity begins with integrity, not surveillance
Here's a reading (MP3) of a recent Guardian column, 'Cybersecurity' begins with integrity, not surveillance, in which I suggest that the reason to oppose mass surveillance is independent of whether it "works" or not -- the reason to oppose mass surveillance is that mass surveillance is an inherently immoral act: The Washington Post journalist Barton … [Read more]
Little Brother challenged in Florida high school
For the first time, one of my books has been challenged. The students at Booker T Washington High in Pensacola, Florida were to be assigned Little Brother for their summer One School/One Book read. At the last instant -- and over the objections of the head of the English department and the chief librarian -- … [Read more]
Humble Ebook Bundle adds Lawful Interception audio, From Hell Companion, Too Cool To Be Forgotten
The latest Humble Ebook Bundle has added four new titles: Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell's From Hell, the From Hell Companion (review), Too Cool to Be Forgotten (review); and my audiobook for Lawful Interception, the sequel to Little Brother and Homeland. They join a stellar lineup of other comics, novels and ebooks with work by … [Read more]
Podcast: How to Talk to Your Children About Mass Surveillance
Here's a reading (MP3) of a my latest Locus column, How to Talk to Your Children About Mass Surveillance, in which I describe the way that I've explained the Snowden affair to my six-year-old: So I explained to my daughter that there was a man who was a spy, who discovered that the spies he … [Read more]
Clarion SF/F writeathon: write, sponsor writers, help a new generation
Once again, it's time for the Clarion Writers Workshop writeathon - we need writers and sponsors to help fund the Clarion Workshop, the respected, long-running science fiction writers' bootcamp. A writeathon is just what is sounds like: a fundraiser where writers ask their friends to sponsor their writing. I'm writing 1,000 words a day, five … [Read more]
Talking with NPR Marketplace about the Disneyland prospectus
I was on NPR’s Marketplace yesterday talking (MP3) about our posting of a rarer-than-rare Disney treasure, the never-before-seen original prospectus for Disneyland, scanned before it was sold to noted jerkface Glenn Beck, who has squirreled it away in his private Scrooge McDuck vault.
Podcast (FIXED): Firefoxs adoption of closed-source DRM breaks my heart
Note: This is a fixed version of this week's podcast; I accidentally uploaded an older podcast under this headline. Here's a reading (MP3) of a my latest Guardian column, Firefox's adoption of closed-source DRM breaks my heart, a close analysis of the terrible news that Mozilla has opted to add closed source DRM to its … [Read more]
Podcast: Firefoxs adoption of closed-source DRM breaks my heart
Here's a reading (MP3) of a my latest Guardian column, Firefox's adoption of closed-source DRM breaks my heart, a close analysis of the terrible news that Mozilla has opted to add closed source DRM to its flagship Firefox browser: The decision to produce systems that treat internet users as untrusted adversaries to be controlled by … [Read more]
Coming to SLC
I'm delighted to announced that I'll be the guest of honor at Salt Lake City's Westercon 67 this July -- Westercon being the annual convention for science fiction fandom west of the Mississippi. There's quite a fantastic roster of other guests as well! See you 44 days in SLC!
Makers: the Japanese fan-trans
Haruka Tsubota has undertaken a Japanese fan-translation of my novel Makers. It's available as Epub and Mobi, and licensed CC-BY-NC-SA.
Mozilla breaks our hearts, adds DRM to Firefox
For months, I've been following the story that the Mozilla project was set to add closed source Digital Rights Management technology to its free/open browser Firefox, and today they've made the announcement, which I've covered in depth for The Guardian. Mozilla made the decision out of fear that the organization would haemorrhage users and become … [Read more]
Podcast: Why it is not possible to regulate robots
Here's a reading (MP3) of a my recent Guardian column, Why it is not possible to regulate robots, which discusses where and how robots can be regulated, and whether there is any sensible ground for "robot law" as distinct from "computer law." One thing that is glaringly absent from both the Heinleinian and Asimovian brain … [Read more]
Against the instrumental argument for surveillance
In my latest Guardian column, 'Cybersecurity' begins with integrity, not surveillance, I try to make sense of the argument against surveillance. Is mass surveillance bad because it doesn't catch "bad guys" or because it is immoral? There's a parallel to torture -- even if you can find places where torture would work to get you … [Read more]
2014 Locus Award finalists, including Homeland
The finalists for the 2014 Locus Awards have been announced and I'm incredibly honored to see that my novel Homeland made the final five in the Young Adult category. The competition in that category is remarkably good company: Zombie Baseball Beatdown by Paolo Bacigalupi; Holly Black's Coldest Girl in Coldtown, Cat Valente's The Girl Who … [Read more]
How to Talk to Your Children About Mass Surveillance
In my latest Locus column, How to Talk to Your Children About Mass Surveillance, I tell the story of how I explained the Snowden leaks to my six-year-old, and the surprising interest and comprehension she showed during our talk and afterwards. Kids, it seems, intuitively understand what it's like to be constantly monitored by unaccountable, … [Read more]
Podcast: Internet service providers charging for premium access hold us all to ransom
Here's a reading (MP3) of a my latest Guardian column, Internet service providers charging for premium access hold us all to ransom, which tries to make sense of the disastrous news that the Federal Communications Commission is contemplating rules to allow ISPs to demand bribes from publishers in exchange for letting you see the webpages … [Read more]
Gutting Net Neutrality also guts innovation, fairness and democracy
My latest Guardian column, Internet service providers charging for premium access hold us all to ransom, explains what's at stake now that the FCC is prepared to let ISPs charge services for "premium" access to its subscribers. It's pretty much the worst Internet policy imaginable, an anti-innovation, anti-democratic, anti-justice hand-grenade lobbed by telcos who shout … [Read more]
Video: Bart Gellman and me opening for Ed Snowden at SXSW
Last month, Barton Gellman and I opened for Edward Snowden's first-ever public appearance, at the SXSW conference in Austin. The kind folks at SXSW have put the video online (the Snowden video itself was already up). I think we did a good job of framing the big questions raised by the Snowden leaks.
Homeland Audiobook
Wil Wheaton reads this independently produced audio edition of Homeland, which also includes Jacob Appelbaum's reading of his own afterword, and Noah Swartz reading his brother Aaron Swartz's afterword.
My Futuristic Tales of the Here and Now in Vodos indie science fiction bundle: comics, movies, novels, and more!
Jamie from Vodo writes, "We've launched Otherworlds, our first indie sci-fi bundle! This pay-what-you-want, crossmedia collection includes the graphic novel collecting Cory's own 'Futuristic Tales of the Here and Now', Jim Munroe's micro-budget sci-fi satire 'Ghosts With Shit Jobs', Robert Venditti's New York Times Bestselling graphic novel 'The Surrogates', and Amber Benson/Adam Busch's alien office … [Read more]
Homeland audiobook, read by Wil Wheaton, is back on downpour.com
For those of you who missed the audiobook in which Wil Wheaton reads my novel Homeland in the Humble Ebook Bundle, despair no longer! You can buy it DRM-free on the excellent Downpour.com, a site with many DRM-free audio titles. Homeland (audiobook)
Why I dont believe in robots
My new Guardian column is "Why it is not possible to regulate robots," which discusses where and how robots can be regulated, and whether there is any sensible ground for "robot law" as distinct from "computer law." One thing that is glaringly absent from both the Heinleinian and Asimovian brain is the idea of software … [Read more]
Podcast: Collective Action the Magnificent Seven anti-troll business-model
Here's a reading (MP3) of a my November, 2013 Locus column, Collective Action, in which I propose an Internet-enabled "Magnificent Seven" business model for foiling corruption, especially copyright- and patent-trolling. In this model, victims of extortionists find each other on the Internet and pledge to divert a year's worth of "license fees" to a collective … [Read more]
In which I make Wil Wheaton read out Pi for four minutes
Chapter nine of Homeland opens with about 400 digits of Pi. When Wil Wheaton read the chapter, he soldiered through it, reading out Pi for a whopping four minutes! Here's the raw studio audio (MP3) of Wil and director Gabrielle De Cuir playing numbers station. There's less than a week left during which you can … [Read more]
Danish Little Brother
Hey, Danes! There's a limited-edition Danish-language translation of Little Brother that's just come out from Science Fiction Cirklen! Tell your friends!
Noah Swartz reads Aaron Swartzs afterword to Homeland
Before he died, Aaron Swartz wrote a tremendous afterword for my novel Homeland -- Aaron also really helped with the core plot, devising an ingenious system for helping independent candidates get the vote out that he went on to work on. When I commissioned the indie audiobook of Homeland (now available in the Humble Ebook … [Read more]
Homeland shortlisted for the Prometheus Award
I'm immensely proud and honored to once again be shortlisted for the Prometheus Award, for my novel Homeland. The Prometheus is given by the Libertarian Futurist Society, and I've won it for my books Little Brother and Pirate Cinema. As always, the Prometheus shortlist is full of great work, including both of Ramez Naam's novels … [Read more]
Jake Appelbaum reads his Homeland afterword, with bonus Atari Teenage Riot vocoder mix
Two of my friends contributed afterwords to my novel Homeland: Aaron Swartz and Jacob Appelbaum. In this outtake from the independently produced Homeland audiobook (which you can get for the next week exclusively through the Humble Ebook Bundle), Jake reads his afterword at The Hellish Vortex Studio in Berlin, where he is in exile after … [Read more]
Podcast: What happens with digital rights management in the real world?
What happens with digital rights management in the real world? Podcast: What happens with digital rights management in the real world? Here's a reading (MP3) of a recent Guardian column, What happens with digital rights management in the real world where I attempt to explain the technological realpolitik of DRM, which has nothing much to … [Read more]
Wil Wheaton reads chapter one of Homeland
Here's Wil Wheaton reading chapter one of my novel Homeland (here's the MP3, which I paid to independently produce for the third Humble Ebook Bundle, which runs for another eight days. I've loved all of my audio adaptations, but Wil's was a dream come true for me. He really, really nailed it. What's more, because … [Read more]
Wil Wheatons subconscious wants to melt some camels (?!)
When Wil Wheaton was reading the audiobook for my novel Homeland (exclusively available through the Humble Ebook Bundle for the next nine days!), I had the great pleasure of listening to the raw, unedited studio recordings before they were mastered. Together with editor John Taylor Williams, we collected some of the best outtakes, which I've … [Read more]
Cory Doctorow: Das Urheberrecht sollte dem kreativen Schaffen aller dienen
Cory Doctorow on the Politics of Copyright from iRights.info on Vimeo.
Homeland audiobook: Wil Wheaton explains how Little Brother and Homeland make you technologically literate
The Humble Ebook Bundle continues to rock, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for a bundle of great name-your-price ebooks, including Scott Westerfeld's Uglies, Steve Gould's Jumper, and Holly Black's Tithe. Also included in the bundle is an exclusive audiobook of my novel Homeland, read by Wil Wheaton. I commissioned Wil to read the book … [Read more]
Homeland audiobook behind the scenes: Wil Wheaton explains his cameo to the director
The Humble Ebook Bundle is going great guns, with a collection of recent and classic books from both indie and major publishers, all DRM-free, on a name-your-price basis. Included in the bundle is an exclusive audio adaptation of my novel Homeland, read by Wil Wheaton, who also appears as a character in the novel. When … [Read more]
Wil Wheaton has a surreal moment reading the Homeland audiobook
As mentioned yesterday, the DRM-free, independent audiobook of my novel Homeland is available from the Humble Bundle for the next two weeks, along with a collection of brilliant science fiction and fantasy from authors ranging from Scott Westerfeld to Holly Black. I commissioned the audiobook for the project, and paid Wil Wheaton to read it … [Read more]
New World Notes on In Real Life, the graphic novel based on Andas Game
As mentioned, In Real Life is a graphic novel adapted by Jen Wang from my short story Anda's Game, out in the autumn. Wagner James Au of New World News got an advance copy and had some kind words about the book, as well as its context in MMOs like Warcraft and Second Life. "Well, … [Read more]
HOMELAND audiobook, read by Wil Wheaton, DRM-free, in the new Humble Bundle!
For the past two months, I've been working on a secret project to produce an independent audiobook adaptation of my bestselling novel Homeland, read by Wil Wheaton, one of my favorite audiobook voice-actors (and a hell of a great guy, besides!). The audiobook is out as of today, and I'm proud to say that for … [Read more]
Podcast: If GCHQ wants to improve national security it must fix our technology
Here's a reading (MP3) of my latest Guardian column, If GCHQ wants to improve national security it must fix our technology where I try to convey the insanity of spy agencies that weaken Internet security in order to make it easier for them to spy on people, by comparing this to germ warfare. Last year, … [Read more]
Get a signed, inscribed copy of In Real Life delivered to your door, courtesy of WORD Books
As previously mentioned, Jen Wang and I have adapted my short story "Anda's Game" as a full-length, young adult graphic novel called "In Real Life," which comes out next October. Brooklyn's excellent WORD bookstore has generously offered to take pre-orders for signed copies; I'll drop by the store during New York Comic-Con and sign and … [Read more]
Security as a public health discipline, not an engineering one
In my latest Guardian column, If GCHQ wants to improve national security it must fix our technology, I argue that computer security isn't really an engineering issue, it's a public health issue. As with public health, it's more important to be sure that our pathogens are disclosed, understood and disclosed than it is to keep … [Read more]
Snowden at SXSW: immediate impressions
Yesterday at SXSW, Barton Gellman and I did a one-hour introductory Q&A before Edward Snowden's appearance. Right after Snowden and his colleagues from the ACLU wrapped up, I sat down and wrote up their event for The Guardian, who've just posted my impressions: Snowden described the unique recklessness of an American intelligence agency undermining internet … [Read more]
Podcast: Cold Equations and Moral Hazard
Here's a reading (MP3) of my latest Locus column, Cold Equations and Moral Hazard which considers the way that science fiction can manipulate our ideas about the technical necessity for human misery, and how that narrative can be hijacked for self-serving ends. Apparently, editor John W. Campbell sent back three rewrites in which the pilot … [Read more]
Cold Equations and Moral Hazard: science fiction considered harmful to the future
My latest Locus column is "Cold Equations and Moral Hazard", an essay about the way that our narratives about the future can pave the way for bad people to create, and benefit from, disasters. "If being in a lifeboat gives you the power to make everyone else shut the hell up and listen (or else), … [Read more]
Guest review: my daughter reviews Ariol
I love reading with my daughter, Poesy, who has just turned six. We agree on almost all of her favorites, and re-reading them is one of our best-loved activities, and how we pass the time on boring bus-rides and so forth. However, there are a few books that Poesy loves, but which leave me cold. … [Read more]
Text of Little Brother on an art-litho, tee, or tote
As you may have noticed, I think Litographs are really cool: the company turns the text of various books into a piece of appropriately themed text-art and makes lithographs, tees and tote-bags out of it. Now, I'm delighted to announce that the company has produced a line of Litographs based on my novel Little Brother, … [Read more]
Museums and the free world: keynote from the Museums and the Web conference in Florence
Yesterday, I delivered a keynote address for the 2014 Museums and the Web Conference in Florence, speaking in the audience chamber of the Palazzo Vecchio, which is pretty much the definition of working the big room at the palace. The organizers will be uploading video shortly, but in the meantime, they've been kind enough to … [Read more]
Why DRM is the root of all evil
Why DRM is the root of all evil In my latest Guardian column, What happens with digital rights management in the real world?, I explain why the most important fact about DRM is how it relates to security and disclosure, and not how it relates to fair use and copyright. Most importantly, I propose a … [Read more]
Podcast: What does David Camerons Great Firewall look like?
Here's a reading of a recent Guardian column, What does David Cameron's Great Firewall look like? which debunks the UK government's stupid arguments for its national anti-porn firewall: David Cameron's attempt to create a Made-in-Britain version of Iran's "Halal Internet" is the worst of both worlds for parents like me. Kids are prevented from seeing … [Read more]
Locus recommended reading list for best science fiction and fantasy of 2013
Locus Magazine has published its annual Recommended Reading list, which is my favorite annual guide to the best that science fiction and fantasy have to offer. The 2013 roundup includes several of the books I've reviewed on Boing Boing this year, including Paolo Bacigalupi's Zombie Baseball Beatdown, Charlie Stross's Neptune's Brood, Lauren Beukes's The Shining … [Read more]
Podcast: Cheap writing tricks
Here's a reading of my latest Locus column, Cheap Writing Tricks, which discusses the mysterious business of why stories are satisfying, and how to make them so: Plots are funny things. In the real world, stuff is always happening, but its not a plot. People live. People die. People are made glorious or miserable. Things … [Read more]
Makers review from high-school senior Rebecca Nguyen
Rebecca Nguyen is a high-school senior who is a fan of my young adult novels. Recently, she read my book Makers and liked it so much that she wrote a great review of it, which she placed with the Poughkeepsie Journal. It's an incisive review, and I'm very grateful to Rebecca for it. Thank you, … [Read more]
Announcing In Real Life: graphic novel about gold farming, kids and games
Yesterday, FirstSecond formally announced the publication of In Real Life, a graphic novel about gaming and gold farming for young adults based on my award-winning story Anda's Game, adapted by Jen Wang, creator of the amazing graphic novel Koko Be Good. Jen did an incredible job with the adaptation. Kotaku conducted a Q&A with Jen … [Read more]
Pirate Cinema and Homeland covers shortlisted for the Kitschie for best cover
The Kitschies are a British award for science fiction and fantasy; every year they choose some marvellous books to honour. This year, I'm proud and pleased announce that they've shortlisted the UK editions of my novels Pirate Cinema and Homeland for the "Inky Tentacle" award for best cover. Both covers were designed by the studio … [Read more]
Pirate Cinema and Homeland covers shortlisted for the Kitschie for best cover
The Kitschies are a British award for science fiction and fantasy; every year they choose some marvellous books to honour. This year, I'm proud and pleased announce that they've shortlisted the UK editions of my novels Pirate Cinema and Homeland for the "Inky Tentacle" award for best cover. Both covers were designed by the studio … [Read more]
Speaking at SXSW with Barton Gellman about Edward Snowden and NSA surveillance
I'll be returning to SXSW Interactive this March for the first time in more than five years, to interview Pulitzer-winning journalist Barton Gellman, who is one of the journalists who's been entrusted with some of the Snowden NSA leaks. We're doing a presentation called "Snowden 2.0: A Field Report From the NSA Archives," which follows … [Read more]
Podcast: Digital failures are inevitable, but we need them to be graceful
Here's a reading of my latest Guardian column, Digital failures are inevitable, but we need them to be graceful, about the social and political factors that make all the difference when choosing technologies. Banshee fails gracefully because its authors don't attempt any lock-in. When I find myself diverging from the design philosophy of Banshee to … [Read more]
How to have a healthy relationship with technology
My latest Guardian column, "Digital failures are inevitable, but we need them to be graceful," talks about evaluating technology based on more than its features -- rather, on how you relate to it, and how it relates to you. In particular, I try to make the case for giving especial care to what happens when … [Read more]
When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth: .mobi and .epub
Mikael Vejdemo-Johansson converted my story When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth (from the collection Overclocked) into .mobi and .epub for easy viewing on an e-reader or mobile device. I probably get more fan mail for Sysadmins than for any other story, and it won the Locus Award the year it came out (it was later adapted … [Read more]
Flowers From Al 02
Here's the second, concluding part of my reading of my 2003 short story "Flowers From Al," written with Charlie Stross for New Voices in Science Fiction, a Mike Resnick anthology (Here's part one). It's a pervy, weird story of transhuman romance. Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a audiovisual and multimedia … [Read more]
Why fiction works
In my latest Locus column, "Cheap Writing Tricks," I ruminate on what makes fiction work -- why we perceive stories as stories, why we care about characters, and how the construction of stories interacts with the human mind (and why How to Win Friends and Influence People is a great writing tool). There are lots … [Read more]
Great Firewall of Cameron: the worst of all worlds for British parents
In my latest Guardian column, I explain how UK prime minister David Cameron's plan to opt the entire nation into a programme of Internet censorship is the worst of all worlds for kids and their parents. Cameron's version of the Iranian "Halal Internet" can't possibly filter out all the bad stuff, nor can it avoid … [Read more]
Flowers From Al 01
Here's part one of my 2003 short story "Flowers From Al," written with Charlie Stross for New Voices in Science Fiction, a Mike Resnick anthology. It's a pervy, weird story of transhuman romance. Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a audiovisual and multimedia producer based in Washington, DC and the co-host … [Read more]
Christmastime daddy-daughter podcast with Poesy
Every year, there's a day or two between the date that my daughter's school shuts and the day that my wife's office shuts for Christmas holidays. Those are the official seasonal mid-week daddy-daughter days, and for the past two years, my daughter and I have gone to my office to record a podcast. Last year's … [Read more]
Lawful Interception 04
Here's part four of a reading of my novella Lawful Interception, a sequel, of sorts, to Little Brother and Homeland. In addition to the free online read, you can buy this as an ebook single (DRM-free, of course!) (Image: Yuko Shimizu) Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a audiovisual and multimedia … [Read more]
Play Little Brother Jeopardy! online
Don Liebold teaches High School English in Milwaukee, where he and his class read my novel Little Brother. He writes: "To celebrate finishing the book, we are playing Jeopardy tomorrow in class. Here is round 1, and here is round 2. Those are tough questions! I missed a couple!
Lawful Interception 03
Here's part three of a reading of my novella Lawful Interception, a sequel, of sorts, to Little Brother and Homeland. In addition to the free online read, you can buy this as an ebook single (DRM-free, of course!) (Image: Yuko Shimizu) Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a audiovisual and multimedia … [Read more]
Little Brother stageplay now available for local performances
Josh Costello is the playwright who created the award-winning, sold-out stage adaptation of my novel Little Brother. Now, he writes, "The stage adaptation of Cory's novel Little Brother was a big hit in San Francisco in 2012, and the script is now available for licensing. Want to see Little Brother on stage in your city? … [Read more]
Coming to Edinburgh tomorrow night
Tomorrow night, I'll be at Edinburgh's Pulp Fiction Books for a talk and signing! It's free to attend (but ticketed, due to limited space), and runs from 7PM to 8:30. Hope to see you!
Peak indifference to surveillance
In my latest Guardian column, I suggest that we have reached "peak indifference to spying," the turning point at which the number of people alarmed by surveillance will only grow. It's not the end of surveillance, it's not even the beginning of the end of surveillance, but it's the beginning of the beginning of the … [Read more]
Lawful Interception 02
Here's part two of a reading of my novella Lawful Interception, a sequel, of sorts, to Little Brother and Homeland. In addition to the free online read, you can buy this as an ebook single (DRM-free, of course!) (Image: Yuko Shimizu) Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a audiovisual and multimedia … [Read more]
Lawful Interception 01
In this week's installment of my podcast, I break my long hiatus with the first part of a reading of my novella Lawful Interception, a sequel, of sorts, to Little Brother and Homeland. In addition to the free online read, you can buy this as an ebook single (DRM-free, of course!). If you grow up … [Read more]
Lawful Interception 01
In this week's installment of my podcast, I break my long hiatus with the first part of a reading of my novella Lawful Interception, a sequel, of sorts, to Little Brother and Homeland. In addition to the free online read, you can buy this as an ebook single (DRM-free, of course!). If you grow up … [Read more]
Coming to Melbourne next week for four events
I'm heading to Melbourne, Australia next week to do a series of events with the Center for Youth Literature of the State Library of Victoria. I'm doing four events: The science of fiction, Creative versus Commons, Digital fiction masterclass, and Future fiction with teens. I hope you'll come out to them!
Little Brother in the Canada Reads Top Ten
Holy. Cats. My novel Little Brother has made it into the CBC's Canada Reads Top Ten. It is in astoundingly great and humbling company, including Margaret Atwood's Year of the Flood and Joseph Boyden's The Orenda. I'm so, so pleased by this -- thank you to everyone who supported the book. And I hope you … [Read more]
Fighting patent trolls and corruption with the Magnificent Seven business-model
My new Locus column, Collective Action, proposes a theory of corruption: the relatively small profits from being a jerk are concentrated, the much larger effects are diffused, which means that the jerks can afford better lawyers and lobbyists than any one of their victims. Since the victims are spread out and don't know each other, … [Read more]
Young brothers explain Bayess theorem
These two young fellows are brothers from Palo Alto who've set out to produce a series of videos explaining the technical ideas in my novel Little Brother, and their first installment, explaining Bayes's Theorem, is a very promising start. I'm honored -- and delighted! Technology behind "Little Brother" - Jamming with Bayes Rule
Canada Reads top-ten voting ends this weekend
As I mentioned last week, the CBC's Canada Reads list of top 40 Canadian books is up, and it's got a really commendable, wide-ranging variety of titles in it (including my own novel Little Brother). The CBC is asking for readers to choose their favorites by tomorrow, at which point they'll release the top ten … [Read more]
Canada Reads Top 40 books including Little Brother!
I just received the delightful news that my novel, Little Brother made it to the CBC's "Canada Reads" list of top 40 Canadian books, and it is in some spectacular company. There's a competitive element to this (you can vote for your top ten here), but the real value of this list is as a … [Read more]
NPRs Studio 360 on Disney parks
The NPR Show Studio 360 has released a great episode in its "American Icons" series, this one dealing with the Disney themeparks. I was delighted to be interviewed for it, and they've included our complete, unedited interview with the piece. Generations of Americans have grown up with Walt Disney shaping our imaginations. In 1955, Disney … [Read more]
Comic about Doctorow/Doctor Who from a ten-year-old artist
David sent me a note and a pic: Claire and I have been happy mutants for several years; and so our 10 year-old son, Joseph, has often seen us chuckle at a Boing Boing posting, marvel at some piece of LEGO engineering or share a piece of Whoviana. Ive read a few of your books, … [Read more]
Talking Little Brother on KQEDs The Forum
I was privileged to appear on Michael Krasny's Forum on KQED in San Francisco this morning as part of the San Francisco Public Library's One City/One Book celebrations for my novel Little Brother. The KQED people already have the audio (MP3) up on the Internet, which is pretty zippy production-mojo.
Coming to San Francisco next week for SPFLs One City/One Book events
As I've mentioned before, my novel Little Brother is the San Francisco Public Library's pick for its first One City/One Book citywide book-club. They're already in the middle of the three months' worth of events, from debates to robotics and crypto workshops to movie screenings (and much more), and I'm gearing up to head to … [Read more]
How to foil NSA sabotage: use a dead mans switch (podcast)
In this week's podcast, I read aloud a recent Guardian column, "How to foil NSA sabotage: use a dead man's switch, which proposes a "dead-man's switch" service that'll tip people off when the NSA serves a secret order demanding that Web operators sabotage their systems. No one's ever tested this approach in court, and I … [Read more]
Homeland UK edition launch this Wednesday at Londons Forbidden Planet Superstore
Hey, Londoners! I'm launching the UK edition of Homeland this Wednesday at the Forbidden Planet Megastore from 18h-19h. This is the sequel to Little Brother, and it includes the novella Lawful Interception, which follows on from the action in Homeland. If you're not a Londoner, don't despair! Forbidden Planet has a great mail-order service and … [Read more]
Interview with South Africas Tech Central
I just got back from South Africa's Internet Service Provider Association annual conference, iWeek 13. While there, I sat down with TechCentral's Craig Wilson for an interview (MP3) -- about privacy, the NSA, DRM and the future of the Internet.
Little Brother bus-ads in San Francisco
How cool is this? My novel, Little Brother, is the San Francisco Public Library's "One City One Book pick for 2013, which means that it's the book for the annual "citywide book-club." The library is advertising the initiative with bus-shelter, bus- and coffee-sleeve-ads all over town, and the librarians just tweeted me this pic of … [Read more]
Fighting back against NSA sabotage with a dead-mans switch
My latest Guardian column, "How to foil NSA sabotage: use a dead man's switch," conducts a thought-experiment for a "dead-man's switch" to undermine the system of secret surveillance orders used by American government agencies. If you're worried about getting a secret order to sabotage your users' security, you could send a dead-man's switch service a … [Read more]
I have cancelled my appearance at Campus Party London tonight
On close inspection, I saw that the contract they wanted me to speak under required me: * to exclusively assign all rights to the talk to them; * to indemnify them against all claims (including nuisance claims) arising from the talk (meaning that they could simply hand money to nuisance complainants and send me the … [Read more]
How publishers should learn to stop worrying and love library ebook lending
My latest Locus column, Libraries and E-books, talks about the raw deal that libraries are currently getting from the big five publishers on ebook pricing (libraries pay up to five times retail for their ebooks, and are additionally burdened with the requirement to use expensive, proprietary collection-management tools). I point out that libraries are effectively … [Read more]
Why it matters that you cant own an electronic copy of the Oxford English Dictionary
In my latest Guardian column, I talk about the digital versions of the Oxford English Dictionary and the Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary, the two most important lexicographic references to the English language. As a writer, my print copies of the OED and HTOED are to me what an anvil is to a … [Read more]
Interview with Circulating Ideas library podcast
I did an interview with the Circulating Ideas library podcast (MP3) at the American Library Association conference this year. We talked about information politics, DRM and libraries, my own history with reading and books, and the future of librarianship.
Why Helsinki should host the WorldCon
Here's a video of me explaining why the Helsinki bid committee should be awarded the next World Science Fiction Convention -- it's a grab-bag of all the things I love about Finland. (Thanks, Eemeli)
Talking about the writing life
I did an interview with ShelfAwareness that came out well, I think (I wrote this a long while ago and it's just coming out now, so I have the necessary distance to say that). I particularly like my answer to "Name your five favorite authors": "My favorite authors are the ones living, dead, read and … [Read more]
Little Brother inspired Google to encrypt its users traffic
On yesterday's "This Week in Google," a Google engineer called Matt Cutts revealed that the company started encrypting its queries in 2008 after reading my novel Little Brother, in which one of the plot-elements is a guerrilla movement that gets a friendly ISP to encrypt a lot of its traffic so that the movement's own … [Read more]
Podcast of Metadata a wartime drama
In the currently installment of my podcast, I read aloud a recent Guardian column, "Metadata a wartime drama, which imagines a dialog between Alan Turing and Winston Churchill that might have taken place if the UK Home Secretary Theresa May had been Turing's line-manager All we can tell with this analysis is who is … [Read more]
Why writers should stand up for libraries
Earlier this summer, I worked with the American Library Association on their Authors for Library Ebooks project -- which is asking authors to call on their publishers to offer ebooks to libraries at a fair price. Right now, libraries pay several times more for ebooks than people off the street -- up to six times … [Read more]
Teaching Computers Shows Us How Little We Understand About Ourselves
In this week's podcast, I read aloud my latest Locus Magazine column, "Teaching Computers Shows Us How Little We Understand About Ourselves": http://www.locusmag.com/Perspectives/2013/07/cory-doctorow-teaching-computers-shows-us-how-little-we-understand-about-ourselves/ which concerns itself with the ways that we're recklessly formalizing critical elements of human identity such as "names" and "families" for the convenience of corporations and their IT systems and business-models. "When … [Read more]
My talk at Finlands Assembly
I went to Finland on Friday to give a talk at Assembly, the amazing games/demoscene/technology conference held annually in Helsinki. The organizers have already got the video online! The world is made of computers, and so every problem has a computer in the middle of it. Naturally, politicians with problems to solve turn to the … [Read more]
My workflow in the WSJ
I'm profiled in today's Wall Street Journal, where they asked me about the tools I use to be productive, safe and happy on the road and at home. Airport Wi-Fi is costly, slow and often heavily censored. I get around this by setting up my Android phone to share its cellular data connection as a … [Read more]
Little Brother-themed team scavenger hunt coming to San Francisco!
My novel Little Brother is the "One City One Book" pick for the San Francisco Public Library this year; and in its honor, they've put together an amazing city-wide scavenger hunt called "Rogue Agent." It features fiendish puzzles and awesome clues, and kicks off on September 14. It's a team-sport, so start thinking about your … [Read more]
Theres no way to stop children viewing porn in Starbucks
In honour of the Great Firewall of Cameron -- the UK government's plan to force ISPs to turn on network-level spying and censorship of "adult" material -- I've read aloud There's no way to stop children viewing porn in Starbucks, a column I wrote for the Guardian the last time the UK government floating this … [Read more]
Appearing at the BSFA meeting tonight
Hey, Londoners! I'm the speaker at tonight's British Science Fiction Association meeting in the Cellar Bar at the Argyle Public House (1 Greville Street EC1N 8PQ). Kicks off at 6PM -- I'll be interviewed by Tom Hunter from the Arthur C Clarke award.
Pirate Cinema wins the Prometheus Award
I could not be happier to announce that my novel Pirate Cinema has won the Libertarian Science Fiction Society's Prometheus Award, along with Neal Stephenson's Cryptonomicon. I won the Prometheus in 2008 for my novel Little Brother, and it's among my proudest honors. My sincere thanks to the judges and the members of the society … [Read more]
Pirate Cinema shortlisted for Canadas Sunburst Award
My novel Pirate Cinema has been shortlisted for this year's Sunburst Award, a juried prize for the best in Canadian science fiction. It's up in the Young Adult category, and is part of an exciting slate that is full of exciting books that deserve your attention.
Speaking in San Diego on Tuesday; Comic-Con on Thu and Fri
Hey, San Diego! I'm in town, teaching the Clarion Writing Workshop, and tomorrow (Tuesday) night at 7PM, I'll be appearing at Mysterious Galaxy as part of Clarion's speaker series. And if you're coming to Comic-Con, you can catch me on Thursday and Friday.
Lunch with the Financial Times
The Financial Times's Tim Harford has a regular feature called Lunch with the FT in which he takes someone out for lunch and a long chat, and then reports on both the lunch and the talk. We sat down recently for very nice steaks and cheap wine, and Tim's just written it up: Doctorow is … [Read more]
Interview on hacktivism and Aaron Swartz
Here's the second part of my interview with TVOntario's "The Agenda" (part one was posted earlier this week) in which we talk about hacktivism and Aaron Swartz.
Im in a Reddit AMA NOW!
Hey there! I'm doing a Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA) right now with Peter Beagle, Connor Cochran, and Lois Bujold from the current Humble Ebook Bundle.
Humble Ebook Bundle reveals second week bonus books: XKCD, Gaiman/McKean, Holly Black & Machine of Death!
The Humble Ebook Bundle -- a two-week, pay-what-you-like, DRM-free ebook sale -- has just revealed the four bonus books in week two: XKCD Volume 0 by Randall Munrow; Signal to Noise by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean; Poison Eaters and Other Stories by Holly Black and the bestselling Machine of Death anthology. To get these … [Read more]
Kids, science fiction, technology, democracy and surveillance
I sat down in Toronto with Steve Paikin and The Agenda, a great TVOntario programme, and talked about liberty, technology, kids, and surveillance. Agenda Plus: Cory Doctorow on the Future of the Library
Interview about kids, hacking and democracy with NPRs Here and Now
I recently recorded an interview with NRP's "Here and Now" about surveillance, kids, activism, and my novel Homeland. (MP3)
Video from my Maker Faire Meetup keynote
Last Sunday I gave the keynote speech at the Maker Meetup after the London mini Maker Faire. Make's write-up of the event includes a video of my speech, which came out well (I think!).
Appearances: Reddit AMA, San Diego Comic-Con, and Mysterious Galaxy in San Diego
This Thursday, I'll be doing a Reddit AMA with a bunch of authors from the current Humble Ebook Bundle, at 1230h Eastern/0930h Pacific/1730h UK. Then I head to San Diego to teach the Clarion Workshop, and I'll be taking part in the instructor's lecture series at the Mysterious Galaxy bookstore, speaking on July 16 at … [Read more]
The NSAs Prism: why we should care
Here's a read-aloud of my recent Guardian column, "The NSA's Prism: why we should care, which sets out the reasons for caring about the recent revelations of bulk, warrantless, suspicionless, indiscriminate surveillance. Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a audiovisual and multimedia producer based in Washington, DC and the co-host of … [Read more]
Explaining metadata collection with Alan Turing, Theresa May and Winston Churchill
My latest Guardian column is a one-act historical drama about metadata, starring Winston Churchill, Alan Turing and UK Home Secretary Theresa May: May: Mr Turing and his colleagues have laboured hard with every hour that God has sent, but try as they might, they can extract nothing of use from the Enigma cipher. Churchill: (roaring) … [Read more]
Teaching Computers Shows Us How Little We Understand About Ourselves
Locus
Teaching computers teaches us how little we understand about ourselves
My latest Locus column is Teaching Computers Shows Us How Little We Understand About Ourselves, an essay about how ideas we think of as simple and well-understood -- names, families, fairness in games -- turn out to be transcendentally complicated when we try to define them in rule-based terms for computers. I'm especially happy with … [Read more]
Humble Ebook Bundle II: name your price for Last Unicorn, Wil Wheaton, Lois McMaster Bujold, Little Brother, Boneshaker, and Spin!
It's time for another Humble Ebook Bundle! Once again, I was honored to serve as volunteer curator of the Humble Ebook Bundle, a project from the Humble Indie Bundle people who've made Internet history by bundling together awesome, DRM-free media and letting you name your price for it. We did the first Humble Ebook Bundle … [Read more]
Games, at some length
Edge Magazine's Jason Killingsworth interviewed me at some length about my history with videogames, from Apple ][+ to Atari to arcades, with notes on Zynga, DRM, piracy and the Humble Bundles.
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom illo
(Click to embiggen) Illustrator Brian J. Smith did me the tremendous honor of creating this fabulous, detailed illustration inspired by my novel Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, which turned ten this year. He hid all kinds of great little gracenotes in it, too -- tons of characters from the book and from the … [Read more]
Technology and Activism: where does the Internet fit?
Last weekend, I took part in a panel at Yoko Ono's Meltdown festival at Southbank in London, on "Technology and Activism," along with Jamie Bartlett (Director for the Analysis of Social Media at DEMOS) and David Babbs (Executive Director of 38 Degrees), chaired by Olivia Solon from Wired UK. It went well and covered lots … [Read more]
Why you should care about surveillance
I got tired of people savvying me about the revelations of NSA surveillance and asking why anyone would care about secret, intrusive spying, so I wrote a new Guardian column about it, "The NSA's Prism: why we should care." We're bad at privacy because the consequences of privacy disclosures are separated by a lot of … [Read more]
Guardian podcast on publishing with Jonny Geller and Henry Volans
Neil Gaiman's taken over the Guardian's Books Podcast, and had me and agent Jonny Geller and Henry Volans, head of Faber Digital, in the studio for a wide-ranging and awfully fun podcast. The first 20 minutes are a fascinating look at weird London by Damien Walter, and then we kick off with the discussion. MP3 … [Read more]
UK Pirate Cinema is out!
The UK edition of my novel Pirate Cinema hits stores officially today! Tell your friends! When Trent McCauley's obsession for making movies by reassembling footage from popular films causes his home s internet to be cut off, it nearly destroys his family. Shamed, Trent runs away to London. A new bill threatens to criminalize even … [Read more]
By His Things Shall You Know Him (podcast)
The Institute for the Future commissioned me to write a story about the "Internet of Things," and I wrote them a piece called By His Things Will You Know Him, about death, networks, and computers. It's part of an anthology called "An Aura of Familiarity: Visions from the Coming Age of Networked Matter," which we'll … [Read more]
By His Things Shall You Know Him
By His Things Will You Know Him, "An Aura of Familiarity: Visions from the Coming Age of Networked Matter," Institute for the Future
Interview withe PRIs The World about Orwell, Huxley and the NSA
I recorded an interview with the PRI show The World yesterday about Orwell, Huxley and the NSA. It came out well, I think. MP3 Link
Class remixes of Little Brother from Cathedral Prep in Queens, NY
Boys from Brett Wierzbicki's English class at Cathedral Preparatory Seminary in Queens, NY have been reading my novel Little Brother and Brett gave them the option of doing a book-remix instead of a traditional book-report. All told, they produced seven absolutely terrific remixes of the book, and they were good enough to send them all … [Read more]
Little Brother is the One School/One Book choice for Chariho High in Rhode Island
I'm delighted to announce that Chariho High School in Wood River Junction, RI, has chosen my novel Little Brother for its One School/One Book program. Above is a video I recorded for the students; here's a press release [PDF] from Chariho: FOR THE FIRST TIME, Chariho Regional High Schools Summer Reading Program is One School … [Read more]
Clarion Write-a-Thon: sponsoring writers to raise money for the Clarion science fiction and fantasy workshop
I've just signed up for the Clarion Write-a-Thon, an annual fundraiser that brings in money to run the non-profit Clarion Writers Workshop, a kind of bootcamp for science fiction writers held every year at UCSD's La Jolla Campus. I'm a Clarion grad, volunteer board-member, and I'm back teaching the program this year, so I guess … [Read more]
Anonymizing is really hard really, so why is the EU acting like its easy?
My latest Guardian column is "Data protection in the EU: the certainty of uncertainty," a look at the absurdity of having privacy rules that describes some data-sets as "anonymous" and others as "pseudonymous," while computer scientists in the real world are happily re-identifying "anonymous" data-sets with techniques that grow more sophisticated every day. The EU … [Read more]
Little Brother is San Franciscos One City/One Book pick for 2013
I am as pleased as is humanly possible to announce that the San Francisco Public Library system has chosen my novel Little Brother for its "One City/One Book" program, the first ever young adult novel to be so honored by the SFPL. I'll be coming to San Francisco in late September to visit the city's … [Read more]
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom read-aloud part 09
As I mentioned in my March Locus column, I'm celebrating the tenth anniversary of Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by m planning a prequel. volume As part of that, planning'I going to read aloud the entire text of that first book into the podcast, making notes on the book as I go. Here's … [Read more]
Interview with The Pod Delusion
I did an interview (MP3) this week with The Pod Delusion, following on from my Sense About Science lecture.
Interview on the New Disruptors podcast
Glenn Fleishman had me on his New Disruptors podcast and we had a great conversation! (MP3)
Privacy, public health and the moral hazard of surveillance
The Guardian
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom read-aloud part 08
As I mentioned in my March Locus column, I'm celebrating the tenth anniversary of Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by m planning a prequel. volume As part of that, planning'I going to read aloud the entire text of that first book into the podcast, making notes on the book as I go. Here's … [Read more]
Sense About Science lecture
I gave the annual Sense About Science lecture last week in London, and The Guardian recorded and podcasted it (MP3). It's based on the Waffle Iron Connected to a Fax Machine talk I gave at Re:publica in Berlin the week before.
Black Code: how spies, cops and crims are making cyberspace unfit for human habitation
I reviewed Ronald Diebert's new book Black Code in this weekend's edition of the Globe and Mail. Diebert runs the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto and has been instrumental in several high-profile reports that outed government spying (like Chinese hackers who compromised the Dalai Lama's computer and turned it into a covert CCTV) … [Read more]
Hacking Politics: name-your-price ebook on the history of the SOPA fight
Hacking Politics is a new book recounting the history of the fight against SOPA, when geeks, hackers and activists turned Washington politics upside-down and changed how Congress thinks about the Internet. It collects essays by many people (including me): Aaron Swartz, Larry Lessig, Zoe Lofgren, Mike Masnick, Kim Dotcom, Nicole Powers, Tiffiny Cheng, Alexis Ohanian, … [Read more]
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom read-aloud part 07
As I mentioned in my March Locus column, I'm celebrating the tenth anniversary of Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by m planning a prequel. volume As part of that, planning'I going to read aloud the entire text of that first book into the podcast, making notes on the book as I go. Here's … [Read more]
3D printed guns and the law: will judges be able to think clearly about digital files when guns are involved?
My latest Guardian column is "3D printed guns are going to create big legal precedents," and it looks at an underappreciated risk from 3D printed guns: that courts will be so freaked out by the idea of 3D printed guns that they'll issue reactionary decisions that are bad for the health of the Internet and … [Read more]
Rapture of the Nerds is a Campbell Award finalist
Well, this is fabulous news: Rapture of the Nerds, the novel Charlie Stross and I published last year, is a finalist for the 2013 Campbell Award for best novel. It's in some truly outstanding company, too -- check out that shortlist!
My Berlin talk: Its not a fax machine connect to a waffle iron
Here's the video of "It's not a fax machine connect to a waffle iron," the talk I gave at the Re:publica conference in Berlin this week: "Lawmakers treat the Internet like it's Telephone 2.0, the Second Coming of Video on Demand, or the World's Number One Porn Distribution Service, but it's really the nervous system … [Read more]
Pirate Cinema on the Locus Award ballot!
The 2013 Locus Awards final ballot has been announced, and as ever, it is a fabulous guide signposting some of the very best work published science fiction and fantasy in the past year -- a perfect place to start your explorations of the year's books. I am very honored to have been included on the … [Read more]
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom read-aloud part 06
As I mentioned in my March Locus column, I'm celebrating the tenth anniversary of Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by m planning a prequel. volume As part of that, planning'I going to read aloud the entire text of that first book into the podcast, making notes on the book as I go. Here's … [Read more]
Tim Wu and I talk networks, policy and the future
Slate's "Stranger Than Fiction" podcast has just aired its second episode: a discussion between Tim Wu (a cyberlawyer, Internet scholar and good egg) and me (MP3)! Future installments will include talks with Kim Stanley Robinson and Margaret Atwood (as well as others) -- the inaugural episode featured Tim in discussion with Neal Stephenson.
Easy win for publishing: network and systematize PR and marketing
My latest Locus column, "Improving Book Publicity in the 21st Century," addresses the lack of automation and management in traditional publishing an publicity, and suggests some simple and cheap ways that publishers could join up the way its editorial, marketing a PR departments communicate with reviewers and other publicity outlets to save money and score … [Read more]
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom read-aloud part 05
As I mentioned in my March Locus column, I'm celebrating the tenth anniversary of Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by planning a prequel volume. As part of that planning, I'm going to read aloud the entire text of that first book into the podcast, making notes on the book as I go. Here's … [Read more]
When trademark becomes a tool for stealing our language
My latest Guardian column is "Trademarks: the good, the bad and the ugly," and it looks at why trademark, at its best, does something vital -- but how trademark can be abused to steal common words from our language and turn them into a twisted kind of pseudo-property. Trademark lawyers have convinced their clients that … [Read more]
Pirate Cinema up for Canadas Aurora Award
The 2013 Prix Aurora Award ballot has been announced, and I'm delighted to see that my novel Pirate Cinema is up for the prize in the Young Adult category. The Auroras are a people's choice award given for Canadian science fiction and fantasy, and I'm delighted to be recognised in the land of my birth! … [Read more]
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom read-aloud part 03
[NB: Some indeterminate screwup, which was nevertheless definitely caused by me being a stoop, caused this episode not to make it into my feed. I are a dum.] As I mentioned in my March Locus column, I'm celebrating the tenth anniversary of Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by planning a prequel volume. As … [Read more]
Publishing should fight ebook retailers for more data
I've got a guest column in the new edition of The Bookseller, the trade magazine for the UK publishing industry. It's called "Tangible Assets," and it points out that of all the fights that publishing has had with the ebook sector -- DRM, pricing, promotion -- the one they've missed is access to data. Whatever … [Read more]
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom read-aloud part 03
As I mentioned in my March Locus column, I'm celebrating the tenth anniversary of Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by planning a prequel volume. As part of that planning, I'm going to read aloud the entire text of that first book into the podcast, making notes on the book as I go. Here's … [Read more]
Fox sends fraudulent takedown notices for my novel Homeland
My Creative Commons licensed, 2013 novel Homeland, the sequel to my 2008 novel Little Brother, spent four weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, and got great reviews around the country. But Fox apparently hasn't heard of it -- or doesn't care. They've been sending takedown notices to Google (and possibly other sites), demanding … [Read more]
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom read-aloud part 03 fixed
As I mentioned in my March Locus column, I'm celebrating the tenth anniversary of Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by planning a prequel volume. As part of that planning, I'm going to read aloud the entire text of that first book into the podcast, making notes on the book as I go. Here's … [Read more]
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom read-aloud part 03
As I mentioned in my March Locus column, I'm celebrating the tenth anniversary of Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by planning a prequel volume. As part of that planning, I'm going to read aloud the entire text of that first book into the podcast, making notes on the book as I go. Here's … [Read more]
Pirate Cinema nominated for the Prometheus Award
I was absolutely delighted today to discover that my novel Pirate Cinema had been nominated for the Libertarian Futurist Society's annual Prometheus Award, amid a slate of absolutely wonderful books: Arctic Rising, Tobias Buckell (Tor) The Unincorporated Future, Dani & Eytan Kollin (Tor) Pirate Cinema, Cory Doctorow (Tor) Darkship Renegades, Sarah Hoyt (Baen) Kill Decision, … [Read more]
Locus Poll is open tell them about your favorite sf/f of 2012
The 43d Locus Poll and Survey is open for your picks of the best science fiction and fantasy of the past year, as well as your survey answers (Locus has been collecting detailed statistical information about science fiction readers for, well, 43 years now). You needn't be a subscriber to fill in the survey, though … [Read more]
My HOW I WORK interview
I did a How I Work interview for Lifehacker, where I talked about the tools I use, and how I use them: What apps/software/tools can't you live without? Ubuntu and the suite of GNU tools in any robust Unix system. A good text editor (currently Gedit)I keep all of my working files at .txts. A … [Read more]
Interview on NPRs Off-Topic
The NPR show OffTopic aired an episode called Give and Take: Pirates, Profiteers, and Art in the Age of Appropriation, and spoke to me for it. It's a really interesting listen! MP3 link
Speaking in Bradford tomorrow
Here's details of the public event I'm doing in Bradford while I'm in town for Eastercon: I'll be at the 1in12 Club, as part of an event called "Can Technology Save the City?" that runs from 12-6. I'll be there around 1430h. Hope you'll come out!
How the amazing UK cover for Rapture of the Nerds came to be
I'm really impressed with the cover of the UK edition of Rapture of the Nerds, the novel I wrote with Charlie Stross. But it turns out that producing that cover was quite a journey. Designer Martin Stiff was kind enough to share his notes on the process, along with all the proto covers he produced … [Read more]
What problem are we trying to solve in the copyright wars?
My latest Guardian column is "Copyright wars are damaging the health of the internet" and it looks at what we really need from proposed solutions to the copyright wars: I've sat through more presentations about the way to solve the copyright wars than I've had hot dinners, and all of them has fallen short of … [Read more]
Schedule for EasterCon in Bradford
I'm heading to Bradford tomorrow for Eight Squared Con, the 2013 Eastercon. I'm appearing on several programme items: * Friday, 17h: Reading, Hawthorn Room * Saturday, 12h: "On Twitter, Everyone Can Hear You Scream," Boardroom (panel) * Saturday, 13h: Book launch for RAPTURE OF THE NERDS, Conservatory * Saturday, 19h: "Genre Get-Together: Science Fiction," Conservatory … [Read more]
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom read-aloud part 02
As I mentioned in my March Locus column, I'm celebrating the tenth anniversary of Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by planning a prequel volume. As part of that planning, I'm going to read aloud the entire text of that first book into the podcast, making notes on the book as I go. Here's … [Read more]
Launching the UK edition of Rapture of the Nerds TODAY at Forbidden Planet London
Hey, Londoners! I'll be launching the UK edition of Rapture of the Nerds today at 1PM at Forbidden Planet. Although the book is available across the country at finer stores, this will be your only chance to stroke the marvellous 3D printed Space Marine Stross and have your picture taken with it.
Letter from a young reader about Little Brother
A young man named Alex came out to my Decatur, GA Homeland tour-stop and we had a charming (if brief) conversation, and subsequently snapped this quite wonderful photo. One of Alex's teachers subsequently wrote to me to say that Alex had taken high academic honors in a Letters About Literature contest about Little Brother, and … [Read more]
Signing Rapture of the Nerds at Forbidden Planet London tomorrow
Hey, Londoners! A reminder that I'll be signing the UK edition of Charlie Stross's and my novel Rapture of the Nerds, tomorrow at 1PM at Forbidden Planet. Charlie can't make it, so I have fashioned a cunning 3D printed Space Marine Stross to accompany me, which you may rub for good luck if you attend.
WH Smith automatically adding DRM to DRM-free ebooks, but theres an interim solution while they fix it
The UK Bookseller WH Smith has been experiencing some kind of bug in its ebook store, whereby it adds DRM to all of the Kobo ebooks it sells, even the ones that are supposed to be DRM-free (like mine). Apparently, this is a metadata-parsing issue. I spoke to my agent and publisher, and WH Smith/Kobo … [Read more]
Chatting with Techdirt about Pirate Cinema
My novel Pirate Cinema is the current TechDirt Book Club selection, and we're kicking it off today with a Google+ hangout in about five minutes. I've never done a Hangout before -- I don't have a G+ account because I object to its "real names" policy, but I've created a throwaway account for the occasion. … [Read more]
My talk on copyright, ebooks and libraries for the Library of Congress
Last fall, while on the Pirate Cinema tour, I stopped in at the Library of Congress to give a talk called "A Digital Shift: Libraries, Ebooks and Beyond," which was an amazing treat. The LoC people were delightful and the building and its collections were outstanding. Now, they've put the video online! A Digital Shift: … [Read more]
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom read-aloud part 01
As I mentioned in my March Locus column, I'm celebrating the tenth anniversary of Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by planning a prequel volume. As part of that planning, I'm going to read aloud the entire text of that first book into my podcast, making notes on the book as I go. Here's … [Read more]
Im at Forbidden Planet London with Rapture of the Nerds this Saturday!
Hey, Londoners! A quick reminder that I'll be signing the new UK edition of Rapture of the Nerds this Saturday at Forbidden Planet on Shaftesbury Ave at 13h. Come on down and say hi!
Audio from my Homeland tour presentation
Thomas "Command Line" Gideon came out for the DC stop on my Homeland tour, at Busboys and Poets, and mic'ed me up for the event. He's mastered the audio and posted it. It's a 40 minute talk about the promise of technology to improve our lives, the risks from allowing technology to be used to … [Read more]
Legal issues in Pirate Cinema analyzed by IP lawyer
IP lawyer Stuart Langley wrote a fantastic analysis of the legal issues raised in my novel Pirate Cinema a guest-article for the wonderful Law and the Multiverse site. Langley does a very thorough job of looking at the real laws and legal problems behind the plot points in the book. The McCauleys internet access has … [Read more]
Profile in Guardian Books
Damien Walter's written a very kind article about me and my work in the Guardian's books section, discussing the role of science fiction in social criticism and activism. As technology becomes an ever bigger factor in day-to-day life, we need writers like Doctorow to help us direct it to support freedom over oppression. In his … [Read more]
Why Tim Berners-Lee is wrong about DRM in HTML5
My latest Guardian column is "What I wish Tim Berners-Lee understood about DRM," a response to the Web inventor's remarks about DRM during the Q&A at his SXSW talk last week. Additionally, all DRM licence agreements come with a set of "robustness" rules that require manufacturers to design their equipment so that owners can't see … [Read more]
Ten Years On
Here's a reading of my recent Locus column, Ten Years On, in which I reflect on my first decade as a novelist and discuss a possible further volume related to Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, my first-ever novel: I never thought Id write a sequel. The allure of writing books has always been … [Read more]
Rapture of the Nerds hits London on Mar 23
The UK edition of Rapture of the Nerds hits shelves on April 12, but we're having a sneaky early release at Forbidden Planet in London on Mar 23 at 1PM. Tell your friends! (I'm pretty sure that Forbidden Planet will take advance mail-orders for people who can't make it, and I'll sign and personalise every … [Read more]
Homeland interviews
A pair of nice interviews about my new novel Homeland hit the Web today: this fun chat with Rob "CmdrTaco" Malda on the Washington Post, and this one with David Klein at Las Vegas City Life: Its about conveying your enthusiasm. My readers like that enthusiastic voice. The dirty secret about geeking out is that … [Read more]
Podcast with Beyond the Book
The folks at Beyond the Book interviewed me for a recent podcast (MP3). We talked about computer control, DRM, publishing, and my latest book, Homeland.
Whats the most utopian fiction of all?
My latest column for Locus, "Ten Years On," looks back on my first decade as a novelist, and speculates about what a difficult utopia might be, and announces my next novel project: And then I realized I had no idea what novel Id write next. I have notes for about five books, but none of … [Read more]
My books on a Tor hidden service
Part of the plot in Homeland revolves around "hidden services" on the Tor network. Now, a fan of mine in Norway called Tor Inge Røttum has set up a hidden service and stashed copies of all my books there. He writes: A hidden service in Tor is a server, it can be any server, a … [Read more]
Video from Concord, NH appearance
Steve Davidson from Amazing Stories magazine came to my gig in Concord, NH yesterday, and recorded it, and he's already put it online.
Video from Tools of Change
I did a pair of appearances at the O'Reilly Tools of Change conference in NYC as part of the tour for Homeland -- the first a solo talk for writers, the second a panel with Henry Jenkins and Brian David Johnson. The latter is online now, as well as an interview.
Libraries and Makerspaces: a match made in heaven
I wrote a guest editorial for the Raincoast Books site, in honour of Freedom to Read Week. It's called "Libraries, Hackspaces and E-waste: how libraries can be the hub of a young maker revolution," and it's about the role of libraries in the 21st century: Every discussion of libraries in the age of austerity always … [Read more]
Libraries, Hackspaces and E-waste: how libraries can be the hub of a young maker revolution
Raincoast Books
Homeland
Pirate Cinema
Trent McCauley is sixteen, brilliant, and obsessed with one thing: making movies on his computer by reassembling footage from popular films he downloads from the net. In the dystopian near-future Britain where Trent is growing up, this is more illegal than ever; the punishment for being caught three times is that your entire households access … [Read more]
Video from the Seattle stop on the Homeland tour
Thanks to Darius Dunlap 2013 for shooting and uploading this CC-BY video from the first stop on my current Homeland tour, at the Seattle public library!
WSJ on Homeland
Here's a nice surprise: a glowing review of my new novel Homeland in the WSJ. "Homeland" is as dead serious as "1984," as potentially important a "novel of ideas," with a much more engaging central character and an apparently inexhaustible supply of information on everything from brewing coffee to sneaky surveillance and how to defeat … [Read more]
I Cant Let You Do That, Dave: when we design computers to boss us around
My latest Publishers Weekly column, "I Can't Let You Do That, Dave," is a look at the dangers of redesigning our computers to boss us around instead of doing what they're told and trying to help us: Contrary to whats been written in some quarters, Aaron Swartz didnt attempt to download those journal articles because … [Read more]
Coming to Memphis tonight!
Hey, Memphis! I'm appearing tonight at The Booksellers at Laurelwood at 6PM! Tomorrow, I'll be in New Orleans, followed by Houston on Thursday. And lots more to come!
Coming to Oxford, MS this afternoon
Hey, Oxford, MS! I'm coming to town today, and signing at Square Books at 5PM on the tour for my new book Homeland. I'll be in Memphis tomorrow, and then I go to New Orleans on Tuesday. Though I can hardly believe it, the tour is only halfway along, and there's tons more stops to … [Read more]
Video from yesterdays event at Flyleaf books in Chapel Hill, NC
Calvin Powers of the SplatSpace makerspace posted a video of yesterday's presentation at Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, NC. Thanks, Calvin!
Coming to Decatur today!
Hey, Decatur! I'm coming to town today on the tour for my new novel, Homeland; I'll be at the Decatur Library at 7PM. Then, on Monday I'll be in Oxford, MS, followed by Memphis on Tuesday. There's many more cities to go!
Ill be Chapel Hill today at 2PM
Hey, Chapel Hill! I'm headed your way today on the Homeland tour! I'll be at Flyleaf Books at 2PM. Tomorrow, I'll be in Decatur, and Monday it's a 5PM event at Square Books in Oxford, MS. I'm only halfway through the tour, too! Here's the rest of the schedule.
Coming to Miami tonight!
Hey, Miami! I'm about to head to the airport for my appearance tonight at Books & Books. Tomorrow I'll be in Chapel Hill at Flyleaf Books, and on Sunday I'll be in Decatur at the Decatur Library (sponsored by Little Shop of Stories). There's still plenty more cities to go, too!
EFF-Austin benefit after My Book People event on Feb 22
After my event at Austin's Book People on Feb 27, I'll be doing a benefit for EFF-Austin on their location privacy campaign. We did this the last time I came through town and it was tremendous -- come on out! An evening with Cory Doctorow and EFF-Austin
Coming to Cincinnati today!
As I write this, I'm on my way to the airport, headed for Cincinnati, where I'll be doing an appearance tonight at Joseph-Beth Booksellers on the tour for Homeland, which hit the New York Times bestseller list last night. Tomorrow, I'll be in Miami and then I'll be in Chapel Hill. There's still lots more … [Read more]
Homeland just made the New York Times bestseller list!
Indiebound list, too! Life is good where I am.
Coming to Cincinnati tomorrow!
Hey folks! Just a reminder that I'll be in romantic Cincinnati tomorrow night at 7PM at Joseph-Beth for the next stop of my Homeland tour. From there, it's Miami and Chapel Hill (and tons more).
Scott Siglers new MONSTROSITY show, plus a tour of my office
Scott Sigler's got a new YouTube show called Monstrosity, and he interviewed me (and several others!) for it. I also gave him a shakycam tour of my beloved office, which he's posted as a bonus ep.
Photos from Booksmith stop
Photographer Alex Schoenfeld came to my Homeland tour-stop at Booksmith in San Francisco and took some great shots, which he's been kind enough to post under a Creative Commons 3.0 Non-commercial attribution only license. Thanks, Alex!
Video from activism panel at ASU
ASU's Center for Science and the Imagination has already posted the video from this morning's panel on hacktivism and politics. It was a good, meaty discussion: Part 1, Part 2
Speaking at ASU Phoenix this morning
Yesterday's event at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, AZ was amazing, and I'm sticking around in Phoenix for one more day: this morning, I'll be presenting at ASU's Center for Science and the Imagination at 10:30AM, talking about hacktivism, ethics and the future of the fight for digital rights. Then I'm on the red-eye to … [Read more]
Interview with Rick Kleffel about Homeland
Last week I sat down for an interview with Rick Kleffel at KQED in San Francisco. He's put the whole interview -- a long one! -- up in his Trashotron podcast feed. We talked about Homeland and other things. Rick, as always, was a very astute interviewer. MP3 link
Letter from a young Homeland reader
As you've no doubt gleaned, I'm on tour with my new novel, Homeland. A lot of people commiserate with me about the grueling pace -- and it is! a new city practically every day and nowhere near enough sleep and continuous interviews and presentations from o-dark hundred to late at night -- but for all … [Read more]
Coming to Tempe, AZ today on the Homeland tour!
I'm heading to Tempe, AZ today for a 2PM appearance at Changing Hands Bookstore on my tour for Homeland, the sequel to Little Brother. Next I'll be in NYC for the Tools of Change publishing conference, then in Cincinnati for a romantic Feb 14 presentation at Joseph-Beth Booksellers at 7PM. There's plenty more stops on … [Read more]
Instructables based on Little Brother and Homeland
The awesome people at Instructables have launched a series of HOWTOs based on my novel Homeland, written from the point of view of Marcus, the novel's hero. They previously posted 11 of these for Little Brother, and the new Homeland ones should be kicking off any day. Watch this space! m1k3y's Instructables
Coming to Salt Lake City today
As you read this, I'll be on a plane heading for Salt Lake City, where I'll be appearing at the Leonardo Science Museum at 2PM with my new novel Homeland. On Sunday, I'll be in Tempe at Changing Hands books, and then on Feb 12 I'll be in NYC for the Tools of Change conference … [Read more]
Mesh wireless inspired by Little Brother
Eric writes: If the protagonists in the book Little Brother had access to a low-power mesh network, they may have been able to avert the DHS. In reality, mesh networking could help organize protests like what occurred during the Arab Spring--helping citizens to peacefully participate in an effective manner, by leveraging the self-healing and spontaneous … [Read more]
Last night in San Francisco!
Tonight's my last night in San Francisco on my Homeland tour. I'll be at Borderlands books at 7PM. Tomorrow I'll be at the Leonardo in Salt Lake City; and on Sunday I'll be at Changing Hands in Tempe, AZ. Come on down (and thanks to everyone who came by the Booksmith last night!).
Ill be in San Francisco tonight and tomorrow
I'm still revving up my tour for Homeland, the sequel to Little Brother, and tonight I'll be at Booksmith in San Francisco. I'm lucky enough to get two days in SFO and tomorrow I'll be at Borderlands, before I head to Salt Lake City for an appearance at The Leonardo on Saturday. From there, it's … [Read more]
Coming to Portland today, San Francisco tomorrow!
Last night, I kicked off the tour for Homeland (the sequel to Little Brother) with an amazing event at the Seattle Public Library, and now I'm hitting the road! I'll be in Portland tonight, at the Powell's in Beaverton at 7PM. Tomorrow I hit San Francisco with a stop at Booksmith on the 7th, then … [Read more]
Seattle tonight!
Hey, Seattle! Just a reminder that I'll be at the Seattle Public Library tonight at 7PM with my new novel Homeland. Come on down (and bring the kids!)! Portland, you're next, then San Francisco (and again!). Here's the whole schedule -- 20+ cities!.
Coming to Seattle (then PDX, then SFO) for the Homeland tour
In a couple of hours, I'm getting on a plane from London to Seattle to kick off the tour for Homeland, the sequel to Little Brother. My first stop is tomorrow (Feb 5) night, at the Seattle Public Library, and then I head to Portland for Feb 6, where I'll be at Powell's in Beaverton. … [Read more]
Interview with The Oregonian about Homeland
I did a Q&A with The Oregonian to help publicize my stop at the Powell's Books in Beaverton, OR on Feb 6 at 7PM. It's the second stop in my 22 city tour. What prompted you to write "Homeland," the sequel to "Little Brother," and what's the impact of "Little Brother" been, especially among younger … [Read more]
Law and Little Brother
I'm excited to see the folks at Law and the Multiverse (a blog that considers legal questions through the lens of comics, movies and fiction) having a look at the legal issues raised in Little Brother. It's very timely, what with the sequel, Homeland, coming out on Tuesday! A large portion of the books plot … [Read more]
Pirate Cinema and Rapture of the Nerds make Locuss best of 2012
Locus magazine has just released its 2012 Recommended Reading List of science fiction/fantasy/horror, which is always a great reading guide (and a fabulous resource for those of us nominating for the Hugo awards. I'm delighted to see my novel Pirate Cinema and Rapture of the Nerds (written with Charlie Stross) on the best novel list! … [Read more]
Internet copyright law has to have public support if its going to work
The Guardian
Copyright, plagiarism and the Internet
My latest Guardian column is "Internet copyright law has to have public support if it's going to work," and it goes into the difference between copyright infringement and plagiarism, and tries to understand why so many people got upset at Glee's legal ripoff of a Jonathan Coulton song: Copyright experts were quick to explain that … [Read more]
Im coming to YOUR town* in February!
Next Tuesday marks the publication of my latest YA novel, Homeland, and I'll be kicking off a month-long tour across the US on February 5 with a stop in Seattle, followed by Portland and San Francisco. From there, I swing to the southwest -- a region I've never toured! -- with stops in Salt Lake … [Read more]
Reading from Homeland
Here's a reading from my upcoming novel, Homeland, the sequel to Little Brother. It's a rehearsal for the readings I'll be giving at schools and libraries when I leave for my 22-city US tour next week. He fitted me with a blood pressure cuff -- yeah, it was a tactical cuff, which clearly made this … [Read more]
Little Brother up for The Atlantics Feb book-club choice
The Atlantic's book club, 1book140, is asking for votes on its book for February. I'm surprised and delighted to see my novel Little Brother on that list, and the timing couldn't be better, what with the sequel, Homeland, coming out on Feb 5. It's also in great company: "Wonderstruck" by Brian Selznick; "Are You There … [Read more]
Teachers, librarians, etc: sign up for free copies of Homeland, the sequel to Little Brother
Homeland, the sequel to Little Brother, comes out on Feb 5, and as with my previous books, I'm going to be making it available as a free CC-licensed download. Whenever that happens, lots of people write to me to tell me how much they enjoyed it, and ask if they can just send me some … [Read more]
Rapture of the Nerds, the UK cover
How awesome is this cover for the forthcoming UK edition of Rapture of the Nerds? Way, way awesome.
Suicide Girls interview about Homeland, part two
Suicide Girls has just published part two of its two-part interview with me about Homeland, the sequel to Little Brother (here's part one). In it, we talk about activism, clicktivism, and the future of Internet-connected politics: There is a lot of cynicism about clicktivism and the idea that if its too easy to be politicized, … [Read more]
RIP, Aaron Swartz
On today's podcast, I read read my obituary for Aaron Swartz, and the afterword he wrote for my upcoming novel, Homeland. I met Aaron when he was 14 or 15. He was working on XML stuff (he co-wrote the RSS specification when he was 14) and came to San Francisco often, and would stay with … [Read more]
Behold: the stupid face I will make in the 3D scanner
The people have spoken. I offered to have my head 3D-scanned while making a ridiculous face originated by John "Rubberface" Scalzi if enough was donated to Jay Lake's cancer treatment fundraiser. After an exhaustive poll, the Internet chose this face. I've started practicing already. Dear Cory Doctorow: The Masses Have Decided That This is the … [Read more]
Which silly John Scalzi face should I model in the 3D scanner?
As previously mentioned, I have committed to recreating a funny face made by John Scalzi, then getting my head 3D scanned while pulling said face, and releasing the scan as a CC-BY download on Thingiverse. It's all part of this most worthy fundraiser to help with the treatment and expenses from Jay Lake's cancer. Scalzi … [Read more]
How Internet copyright laws let Big Content get away with paying less to artists
I've written an essay on how copyright enforcement laws let entertainment companies get away with paying less to artists for the O'Reilly Tools of Change blog. The ToC folks asked to to contribute something related to the keynote I'll be doing at their annual conference in NYC next month, as part of my tour for … [Read more]
Interview with Suicide Girls about Homeland, the sequel to Little Brother
My next novel, Homeland (the sequel to Little Brother) is out in a few weeks, and I recently sat down with Nicole Powers from Suicide Girls for an interview about the book and the issues it raises, especially the student-debt bubble: When it was just rich people going, it wasnt about just getting a better … [Read more]
Nominations are open for the Hugo Awards
Nominations are open again for science fiction's Hugo Awards -- if you attended last year's WorldCon or have supported/bought a membership for this year's con, you get a vote. There's a lively LJ group discussing potential nominees (I often wait for the annual Locus Magazine best-of list to use as a crib for my nominations). … [Read more]
Positive externalities thrive online
My latest Guardian column is about positive externalities, the value that bystanders get from the stuff you're already doing (the Guardian has given it the unfortunate and misleading title of "Why trying to charge for everything will kill online creativity" -- please ignore that as it has nothing to do with the article, really): That's … [Read more]
Hacker theatre troupe in Berlin to stage When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth
This is pretty cool: Berlin's C-base hackerspace has spawned a theatre troupe called C-artre. They've produced a theatrical adaptation of my short story "When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth" (from my collection Overclocked) and they're staging it later this month at Berlin's Transmediale festival.
Looking for a pilot in the southwest
If you caught last month's post on my upcoming tour in February for Homeland, the sequel to Little Brother, you'll have seen that I'm meant to be speaking in Albuquerque, NM on the evening of Feb 11, and in NYC on the morning of Feb 12. This turns out to be a nearly impossible trick … [Read more]
Where characters come from, and where they go
My latest Locus column is "Where Characters Come From," and it advances a neurological theory for why fiction works, and where writers find their characters. As a writer, I know that theres a point in the writing when the engine of the story really seems to roar to life, and at that moment, the characters … [Read more]
Pirate Cinema nominated for the Prometheus Award
I'm delighted to announce that my novel Pirate Cinema is a finalist for this year's Prometheus Award, given by the Libertarian Futurist Society. Winning the Prometheus for Little Brother, and being nominated again for Makers was a major honor, and I've got my fingers crossed for this year.
Interview in Prism Magazine
Geoffrey Cole of Prism Magazine has posted the first part of a three-part interview we conducted in Vancouver, back when I was touring with Pirate Cinema. In this part, we talk about many subjects, notably Rapture of the Nerds: The Rapture in Rapture of the Nerds has many meanings. Foremost, it is the ascension of … [Read more]
Whats entropy?
I sat down with the fascinating crew at the Titanium Physicists podcast to serve as their special physics-ignoramus guest in an episode about entropy (MP3)
Little Brother on stage in print!
The next issue of Theatre Bay Area will feature the full text of Josh Costello's theatrical adaptation of my novel Little Brother, which was incredibly well-received on stage in San Francisco last year.
Happy hols!
Today, on a very special Cory Doctorow podcast, the podcasting debut of Ms Poesy Emmeline Fibonacci Nautilus Taylor Doctorow! MP3 Link
Why the entertainment industrys release strategy creates piracy
The Guardian
Why entertainment industry release windows drive piracy that we all have to pay for
My latest Guardian column, "Why the entertainment industry's release strategy creates piracy," looks at the weird entertainment industry practice of defending their right not to sell us the things we want to buy, and the rather more odious practice of asking the public to foot the bill for this strategy: In a real marketplace, the … [Read more]
Announcing the 20-city US tour for HOMELAND, the sequel to Little Brother
As I mentioned yesterday, the sequel to Little Brother is coming out in February. Called Homeland, it picks up the action shortly after Little Brother ends, and features the continuing and exciting adventures of the characters from the first book. Tor, my publisher, have posted the first cut at the 20-city US tour schedule (the … [Read more]
The Internet of the Dead
Here's a podcast of my recent Locus column, The Internet of the Dead: I had begun my trip with a few days in Toronto, attending to a strange and new kind of memorial ritual for a close friend who had died unexpectedly in June. My friends name was Erik Possum Man Stewart, and Id known … [Read more]
Heres what ICT should really teach kids: how to do regular expressions
The Guardian
Computer classes should teach regular expressions to kids
My latest Guardian column is "Here's what ICT should really teach kids: how to do regular expressions," and it makes the case for including regular expressions in foundational IT and computer science courses. Regexp offer incredible power to normal people in their normal computing tasks, and we treat them as deep comp-sci, instead of something … [Read more]
Why all pharmaceutical research should be made open access
Here's a podcast of my recent Guardian column, Why all pharmaceutical research should be made open access: One of the strongest arguments for public access in scholarly and scientific publication is the "public debt" argument: if the public pays you to do research, the research should belong to the public. That's a good argument, but … [Read more]
Internet of the Dead: the nets collision course with death
My latest Locus magazine column is "The Internet of the Dead," which discusses the collision course the Internet is on with death. It was inspired by my work to preserve the personal data of my old friend Erik "Possum Man" Stewart, who died unexpectedly and tragically in June: It was while I sat in Possums … [Read more]
Why all pharmaceutical research should be made open access
The Guardian
Beyond the public debt: making a wider case for openness
My latest Guardian column is "Why all pharmaceutical research should be made open access," and it makes the wider case for open access, beyond the obvious truth that publicly funded work should be available to the public: One of the strongest arguments for public access in scholarly and scientific publication is the "public debt" argument: … [Read more]
Secure the Internet podcast
Here's a podcast of my recent Nature comment, co-written with Ben Laurie, Secure the Internet: In 2011, a fake Adobe Flash updater was discovered on the Internet. To any user it looked authentic. The softwares cryptographic certificates, which securely verify the authenticity and integrity of Internet connections, bore an authorized signature. Internet users who thought … [Read more]
Video from Pirate Cinema talk in Deerfield, IL
Here's the video from my Pirate Cinema tour stop at Deerfield, IL -- I talk war on general purpose computers, copyfighting, and do some Q&A. Cory Doctorow's "Pirate Cinema" 2012 Book Tour stop at Deerfield, IL (Thanks, Psywiped!)
Cinema Pirata: Brazilian edition of Pirate Cinema
I've just wrapped up a couple of days at the Fliporto literary festival in Olinda, Brazil, and was delighted to get a copy of the newly published Cinema Pirata, the Brazilian edition of Pirate Cinema, published by the excellent Galera Record.
What do we do about untrustworthy Certificate Authorities?
OpenSSL maintainer and Google cryptographer Ben Laurie and I collaborated on an article for Nature magazine on technical systems for finding untrustworthy Certificate Authorities. We focused on Certificate Transparency, the solution that will shortly be integrated into Chrome, and also discuss Sovereign Keys, a related proposal from the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Both make clever use … [Read more]
Speaking in London on Nov 24 about the Snoopers Charter
Hey, Londoners! I'm speaking at one of the Open Rights Group's meetings on the Snooper's Charter (the proposed new mass-scale network spying bill) in London on Nov 24. It's free, but they'd like you to register so they know how many to plan for.
Interview on IT and corporate IT policy
Here's an interview I did with the ITSM podcast, about information technology, IT policy, and corporate IT and its implications. MP3 link
Copyright debate in Denmark
Here's a recording of a debate I participated in on Monday at Denmark's Fagfestival (yes, really -- Danish has weird English cognates) 2012, the largest gathering of journalists in the country. I debated Peter Schønning, a prominent Danish copyright lawyer, in an event hosted by Henrik Føhns. MP3 link
Interview with Geeks Guide to the Galaxy
I did an interview with The Geek's Guide to the Galaxy, which they've published in both text and MP3 form. We talked about Pirate Cinema, Rapture of the Nerds, the Humble Ebook Bundle, the future of publishing, the Disney/Star Wars merger, and lots more: Wired: Do you ever get letters from kids who have been … [Read more]
Digital Human podcast on death
I recently recorded an interview with the BBC's Digital Human programme, which was recording an episode on death. It's came out very well. MP3 Link
Why the UKs mandatory opt-out censorware plan is stupid
My latest Guardian column is "There's no way to stop children viewing porn in Starbucks," a postmortem analysis of the terrible debate in the Lords last week over a proposed mandatory opt-out pornography censorship system for the UK's Internet service providers. In order to filter out adult content on the internet, a company has to … [Read more]
Automated calls, fraud and the banks: a mismatch made in hell
Here's a podcast of my recent Guardian column, Automated calls, fraud and the banks: a mismatch made in hell: The banks are now outsourcing their fraud prevention to computers that can make dozens of calls all at once, around the clock, fishing (or phishing) for someone who just happened to have made an unusual purchase … [Read more]
Coming to Boston today for finale of the Pirate Cinema tour
Yo, Boston! Today is the last day of my Pirate Cinema tour (after this, I'll be touring complete) and I'm wrapping it up in Boston, the 18th city in 6 weeks, where I'll be appearing at the Boston Book Festival, on a 4:15 panel with MT Anderson, Rachel Cohn, and Gabrielle Zevin. Come on out … [Read more]
In Toronto today, Boston tomorrow
Hey, Toronto! It's my last night in town -- I'll be at Harbourfront's International Festival of Authors doing a double-act with China Mieville (there's still some tickets available). Tomorrow I'm off to the Boston Book Festival for the very last stop of the Pirate Cinema tour -- come on out and watch me attempt to … [Read more]
Talking in Toronto today, tomorrow (then Boston!)
Hey, Toronto! I'll be at the Harbourfront International Festival of Authors tonight and tomorrow night (tonight it's a joint appearance with Larissa Andrusyshyn, Stuart Clark, Corey Redekop and Robert J. Sawyer; tomorrow, it's a twofer with China Mieville). Then I head to Boston for the last engagement in my Pirate Cinema tour, a free, ticketed … [Read more]
Coming to Toronto, Boston
Hey, Toronto! I'll be at the Harbourfront International Festival of Authors on Thursday and Friday nights, both times at 8PM. On Thursday, I'm reading with Larissa Andrusyshyn, Stuart Clark, Corey Redekop and Robert J. Sawyer; on Friday, I'm doing a double-act with China Mieville. From there, I head to Boston for the final appearance of … [Read more]
Coming to Seattle today, then Toronto and Boston
Hey, Seattle! I'll be in town for one day only today, making a pair of public appearances -- first at the University Bookstore at 1230h, then at Elliot Bay Books at 1900h. Both are free! From Seattle, I go east for the last two cities in my Pirate Cinema tour: first a pair of evening … [Read more]
Coming to Vancouver and Victoria today, then Seattle, Toronto and Boston
Hey, Vancouver and Victoria! Today I wrap up my Pirate Cinema tour weekend in Van with an appearance for the BC Civil Liberties Association and the Centre for Digital Media at 11AM at the Great Northern Way Campus, then I jump on a sea-plane and head to Victoria for a talk tonight at Bolen Books … [Read more]
Coming to Kidsbooks, Vancouver tonight
Yo, Vancouver! Thanks to all of you who turned up to both of the sold-out events yesterday at the Writers Festival. If you missed out, I've got another event tonight, at Kidsbooks at 7PM, and I'll be at the Great Northern Way Campus Centre for Digital Media on Monday at 11, before I head to … [Read more]
Humble Ebook Bundle breaks the $1,000,000 barrier
Just now, a few minutes before 10AM Pacific, the Humble Ebook Bundle crossed the $1 MILLION mark. Yes, it's an arbitrary round number, but it's a BIGGUN! For those of you who haven't clocked it, the Humble Ebook Bundle is a collection of 13 ebooks -- science fiction, fantasy, and graphic novels -- for which … [Read more]
Pirate Cinema presentation at Brooklyns WORD
Joly MacFie from The Punkcast was good enough to bring his cameras down to my Pirate Cinema tour stop at Brooklyn's WORD books, and has uploaded the presentation (including the airing of the runners-up and winner of the remix video contest we held) to YouTube. Thanks, Joly!
Ill be at the Vancouver Writers Festival today with William Gibson
Hey, Vancouver! Quick reminder: there are still some tickets left for my appearance with William Gibson today at the Vancouver Writers Festival (the conversation with Margaret Atwood is sold out, alas), and I'll be around tomorrow at 7PM for a Kidsbooks event at the West Point Grey United Church, and then on Monday at 11AM … [Read more]
Coming to Vancouver this weekend
Hey, Vancouver! I'm headed your way tomorrow for a pair of ticketed appearances at the Vancouver Writers Festival, the first with William Gibson at 2PM, then another at 5PM with Margaret Atwood and Pasha Malla. On Sunday at 6PM, Kidsbooks (one of the last great independent children's bookstores in the country) is hosting an event … [Read more]
Coming to Edmonton tomorrow morning
Hey, Edmonton! A reminder: I'll be at the free PAGES library conference tomorrow morning at the Stanley Milner Library. My keynote is at 9:15 AM, followed by a Q&A at 1130h and a signing at 1, before I head out to Vancouver for the Vancouver Writers Festival where I'll be doing two ticketed events; one … [Read more]
A Japanese animation pirate cinema makers story
A reader of Pirate Cinema sent me her amazing story of how she became a video remix artist, and how she views the law and rules for copyright. We've published it as a feature on Boing Boing; here's a little taste of it: When MegaUpload was shut down, the Japanese media fan community was in … [Read more]
Universal Computer Users
Citing my talk on General Purpose Computing and regulation (and many other works), Olia Lialina describes a "General Purpose User... that was formed through three decades of adjusting general purpose technology to their needs": General Purpose Users can write an article in their e-mail client, layout their business card in Excel and shave in front … [Read more]
Coming to Bethesda tonight
Hey, DC! I'm heading to Bethesda today for my Pirate Cinema tour -- I'll be at the Bethesda Public Library tonight at 7PM. Come on out and say hi before I head to Edmonton, Vancouver, Victoria, Seattle, Toronto and Boston! Here's the full schedule.
Interview on the Command Line podcast
I recently sat down with Thomas Gideon of the wonderful Command Line podcast, and talked about Rapture of the Nerds, Pirate Cinema, and the future of the Internet. It's always a pleasure to be on Thomas's show. MP3 Link
Five more books join the Humble Ebook Bundle!
We've hit the halfway mark on the Humble Ebook Bundle, a name-your-price, support-for-charity, DRM-free ebook promotion. With one week to go, we've added in FIVE more books: XKCD Volume 0; Zach Weiner's Save Yourself, Mammal and The Most Dangerous Game; Penny Arcade: Attack of the Bacon Robots; and Penny Arcade: Epic Legends of the Magic … [Read more]
My head, made of sugar
I'm heading to Philly tonight on the Pirate Cinema tour, and jrdnmlr from the Hive76 hackspace has downloaded the 3D scan of my head from Thingiverse, and is, even now, printing it out in sugar, using a Barracuda extruder. Can't wait to see it IRL.
Coming to Philly tonight
I'm heading to Philly today for an event at Indy Hall, co-sponsored by the awesome Geekadelphia and the Hive76 hackerspace. From there I go to Bethesda, Edmonton, Vancouver, Victoria, Seattle, Toronto, then, finally, Boston! Here's the schedule, looking forward to seeing you!
This Week in Tech
This weekend I appeared on the This Week in Tech Podcast, to talk about the tech news of the week, as well as Rapture of the Nerds, Pirate Cinema and Humble Ebook Bundle. The other guests on the show were Jason Hiner and Larry Magid, and Leo Laporte, as always, played host. It was a … [Read more]
Interview with CBCs CanadaWrites
I did a little eight-question interview with the CBC's CanadaWrites program. Here's a few of 'em: 6. Sharon Butala asks, What do you think of the age-old notion that the best writing comes out of a life led outside the bourgeoisie, where so-called "rules" of normal middle-class life are deliberately broken and impulse is your … [Read more]
Coming to Brooklyn tonight
Hey, Brooklyn! I'll be at WORD Books tonight at 7PM for the last New York stop on my Pirate Cinema tour. Tomorrow I'll be in Philly at Indy Hall, before heading to Bethesda, Edmonton, Vancouver, Victoria, Seattle, Toronto and Boston (whew!). Looking forward to seeing you there! Here's the whole schedule -- be there or … [Read more]
Interview with Dan Patterson
Dan Patterson interviewed me for his podcast at New York Comic-Con. We talked about comics, network policy, and my new novel Pirate Cinema MP3 Link
Coming to NY Comic-Con today
Hey New Yorkers! I'll be at New York Comic-Con today, speaking in the Author Spotlight on the Unbound Stage at 12 o'clock, and then signing books at the Tor Booth (#920) at 3PM. On Monday night, I'll be at Brooklyn's WORD books at 7PM, before heading to Philly, Bethesda, Edmonton, Vancouver, Victoria, Seattle, Toronto and … [Read more]
Pirate Cinema in the Bradford Telegraph and Argus
The Bradford Telegraph and Argus covers Pirate Cinema today, thanks to David Barnett, who explains how Pirate Cinema came to be set in his paper's town. Mr Doctorow says he didnt just pluck Bradford out of a hat hes visited the city several times and spent some time here in 2009 when the big … [Read more]
Coming to NY Comic-Con today!
Hey, NYC! Start spreading the news, etc, as I'm appearing today and tomorrow at NY Comic-Con -- signing today at 1715h at Table 2, speaking Sunday at 10AM, and signing again at the Tor booth on Sunday at 3PM. I'll be at Brooklyn's WORD books on Monday night (today's the last day to submit your … [Read more]
Doing a Reddit AMA today at 1PM Pacific
I'm doing a Reddit AMA ("Ask Me Anything") at 1PM Pacific today! Come along and ask me anything!
Coming to Evanston, IL tonight!
Hey, Evanston, IL! I'll be at the Evanston Public Library tonight, on the final stop of the Chicago-area part of my Pirate Cinema tour (if you're coming, you can RSVP here). Tomorrow, I head to NYC for appearances at Comic-Con and WORD Books in Brooklyn (here's our video remix contest), and thence to Philly, Bethesda, … [Read more]
Coming to Naperville, IL tonight
Hey, Naperville, IL! I'll be speaking and signing at Anderson's Bookshop tonight at 7PM, in part two of the Chicagoland leg of my Pirate Cinema tour, which wraps up tomorrow night at the Evanston Public Library. Anderson's is one of the nation's great indie bookstores, ranking in my books with the likes of Powell's, and … [Read more]
Pirate Cinema, for your downloading pleasure
It took me a little while, but the Pirate Cinema website is finally up, with multiformat downloads and purchase links for the ebooks, print books, and audioboks. Have at it!
Coming to Deerfield, IL tonight
Cory in Deerfield, IL tonight Hey, Deerfield, IL! I'll be at the Deerfield High School Auditorium tonight at 7PM for the latest stop in my Pirate Cinema tour. I've got two other stops in the Chicago area: tomorrow, it's Anderson's Books in Naperville; on Thursday it's the Evanston Public Library. From there, I go to … [Read more]
Coming to Redondo Beach today
Yo, Redondo Beach! You're my last west coast stop on this leg of the Pirate Cinema tour, and I'll be at Mysterious Galaxy today at 2:30PM (I'll be back on this coast later to visit Vancouver, Victoria and Seattle). Tomorrow, I'll be in Lansing, MI, before a multi-day Chicagoland extravaganza. The tour has stops in … [Read more]
Coming to Pasadena this afternoon!
Hey, Pasadena! I'm signing and speaking at Vroman's Bookstore this afternoon at 3PM, as part of the Pirate Cinema tour. I'll be in Rendondo Beach at Mysterious Galaxy tomorrow, before heading east to Lansing, MI, then Chicago, NYC, Bethesda, Edmonton, and many other cities in the US and Canada. Here's the full schedule -- I'm … [Read more]
Pirate Flix: Video remix contest
On the NYC leg of my Pirate Cinema tour, I'll be stopping at Brooklyn's wonderful indie bookstore WORD. The WORD folks have cooked up a remix video competition for the event, inviting you to make short remix videos, 1-3 minutes long. I'll be judging the finalists, and the winner will be screened at my reading … [Read more]
Coming to Berkeley tonight
Hey, Berkeley! I'll be at Books Inc tonight on 4th Street at 7PM, as part of the Pirate Cinema tour. Tomorrow, I'll be in Pasadena and then Redondo Beach, then Lansing, MI, Chicagoland, and many (many!) other US and Canadian cities. Here's the whole schedule -- come on out and say hi!
Pirate Cinema audiobook: no DRM, no EULA, just the spoken word
Further to yesterday's post about the availablity of a DRM-free, EULA-free MP3 download for the audiobook of Little Brother, I'm pleased to announce that I'm also selling the audiobook for my new novel Pirate Cinema. As with the Little Brother audio, this is a professionally voiced, unabridged audiobook from Random House Audio. This one is … [Read more]
Appearance in San Francisco tonight!
Hey, San Francisco! I'm at Borderlands Books in the Mission tonight at 7PM, for the Pirate Cinema tour! Tomorrow night it's Berkeley, then south to LA, then all the way to Lansing, MI, and then a host of other cities across Canada and the USA. Check the full schedule -- I hope I get to … [Read more]
Download the Little Brother audiobook
Thanks to the kind folks at Random House Audio, I'm now able to offer direct downloads of the unabridged audiobook of Little Brother, read by Kirby Heyborne. The download is DRM-free, and comes with no EULA -- in other words, the only terms binding your use of it are: "Don't violate copyright law." It's $20, … [Read more]
Pirate Cinema Audiobook
This unabridged reading of Pirate Cinema, read by Bruce Mann, is sold without DRM, or license agreement of any kind, and by buying it here, you more than triple the royalties I receive for it. The audiobook was produced by Random House Audio. Once you've completed your purchase, you'll get a download link for a … [Read more]
Little Brother Audiobook
This unabridged reading of Little Brother, read by Kirby Heyborne, is sold without DRM, or license agreement of any kind, and by buying it here, you more than triple the royalties I receive for it. The audiobook was produced by Random House Audio (I've embedded their preview below). Once you've completed your purchase, you'll get … [Read more]
Coming to Menlo Park tonight
Hey, Menlo Park! I'm coming to Kepler's Books tonight at 7PM for the Pirate Cinema tour! I hope to see you there. I'll be in San Francisco tomorrow (Thu), Berkeley on Friday, and then I head south to Pasadena and Redondo Beach, before going east to Lansing, MI, and then many other cities. Here's the … [Read more]
Appearing in St Louis tonight
Hey, St Louis readers! Looking forward to meeting you tonight at the first stop of my Pirate Cinema tour, at the St Louis County Library at 7PM! Next up, stops in northern and southern California, Lansing, Chicagoland, NYC, Edmonton, Vancouver, Victoria, Seattle, Toronto and Boston.
Coming to St Louis and 17 other cities for the Pirate Cinema tour
Hey, St Louis, MO! I'm headed your way, for the kick-off of the tour for my latest YA novel, Pirate Cinema. I'll be at the St. Louis County Library on Tuesday, October 2 at 7PM for an event hosted by Left Bank Books. There are 18 (!) cities on this tour, so be sure and … [Read more]
Automated calls, fraud and the banks: a mismatch made in hell
The Guardian
UK banks use robo-callers to make fraud-check calls, conditioning customers to hand out personal information to anonymous machines that phone them up out of the blue
My latest Guardian column, "Automated calls, fraud and the banks: a mismatch made in hell," reacts to the news that UK banks are using robo-call machines to check in with customers on possibly fraudulent transactions, and going about it in the worst way possible: The banks, bless them, are only trying to prevent fraud, but … [Read more]
Librarians, teachers: sign up to get free copies of my forthcoming YA novel Pirate Cinema
As many of you will know, I'm about to kick off the tour for a new YA science fiction novel, Pirate Cinema, which comes out next week. As with all my other novels, I'll be putting up Creative Commons-licensed editions of the book for your downloading pleasure. Now, whenever I do this, many readers write … [Read more]
Speaking at Oakville Public Library (and other Toronto stops) this week
Great news, West Torontonians! The free Oakville Public Library event I'm doing next Wednesday has been opened to all comers (it was previously teen-only). There's refreshments, too. You need to pick up a ticket at a local OPL branch, or you can call or email ([email protected] or 905-815-2042 ext. 5037) to book ahead. Hope to … [Read more]
Rapture of the Nerds, with Charles Stross
Earth has a population of roughly a billion hominids. For the most part, they are happy with their lot, living in a preserve at the bottom of a gravity well. Those who are unhappy have emigrated, joining one or another of the swarming densethinker clades that fog the inner solar system with a dust of … [Read more]
Why Philip Roth had to explain himself in the New Yorker before his Wikipedia entry could be corrected
My latest Guardian column, "Why Philip Roth needs a secondary source," explains why it makes sense for Wikipedians to insist that Roth's claims about his novels be vetted by and published in the New Yorker before they can be included on Wikipedia: Wikipedians not only have no way of deciding whether Philip Roth is an … [Read more]
Chat with Charlie Stross and me on the WELL and Tor.com
Charlie Stross and I are doing a public interview on The WELL's Inkwell.vue conference -- you don't have to be a WELL member to ask questions, either! While I'm on the subject, Charlie and I are doing a live online Torchat tomorrow, Sept 19 at 16h Eastern/13h Pacific.
Librarians! Teachers! Sign up for free copies of Rapture of the Nerds!
Charlie Stross and I have a new book out and I'm about to put up a website were readers can download free, CC-licensed copies of it in ebook form. As with other recent books, I'm going to collect and publish the names of librarians, teachers, and public institutions that would like to get free copies … [Read more]
Interview with the Singularity Weblog
I recently sat down for a video interview with the Singularity weblog to talk about about The Rapture of the Nerds, Singularity, science fiction, how fiction works, sf movies, and a lot of varied subjects. Cory Doctorow on Singularity 1 on 1: The Singularity Is A Progressive Apocalypse
Video from the Stross and Doctorow show at MakerBot in Brooklyn
Joly McFie captured video of Charlie Stross's and my tour-stop at Brooklyn's MakerBot this week. We were there in support of our new novel Rapture of the Nerds, and did a talk, reading and Q&A that touched on the Singularity, its precedents, its discontents, and its inherent comedy -- all while 3D printers chattered in … [Read more]
Why SF movies make me insane
Why SF movies make me insane My latest Locus column is "Why Science Fiction Movies Drive Me Nuts," in which I propose that the reason the science in sf movies is so awful is that they're essentially operas about technology. The reason that SF movies command such a titanic amount of attention and money from … [Read more]
Coming War Over General Purpose Computers talk at Google
I gave my "Coming Civil War Over General Purpose Computers" talk three times this summer: at Defcon XX, the Long Now Foundation, and Google. Here's a video of the Google talk. Cory Doctorow: "The Coming Civil War over General-purpose Computing", Talks at Google
The Coming Civil War Over General Purpose Computers
Last month, I gave a talk called "The Coming Civil War Over General Purpose Computing" at DEFCON, the Long Now, and Google. We're going to have a transcript with the slides on Monday, but in the meantime, here's a video of the Long Now version of the talk. Stewart Brand summarized it thus: Doctorow framed … [Read more]
XKCD with a very boingy punchline
Daww, that was nice of him: Randall Munroe's made me the punchline of another XKCD! Starwatching
Doubling Down on DRM
Here's a podcast of my recent Publishers Weekly column, Doubling Down on DRM: Ive just seen a letter sent to an author who has published books under Hachettes imprints in some territories and with Tor Books and its sister companies in other territories (Tor is part of Macmillan). The letter, signed by Little, Browns U.K. … [Read more]
Doubling Down on DRM
Here's a podcast of my recent Publishers Weekly column, Doubling Down on DRM: Ive just seen a letter sent to an author who has published books under Hachettes imprints in some territories and with Tor Books and its sister companies in other territories (Tor is part of Macmillan). The letter, signed by Little, Browns U.K. … [Read more]
Hachette to Tor authors: you must keep the DRM on your ebooks
You'll recall that Tor Books (and its sister science fiction imprints of Macmillan publishers around the world) has dropped DRM on all of its titles. Hachette, one of Macmillan's rivals in the "Big Six" pantheon of publishers, is famously pro-DRM (one Hachette author told me that her editor said that Hachette's unbreakable policy, straight from … [Read more]
Audio from chat with Charlie Stross on Internet Evolution
Here's the audio from the chat Charlie Stross and I did with Mitch Wagner from Internet Evolution about our forthcoming book, Rapture of the Nerds.
Stross and Doctorow text-and-voice chat today at 11AM Eastern
Charlie Stross and I are doing a text and voice chat with Internet Evolution today at 11AM Eastern, in celebration of our forthcoming novel Rapture of the Nerds. Hope to see you there! Look out! The team of Charlie Stross and Cory Doctorow has produced upcoming science fiction novel Rapture of the Nerds, due out … [Read more]
Audio from The Coming Civil War Over General Purpose Computation at Long Now
I've been trying out a sequel to my 2011 28C3 talk, The Coming War on General Purpose Computation. I've given the talk twice now, once at DEFCON 20 in Las Vegas and once at the Long Now SALT talk in San Francisco. The Long Now folks have put up the audio already, with video to … [Read more]
Kids and Mozilla hack my novel Little Brother
I'm proud and excited beyond words to see the running notes from the work being done in Chicago by a group of students and a facilitator from the Mozilla Foundation's Hive NYC on a number of video projects using Mozilla's Popcorn technology and my novel Little Brother. Here's an introductory set of notes on the … [Read more]
Stross and Doctorow on the road: the Rapture of the Nerds tour in Lexington, Brooklyn, Brookline, Rochester
Charlie Stross and I are hitting the road this September 5-9 for a mini, post-Burning Man, post-WorldCon book-tour for our collaborative comic novel of the Singularity called Rapture of the Nerds. We're coming to Lexington, KY; Brooklyn, NY (a stop at MakerBot's BotCave, where there will be a very special surprise!), Brookline, MA, and Rochester, … [Read more]
Excerpt from my forthcoming novel Pirate Cinema
Tor.com has published an excerpt from my forthcoming YA novel Pirate Cinema, a book set in the UK in which a gang of squatter guerrilla filmmakers take on the entertainment industry and their pals in the government to save the world from corrupt, brutal anti-piracy laws. Booklist gave it a starred review, saying " ...Doctorows … [Read more]
Rapture of the Nerds excerpt on Tor.com
Tor.com's just published an excerpt from Rapture of the Nerds, the comic science fiction novel that Charles Stross and I collaborated on, which comes out in September. Booklist just gave it a starred review, saying "Doctorow and Stross, two of the SF genres more exciting voices, team up to produce a story that is mindbendingly … [Read more]
Sequel to my General Purpose Computation talk coming up in Vegas, San Francisco
I've written a sequel to my talk The Coming War on General Purpose Computing, called "The Coming Civil War Over General-Purpose Computing," which I'll be delivering twice this summer: first on July 28 at DEFCON in Las Vegas, and then on July 31 in San Francisco at a Long Now Foundation SALT talk, jointly presented … [Read more]
Excerpt from Homeland, the sequel to Little Brother
Tor.com has just published an excerpt from Homeland, the sequel to my novel Little Brother. Homeland's coming out in February: Attending Burning Man made me simultaneously one of the most photographed people on the planet and one of the least surveilled humans in the modern world. I adjusted my burnoose, covering up my nose and … [Read more]
Music: The Internets Original Sin
Music: The Internets Original Sin Here's a podcast of my recent Locus column, Music: The Internets Original Sin: Lets start with musics age. Movies are still in their infancy. Books are in their middle age. Stories themselves are ancient. But music is primal. Books may predate commerce, but music predates language. Our relationship with music, … [Read more]
Guest of honor at Westercon 67 in Salt Lake City, July 2014
I've just confirmed that I'll be the Guest of Honor at the 67th Westercon, in Salt Lake City, Utah, July 3-6, 2014. The hotel is the Marriott Downtown at City Creek, and memberships are currently $50 for attending, $25 for supporting. The website linked in the previous sentence is just a placeholder, though the real … [Read more]
Why we still fight about music and copyright on the Internet
My latest Locus colum, "Music: The Internets Original Sin," asks why music copyright is such a hot potato on the Internet, even in the post-DRM age, when most tunes are $0.99 on Amazon in MP3. The short answer: music's ancient compact is not entirely compatible with contemporary commerce, and the industry has tried to "fix" … [Read more]
Final episode of Search Engine podcast
The very last episode of TVOntario's Search Engine's just went out (MP3), and I'm honored to say that it's an interview with me. I started out with Search Engine when it was a broadcast on CBC radio, and I've been pleased to appear on the show several times since it moved to TVO. Host Jesse … [Read more]
Google admits that Platos cave doesnt exist
Here's a podcast of my recent Guardian column, Google admits that Plato's cave doesn't exist: Google's official communiques tell the world that SEO isn't necessary so long as you "make great content", you'll get higher rankings. The implication is that Google has discovered a mathematical model of relevance, a way of measuring some objective … [Read more]
Interviews with Intel Futurist Brian David Johnson about futurism, society, technology and science fiction
I did a series of interviews with Intel Futurist Brian David Johnson, as part of my involvement in The Tomorrow Project, which resulted in my writing Knights of the Rainbow Table. Here they are!
Makers remixed in C#
Supreet Kaur made this delightful C# remix of a pivotal scene in Makers, as part of the coursework for a Game Design degree in London. The remix scored an A+ -- congrats, Supreet!
Printcrime in German
Nemo Folkitz has graciously undertaken a German fan-translation of my short-short story Printcrime. The PDF is here, and the text is below. Printcrime Kopiere diese Geschichte. (ursprünglich veröffentlicht im 'Nature Magazine', Januar 2006) Englische Originalversion: Lizensiert unter Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-SA) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/de/ Die Polizisten zerschlugen den Drucker meines Vaters, als ich acht war. Ich kann … [Read more]
Disorganised but effective: how technology lowers transaction costs
The Guardian
Effective and disorganized: a new thing upon this earth
My latest Guardian column is "Disorganised but effective: how technology lowers transaction costs," a piece about a new kind of group that has been enabled by the Internet -- a group with no formal structure that can still get stuff done, like Occupy and Anonymous. The things that one person can do define what is … [Read more]
Cover for Homeland, the sequel to Little Brother
Click for the huge, full version I recently turned in the manuscript for Homeland, the sequel to my 2008 YA novel Little Brother. Tor's going to be bringing it out next February, 2013. I've got two more books coming in the meantime: Rapture of the Nerds (with Charlie Stross) and Pirate Cinema (a YA novel). … [Read more]
Excerpt from Rapture of the Nerds, Charlie Strosss and my comic novel of the Singularity
Suicide Girls has published an excerpt from Rapture of the Nerds, the novel Charlie Stross and I wrote, which will come out in September. Charlie and I will be touring the book together briefly after Labor Day. The details are still being settled, but there's going to be some very exciting stops! Rapture is the … [Read more]
Google search results are editorial, not (merely) mathematical
My latest Guardian column is "Google admits that Plato's cave doesn't exist," a discussion of how Google has changed the way it talks about its search-results, shifting from the stance that rankings are a form of pure math to the stance that rankings are a form of editorial judgment. Google has, to date, always refused … [Read more]
The Curious Case of Internet Privacy
Here's a podcast of my recent Tech Review feature, The Curious Case of Internet Privacy: Why do we seem to value privacy so little? In part, it's because we are told to. Facebook has more than once overridden its users' privacy preferences, replacing them with new default settings. Facebook then responds to the inevitable public … [Read more]
Students assigned to cheat on exam use doctored Little Brother cover and many other methods
The IEEE's Computer and Reliability Societies recently published "Embracing the Kobayashi Maru," by James Caroland (US Navy/US Cybercommand) and Greg Conti (West Point) describing an exercise in which they assigned students to cheat on an exam -- either jointly or individually. The goal was to get students thinking about how to secure systems from adversaries … [Read more]
On receiving an honourary doctorate in computer science from the Open University
Last Friday, June 8, I was immensely, fantastically thrilled to receive an honourary doctorate in computer science from the Open University, an institution I have long held in high esteem and where it has been my privilege to serve as a visiting senior lecturer. The degree was conferred in a fabulous ceremony at the Milton … [Read more]
Internet privacy: a hard bargain
I wrote a piece for MIT's Technology Review on the way that Internet privacy works, and the deficiency of our tools -- browsers, phones -- in protecting it: Even if you read the fine print, human beings are awful at pricing out the net present value of a decision whose consequences are far in the … [Read more]
Remixable Grade 10 course materials for Little Brother
Tracey Hughes assigned Little Brother to her grade 10 students in Peterborough, Ontario (Canada), and developed some course materials that she's generously agreed to share with other teachers to remix, adapt, and reuse. She writes: The intent of sharing my teacher resources for Little Brother stems from my pleasure and success teaching the text with … [Read more]
Publishings hidden virtues
My latest Publishers Weekly column is "Publishing's Virtue," a look at the relative moral uprightness of trade publishing, especially when compared to the record labels and movie studios, with their just reputation as rapacious crooks who rip off artists at every turn. if you're trying to convince Internet users to buy instead of pirate because … [Read more]
The problem with nerd politics
Here's a podcast of my last Guardian column, The problem with nerd politics: Since the earliest days of the information wars, people who care about freedom and technology have struggled with two ideological traps: nerd determinism and nerd fatalism. Both are dangerously attractive to people who love technology. In "nerd determinism," technologists dismiss dangerous and … [Read more]
Advance praise for Pirate Cinema
My next YA novel is Pirate Cinema, which hits stands on Oct 2. The book has been complete for a long time, and now is the part in its lifecycle where it is in ballistic flight, having been launched from my device with all the skill and concentration that I can muster, with nothing else … [Read more]
Nerd fatalism, nerd determinism: the problem with nerd politics
My latest Guardian column is "The problem with nerd politics," and it discusses the twin evils of "nerd determinism" and "nerd fatalism" -- both convenient excuses for people who care about technology policy to avoid politics. In "nerd determinism," technologists dismiss dangerous and stupid political, legal and regulatory proposals on the grounds that they are … [Read more]
Why the death of DRM would be good news for readers, writers and publishers
Here's a podcast of my last Guardian column, Why the death of DRM would be good news for readers, writers and publishers: At the end of April, Tor Books, the world's largest science fiction publisher, and its UK sister company, Tor UK, announced that they would be eliminating digital rights management (DRM) from all of … [Read more]
Seattle library hides 1,000 books around town for young people to find
The Seattle Public Library system's annual Summer Reading Program is called Century 22: Read the Future, and is tied in with the 50th anniversary of the Seattle World's Fair. Young people are encouraged to scour the city's landmarks for 1,000 books hidden throughout town, and then to re-hide them for other kids to find. Among … [Read more]
Geekdad on Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow
Erik Wecks has a thoughtful and smart analysis of my little book The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow in Wired's GeekDad today (spoilers ahoy!)
A Prose By Any Other Name
Here's a podcast of my last Locus column, A Prose By Any Other Name: Back in 2005, I did something weird. I decided that I would embark on a project to write short stories with the same (or similar) titles to famous science fiction books and stories. My initial motivation for this was Ray Bradbury … [Read more]
Makers, the Masters thesis
Noah Brewer just successfully defended his MA English thesis Re-Makers: The Novel in Digital Collaborative Space at the University of Georgia. As the title implies, the piece is about my novel Makers. It's a smart piece of work, and I'm both tickled and honored.
What Ive learned by writing stories with the same titles as famous books
My latest Locus column, "A Prose By Any Other Name," is a state-of-the-project report on my longrunning habit of writing science fiction stories with the same titles as famous books, and the interesting things I've discovered about creativity and my subconscious along the way. The more I thought about writing stories with borrowed titles, the … [Read more]
Why the death of DRM would be good news for readers, writers and publishers
The Guardian
What dropping DRM across the industry would do for publishing
My latest Guardian column, "Why the death of DRM would be good news for readers, writers and publishers," looks at the wider consequences of Tor Books' dropping DRM on its ebooks, and what it would mean for writers and publishers if DRM was dropped across the industry: oat. Back when ebook sales began to kick … [Read more]
Big in Japan!
I'm incredibly chuffed to learn that the Japanese edition of Little Brother is up for this year's Seiun award, along with Bacigalupi's Windup Girl, Mieville's The City & the City, Wilson's Chronoliths, Delany's Dhalgren and Ballad's Millennium People.
Why did an MPAA executive join the Internet Society?
Here's a podcast of my last Guardian column, Why did an MPAA executive join the Internet Society?: Late in March, I started to get a steady stream of emails from concerned readers: did you see that the Internet Society has appointed the former chief technology officer of the MPAA to be their North American regional … [Read more]
Fair-trade goldfarming project inspired by For the Win
Tom Dane writes: 'For The Win' was incredibly exciting and inspiring. It is not the first book of yours that made me feel that way, but it was the difference in motivating me to become a small part of the movement to use gold farming for development and freedom. The kind of stuff you were … [Read more]
My privacy talk at Googles DatenDialog in Berlin
I gave a talk at Google's DatenDialog -- a privacy conference -- in Berlin some months ago, and they've posted the video.
War on General Purpose Computing talk at U Westminster Law School/Guardian
Last month, I gave a version of my "War on General Purpose Computing" lecture to the University of Westminster Law School. The Guardian captured the talk on video and edited it for length, then posted it.
Why a pro-SOPA MPAA technologist changed sides and went to work for ISOC
My latest Guardian column is "Why did an MPAA executive join the Internet Society?" which digs into the backstory on the appointment of former MPAA CTO Paul Brigner as North American director of the copyright-reforming, pro-net-neutrality Network Society group, which manages the .ORG domain name registry. I asked Brigner whether his statements about DNS blocking … [Read more]
My keynote to the Pirate Party General Assembly in Prague
I was in Prague last Saturday, giving an address to the General Assembly of Pirate Parties International. The video is on YouTube.
Protecting your Facebook privacy at work isnt just about passwords
Here's a podcast of my last Guardian column, Protecting your Facebook privacy at work isn't just about passwords: Facebook has threatened to sue companies that force their employees to reveal their Facebook login details. As laudable as this is, I worry that it will fail to accomplish its primary objective protecting Facebook users from … [Read more]
ACBF, an open/free digital comics format
Robo Pastierovic has created Advanced Comic Book Format (ACBF), a free/open format for online comic books. ACBF has a lot of cool features: support for creator metadata; per-panel/page definitions; multiple text-layers for multiple languages; text formatting and style data; auto-indexing and more. The format is CC-BY-SA, and can be found on Launchpad, along with GPL'ed … [Read more]
Advice to writers
Jon Winokur, editor of the stupendous Portable Curmudgeon books, asked me to contribute to his latest project, "Advice to Writers," so I did.
A Whip to Beat Us With
Here's a podcast of my last Publishers Weekly column, A Whip to Beat Us With: Jim C. Hiness e-books are marketed both through a big publisher and solo. The books that were re-priced by Amazon were his solo titlesunagented, and unrepresented by a major publisher. As an individual, Jim has no leverage over Amazon. Not … [Read more]
How DRM weakens publishers negotiating leverage with retailers
My latest Publishers Weekly column is "A Whip to Beat Us With," which describes how publishers who allow retailers to add DRM to their products hand those retailers a commercial advantage to exercise over the publishers themselves. Jim C. Hiness e-books are marketed both through a big publisher and solo. The books that were re-priced … [Read more]
Protecting your Facebook privacy at work isnt just about passwords
The Guardian
Facebook passwords: many employers can snoop them, and dont need to ask
US senators are calling for action on employers' habit of demanding employees' Facebook passwords, but no one seems to notice that many companies configure their computers so that they can eavesdrop on your Facebook, bank, and webmail passwords, even when those passwords are "protected" by SSL. In my latest Guardian column, "Protecting your Facebook privacy … [Read more]
Copyright isnt dead just because were not willing to let it regulate us
Here's a podcast of my last Guardian column, Copyright isn't dead just because we're not willing to let it regulate us: The first time I ever heard someone declare the death of copyright, it wasn't a dreadlocked GNU/Linux hacker or a cyberpunk in mirror shades: it was a music executive, circa 1999, responding to the … [Read more]
Copyright isnt dead just because were not willing to let it regulate us
The Guardian
Copyright is alive and well on the Internet
My latest Guardian column, "Copyright isn't dead just because we're not willing to let it regulate us," makes the case that copyright hasn't been killed by the Internet -- it hasn't even been threatened. Rather, the entertainment industry have made a nonsense of copyright by stubbornly (and ahistorically) insisting that this it concerns itself with … [Read more]
Makers fan-video
Chris Davis made a smart 1 minute video inspired by Makers, which provides visual accompaniment to Landon Kettlewell's opening speech in the novel.
Censorship is inseparable from surveillance
Here's a podcast of my last Guardian column, Censorship is inseparable from surveillance: There was a time when you could censor without spying. When Britain banned the publication of James Joyce's Ulysses in the 1920s and 1930s, the ban took the form on a prohibition on the sale of copies of the books. Theoretically, this … [Read more]
Copyfight in five minutes, with doodles
Here's a short video in Arte Creative's "From Sketch" series explaining the copyright wars while attempting to create a meaningful accompanying graphic. I love how this came out, though I really can't draw very well!
Whats Inside the Box?
Here's a podcast of my last Locus column, What's Inside the Box?: The answer to this that most of the experts I speak to come up with is this: The owner (or user) of a device should be able to know (or control) which software is running on her devices. This is really four answers, … [Read more]
Who should know whats happening in your computer? Who should control it?
My latest Locus column is "Whats Inside the Box," a discussion of whether owners, users or third parties should be able to know and/or control what their computers are doing: The answer to this that most of the experts I speak to come up with is this: The owner (or user) of a device should … [Read more]
Censorship is surveillance, and privacy is a public health problem
My latest Guardian column is "Censorship is inseparable from surveillance," which discusses the fact that network censorship entails surveillance, and how this exacerbates the public health problem caused by our difficulty in evaluating privacy trade-offs. There was a time when you could censor without spying. When Britain banned the publication of James Joyce's Ulysses in … [Read more]
Interview with WNIJ Chicago
Here's a short interview I did last week in Chicago with WNIJ, an NPR affiliate. MP3 link
Interview with Suicide Girls
Nicole Powers from Suicide Girls sat down with me at my office last month for a long, in-depth interview that's just been published: "You can't escape it anywhere. It's a race to the bottom all around the world right now. Canada, Germany, the US, and the UK, as well as the rest of the EU, … [Read more]
Digital Lysenkoism
Here's a podcast of my last Publishers Weekly column, Digital Lysenkoism : Talking with the lower echelon employees of publishing reminds me of a description I once read about the mutual embarrassment of Western and Soviet biologists when they talked about genetics. Soviet-era scientists were required, on pain of imprisonment, to endorse Lysenkoism, a discredited … [Read more]
DRM is to publishing as science was to Stalinism
My latest Publishers Weekly column is "Digital Lysenkoism," a look at the bizarre internal forces that causes people who work at publishers to defend DRM, even though they know it doesn't work. I also recently chatted with a big-six digital strategist, who explained to me how his employer would soon be sending out all of … [Read more]
Little Brother play, extended
The San Francisco Chronicle loves the stage adaptation of my novel Little Brother, and brings the welcome news that its run has been extended by two weeks!
Edited Spark interview about the coming war on general purpose computation
I did an interview last week with the CBC Radio show The Spark (I podcasted the complete interview when they posted it); now they've put up the edited episode. MP3 link
Interview with CBCs Spark on the coming war on general-purpose computation
I did a quick interview with the CBC Radio programme "The Spark" last week from my office in London, talking about my idea of "the upcoming war on general purpose computing." They've just posted the unedited audio in advance of airing a shorter excerpt. MP3 link
Little Brother stage-play in San Francisco
There's a new stage adaptation of my novel Little Brother opening in San Francisco. Charlie Jane Anders from IO9 got to go to the preview and loved it, which is incredibly heartening, since I won't get to see it! So I'll just say that the version I saw was powerful and brilliant, and the cast … [Read more]
Martian Chronicles, part two
The StarShipSofa podcast has the second installment of Jeff Lane's reading of my YA novella The Martian Chronicles (here's part one). Lane does a great job with the reading. MP3 link.
Podcast: A Vocabulary for Speaking about the Future
Here's a podcast of my last Locus column, A Vocabulary for Speaking about the Future: Science fiction writers and fans are prone to lauding the predictive value of the genre, prompting weird questions like How can you write science fiction today? Arent you worried that real science will overtake your novel before its published? This … [Read more]
Martian Chronicles reading
The Starship Sofa podcast has produced an excellent reading of my novella "The Martian Chronicles," which was originally published in Jonathan Strahan's YA anthology Life on Mars. The reading is by jeff Lane, who's really talented. Here's the MP3 (the reading starts around 1:50).
The Coming War on General Purpose Computation
Here's a transcript of my keynote at the 28th Chaos Communications Congress in Berlin over Christmas week, "The Coming War on General Purpose Computation." Here're the relevant links: * Video * Transcript (Joshua Wise) * German translation (Christian Wöhrl) * Subtitles in German, French, Spanish and Italian (you can add more!) Mastering by John Taylor … [Read more]
Can we get cat-sharing sites to harden themselves against Irans secret police?
In my latest Guardian column, "The internet is the best place for dissent to start," I look at Ethan Zuckerman's recent talk on the Internet and human rights, and the way that cute cats create the positive externality of a place for dissent to begin and flourish, and look at the problems this causes: Zuckerman's … [Read more]
Hugo nominations ballot is open
The Hugo Award nominations are open. Attendees of last year's World Science Fiction in Reno and next year's WorldCon in Chicago (as well as those who paid for "supporter" status) can nominate their favorite science fiction and fantasy stories, books, movies and other media for one of the most prestigious awards in the field. Just … [Read more]
Science fiction sucks at prediction, and thats OK
My latest Locus column, "A Vocabulary for Speaking about the Future," talks about science fiction's uselessness as a predictive medium, and its great utility as a medium for thinking about, attaining, and preventing futures. But the really interesting thing is how science fiction does its best tricks: through creating the narrative vocabularies by which futures … [Read more]
War on General Purpose Computing auf Deutsch
Christian Wöhrl has produced a German translation of my 28C3 talk, The Coming War on General Purpose Computing. Thanks, Christian!
The Coming War on General Purpose Computation
Here's the video of my keynote last night at the 28C3, the Chaos Computer Congress in Berlin, entitled "The coming war on general computation." The last 20 years of Internet policy have been dominated by the copyright war, but the war turns out only to have been a skirmish. The coming century will be dominated … [Read more]
An Urgent Christmas Message
No reading this time -- I'm too hard at work on finishing the sequel to Little Brother -- but a Christmas wish from me to you: fight SOPA and save the Internet before the year is out! Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed audio engineer, producer, composer, and … [Read more]
YouTubes real pirates: multinational companies that claim ownership over public domain videos
My latest Guardian column, "The pirates of YouTube," documents how multinational copyright-holding companies have laid false claim to public domain videos on YouTube -- videos posted by the nonprofit FedFlix organization, which liberates public domain government-produced videos and makes them available to the world. These videos were produced at public expense and no one can … [Read more]
Interview on Command Line about Context
This week on The Command Line podcast, a recording of a live chat between host Thomas Gideon and myself at the New America Foundation, discussing (among other things), my new essay collection Context. (MP3)
Copyrights vs Human Rights: big publishing and SOPA
My latest Publishers Weekly column is "Copyrights vs. Human Rights." In honor of Human Rights Day on Dec 10, I've written a piece on publishing's shameful support of SOPA, a law that will punish the online services that are so key to coordinating and publicizing human rights struggles around the world. The U.N. characterizes access … [Read more]
Coming to Zurich next week
I'm coming to Zurich next week to do a series of high-school lectures in connection with the German edition of Little Brother, and while I'm in town, I've scheduled a free lecture, organised by local free culture and Creative Commons activists. It's at 8PM on December 6, at the Kunstraum Walcheturm. Hope to see you … [Read more]
Another Place, Another Time
Here's a reading of my story "Another Place, Another Time," which was my contribution to The Chronicles of Harris Burdick, a companion volume to Chris Van Allsburg's classic Mysteries of Harris Burdick, a collection of illustrations and titles from a lost (imaginary) short story collection. I was commissioned to produce a story for the collection … [Read more]
Little Brother II naming rights up for bid
Fantasy literature doyenne Terri Windling is in the midst of a serious financial and health crisis and her friends are pitching in to run a fundraising auction for her benefit. My contribution: naming rights for a character in the sequel to Little Brother, to be published by Tor Teens in late 2012/early 2013.
Audio version of my essay collection Context
Jan Rubak has once again set out to create a fan-audiobook of my essays, reading aloud from my book Context as he did with my earlier collection, Content. He's a great reader, and he's uploaded half the book so far, with the rest promised soon. Here's an MP3 of his reading of "Think Like a … [Read more]
Movie fans turn to piracy when the online cupboard is bare
The Guardian
Evidence-based copyright: UK online movie marketplace is expensive, broken, patchy
My latest Guardian column is "Movie fans turn to piracy when the online cupboard is bare," a report on the Open Rights Group's study of the lawful options for people who want to watch great British movies online. The UK government and courts keep ratcheting up Internet censorship proposals because they say that there are … [Read more]
Coming to DC tomorrow
Reminder: I'm heading to DC tomorrow to give a lunchtime talk at New America Foundation, from 1230h to 14h. Admission is free, but they're looking for an RSVP.
For the Win interview from Berlin
Here's an interview I did last week with the SF-Fantasy.de podcast in Berlin MP3 Link
Interview with Robert LLewellyns Carpool on ebooks and publishing
Robert LLewellyn, former Red Dwarf star, has a great little video series called Carpool, where he gives someone he's interested a lift to work in a car that's been fitted with cameras and microphones, and interviews that person while driving her or him to work. Last summer, Robert gave me a ride to the airport … [Read more]
Im in Philly
A reminder: I'm giving a free lecture tonight at 17h at the Wharton School in Philadelphia; I'm in town because I'm the guest of honor at PhilCon, the world's oldest science fiction convention.
Secret documents reveal the flimsy case for Ofcom to give into BBCs public TV DRM demands
The Guardian just published an investigative piece I've been working on since the summer: "How the BBC's HD DRM plot was kept secret & and why." It contains the previously secret text of a memo that the BBC sent to the UK telecoms regulator, Ofcom, explaining why they wanted to put DRM on publicly funded … [Read more]
My novella Chicken Little as a stand-alone ebook
40K, an Italian publisher, have brought out a standalone ebook version of my novella Chicken Little, publishing it simultaneously in English and Italian with some lovely illustrations. They're starting it off at a low price (which will go up on Nov 16): $0.99 in the Kindle store; £0.86 in the UK Kindle store; €0.99 in … [Read more]
Coming to Philly, DC
I'm headed to Philadelphia next week to be the guest of honor at PhilCon (Nov 18-20), and while I'm in the area, I'm giving a free talk at the Wharton School at UPenn (Nov 17, 5PM). On my way home, I'm stopping in DC to give a lunchtime talk at the New America Foundation on … [Read more]
IndieGoGo campaign for Custom Made Theatre Companys sweet, low-budg stage adaptation of LITTLE BROTHER
Little Brother Live, coming to Custom Made Theatre from Pauline Luppert on Vimeo. San Francisco's Custom Made Theatre Company is mounting a sweet, low-budget production of Little Brother, and they're looking to raise the funds for a high-quality video projector, which the playwright, Josh Costello, says "would make a huge difference."
Then we take Berlin
Reminder: I'm doing a live reading in Berlin tonight at 2000h (Sankt Oberholz, Rosenthaler Str. 72, Berlin Mitte). Chüs!
Nicely formatted ePub of Little Brother German fan-trans
Clemens Schaber, a reader in Austria, converted Christian Wöhrl's German fan-translation of Little Brother to a nicely formatted ePub. Thanks, Clemens!
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom free audiobook
Sean Puckett has read my first novel, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, aloud for the Voices in the Dark site. The download is free and CC licensed, and it's very good. Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom (Thanks, Tomi!)
Coming to Hamburg, Berlin and Munich
I'm heading to Germany next week for a series of school visits and public appearances to promote the German edition of my novel For the Win. I'm doing public stops in Hamburg (Nov 7, 10AM, Hamburger Kinderbuchhaus im Altonaer Museum), Berlin (8PM, Sankt Oberholz), and Munich (7PM, Lovelybooks, livestream available). Full details at the RandomHouse.de … [Read more]
There is no copyright policy, only Internet policy; there is no Internet policy, only policy
My latest Locus column is "Its Time to Stop Talking About Copyright," about the way that concentrating on "copyright" instead of "Internet policy" or "policy" causes us to miss the big picture: The disconnection laws that the entertainment industry has bought for itself in the UK, New Zealand and France provide for removing whole households … [Read more]
Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow on Tor.com
Stefan Raets has penned a lovely review of Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow for Tor.com: The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow is the latest installment in the wonderful Outspoken Authors series by PM Press. In addition to the title novella, the book also contains the text of Corys Creativity vs. Copyright address to the 2010 World Science … [Read more]
Authorised Domain
Here's a reading of my short-short story "Authorised Domain," commissioned as part of a package on "the future of the living room." The judge said I have to write this note and so I am, but I want to put it right at the top that I don't think it's fair. It begins with Mum … [Read more]
Video trailer for The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow
Matt Freidell, a video editor/producer who created a company called The Glossary to produce short trailers for books, wrote to say, "I read the novella included in your newest release The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow and between the nostalgia of the actual Disney ride and all the great futuristic elements, it really conjured up some … [Read more]
Context essays on Command Line podcast
Thomas Gideon at the Command Line podcast has done me the honor of selecting a couple of essays from my new collection Context for his latest podcast. MP3 link
Stories of revolution and rebellion
New from PM Press: Send My Love and a Molotov Cocktail!: Stories of Crime, Love and Rebellion, a short story collection "that revolves around riots, revolts, and revolution." It includes "I Love Paree," the story I co-wrote with Michael Skeet.
Clockwork Fagin on Escape Pod
My steampunk YA short story, "Clockwork Fagin" (about the children who are mangled by the machinery of the industrial-information revolution, who murder the orphanage's cruel master and replace him with a taxidermied automaton that they use to fool the nuns who oversee the place), has been turned into a podcast by the good folks at … [Read more]
UK media swallowed the adult content filter line
My latest Guardian column, "Adult content filters can't replace good parenting," is a critique of the media coverage of Britain's new national "adult content" filter. The reporting on this story all led with uncritical repetition of the government's line that this would block "all adult content" -- nevermind that no two people agree on a … [Read more]
Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow: a chapbook in PM Presss Outspoken Authors series
I've just put up the site for my latest book, a slim chapbook in PM Press's Outspoken Authors series called The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow. The book contains a novella ("There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow/Now is the Best Time of Your Life"), an essay on futurism, the transcript of a lecture on copyright and … [Read more]
Saying Information Wants to Be Free Does More Harm Than Good
Here's a reading of my essay Saying Information Wants to Be Free Does More Harm Than Good, just reprinted in my second essay collection Context: Further Selected Essays on Productivity, Creativity, Parenting, and Politics in the 21st Century. Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed audio engineer, producer, composer, … [Read more]
Book news: Rapture of the Nerds and Little Brother II
Two bits of glad tidings: first, Charlie Stross announces that we've turned in the manuscript for our collaborative, post-Singularity comic novel Rapture of the Nerds; second, my agent Russ Galen has sold Homeland, the sequel to my 2008 novel Little Brother, to Tor, in "a significant deal."
Jack and the Internetstalk, from Context
Here's a reading of my essay Jack and the Internetstalk, just reprinted in my second essay collection Context: Further Selected Essays on Productivity, Creativity, Parenting, and Politics in the 21st Century. Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed audio engineer, producer, composer, and sound designer. In his free time, … [Read more]
Context: Further Selected Essays on Productivity, Creativity, Parenting, and Politics in the 21st Century
Context: Further Selected Essays on Productivity, Creativity, Parenting, and Politics in the 21st Century, my second essay collection, is now officially available from Tachyon Books, and in finer bookstores everywhere. It features an introduction by the estimable Tim O'Reilly, as well as a walloping 44 essays that were previously published in various magazines, newspapers and … [Read more]
With a Little Help now available to libraries
Daniel Krause interviewed me in Booklist about my DIY short story collection, With a Little Help, on the occasion of that book being listed in the Ingram catalog, which'll make it easy for libraries to get copies.
The Brave Little Toaster, from TRSF
Here's a reading of my short story Brave Little Toaster, which was just published in TRSF, the inaugural science fiction anthology from MIT's Tech Review. It's a short-short story on the "Internet of Things" and what happens when it all goes wrong. Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed … [Read more]
Talk on the privacy bargain, big data, and human sensors versus human barcodes
Here's the video from the talk I gave last week at the O'Reilly Strata conference on "big data" in NYC. The talk is called "Designing for Human Sensors, Not Human Barcodes," and it talks about the philosophy underpinning the "privacy bargain" we strike online when we trade personal information for access to services. Strata Summit … [Read more]
Big Data and privacy
Earlier this week, I gave a talk on the way that "Big Data" is underpinned with a kind of myth about how users trade privacy for services. Ciara Byrne from the NYT's VentureBeat interviewed me afterwards about it. I think she did a really good job of condensing a hard, nuanced question into a brief … [Read more]
TRSF: MIT Technology Reviews science fiction anthology
TRSF is a new science fiction anthology of original stories commissioned by Technology Review, the tech magazine published by MIT. They commissioned a story from me, "The Brave Little Toaster," and the brief asked me to look at near future science and technology issues -- I tackled "The Internet of Things," and told a story … [Read more]
LibDems get to vote on copyright reform, but who inserted the clause saying downloading should be a criminal act?
My latest Guardian column, "Lib Dems get a chance to vote on copyright reform," discusses the new Liberal Democrat IT white paper that's being presented at the party conference this weekend, where members will get the chance to vote in favor of repealing some of the worst sections of the Digital Economy Act, dealing with … [Read more]
Clockwork Fagin, free YA steampunk story
My short story Clockwork Fagin, which will appear in the forthcoming YA anthology Steampunk! is available from today as a free file for Kindle, Nook, and other ebook platforms. The whole anthology comes out on Oct 11.
Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow ebook now available
"Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow," the PM Press "Outspoken Authors" chapbook that includes my novella "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow/Now is the Best Time of Your Life," an original interview with Terry Bisson, and two essays, is now available in various ebook forms. Print editions coming very shortly!
Coming to Toronto, Ann Arbor, Brooklyn and NYC
Hey, Torontonians, Ann Arborites, and New Yorkers! I'll be giving a free talk at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto called "Can creativity and freedom peacefully co-exist in the Internet age?" on Sept 14 at 7PM, where I'll be reprising my SIGGRAPH talk from August. On Sept 15, I'll be in Ann Arbor, MI … [Read more]
True Names in Polish
"True Names," the Hugo-nominated novella that Benjamin Rosenbaum and I published in 2008, has been republished in a CC-licensed Polish edition, courtesy of Ireneusz DybczyDski.
Interview with Renovation Podcast
Here's an interview I recorded with the Renovation Podcast, the official podcast of the World Science Fiction Convention in Reno, NV. MP3 Link
Advice for self-publishers: why should anyone care about your book?
My latest Locus column, "Why Should Anyone Care?" looks at a hard question that many people interested in self-publishing ignore: "Why should anyone care that you've got a book out?" I get a lot of e-mail from writers starting out who want to know whether its worth trying to get published by major houses. The … [Read more]
Available for pre-order: THE GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL TOMORROW
Available for pre-order from today: The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow, a PM Press "Outspoken Authors" chapbook, including my novella "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow/Now is the Best Time of Your Life," an essay, a transcript of my U of T iSchool talk on general purpose computing and regulation, and an exclusive interview with Terry … [Read more]
Interview with Short Story Geeks podcast
I've just gotten back from Renovation, the 2011 World Science Fiction Convention in Reno, Nevada, where I sat down for an interview with Graveyard Greg from the Short Story Geeks podcast. My bit starts around 26:40. MP3 Link
Interview with Ken MacLeod about Makers, For the Win, and UK riots
Here's a two-part video interview that Ken MacLeod conducted with me earlier this week at the Edinburgh Book Festival for the ESRC Genomics Policy and Research Forum. We chatted gold farming, post-industrial manufacturing,
CCTV deterrence and the London riots
My latest Guardian column, "Why CCTV has failed to deter criminals," looks at the London riots and the way that rioters were willing to commit their crimes in full view of CCTV cameras, and what that says about CCTVs as deterrence. I think that we need to draw a distinction between having cameras on all … [Read more]
Headed to Edinburgh Festival tonight, Reno WorldCon this week
I'm about to fly to Edinburgh for a gig at the Edinburgh Festival, tonight at 8:30PM. There are still a few tickets left. From there, I'm headed straight to Renovation, the World Science Fiction Convention in Reno, where I'll be doing a ton of stuff: Wednesday, August 17 11.00-11.45am - Author in the Library, Sierra … [Read more]
WITH A LITTLE HELP at U Washington Bookstore
Seattle's kick-ass University of Washington bookstore is the latest local store to start selling my DIY science fiction short story collection, With a Little Help, printing it on demand from their Espresso Book Machine. They're even giving away some copies to celebrate.
Amsterdams American Book Center retailing WITH A LITTLE HELP
Amsterdam's excellent American Book Center is now carrying my DIY science fiction short story collection, With a Little Help, in its inventory; they've got a print-on-demand machine that'll print and bind a copy in any of the four covers (they'll also ship within Europe and abroad).
My panel with Tim Berners-Lee, Vint Cerf and Al Gore at Mexico Citys Campus Party
Back in July, I went to Mexico City to moderate a panel at the Campus Party conference, a massive LAN party/campout/hackathon/tech policy event. It was a long, long way to go, but it was worth it: my panelists were Tim Berners-Lee (who invented the Web), Vint Cerf (one of the most important figures in the … [Read more]
My SIGGRAPH keynote
This week, I gave the keynote address at the ACM SIGGRAPH conference in Vancouver, BC. The event's organizers were kind enough to record and release my video to their YouTube channel. My talk was about the way that copyright can be made to work for creators in the digital age, and why it's important for … [Read more]
Choosing Android because you dont trust Google
My latest Guardian column, "Android and iOS both fail, but Android fails better," explains why I prefer Android to iOS -- not because I trust Google more than I trust Apple, but because Android requires less trust than iOS. I use Android because I don't trust Google. Sure, I trust and like individual googlers, and … [Read more]
For the Win, fan podcast edition
The nice folks at Colbyjack have begun a free, Creative-Commons licensed fan podcast serial of my novel For the Win. The first of 37 installments is here (here's the MP3), and the RSS feed for the podcast is here.
Getting digital copyright right: pay artists, but dont break the Internet
I'm headed to Vancouver this weekend to give a keynote at SIGGRAPH; I did a long interview with Blaine Kyllo from the Georgia Straight about the subject of my talk -- that is, how you build a digital copyright system that gives creators a fair deal, and why getting it wrong is bad for the … [Read more]
Introduction to 20th anniverary edition of The Difference Engine
Here's a reading of my introduction for the 20th anniversary edition of William Gibson and Bruce Sterling's Difference Engine, which is just out from Random House, with new material from Bill and Bruce. Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed audio engineer, producer, composer, and sound designer. In his … [Read more]
Unmakers: Wikified Makers in hypertext form
Adam created UnMakers using the Creative-Commons-licensed text of my novel Makers. It opens with the final scene, and invites you to navigate the text that led up to it hypertextually, following character-based indexes to the text. He'd like it if you'd annotate and further link the text, which is in a wiki. If you want … [Read more]
Difference Engine 20th anniversary edition
Hard to believe it's been 20 years since the original publication of The Difference Engine, William Gibson and Bruce Sterling's seminal cyberpunk alternate history about a Victorian England dominated by mechanical computers. I was privileged to write the introduction to this 20th Anniversary special edition, which also includes new material from Bill and Bruce about … [Read more]
Podcast: Shirkys Why We Need the New News Environment to be Chaotic
Here's my reading of Clay Shirky's brilliant essay Why We Need the New News Environment to be Chaotic: Outside a relative handful of financial publications, there is no such thing as the news business. There is only the advertising business. The remarkable thing about the newspapers piece of that business isnt that they could reliably … [Read more]
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1: Android iPad-killer is a poorly thought-through disappointment
My latest Guardian column is a pretty unenthusiastic review of the new Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, hailed by many as the first serious Android-based iPad competitor. The Galaxy has all the right parts, but they're assembled without much care or forethought. Something I missed mentioning in the review is that the device hides the low-profile … [Read more]
Videos from HowTheLightGetsIn
The HowTheLightGetsIn festival has posted video from the two items I participated in last spring. The first, Technology and Anarchy, deals with regulation, democracy and technology. The second, The Return of Revolution, is a debate of sorts with Evgeny Morozov (whose book The Net Delusion I reviewed in depth), and Alex Callinicos, in which we … [Read more]
OU talk on network/PC regulation
My Open University talk on network and computer regulation is up on iTunes U for your downloading pleasure: What is it about computers and computer networks that makes them so much more powerful and flexible than most other technologies? And why do these qualities seem to drive regulators and vested interest groups to demand illogical … [Read more]
Podcast: I interview Thomas Gideon from the Command Line
To commemorate the sixth anniversary of the excellent Command Line podcast, I interviewed the show's host, Thomas Gideon, now a staff technologist at New America Foundation. Command Line covers technology, games, civil liberties and related issues, and it's one of my favorite podcasts -- it was great fun to chat with Thomas on his podaversary. … [Read more]
Little Brother stage adaptation in San Francisco, Jan 2012
Josh Costello has adapted my novel Little Brother for stage in San Francisco (this is new adaptation, unrelated to the production that ran in Chicago a few years back). The show opens in January, 2012, and he's just gone into production; he's keeping running notes of his progress at a blog called LITTLE BROTHER LIVE.
“No Endorsement” – aligning the interests of creators and fans
My latest Locus column, "No Endorsement," talks about how print-on-demand, 3D printers, and other technologies that make products available when people want them change the economics of fannish activity, fan art, and homemade merchandise. I propose a ""No Endorsement" badge that fans could use that indicates, "The creator of the work from which is this … [Read more]
Print-on-demand and donations – report on DIY publishing business models
My latest Publishers Weekly column, "Heuristics," documents the success I've had with a pay-what-you-like donation model for my With a Little Help DIY short story collection, and looks at how it might be applied to other books: But it's the success of the donations program that has me thinking hardest–specifically, about the value proposition of … [Read more]
Alice and me on Rum Doings podcast
My wife Alice and I did a two-for-one interview with the Rum Doings podcast, a gamey, geeky good time: "Amazingly we get onto the economy of Star Trek, via the consequences of teleporters. There is much discussion of the consequences of new technology on, well, everything. And then comes piracy, geocoding, and the surprise appearance … [Read more]
0wnz0red in Redstone SF
The current ish of Redstone Science Fiction includes a reprint of my story 0wnz0red, along with a short story called "The Memory Gatherer" by Morgan Dempsey and "Breaking Heinlein's Third Rule: Exercises for Revision," an essay by Sarah Einstein.
Free download of Little Brother audiobook
The Random House audiobook edition of my novel Little Brother is a free MP3 download this week through Sync, a program that develops the audience of teen/YA audiobook listeners (it's paired with Kafka's The Trial, which is pretty cool). The file itself can only be downloaded with a proprietary downloader from Overdrive, which I couldn't … [Read more]
Forthcoming story in Technology Review's anthology
MIT's Technology Review is putting out an electronic science fiction anthology called TR:SF; I wrote a story for it about the future of "Internet of Things" called "The Brave Little Toaster" that was pretty fun. Other stories in the book will also focus on contemporary technology subjects.
Publishing in the Internet era: connecting audiences and works
My latest Guardian column, "Publishers and the internet: a changing role?" looks at how today it's possible to "publish" a work without distributing it, without duplicating it, without doing any more than connecting a work with its audience, sometimes without knowledge (or permission) from the work's creators: In a world in which producing a work … [Read more]
Denial of service, sit-ins and the politics of the cloud
Make Magazine's just reprinted my column, "Moral Suasion," in its online edition. It's a discussion of the politics of cloud computing, including denial-of-service attacks against cloud providers who cave to government pressure: I grew up in the antiwar movement and participated in my first sit-in when I was 12. Sit-ins are a sort of denial … [Read more]
Mark Twain: How I Edited an Agricultural Paper
Here's my reading of Mark Twain's classic short story, How I Edited an Agricultural Paper, a seriously funny and trenchant look at both journalism and agriculture. The guano is a fine bird, but great care is necessary in rearing it. It should not be imported earlier than June or later than September. In the winter … [Read more]
Presentation on FOR THE WIN at Children's Lit Association 2011
.prezi-player { width: 600px; } .prezi-player-links { text-align: center; } Digital Natives, the Mushroom Kingdom and the Global Village on Prezi Anastasia Salter gave a presentation on my novel For the Win at the Children's Literature 2011 conference; I haven't seen the presentation, but her notes (embedded above) are fascinating!
With a Little Help in the Harvard Bookstore
Last week, New York's McNally-Jackson Books started printing and carrying my DIY short story collection, With a Little Help using their on-site print-on-demand machine. Now, the most excellent Harvard Bookstore has begun to do the same, retailing the book in its Cambridge, Mass store.
Networks are necessary, but not sufficient, for social upheaval
My latest Guardian column, "Networks are not always revolutionary," argues that networks are necessary, but not sufficient, for many disruptive commercial, cultural and social phenomena, and that this character has led many people to either overstate or dismiss the role and potential of networked technology in current events: "For most artists," as the famous Tim … [Read more]
Last-minute signing tomorrow in Pittsburgh at CMU bookstore, 2-5PM
I'm coming through Pittsburgh tomorrow for a private event and I'm going to drop in to the CMU bookstore from 2-5 for a signing. This is all very last minute and there hasn't been much public notice, so please let your friends know!
With a Little Help at McNally-Jackson, NYC
I've teamed up with McNally-Jackson, a most excellent indie bookstore in Soho, NYC, to print and sell my DIY short story collection With a Little Help right in the store, using an Espresso book-machine. You can order them here, or buy them in-store. It's similar to the deal I've struck with The University of Melbourne's … [Read more]
A dog with persistence-of-vision LEDs in her shirt writes my novel Makers in the park at night
Michael created a dog-shirt equipped with persistence-of-vision LEDs controlled by a LilyPad soft Arduino, and programmed it to output the text of my novel Makers as his pooch ran gleefully around the park at night. Then he photographed it and sent it to me, and my head exploded with delight. Mounting 5 LEDs on a … [Read more]
My head is a 3D scan
Last week, my wife Alice and I stopped into MakerBot Industries, the DIY 3D printing company in Brooklyn, and got our heads scanned. The MakerBotters covered us in cornstarch (so that the laser-scanner could resolve our hair and eyebrows) and waved this crazy, six-degrees-of-freedom laser-scanning wand around us until we had been turned into polygons. … [Read more]
Knights of the Rainbow Table 07 – CONCLUSION
Here's part seven, the conclusion of my reading of my story-in-progress, Knights of the Rainbow Table, a story commissioned by Intel's Chief Futurist, Brian David Johnson. Brian oversees Intel's Tomorrow project, which uses science fiction to spark conversations about product design and use among Intel's engineers, and he was kind enough to invite me to … [Read more]
Collection of the intros to my ebooks
Jon Bard and Lauren Backes have assembled the introductions to the free ebook editions of my novels and collections into one free electronic volume they call "the problem isn't piracy. the problem is obscurity." It's fun to see these little essays I wrote as ephemeral forematter take on a life of their own.
Populations by timezone
Paul Clip was inspired by my novel Eastern Standard Tribe and made a set of analyses of world population by timezone. I cheated a little by using a simplifying assumption: if a country has multiple time zones, I divide its population evenly between them. This inaccuracy doesn't change the fact that our top three are... … [Read more]
Closing keynote at Personal Democracy Forum
Watch live streaming video from pdf2011 at livestream.com I gave the closing keynote at yesterday's Personal Democracy Forum in NYC; they've posted the video already. It was a remarkable event, filled with speakers who inspired me and got me riled up and wanting to do stuff. It was an honor to be on stage there … [Read more]
Interview with BookBaby about publishing, business and copyright
I sat down with BookBaby's Brian Felsen last month at the London Book Fair for a long interview about business, publishing, authorship and copyright. Brian's just posted the first installment of several that comprise the whole discussion.
Knights of the Rainbow Table 06
Here's part six of my reading of my story-in-progress, Knights of the Rainbow Table, a story commissioned by Intel's Chief Futurist, Brian David Johnson. Brian oversees Intel's Tomorrow project, which uses science fiction to spark conversations about product design and use among Intel's engineers, and he was kind enough to invite me to write a … [Read more]
Welcome to Bordertown group signing in NYC, Jun 9
While I'm in New York for Personal Democracy Forum, I'll be participating in a group signing/launch for Welcome to Bordertown, the shared-world fantasy anthology of stories about Bordertown, where faerie and the human world meet and magic and technology are equally unreliable. In attendance will be Holly Black, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Annette Curtis Klause, Ellen … [Read more]
Walled gardens vs makers
Make has posted on of my columns from the print edition online; "Walled Gardens vs. Makers" is a look at the way that modern, Internet-era making is built on knowledge sharing and collaboration, and how walled gardens get in the way: Because, of course, today I have millions of hacks and tips and tricks and … [Read more]
Knights of the Rainbow Table 05
Here's part five of my reading of my story-in-progress, Knights of the Rainbow Table, a story commissioned by Intel's Chief Futurist, Brian David Johnson. Brian oversees Intel's Tomorrow project, which uses science fiction to spark conversations about product design and use among Intel's engineers, and he was kind enough to invite me to write a … [Read more]
Google's YouTube policy for Android users is copyright extremism
The Guardian
Android's YouTube Store lockout is textbook copyright extremism
My latest Guardian column, "Google's YouTube policy for Android users is copyright extremism," examines the theory of copyright behind Google's announcement that it would bar people who unlocked their phones from using the new YouTube video store. This is the latest example of a new kind of copyright emerging in the 21st century, "configuration-right," in … [Read more]
Chat with Graham Linehan
Earlier this year, I interviewed IT Crowd creator Graham Linehan at The Story conference. Matt Locke, who put on the event, has just posted an MP3 of the chat.
Every Pirate Wants to Be an Admiral: why less copyright gets you more culture
Here's a short video I recorded for The Guardian called "Every Pirate Wants to Be an Admiral," in which I lay out the case for a less-restrictive copyright as better for culture. Cory Doctorow on copyright and piracy: 'Every pirate wants to be an admiral'
Classroom kit for Little Brother from Oakland International High School ninth graders
Ninth graders at Oakland International High School read my novel Little Brother and produced a fantastic school reading kit with chapter summaries, student discussions, student-made comic strips, and further topics for classroom discussion. It's a tremendous piece of work, and I'm grateful to the young people in Sailaja Suresh's class.
Knights of the Rainbow Table 04
Here's part four of my reading of my story-in-progress, Knights of the Rainbow Table, a story commissioned by Intel's Chief Futurist, Brian David Johnson. Brian oversees Intel's Tomorrow project, which uses science fiction to spark conversations about product design and use among Intel's engineers, and he was kind enough to invite me to write a … [Read more]
With a Little Help in the Wall Street Journal
My new DIY short story collection With a Little Help has garnered a positive writeup and review in the Wall Street Journal, thanks to Tom Shippey: So far so good, but "With a Little Help" shows that Mr. Doctorow isn't starry-eyed about what will happen next. State bureaucracies can use technology as well as individuals, … [Read more]
Five unexpected economics books, including For the Win
Tim "Undercover Economist" Harford's feature with FiveBooks lists five "unexpected economics" books, including my novel For the Win: It is for young adults ¿ it's an adventure-action story, it's not that complicated. But it's very well done and conveys a lot of really interesting economic ideas very well. For instance there's the impact of globalisation, … [Read more]
Speaking in Toronto on “How can we build a city that thinks like the web?” panel
I'm coming to Toronto in early June on my way to Personal Democracy Forum in New York; while I'm there, I'll be speaking at the SubtleTechnologies event in Innis Town Hall at 6:30PM on June 4. I'm sitting on a panel called "How can we build a city that thinks like the web?" with Mark … [Read more]
Life with Ubuntu and a ThinkPad
My new Guardian column, "My new Ubuntu-flavoured ThinkPad is computing heaven," describes the miraculously drama-free life I've discovered by buying ThinkPads with extended warranties and running the Ubuntu flavor of GNU/Linux on them: The problem with writing about switching to Ubuntu is that there's very little to report on, because it is just about the … [Read more]
Knights of the Rainbow Table 03
Here's part three of my reading of my story-in-progress, Knights of the Rainbow Table, a story commissioned by Intel's Chief Futurist, Brian David Johnson. Brian oversees Intel's Tomorrow project, which uses science fiction to spark conversations about product design and use among Intel's engineers, and he was kind enough to invite me to write a … [Read more]
Coming to Milton Keynes and Oxford on May 18
I'm taking a day off from writing next week to speak at the Open University and Oxford. On May 18, I'll give a talk on technology, regulation and general-purpose computing at the OU in Milton Keynes and at the Oxford University Scientific Society. Both talks are open to the public. Here are the details for … [Read more]
WITH A LITTLE HELP in Booklist
ALA Booklist has posted a stonking review of With a Little Help: Anyone who grooved to the counterculture vibe of Doctorow's young-adult novels Little Brother (2008) and For the Win (2010) will embrace these stories heartily–no one can dole out technological cautionary tales while simultaneously celebrating technology as cunningly as Doctorow. This volume's single never-before-published … [Read more]
Knights of the Rainbow Table 02
Here's part two of my reading of my story-in-progress, Knights of the Rainbow Table, a story commissioned by Intel's Chief Futurist, Brian David Johnson. Brian oversees Intel's Tomorrow project, which uses science fiction to spark conversations about product design and use among Intel's engineers, and he was kind enough to invite me to write a … [Read more]
Shannon's Law podcast – fixed!
The Escape Pod people had some technical problems with their Shannon's Law podcast. Here's the fixed MP3.
Shannon's Law: a story about bridging Faerie and the mundane world with TCP-over-magic
I have a short story called "Shannon's Law" in the new Welcome to Bordertown anthology, the first Bordertown book in decades. I was absolutely delighted to be invited to contribute a story, and had a fun time writing my piece, which is about the application of information theory to the problem of bridging the lands … [Read more]
Piracy and poor countries: Big Content wants to have its cake and eat it too
My latest Guardian column, "Why poor countries lead the world in piracy," discusses the groundbreaking independent research presented in "Media Piracy in Emerging Economies," a 400+ page report that took 35 researchers three years to compile. The project's lead, Joe Karganis, is giving a free talk tomorrow in London: So why do it at all? … [Read more]
Will technology make us freer, and if so, how?
My latest Locus column, "Techno-optimism," looks at how technology has shaped global struggles for self-determination, democratic government and justice, and asks whether, on balance, technology will make the world freer and better or more repressive and worse: The convenience of privacy-unfriendly social-network technologies from Friendster to Facebook has made them tempting platforms for use in … [Read more]
Knights of the Rainbow Table 01
Here's part one of my reading of my story-in-progress, Knights of the Rainbow Table, a story commissioned by Intel's Chief Futurist, Brian David Johnson. Brian oversees Intel's Tomorrow project, which uses science fiction to spark conversations about product design and use among Intel's engineers, and he was kind enough to invite me to write a … [Read more]
Giddy delight at technological progress
My Make column "Memento Mori" talks about the giddy, delightful vertigo I experience when I realize how fast and how far technology has come, and how fast it's moving: I'm often puzzled by how satisfying older technology is. What a treat it is to muscle around an ancient teletype, feeding it new-old paper-tape or rolls … [Read more]
With a Little Help in Australia and New Zealand
One interesting thing about selling print-on-demand books is that they can be instantiated all over the world, close to where the orders are. For years, pundits have predicted corner store kiosks that can print any book every written, and though we're nowhere near that stage today, there are the first inklings of what such a … [Read more]
Speaking at How the Light Gets In, Hay-on-Wye, Wales
I'll be speaking at The Independent's How the Light Gets In festival in Hay-on-Wye on Monday, May 30, where I'll do two events: 1400h: Technology and Anarchy, with Nigel Warburton With a 3D printer and laptop, does everyone have the tools they need to build a bio-weapon? Novelist and activist Cory Doctorow questions whether we … [Read more]
For the Win selected for Kansas State Reading Circle; Little Brother wins Vermont's Green Mountain Book Award
This week, I was delighted to learn that my novel For the Win was one of three young adult novels selected for the the Kansas National Education Association's Kansas State Reading Circle list; and then to learn that the Vermont School Library Association, Vermont Library Association and the Vermont Department of Libraries had awarded the … [Read more]
How do you compete with free? A taxonomy of reasons to pay for digital files
My latest Guardian column is "In the digital era free is easy, so how do you persuade people to pay?" and it's a first approximation of a taxonomy of reasons to buy stuff that you can download for free from unauthorized sites. I find that discussions about digital sales are often muddied by arguments about … [Read more]
In the digital era free is easy, so how do you persuade people to pay?
The Guardian
Privacy, Facebook, politics and kids
The Guardian's Comment is Free video team recorded an interview with me after the TEDxObserver event. They're editing it into a series of quick pieces; the first one, about kids, privacy, and social networks, just went live. I really like the way they put it together! The most powerful mechanism we have for securing the … [Read more]
Guest of Honor at 75th Philcon
I'm absolutely delighted to announce that I'll be the guest of honor at the 75th Philcon in Cherry Hill, NJ, Nov 18-20 2011. Philcon is the oldest science fiction convention in the world; it's one I've attended a dozen times or so, and I'm honored to be invited on such an auspicious occasion.
Podcast: A Petition to the Queen of England (Mark Twain)
This week, I've read another of my favorite Mark Twain stories, A Petition to the Queen of England, a tax-time gem. Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed audio engineer, producer, composer, and sound designer. In his free time, he makes beer, jewelry, odd musical instruments and furniture. He … [Read more]
Worldreader: ebooks for kids in the developing world
I've recently lent my support to Worldreader, an innovative nonprofit program that distributes ebook readers to children in the developing world and then exposes them to a large library of donated texts from writers from across the world, as well as newspapers and other materials. I was delighted to give them access to all my … [Read more]
Interview with Triangulation podcast
Yesterday, I recorded a fun, hour-long chat with Leo Laporte and Tom Merrit on the Triangulation podcast -- the audio is linked below, but there's also video if you'd prefer. MP3 Link
Podcast: The Petrified Man (Mark Twain)
This week, I've read another of my favorite Mark Twain stories, The Petrified Man, a perfect April Fool's season tale of a prank gone wrong. Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed audio engineer, producer, composer, and sound designer. In his free time, he makes beer, jewelry, odd musical … [Read more]
DIY publishing: getting Amazon and Lulu to co-exist
My new Publishers Weekly column has just gone up, documenting the progress with my DIY short story collection, With a Little Help. This month, I talk about the Baroque process of getting a book listed on both Lulu and Amazon: Getting the book on Amazon was much harder than I anticipated. At first, I considered … [Read more]
Down and Out redesign
Bruce Campbell did a nice PDF redesign of the text of Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, my first novel. Thanks, Bruce!
TEDxObserver talk on kids and privacy
Here's a video of my talk on kids, privacy and social media ("A Skinner box that trains you to under-value your privacy: how do we make kids care about online privacy?") at last month's TEDxObserver event in London. It was a great day and there were a ton of interesting talks (the set is here). … [Read more]
Ghosts in my Head on Beam Me Up
The Beam Me Up podcast (a production of WRFR in Rockland, Maine) has recorded a great reading of my short story Ghosts in My Head. MP3 Link
Interview with BookLending.com podcast
The BookLending.com podcast did a quick interview with me and Seth Godin for the current episode. MP3 Link
Speaking on technology regulation today in Claremont (near LA)
Just a reminder for Southern Californians that I'll be speaking at Claremont McKenna College's Atheneum series tonight at 1845h, and it's free and open to the public. I'll be reprising and expanding on the "Little Bit Pregnant" talk on technology regulation that I gave earlier this month at the University of Toronto iSchool conference.
For the Win is a Prometheus Award finalist
Just got word that For the Win is a finalist for the Prometheus Award, presented by the Libertarian Science Fiction Society; having won this once for Little Brother, and considering the fantastic books on this year's shortlist and in the winner alumni, I couldn't be more thrilled!
Reminder: reading/signing in LA this Sunday
Reminder: I'm in LA this weekend and the nice folks at Dark Delicacies in Burbank (3512 W. Magnolia, 91505) were kind enough to host a signing and reading for me on Sunday, March 27th at 2PM. I'll also be speaking at Claremont McKenna College's Atheneum series on Mar 30 at 1845h, and it's free and … [Read more]
Disney-fan's discussion of Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom
Jennifer Hoffman's written an interesting guide to Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom: I first discovered this novel shortly after it's release, when prowling my local library for books about Disney World. Along with the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, it opened up the possibility of thinking critically about Disney Parks, taking them … [Read more]
Speaking on technology regulation next Wednesday in Claremont near LA
I'm coming to Southern California next week and I'll be speaking at Claremont McKenna College's Atheneum series. It's next Wednesday, 30 March, at 1845h, and it's free and open to the public. I'll be reprising and expanding on the "Little Bit Pregnant" talk on technology regulation that I gave earlier this month at the University … [Read more]
Podcast: Punch, Brothers, Punch (Mark Twain)
I'm back podcasting after a long post-surgical hiatus. I don't have any new material to read, so instead, I've read one of my favorite comedic Mark Twain stories, Punch, Brothers, Punch. It's a great little essay about a earworming mind-virus, prefiguring Snow Crash by a century and more! There's more administrivia than usual in this … [Read more]
Video from reading in Toronto with Dave Nickle last week
The folks at ChiZine who hosted the reading that David Nickle and I did last week in Toronto have been good enough to put the video of the readings and Q&A online. Click through for the whole lot. ChiSeries Videos - Toronto SpecFic Colloquium
Coming to LA, Mar 27
I'm coming through Los Angeles later this month on the way to a meeting and a lecture, and the nice folks at Dark Delicacies in Burbank (3512 W. Magnolia, 91505) were kind enough to host a signing and reading for me on Sunday, March 27th at 2PM. Hope to see you then!
Beware the spyware model of technology ¿ its flaws are built in
The Guardian
War on the PC and the network: copyright was just the start
My latest Guardian column, "Beware the spyware model of technology ¿ its flaws are built in," is a look at some of the coming battles over the general-purpose PC and the general-purpose network, and how the copyright wars have shown us what's at risk when we do regulation wrong. It's adapted from my talk at … [Read more]
Tor.com on WITH A LITTLE HELP
Tor.com's Steven Raets has a great write up on WITH A LITTLE HELP: As for the stories, I think it's safe to say that anyone who enjoyed Cory Doctorow's novels will love them. Like his novels Little Brother, Makers and For the Win, they often start with a recognizable core: a present-day technological or sociological … [Read more]
Clarkesworld on For the Win
In this Clarkesworld interview, conducted last year during my tour for For the Win, Jeremy Jones and I talk about the rigors of touring, the politics of labor, and the elusive Drama Hobbit. Have there been any strange moments? There've been a couple pretty weird ones. I've had two funny misunderstandings. A friend of mine … [Read more]
For the Win on Readergirlz
My novel For the Win is the featured title this month at Readergirlz, a literacy site that does wonderful work. I'll be answering questions there through the month.
Self-destructing ebooks: paper's fragility is a bug, not a feature
My new Guardian column, "Ebooks: durability is a feature, not a bug," is about HarperCollins's decision to limit library checkouts of its ebooks to 26, whereupon the books self-destruct. I argue that it's wrong to argue about whether print books last for more or less than 26 checkouts -- the important thing to recognize is … [Read more]
Audio of yesterday's iSchool talk
Socrates from the Singularity Weblog attended my University of Toronto iSchool talk ("A Little Bit Pregnant: Why it's a Bad Idea to Regulate Computers the Way We Regulate Radios, Guns, Uranium and Other Special-Purpose Tools") yesterday and was kind enough to record and podcast it with a great write up. Here's the MP3, too!
Reminder: speech and reading in Toronto this weekend
This weekend, the University of Toronto's Faculty for Information is bringing me to Toronto to give a keynote at its Boundaries, Frontiers and Gatekeepers conference. Admission is free for U of T iSchool students. For others, the keynote is $5 at the door, or the whole event is $7 for non-U-of-T-students and $10 for the … [Read more]
Explaining creativity to a Martian
My latest Locus column takes the form of a thought-experiment in which I try to make sense of how we treat creative work on behalf of a notional Martian: It's about this time that the Martian notices our distinctly contradictory relationship with copying. On the one hand, copying is inextricably tied up with this idea … [Read more]
Epoch (With a Little Help)
I'm taking a hiatus from podcasting while I recuperate from hip surgery; instead, I'll be posting a couple stories a week from the podcast edition of my DIY short story collection, With a Little Help. I hope you enjoy 'em -- I love how these readings came out. You can buy the whole audio on … [Read more]
Overcome information overload by trusting redundancy
My latest Guardian column, "Information overload? Time to relax then," describes a technique for overcoming "information overload" by letting go of the idea that if you overlook something in your inbox, RSS reader, or other feed that it'll disappear forever. The faster your feeds get, the more the good stuff gets repeated -- trust the … [Read more]
Chicken Little (With a Little Help)
I'm taking a hiatus from podcasting while I recuperate from hip surgery; instead, I'll be posting a couple stories a week from the podcast edition of my DIY short story collection, With a Little Help. I hope you enjoy 'em -- I love how these readings came out. You can buy the whole audio on … [Read more]
Pester Power (With a Little Help)
I'm taking a hiatus from podcasting while I recuperate from hip surgery; instead, I'll be posting a couple stories a week from the podcast edition of my DIY short story collection, With a Little Help. I hope you enjoy 'em -- I love how these readings came out. You can buy the whole audio on … [Read more]
Polish Little Brother cover
Thanks to Ludwik Stawowy for sending along the cover for the Polish edition of Little Brother, AKA Maly Brat!
Dissatisfied Little Brother fan's alternative ending
Pamela DiFrancesco writes, "Iread your novel Little Brother, not too long ago and really loved it---except I just didn't believe that the court system would be as just as it was, or that Marcus would be saved by the police, or that he would go on to "rock the vote," so to speak. So (thanks … [Read more]
Locus List of the best genre fiction of 2010 ¿ a cheat sheet for Hugo nominators!
This month's Locus magazine contains the annual "Locus Recommended Reading List," a guide to the best science fiction and fantasy published in the preceding year, chosen by the magazine's critics. In addition to being a great primer for exploring the year in fiction, they're also an excellent cheat-sheet for award-nominations -- for example, the Hugo … [Read more]
Constitutional Crisis (With a Little Help)
I'm taking a hiatus from podcasting while I recuperate from hip surgery; instead, I'll be posting a couple stories a week from the podcast edition of my DIY short story collection, With a Little Help. I hope you enjoy 'em -- I love how these readings came out. You can buy the whole audio on … [Read more]
With a Little Help: first post-publication progress report
My latest Publishers Weekly column documenting my DIY short story collection With a Little Help has just gone up. It documents the first six weeks after publication -- what went right and what went wrong. The good news is that I'm heavily in the black, thanks, in large part, to the limited edition hardcovers. The … [Read more]
Visit the Sins (With a Little Help)
I'm taking a hiatus from podcasting while I recuperate from hip surgery; instead, I'll be posting a couple stories a week from the podcast edition of my DIY short story collection, With a Little Help. I hope you enjoy 'em -- I love how these readings came out. You can buy the whole audio on … [Read more]
With a Little Help on DailyLit
My DIY short story collection With a Little Help is now available as a series of daily, one-page emails from DailyLit -- all 151 installments' worth!
Government data like crime maps is not enough ¿ there needs to be action
The Guardian
Guardian column on gov't data and accountability
My latest Guardian column is "Government data like crime maps is not enough ¿ there needs to be action," and it looks at two recent data-crunching apps for UK policing: first, the crime-maps that tell you what the crime's like in your neighbourhood, and second, Sukey, an app that helps protesters evade police "kettling" -- … [Read more]
Power Punctuation! (With a Little Help)
I'm taking a hiatus from podcasting while I recuperate from hip surgery; instead, I'll be posting a couple stories a week from the podcast edition of my DIY short story collection, With a Little Help. I hope you enjoy 'em -- I love how these readings came out. You can buy the whole audio on … [Read more]
Liberation Spectrum (With a Little Help)
I'm taking a hiatus from podcasting while I recuperate from hip surgery; instead, I'll be posting a couple stories a week from the podcast edition of my DIY short story collection, With a Little Help. I hope you enjoy 'em -- I love how these readings came out. You can buy the whole audio on … [Read more]
Net Delusion review in French
My critical review of Evgeny Morozov's The Net Delusion has been translated into French by the good folks at ReadWrite Web.
Human Readable (With a Little Help)
I'm taking a hiatus from podcasting while I recuperate from hip surgery; instead, I'll be posting a couple stories a week from the podcast edition of my DIY short story collection, With a Little Help. I hope you enjoy 'em -- I love how these readings came out. You can buy the whole audio on … [Read more]
Coming to Toronto for speech and reading, Mar 5-6
This March, the University of Toronto's Faculty for Information is bringing me to Toronto to give a keynote at its Boundaries, Frontiers and Gatekeepers conference. Admission is free for U of T iSchool students. For others, the keynote is $5 at the door, or the whole event is $7 for non-U-of-T-students and $10 for the … [Read more]
Scroogled (With a Little Help)
I'm taking a hiatus from podcasting while I recuperate from hip surgery; instead, I'll be posting a couple stories a week from the podcast edition of my DIY short story collection, With a Little Help. I hope you enjoy 'em -- I love how these readings came out. You can buy the whole audio on … [Read more]
Morozov's Net Delusion: skeptical take on net-freedom marred by straw-men
My latest Guardian column, "We need a serious critique of net activism," is a long, detailed review of Evgeny Morozov's new book The Net Delusion, a book that seeks to debunk "cyber-utopianism" and the idea that the Internet can be used as a force for freedom. I agree with much of what Morozov has to … [Read more]
Other People's Money (With a Little Help)
I'm taking a hiatus from podcasting while I recuperate from hip surgery; instead, I'll be posting a couple stories a week from the podcast edition of my DIY short story collection, With a Little Help. I hope you enjoy 'em -- I love how these readings came out. You can buy the whole audio on … [Read more]
Interview with School Libraries in Canada
I did a fun interview with School Libraries in Canada, a journal of the Canadian Association for School Libraries: CD - I remember the first really substantial thing that happened to me in a school library. That was the day that they marched my grade three class down to the school library at Crestview Elementary … [Read more]
The Right Book (With a Little Help)
I'm taking a hiatus from podcasting while I recuperate from hip surgery; instead, I'll be posting a couple stories a week from the podcast edition of my DIY short story collection, With a Little Help. I hope you enjoy 'em -- I love how these readings came out. You can buy the whole audio on … [Read more]
The Things That Make Me Weak and Strange Get Engineered Away (With a Little Help)
I'm taking a hiatus from podcasting while I recuperate from hip surgery; instead, I'll be posting a couple stories a week from the podcast edition of my DIY short story collection, With a Little Help. I hope you enjoy 'em -- I love how these readings came out. You can buy the whole audio on … [Read more]
Scott Sigler's WALH podcasting promo
Scott Sigler was kind enough to create an awesome 60-second promo for With a Little Help.
With a Little Help unboxing
Michael Sauers was so pleased with his limited-edition copy of With a Little Help that he produced an unboxing video and a photoset.
Give With a Little Help to a library or school
Last month, I launched my DIY short story collection With a Little Help and invited librarians and teachers to send in their addresses so that I could publish a list of worthies to whom copies of the book could be donated. Due to a technical cock-up, these emails went awry and I only figured this … [Read more]
Hugo Award nominations are open
The Hugo Award nominations are now open; attendees at last year's World Science Fiction Convention in Melbourne or next year's in Reno are eligible to nominate. I usually wait until the annual Locus List of notable publications to help me make my choices and jog my memory, but in case you're wondering, yes, indeed, I … [Read more]
Net Neutrality explained for writers and other artists
My latest column for Locus magazine is "Net Neutrality for Writers: It's All About the Leverage," a piece about the risks to artists of allowing network carriers to demand bribes for "premium carriage" of our content. Not that the telcos really care about this. Art, schmart. They just want to get paid, and paid, and … [Read more]
Unboxing a WITH A LITTLE HELP hardcover
Hal Stern got one of the first batch of limited edition hardcovers of With a Little Help, and he received it in time for Christmas. He's lavishly documented his unboxing experience, and is clearly delighted with the book! I'm about to leave for Christmas holidays but I'll be back to shipping new batches after January … [Read more]
Keeping an email address secret won't hide it from spambots
The Guardian
Why I have a public email address
In my latest Guardian column, "Keeping an email address secret won't hide it from spambots," I explain why I don't bother to hide my email address from spambots and what I do instead to stay on top of spam: I don't really care how much spam gets eaten by my filters ¿ all I care … [Read more]
Appeals Court ¿ CONCLUSION
Here's the fourth and final installment of my reading of Charlie Stross's and my gonzo Singularity novella Appeals Court. It's the sequel to Jury Service, the first thing Charlie and I ever wrote together. We're about to start work on Parole Board, the thrilling conclusion, which Tor will be publishing as a novel under the … [Read more]
With a Little Help paperbacks now at $14.50!
When I created the Lulu.com store for the With a Little Help paperbacks, I discovered that adding an ISBN to the books automatically raised the minimum price on the book from $11 or so to more than $17 (that's because adding an ISBN makes the book available to retailers like Amazon, and Lulu wants to … [Read more]
Interview with Mur Lafferty
I did an interview about With a Little Help with Mur Lafferty of the I Should Be Writing podcast. Mur is a great writer and a killer podcaster; she reads one of the stories on the WALH audiobook. MP3 Link
The Internet Problem: when an abundance of choice becomes an issue
The Guardian
My Internet problem: an abundance of choice
My latest Guardian column, "The Internet Problem: when an abundance of choice becomes an issue," discusses the thoroughly modern dilemma of choice in the face of abundance -- not just an abundance of reading material or music, but an abundance of actions enabled by the net. My internet problem is the one so many of … [Read more]
Spanish Little Brother coming on Mar 7
I've just heard from Eduardo Hojman, my editor at Puck, that the Spanish edition of Little Brother will be published on March 7, under the title, "PEQUEÑO HERMANO"! It'll be distributed worldwide -- through Spain and Latin America.
Interview with The Command Line podcast
Earlier this week, I chatted with Thomas Gideon of the Command Line podcast about my With a Little Help project; he's just put up the audio! MP3 Link
Appeals Court 03
Here's the third installment of my reading of Charlie Stross's and my gonzo Singularity novella Appeals Court. It's the sequel to Jury Service, the first thing Charlie and I ever wrote together. We're about to start work on Parole Board, the thrilling conclusion, which Tor will be publishing as a novel under the title Rapture … [Read more]
Prints of Rick Lieder's WITH A LITTLE HELP cover
Rick Lieder, one of the four talented artists who produced covers for my new DIY short story collection With a Little Help, is selling prints of his cover-art, which illustrates the story "The Right Book," (which Neil Gaiman narrates on the audiobook edition). With a Little Help by Cory Doctorow
Bulgarian Creative Commons fan-trans of Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom
A group of Bulgarian fans have produced a free/open translation of my first novel Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom. It was edited by Milena Ivanova, cover art by Biliana Savova, and features an introduction by Vladimir Poleganov. I'm immensely honored and delighted. Thanks to all the volunteers who made this edition. ¿¿¿ ¿¿ … [Read more]
With a Little Help launches!
At long last, I have finally launched my self-published short story collection With a Little Help. With a Little Help is my first serious experiment in self-publishing. I've published many novels, short story collections, books of essays and so on with publishers, and it's all been very good and satisfying and educational and so on, … [Read more]
Appeals Court 02
Here's the second installment of my reading of Charlie Stross's and my gonzo Singularity novella Appeals Court. It's the sequel to Jury Service, the first thing Charlie and I ever wrote together. We're about to start work on Parole Board, the thrilling conclusion, which Tor will be publishing as a novel under the title Rapture … [Read more]
Raising money to buy Little Brother for a “high poverty” NYC classroom
Mr K, a NYC high-school English teacher in a "high poverty" school is raising money to buy a set of copies of my book Little Brother for his grade nine students, who "do so uncritically with very little knowledge of their rights as users, architects." I'm humbled and honored by Mr K's faith in my … [Read more]
German Little Brother shortlisted for LovelyBooks Leserpreis
Hey, German Little Brother fans! The Rowohlt German edition of the book has been short-listed for LovelyBooks's Leserpreis ¿die besten Buecher 2010, and you can vote for it!
Spanish fan-trans Little Brother ePub
Santiago Benejam Torres converted Axxon's fan-translation of Little Brother to ePub, and is making it available gratis on his site. Thanks, Santiago!
FTW is a Quill and Quire pick for 2010
I'm honored and delighted to learn that Quill and Quire, the Canadian publishing industry journal of record, has named For the Win one of its five notable YA novels for 2010. Thanks, Q&Q!
Appeals Court 01
Here's the first installment of my reading of Charlie Stross's and my gonzo Singularity novella Appeals Court. It's the sequel to Jury Service, the first thing Charlie and I ever wrote together. We're about to start work on Parole Board, the thrilling conclusion, which Tor will be publishing as a novel under the title Rapture … [Read more]
News Corp Kremlinology: what do the Times paywall numbers mean?
The Guardian
Kremlinology with Rupert Murdoch: what do the Times paywall numbers mean?
In my latest Guardian column, "News Corp Kremlinology: what do the Times paywall numbers mean?" I have a good rummage around the mysterious figures released by The Times earlier this month on the performance of its vaunted pay-for-news scheme. The Times released the numbers with a lot of triumphant accompaniment, but I'm not clear on … [Read more]
Guardian column: How do you know if copyright is working?
In my latest Guardian column, "What do we want copyright to do?" I try to get out of the "you're a thief/you're a greedhead" copyright debate by asking what a good copyright system would look like, and suggesting how we might design one: Let's start by saying that there is only one regulation that would … [Read more]
Jury Service 06 – CONCLUSION
Here's part 6, the conclusion of Jury Service. Jury Service is the first of two novellas Charlie Stross and I wrote about Huw, a technophobe stuck on Earth after the Singularity (the other one being Appeals Court). They are both being published, along with a third, yet-to-be-written novella Parole Board by Tor Books as Rapture … [Read more]
Foreign editions of my work
James Riley took the trouble of going through previous posts here and assembled a list of foreign translations of my works, including ones where the links to fan-trans and commercial editions have gone dead. Thanks, James!
Pioneer Awards ceremony video
Here's video of this week's EFF Pioneer Awards ceremony in San Francisco, which I was privileged to emcee.
Little Brother Serbian fan-translation
The Serbian edition of my novel Little Brother has just been published by Profil Knjiga!
Little Brother, the play, back on in Phoenix, AZ
A high-school in Phoenix, Arizona is mounting a production of the theatrical adaptation of my novel Little Brother (this is the same script that was mounted for the 2008 performances in Chicago, written by Bill Massolia). They're doing a three-night run, starting tomorrow -- tickets are still available.
Song based on Little Brother
Corrinne Hite is a fifteen-year-old singer/songwriter who has just finished an album of songs based on the novels she loves. She's done me the honor of writing a song based on my novel Little Brother: stream it here. Corrine's band, CORY & THE TIGERMEN, is in the SchoolJamsUSA finals (northeast region). US residents can vote … [Read more]
Interview with CBC about Makers
I recently spoke to the CBC's Shelagh Rogers on The Next Chapter about my novel Makers. The interview just aired, and they've put up streaming audio of it as well.
Talking Makers on CBC's The Next Chapter
I'll be on CBC's The Next Chapter with Sheelagh Rogers this Monday at 1PM Eastern, discussing my novel Makers (it'll also be streamable after it airs).
Metacrap in Belorussian
Uta Bayer translated my essay Metacrap to Belorussian: Metacrap: ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿-¿¿¿¿¿¿ -- thanks, Uta!
Science fiction tells us all laws are local – just like the Web
My latest Locus column, "A Cosmopolitan Literature for the Cosmopolitan Web," is up: it's a piece on the way that science fiction's insistence that all laws are local prefigures the web's weird and wonderful diversity: One of science fiction's greatest tricks is playing ``vast, cool intelligence' and peering through a Martian telescope aimed Earthwards and … [Read more]
Guardian column: how I use the Internet when I'm playing with my kid
My latest Guardian column, "Jack and the interstalk: why the computer is not a scary monster," explains the way my 2.5-year-old daughter and I use my computer as part of our imaginative play and storytelling, using YouTube searches, Flickr image searches, paper story books, toys, and trips around town to play and explore. Now that … [Read more]
Jack and the interstalk: why the computer is not a scary monster
The Guardian
ICON 35: science fiction convention in Cedar Rapids, IA this weekend (I'm guest of honor!)
I'm just finalizing my schedule and packing list for ICON 35 A Steam Powered Convention of the Future, the science fiction convention in Cedar Rapids, IA, where I'm guest of honor this weekend. The event's got several kinds of gaming (including two weekend-long LARPs), its own Stormtrooper garrison, an art show and masquerade, a writers' … [Read more]
Jury Service 05
Here's part 5 of Jury Service. Jury Service is the first of two novellas Charlie Stross and I wrote about Huw, a technophobe stuck on Earth after the Singularity (the other one being Appeals Court). They are both being published, along with a third, yet-to-be-written novella Parole Board by Tor Books as Rapture of the … [Read more]
Bulk-download podcast script
Joe sez, "Hey Cory- Took your advice from little brother and started to teach myself Python. I wrote my first little script which downloads your complete podcast archive(see below). I did this after finding out the iTunes feed was incomplete, and severely needing a Doctorow fix. I was hoping you could share the script with … [Read more]
Interview with ALL TECH CONSIDERED
I did a fun little interview with NPR's All Tech Considered yesterday, about my forthcoming short story collection With a Little Help: Sci-Fi's Cory Doctorow Separates Self-Publishing Fact From Fiction
Argentine fan-trans of Little Brother
The Argentine sf zine Axxón has produced a Spanish noncommercial fan-translation of my novel Little Brother, using Argentine idiom. En esta historia se utilizan muchos términos relacionados con la informática y la tecnología de las comunicaciones. Estimo que los lectores de Axxón están familiarizados con casi todos en su idioma original, el inglés; por este … [Read more]
Jury Service 04
Here's part 4 of Jury Service. Jury Service is the first of two novellas Charlie Stross and I wrote about Huw, a technophobe stuck on Earth after the Singularity (the other one being Appeals Court). They are both being published, along with a third, yet-to-be-written novella Parole Board by Tor Books as Rapture of the … [Read more]
Column: a DIY book, by way of some help from Twitter pals
My latest Publishers Weekly column, "With a Little Twitter Help," describes the invaluable aid I've gotten in my ongoing self-publishing project, With a Little Help, by asking my readers through Twitter for help. I've now got a functional SD card cloner, free packaging materials, and a website design, and as soon as a few technical/contractual … [Read more]
Speaking this Saturday at London's Amazing Meeting
I'm speaking this weekend at the London edition of James Randi's The Amazing Meeting, a two-day event featuring the likes of Stephen Fry, James Randi, Alan Moore, Graham Linehan, PZ Myers, Susan Blackmore, Rebecca Watson, and Simon Singh (and many more!). The Amazing Meeting is a fundraiser to support science and critical thinking. TAM London … [Read more]
Westminster Skeptics panel on the UK Digital Economy Act with MP Tom Watson
Last night, rogue MP Tom Watson and I sat down at the Monk Exchange pub in London to do a little Q&A on the Digital Economy Act and the future of copyright in London, for the Westminster Skeptics' society. The skeptics already have their podcast up, and here it is! MP3
Jury Service 03
Here's part 3 of Jury Service. Jury Service is the first of two novellas Charlie Stross and I wrote about Huw, a technophobe stuck on Earth after the Singularity (the other one being Appeals Court). They are both being published, along with a third, yet-to-be-written novella Parole Board by Tor Books as Rapture of the … [Read more]
Speaking tonight with Tom Watson at the Westminster Skeptics
Rebel UK MP Tom Watson and I are speaking together tonight at a panel for the Wesminster Skeptics, held in London at 7PM, free to enter, on the subject of "Beyond the Digital Economy Act." Beyond the Digital Economy Act Panel including Cory Doctorow and Tom Watson MP When? Monday, October 11 at 7:00PM Where? … [Read more]
Audio from last night's live event with William Gibson and me
The good folks at IntelligenceSquared have already managed to post the audio from last night's event at London's Cadogan Hall, wherein I interviewed William Gibson for an hour on stage, and then we took smart questions from the audience for another 30 minutes. It was great fun. There's also a Flickr set of great photos … [Read more]
Pics with William Gibson
Here's a set of Michael Eleftheriades's photos of William Gibson and me on stage last night at London's Intelligence Squared event.
Why the copyright wars matter: a reply to Helienne Lindvall
In this week's Guardian column, "The real cost of free," I reply to last week's broadside by my fellow Guardian columnist Helienne Lindvall, who accused me of charging enormous fees to encourage creators to give their works away. After correcting the record on fees (most of my talks are free, a small number are paid … [Read more]
Jury Service 02
Here's part 2 of Jury Service. Jury Service is the first of two novellas Charlie Stross and I wrote about Huw, a technophobe stuck on Earth after the Singularity (the other one being Appeals Court). They are both being published, along with a third, yet-to-be-written novella Parole Board by Tor Books as Rapture of the … [Read more]
Live chat today with CBC's Book Club
I'm doing a live online chat today (Thu) with the CBC's Book Club at 8AM Pacific/11AM Eastern/4PM UK. Hope to catch you there!
Jury Service 01
Jury Service is the first of two novellas Charlie Stross and I wrote about Huw, a technophobe stuck on Earth after the Singularity (the other one being Appeals Court). They are both being published, along with a third, yet-to-be-written novella Parole Board by Tor Books as Rapture of the Nerds. We're starting work on … [Read more]
Promoting statistical literacy: a modest proposal
My latest Guardian column, "Promoting statistical literacy: a modest proposal" discusses the way that state-sponsored lotteries and sloppy financial regulation promote a dangerous kind of statistical illiteracy; dangerous because it subverts our ability to assess and mitigate risk. For example, my own bank, the Co-op, recently updated its business banking site (the old one was "best … [Read more]
William Gibson and me, live on stage in London, Oct 4
I'm delighted to announce that I'll be interviewing William Gibson, live and on stage for London's Intelligence^2 event on Oct 4. Bill and I always have great conversations, and this one should be a lot of fun, since I've been bugging his old friends for interesting conversational veins that go beyond the usual. Plus there's … [Read more]
Me, in Norwegian
Thomas Gramstad sez, "I've started a web page with an overview of Norwegian translations of your texts. Norwegian titles in bold, English original titles in parenthesis. The list also includes some interviews with you and reviews or summaries of your work (when substantial)."
Help design the WITH A LITTLE HELP site, win a super-limited-edition hardcover
In a very short time, I will be launching my self-published short-story collection, WITH A LITTLE HELP. This is a complicated beast: there's a free ebook in several formats; the paperback is a print-on-demand that comes in four different covers; the hardcover is a super-premium item in a limited edition. There's a free, downloadable audiobook, … [Read more]
Video of my Melbourne Writers' Festival talk
Here's the video of my Melbourne Writers' Festival talk from last week, "Copyright vs Creativity":
Coming to Germany, Amsterdam for Little Brother/Makers tour
Hey, Germans! Next Monday, I leave for a ten-day tour of Deutschland with the German edition of Little Brother. At my urging, my publisher Rowohlt has set an insane pace so that I get to as many places as possible. I'm coming to Hamburg, Braunschweig, Köln, Seeheim-Jugenheim, Erding and Göttingen. I wrap up with two … [Read more]
Audio from Melbourne Writers Festival talk
Here's audio from last night's talk at the Melbourne Writers Festival: "Copyright vs Creativity." Many thanks to Iain H. McLean for recording and uploading this! MP3 Link
Applying “ownership” to links, public domain material does more harm than good
My latest Locus Magazine column, "Proprietary Interest," talks about the way that our instinctive ownership claims over the stuff we find and post to the Internet do more harm than good. When we claim that public domain images, interesting links, or other net-fodder are "ours," we invite a muddle in which others make even more … [Read more]
Canadian: last chance to vote in Indigo's Teen Read poll
Canadians: Now that summer's over, it's your last chance to select your favorite young adult reads in Indigo's summerlong Teen Read Awards. They're soliciting Canadians' daily votes for great books for teens to read, as part of a longer and larger promotion of teen reading and literacy. I'm honored to note that my latest young … [Read more]
My Melbourne schedule: Melbourne Writers' Festival and World Science Fiction Convention
I've just done the online checkin for my flight to Australia tomorrow for the Melbourne Writers' Festival and the World Science Fiction Convention (also in Melbourne), so now seems like a good time to publish my schedule of appearances for the week that I'm there: Melbourne Writers' Festival: Lecture, 1800h, Thursday, September 2, RMIT Capitol Theatre: Big … [Read more]
Which ebook sellers will allow publishers and writers to opt out of DRM?
My August Publishers Weekly column reports in on my experiment to see which of the major ebook stores would carry my books without DRM, and with a text disclaimer at the beginning that released readers from the crazy, abusive license agreements that most of these stores demand as a condition of purchase. Amazon, Barnes and … [Read more]
Gone fission – see you in September!
If you are reading this blog-post, it is because I have been kidnapped by my family and whisked away to a cottage on a Canadian lake, from which vantage I will be contemplating the loons, catching up on my reading, teaching Poesy to swim, going to the drive in, and lolling about in the grass … [Read more]
Canadians: One month left to pick your favorite YA book!
A quick reminder: Canadian teens have one month left to vote for their favourite YA novels in Chapters/Indigo's Best Canadian Reads series. You can vote every day, and I would be remiss if I didn't mention that my latest novel, For the Win, is eligible for your vote! I'm incredibly gratified to see Canada's largest bookseller … [Read more]
Curated computing is no substitute for the personal and handmade
The Guardian
What “curated computing” can and can't deliver
My latest Guardian column, "Curated computing is no substitute for the personal and handmade," looks at how a curated computing experiences (like the hand-picked apps in the Apple App Store and the Google Android Marketplace) offer undeniable value, but can be configured to be coercive traps or helpful starting points: Two categories in particular won't ever … [Read more]
Ghosts in My Head
Ghosts in My Head was originally published in the July issue of Subterranean Press, with accompanying art by Dave McKean. It's a short-short story about the end-times brought on by advanced neuromarketing. You can read the whole story there. Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed audio engineer, producer, composer, and … [Read more]
Last chance to RSVP for London event tonight with Mieville, me and Rob Sharp of English PEN
Reminder for Londoners! I'm doing a live event tonight at 7PM with China Mieville in Exmouth Market (EC1R 4QE), through the excellent Clerkenwell Tales bookstore. We've outgrown the store, so Pete, our host, has booked the Church of the Redeemer next door; but we're nearly full there, too! If you'd like to come, RSVP (quickly!) … [Read more]
I Love Paree, Part 4 ¿ CONCLUSION
Here's the fourth and final of the podcast of I Love Paree, a short story I co-wrote with Michael Skeet, originally published in Asimov's Magazine in December 2000. It's the story of a business consultant living in revolutionary Paris during an anti-corporatist uprising, and what he does after he's conscripted into the Communard Army. Mastering by … [Read more]
Interview with Reason.tv about FOR THE WIN
Here's some video of interviews I did with Nick Gillespie from Reason Magazine and Reason TV after my talk at Public Knowledge in DC last month. We talk about For the Win and how technology and kids and society interrelate.
Gateways: Tribute to Fred Pohl with stories by Bear, Benford, Brin, Bova, Gaiman, Harrison, Haldeman and me!
I just got my contributors' copies of the Frederik Pohl tribute anthology Gateways, and I find myself in danger of losing the afternoon's work to re-reading it. Gateways is a collection of short stories written in appreciation of Pohl, one of science fiction's masters and living legends. It includes fiction by Greg Bear, Gregory Benford, … [Read more]
Reports of blogging's death have been greatly exaggerated
The Guardian
New media give way to newer media and get even better
My latest Guardian column, "Reports of blogging's death have been greatly exaggerated," discusses the way that new media give way to newer media, and, in so doing, become truer to themselves: Do a search-and-replace on "blog" and you could rewrite the coverage as evidence of the death of television, novels, short stories, poetry, live theatre, musicals, … [Read more]
I Love Paree, Part 3
Here's part three of the podcast of I Love Paree, a short story I co-wrote with Michael Skeet, originally published in Asimov's Magazine in December 2000. It's the story of a business consultant living in revolutionary Paris during an anti-corporatist uprising, and what he does after he's conscripted into the Communard Army. Mastering by John Taylor … [Read more]
Ghosts in My Head: story about the neuromarketing end-times
Last April, I wrote about how the Science Fiction Writers of America's Grievance Committee got a magazine to pay me half of what it owed me for a story it had commissioned, but then offered a bogus contract for. The good folks at Subterranean Press bought the right to publish the story for the other … [Read more]
Iranian activists release free Persian Little Brother
A group of Iranian activists abroad and in Iran have produced a professional translation of my novel Little Brother and have released it online with the hope that it will be of interest to Iran's online activists. I've written an introduction to the edition on online activism and dissidence. It was a volunteer-led project, but … [Read more]
UK editions of my novels; launch on July 20 with China Mieville
HarperVoyager, my UK publisher, have just published British editions of the three novels they didn't already have in print: Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, Eastern Standard Tribe, and Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. There's also a UK paperback edition of Makers out this week. I'm going to be celebrating all these … [Read more]
I Love Paree, Part 2
Here's part two of the podcast of I Love Paree, a short story I co-wrote with Michael Skeet, originally published in Asimov's Magazine in December 2000. It's the story of a business consultant living in revolutionary Paris during an anti-corporatist uprising, and what he does after he's conscripted into the Communard Army. Mastering by John Taylor … [Read more]
Locus column: “What I do”
My latest Locus column, "What I Do," is a pretty thorough inventory of the apps, OSes, hardware and services I use on a day to day basis: From time to time, people ask me for an inventory of the tools and systems I use to get my work done. As a hard-traveling, working writer, I spend … [Read more]
Clute on For the Win
John Clute's smashing review of For the Win in the latest Strange Horizons compares the book (and me) to Heinlein in his heyday. Color me delighted! There are a lot of MMORPG battles in the first half of the book, and a lot of lessons–much more interesting –about gameworld economies, and gold farming, and derivatives, in … [Read more]
Makers is a Sunburst finalist
I'm absolutely delighted to announce that my novel Makers has made the shortlist for Canada's Sunburst Award, a juried prize "presented annually to Canadian writers with a speculative fiction novel or book-length collection of speculative fiction published any time during the previous calendar year." I've won the Sunburst twice before -- once in 2003 for my … [Read more]
Video from last night's talk in DC
Here's the video from last night's talk at New America Foundation in DC -- thanks to everyone who helped organize it and all those who attended!
Interview with Haaretz about Hebrew Little Brother edition
Here's an interview I conducted with the Israeli newspaper Haaretz on the occasion of the Hebrew publication of Little Brother. ¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿. ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿. ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ … [Read more]
Canada repeating UK's dirty copyright legislative process
My latest Guardian column, "Canada's copyright laws show Britain's digital legislation is no exception," explores the comparative histories of the awful UK Digital Economy Bill (rammed through Parliament with no real debate using dirty procedural tricks) and Canada's new Bill C-32, a proposed law that ignores the thousands of Canadians who weighed in on … [Read more]
Canada's copyright laws show Britain's digital legislation is no exception
The Guardian
Geek Trading Card, appearing Baltimore today, DC tomorrow
Geek-a-Week trading cards (and Cory in Baltimore today and DC tomorrow!) Len Peralta was kind enough to feature me in his Geek-a-Week trading card series (collect the whole set -- including Morgan Webb, John Hodgman, Jonathan Coulton, Jasmine Kobayashi and many, many more!). There's also an accompanying podcast. On the subject of matters personal: if you're … [Read more]
Canadian teens invited to pick their favorite reads
Canada's Indigo/Chapters books have launched a summerlong teen literacy promotion that invites readers to pick their favorite books and vote for them in a nationwide poll (you can vote every day, so no need to pick just one!). I'm delighted to learn that my latest YA novel, For the Win, is one of the titles … [Read more]
MAKERS is a Campbell Award finalist
W00t! My novel MAKERS is a finalist for the 2010 John W Campbell Memorial Award. The other nominees include some of my favorite books of the year, such as Bruce Sterling's CARYATIDS, Bacigalupe's WINDUP GIRL, Mieville's CITY AND THE CITY and Wilson's JULIAN COMSTOCK. I was privileged to win this award for my novel Little … [Read more]
I Love Paree, Part 1
I Love Paree, Part 1 Here's part one of the podcast of I Love Paree, a short story I co-wrote with Michael Skeet, originally published in Asimov's Magazine in December 2000. It's the story of a business consultant living in revolutionary Paris during an anti-corporatist uprising, and what he does after he's conscripted into the Communard … [Read more]
I Love Paree: new sf story podcast
I've just kicked off a new short story reading on my podcast. I Love Paree is a short story I co-wrote with Michael Skeet, originally published in Asimov's Magazine in December 2000. It's the story of a business consultant living in revolutionary Paris during an anti-corporatist uprising, and what he does after he's conscripted into … [Read more]
Silicon Valley, meet NY publishing
My latest Publishers Weekly column is "New York, Meet Silicon Valley," about the things that Silicon Valley can teach NYC publishing (cheap experimentation and celebrating failure as the fastest way to learn) and what it can't deliver (working DRM): This marks a key difference between New York publishing and Silicon Valley. Unlike New York publishing, Silicon … [Read more]
Speaking in Washington DC area next week
Hey DC! Tor Books is bringing me to your area for the American Library Association conference this coming weekend, and while I'm in town, I've signed on to do a couple of public events I hope to see you at! On Sunday, June 27 at 3PM, I'm speaking at Red Emma's books in Baltimore, in an … [Read more]
Summer Hacking School based on Little Brother
Neale sez, "I liked 'Little Brother' so much that I bought a copy for my niece and then based an entire Summer Hacking School around it. The kids were really excited about the premise of the book when I explained it to them tonight, and the fact that it's available for free in so … [Read more]
Bookbanter interview
Here's a recent Bookbanter interview about Makers: MP3 Link
Book-tours with Android
My latest Guardian column, "The mobile revolution has arrived," describes the way that touring with a rooted NexusOne phone fundamentally changed the experience of being on a book-tour, delivering a touring author's two most precious commodities: better food and more sleep. Travelling with your own internet source is brilliant. At Atlanta airport, I was stuck for … [Read more]
The Jammie Dodgers and the Adventure of the Leicester Square Screening, Part 2
Part two (of two) of "The Jammie Dodgers and the Adventure of the Leicester Square Screening", originally published on Shareable.net. (Image: Tilt and shift - Leicester Square at night, a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No-Derivative-Works (2.0) image from rthakrar's photostream) Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed audio engineer, producer, composer, … [Read more]
Interview with KPFA's Cover to Cover, Open Book
Here's the full audio from the Cover to Cover, Open Book interview I did with Berkeley's KPFA. The edited, 29-minute version that aired doesn't stay online thanks to "bullying" with the SoundExchange rights-society, but Eric Klein, who conducted the interview, was kind enough to upload the whole thing. MP3 Link
Interview about my reading habits in the Globe and Mail
Here's a short interview I did about my reading habits with the Globe and Mail's My Books, My Place section: I didn't move to London so much as ooze there. I had a year of going back and forth a lot. April '04 was when I actually landed. Now, I'm married to a Londoner and we … [Read more]
Copper Robot interview, pt 2
Here's part 2 of the interview I conducted in Second Life with the Copper Robot show. In this part, I talk about the research that went into For the Win. “For anyone who's my age and uses computers, you would have to undertake an extraordinary effort not to be a gamer,” he said. He started computer … [Read more]
The Jammie Dodgers and the Adventure of the Leicester Square Screening, Part 1
Part one of "The Jammie Dodgers and the Adventure of the Leicester Square Screening", originally published on Shareable.net. (Image: Tilt and shift - Leicester Square at night, a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No-Derivative-Works (2.0) image from rthakrar's photostream) Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed audio engineer, producer, composer, and sound … [Read more]
Video from FOR THE WIN tour
Fora TV came out to one of the stops on my For the Win tour, at Books Inc in Palo Alto, and recorded the reading and Q&A: Cory Doctorow: For the Win
Interview with Books on the Radio
Here's my interview with Books on the Radio, part of my For the Win tour: MP3 Link
Interview with Copper Robot (pt 1)
Here's Part One of the in-game interview I conducted on For the Win with Second Life's Copper Robot: MP3 Link
Me as a remix-friendly super-villain
Toronto's Brian McLachlan surprised me at last week's signing at the Merril Collection with this awesome piece of pro-remix fan-art. It makes a nice counterpoint to my wife Alice's birthday present of a few years back, in which I'm a superhero. Thanks, Brian!
New Scientist on For the Win
The current New Scientist has a fine interview and feature about my latest novel, For the Win: What do gold farmers think about their lot? The gold farmers are a lot less worried about being exploited in real life than they are about being hunted mercilessly in the game. They encounter an awful lot of racism when … [Read more]
Makers tile-game, the physical object edition
Last year, my novel Makers was published and syndicated free as a series of 81 blog-posts on Tor.com. Tor had the insanely creative people at Idiots' Books produce 81 interlocking, tesselating illustrations, one for each installment, and made a sweet little Flash toy that let you play with making your own meta-illo by moving the … [Read more]
Interview with Rick Kleffel
Here's the interview I conducted with NPR's Rick Kleffel during the For the Win tour -- he's a great and smart science fiction interviewer and critic. MP3 Link
Bazooka Joe podcast
During the For the Win tour, I recorded this interview with the excellent Small World podcast. Bazooka Joe asked some really interesting questions, and we had a great talk. MP3 Link
Coming to Toronto tonight!
Hey, Toronto! I'm coming home tonight for the Canadian launch of For the Win! I'll see you at 6:30PM at the Merril Collection on the lower level of the Lillian H. Smith Building, 239 College Street, just east of Spadina.
Interview with BSC Review
Here's an interview I conducted with the good folks at BSC Review, about For the Win, writing, and related subjects.
Coming to Toronto this Friday
Just a reminder: I'll be in Toronto this Friday, June 4 for the Canadian launch of For the Win. We're launching it at the Merril Collection (239 College Ave, east of Spadina), starting 6:30PM. The good folks from Bakka-Phoenix Books will be on-hand with hardcopies to buy, as well.
Digital Economy Act sets UK gov't on a path to ever-more-restrictive net laws
My latest Guardian column, "Why the Digital Economy Act simply won't work," warns that now that the British state has assumed responsibility for maximizing the profits of entertainment companies, it will have to take ever-more-restrictive measures against its own people: And because once the state decides that it has a duty to police the internet to … [Read more]
Why I Won't Buy an iPad en Francais
Eric Moreau sez, You may remember I translate novels for French publishing houses and articles for a website and non-profit called Framasoft. This week-end, Framasoft took part in an event called "Ubuntu Party" dedicated to promoting the Ubuntu distro, free software and free culture. This event took place in the Cité des Sciences de La Villette … [Read more]
Pig Latin Little Brother
Sam Ruff translated Little Brother into Pig Latin! I'mway away eniorsay atway Esarcay Avezchay ighhay inway Ansay Ancisco'sfray unnysay Issionmay istrictday, andway atthay akesmay emay oneway ofway ethay ostmay urveilledsay eoplepay inway ethay orldway. Ymay amenay isway Arcusmay Allowyay, utbay ackbay enwhay isthay orystay artsstay, Iway asway oinggay ybay way1nay5tay0nay. Onouncedpray "Instonway." *Otnay* onouncedpray "Oubleday-ouyay-oneway-ennway-ivefay-eetay- erozay-ennway" -- unlessway ou'reyay away uelessclay isciplinaryday officerway o'swhay … [Read more]
Talking For the Win, iPads and copyright reform with ABC news
Last week I did a quick, fun interview with ABC News in New York, outside one of the bigger Apple Stores. We talked For the Win, the iPad, and copyright reform. The ABC folks were good enough to put the video online and make an embed available, too.
Coming to New York Public Library this morning, 10AM
Hey New Yorkers aged 12-18! I'm headed to the New York Public Library Grand Central Branch this morning at 10AM for a reading, Q&A and signing -- hope to see you there! Reminder: I'll also be at powerhouse Books tonight at 730PM, and McNally Jackson tomorrow at 7PM.
New fiction: The Jammie Dodgers and the Adventure of the Leicester Square Screening
Shareable.net has just kicked off a new fiction series, "Visions of a Shareable Future," with stories about a future in which sharing is part of the norm. I have the inaugural story, "The Jammie Dodgers and the Adventure of the Leicester Square Screening," which I wrote as a kind of run-up to getting to … [Read more]
The Jammie Dodgers and the Adventure of the Leicester Square Screening
Shareable.net
NYC tour stops
Hey, New York! I'm in town for the next-to-last stop of my book-tour for my new YA novel For the Win, and I'll be at: * Books of Wonder, May 26, 6-8PM * powerhouse Books, May 27, 7:30PM * McNally Jackson, May 28, 7PM The tour ends on June 4 in Toronto, with a stop at the Merril Collection … [Read more]
Burmese Little Brother covers
More news on the activist translations of Little Brother into Burmese languages: the activists at Digital Democracy who used Kickstarter to fund translations into several indigenous Burmese languages have released a set of covers, and they are made of win.
Critical paths and self-publishing
In my latest Publishers Weekly column, I dig into the meat of the production on my forthcoming short story collection With a Little Help. In short it's going well, but the book-tour put a major crimp in it, as did some bad assumptions on my part about the critical path: It turns out that a few … [Read more]
Photos from the EFF benefit in San Francisco
Alex Schoenfeldt came to the EFF benefit I did last night in San Francisco and shot a great set of photos while there. Photos from EFF benifit Geek Reading: Cory Doctorow's 'For the Win'"
Audio from EFF benefit/Geek Reading
Al Billings recorded last night's EFF benefit in San Francisco. MP3 Link
Interview with The Command Line
I recorded an interview with the excellent Command Line podcast about the new book, games, privacy, and civil liberties. Check it out! MP3 Link
FTW tour: Austin tomorrow, EFF benefit tonight, library donors needed!
Hey, Austinites! I'm headed your way tomorrow (Thurs) for the next leg of my book-tour. I'll be reading at BookPeople at 7PM, and then heading to EFF-Austin's WhuffieFest, a fundraiser/party at Amelia's RetroVogue and Relics, 2213 South 1st Street in the 78704. I haven't been to Austin since SXSW 2003, and I can't wait to … [Read more]
Little Brother paperback is a bestseller
The US paperback of Little Brother just came out and is entering its second week on the National Independent Bestseller list! Thanks to everyone who supported the book -- I'm over the moon!
Pre-BEA interview
I'm headed to Book Expo America soon as part of the FOR THE WIN tour. Yesterday, i recorded this quick phoner for a BEA podcast on the subject: MP3 Link
Coming to Palo Alto tonight
Hey, Palo Alto: Just a reminder that I'll be at Books Inc tonight at 7PM. And I'll be back in San Francisco tomorrow night at 7:30 at the 111 Minna Gallery for the EFF Geek Reading benefit!
Saying information wants to be free does more harm than good
The Guardian
Time to kill “Information Wants to Be Free”
My latest Guardian column, "Saying information wants to be free does more harm than good" asks that we collectively kill the expression "Information wants to be free," in favor of better, more comprehensive slogans such as "People want to be free." It's time for IWTBF to die because it's become the easiest, laziest straw man for … [Read more]
Sophia books to close
Vancouver's Sophia books got a special thank you in FOR THE WIN. Today, Sophia's Chris Eng wrote: Hey Cory, As a fan of your work, I was excited (okay, really excited) when I saw that For the Win had gone live on your website last week. I will definitely buy a hard copy, but … [Read more]
Audio from Portland bookstore tour stop
Josh Bancroft recorded my Q&A and reading at the Powell's Books in Beaverton, Oregon and put up a podcast. Thanks, Josh! MP3 Link
A PLACE SO FOREIGN podcast part II
The Dunesteef podcast has completed its two part full-cast audio adaptation of my story A Place So Foreign. They did a stupendous job (again). Honestly, this is one of the best audio adaptations I've heard of my work. Here's part one. MP3 Link
San Francisco FOR THE WIN stops
I've just hit San Francisco on my book tour for For the Win, and I'm doing three stops in the Bay Area: Tonight (Monday), I'm at Borderlands Books in the Mission, reading and taking questions at 7PM Tuesday, I'm at Books Inc in Palo Alto, as part of the Not Your Mother's BookClub event, starting at 7PM. Wednesday, … [Read more]
Proper noun frequency in MAKERS
Jeff Clark sez, "I've created a graphic from the text of 'Makers' that shows the distribution of the various proper nouns in your work. It seems to do a pretty good job of communicating the ebb and flow of the various characters throughout the book." This works amazingly well -- I've never seen an automated text … [Read more]
Headed to Portland and San Francisco – EFF fundraiser FTW!
Hey, Portlanders! I'm on my way today to the Powell's location in Beaverton at 2PM for the latest stop in my For the Win tour. After that, I'm off to the Bay Area, where I'll kick off with a signing at Borderlands Books in the Mission on Monday at 7PM. Then it's a stop in Palo … [Read more]
Coming to Seattle tonight!
Hey, Seattle! Reminder: I'll be at the Sunset Tavern tonight at 7PM as part of my For the Win tour. Tomorrow (Saturday), it's Portland, at the Powell's in Beaverton at 2PM. Then it's off to SFO, AUS, RDU, NYC and YYZ! (Full tour schedule) Hope to see you!
Scholarly essay on copyfight, science fiction and social justice
Athabasca U's Mark A. McCutcheon has written a smashing essay called "The copyfight, science fiction, and social media," presented at a Session on Capacity Building and Virtual (Online) Community at the Society for Socialist Studies conference. As the title suggests, the subject matter is the relationship between science fiction, social media, and social change. Mark … [Read more]
Speaking in Seattle tomorrow (Chicago tonight! Then PDX, SFO, AUS, RDU, NYC, YYZ)
Hey, Seattlites! I'm doing a talk at the Sunset Tavern tomorrow (Friday) night at 7PM. I'll do a reading from For the Win and be interviewed by Stranger editor Paul Constant. Live music by Pillow Army. And for those of you in Chicago, a reminder that I'll be at the Chicago Public Library Harold Washington Library … [Read more]
Speaking in Seattle tomorrow (Chicago tonight! Then PDX, SFO, AUS, RDU, NYC, YYZ)
Hey, Seattlites! I'm doing a talk at the Sunset Tavern tomorrow (Friday) night at 7PM. I'll do a reading from For the Win and be interviewed by Stranger editor Paul Constant. Live music by Pillow Army. And for those of you in Chicago, a reminder that I'll be at the Chicago Public Library Harold Washington Library … [Read more]
Curved Little Brother tag-cloud
Wesley Stroupe made this neat visualization of the tag cloud from Little Brother.
Coming to Chicago (then Portland, San Francisco, Austin, Raleigh and NYC!)
Hey, Chicagoans! I'm headed your way this week for the kick-off of the tour for my new young adult novel, For the Win. I'll be at Anderson's Books in Naperville on Weds, May 12 at 7PM and at the Chicago Public Library Harold Washington Library Center on Thurs, May 13 at 5PM. My next city … [Read more]
FOR THE WIN launches today
Today is the launch for For the Win, my latest YA novel. For the Win is an adventure story about kids around the world who work as "gold farmers" (people who do repetitive tasks in games like World of Warcraft to amass virtual fortunes that are sold on to lazier players) who use the video … [Read more]
Wordle map for FOR THE WIN
Lorcav used Wordle to create this great graphic showing word usage and frequency in For the Win. I love these things.
For the Win
For the Win, published in May 2010 by Tor (US) and HarperVoyager (UK) is my second young adult novel: a game about workers who toil in virtual sweatshops, "gold farming" wealth in video games for sale to rich western players. They form a trade union called the Industrial Workers of the World Wide Web, using … [Read more]
Free copies of FOR THE WIN for teachers, librarians, youth workers, and others
Are you a teacher, librarian, youth worker, or someone else who could use a copy of my new young adult novel FOR THE WIN? As I've done with my previous three books, I've set up a matchmaking service for people who need copies of my books and people who want to buy copies of my … [Read more]
Reminder: speaking in West Norwood, London tomorrow night
A reminder for Londoners: I'm giving a talk tomorrow, May 8 at 7PM at the Nettlefold Hall in West Norwood (SE27). The library there has asked me to come in and talk about how I use technology to write and publish my work. It's free, but seats are limited, so they're asking you to … [Read more]
Podcast of A PLACE SO FORIEGN
The Dunesteef podcast is producing an audio edition of my short story A Place So Foreign, from my collection, A Place So Foreign and Eight More. They're taking advantage of the Creative Commons license (you can too -- any of my stories can be adapted for noncommercial podcasts and other derivative works). They've just posted … [Read more]
Honors for Little Brother paperback
The paperback of Little Brother is out, and it's already started to attract some top honors. My publicist at Tor just sent the following:: * I am pleased to announce that LITTLE BROTHER by Cory Doctorow has been nominated for the 2011 Young Readers Choice Award, the oldest children's choice award and sponsored by the Pacific … [Read more]
My “For the Win” book-tour: ORD, SEA, PDX, SFO, RDU, NYC, YYZ!
Monday morning (volcano permitting!), I fly to the US for a tour to promote my latest book, the YA novel For the Win. I'll be making stops in Chicago, Seattle, Portland OR, San Francisco/Palo Alto, Austin, Raleigh/Chapel Hill, New York and Toronto. Tor books has just put the schedule online -- I hope to see … [Read more]
How I got phished
My latest Locus column, "Persistence Pays Parasites," describes the process by which I fell prey to a phishing attack on Twitter, and how I learned (the hard way) that my threat-model for this kind of attack was flawed: Here's how I got fooled. On Monday, I unlocked my Nexus One phone, installing a new and more … [Read more]
Viacom is becoming a lawsuit company instead of a TV company
My latest Guardian column, "Viacom v YouTube is a microcosm of the entertainment industry," examines the way that copyright law has encouraged Viacm to stop making and promoting programs in favor of making lawsuits: Could it be that Viacom is suing YouTube for depriving it of revenue by allowing short clips from its properties to be … [Read more]
Choose Privacy: video from the American Library Assoc
Choose Privacy Week Video from 20K Films on Vimeo. The American Library Association's "Choose Privacy" week kicks off with a ~20 minute video featuring writers and thinkers talking about the value of privacy in simple, accessible, thought-provoking terms. Included are me, Neil Gaiman, and many others. Produced by Laura Zinger and 20K films, it's a really … [Read more]
Speaking at Nettlefold Hall, London, May 8
Hey, Londoners! I'm giving a talk on May 8 at 7PM at the Nettlefold Hall in West Norwood (SE27). The library there has asked me to come in and talk about how I use technology to write and publish my work. It's free, but seats are limited, so they're asking you to RSVP. Hope to … [Read more]
Signing/reading in Boston tonight
Hey, Bostonians! Reminder that I'll be at the Harvard Coop bookstore in Cambridge tonight from 1900h-2000h. I'll be signing books and reading a little from my next one, *For the Win*. Hope to see you!
The China-zation of gold farming
Kotaku's Brian Ashcraft followed up last week's interview about my upcoming novel FOR THE WIN with this piece on the China-zation of gold farming: According to Doctorow, gold farming is viewed as somewhat of a get rich quick scheme. The idea of getting ten gamers in a room and having them play through some MMO gives … [Read more]
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom: Utopianism and the problems with Whuffie
Duke University's Gerry Canavan is teaching my novel Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom in a class on utopias and he conducted an interview with me on the subject for the course: CD: I based Whuffie at the time more on Slashdot's Karma, and I don't know that Faceook has an exact analogue to it. … [Read more]
Interview with NPR Writers' Voice
Here's an interview I did about my novel Makers with the NPR program Writers' Voice. I share the bill with David Bollier, co-founder of Public Knowledge. MP3 Link
Why I won't buy an iPad, the podcast edition
Last week while I was stranded by the volcano, I did an interview with the TVOntario Search Engine podcast about the iPad and why I thought that its policy and infrastructure should make it a no-go zone for publishers, users and authors. MP3 Link
Little Brother and Content, the SiSu versions
Ralph Amissah converted a couple of my books to his really exciting format SiSu. SiSu uses simple human-reabable markup and auto-creates several ebook formats, including PDFs, HTML, Docx, Epub, and plain old .txt (my fave!). I've really been looking for an easy way to "single-source" my books from manuscript to finished files, and this looks … [Read more]
Reading from FOR THE WIN ¿ YA science fiction novel about gold farming
My next young adult novel, For the Win, is out on May 11 in the US, UK and Canada. It's a kind of novel-length version of my story Anda's Game, about the drive to unionize gold-farmers who toil in video-games. I've just read an excerpt from the book in my podcast -- a scene in … [Read more]
In praise of SFWA's Grievance Committee
Back in Feb 2009, an editor I like asked me to write a short-short story for a series she was putting together for one of the big, slick science magazines. I liked the market, the editor and the premise, so I wrote a piece and turned it in. Everyone at the publishing house was enthusiastic … [Read more]
Protect your copyrights, boycott DRM-locked platforms
My latest Publishers Weekly column, "Can You Survive a Benevolent Dictatorship?" looks at the competitive risks of selling books, articles and other copyrighted works for iPad-like devices that use DRM to prevent your readers from switching to competing platforms. Apple will tell you that it needs its DRM lock-in to preserve the iPad's “elegance.” But if … [Read more]
Signing/reading in Boston, April 30
Hey, Bostonians! I'll be dropping by the Harvard Coop bookstore in Cambridge on April 30 from 1900h-2000h. I'll be signing books and reading a little from my next one, For the Win. Hope to see you then!
Kotaku on FOR THE WIN
Kotaku's Brian Ashcraft reviewed my upcoming YA novel For the Win today, and had lots of nice things to say about it: Forget Doctorow's outspoken politics, this guy can tell a story. The pacing keeps things moving, and for a book about unions (and virtual unions at that!), it zips by page after page. What really … [Read more]
Little Brother is a finalist for PNLA Young Reader's Choice Award!
I'm delighted to announce that Little Brother is a finalist for the Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Award, "the oldest children's choice award in the U.S. and Canada." Not only that, it's in stupendous company -- be sure to follow the link and check out the list of nominees!
Speaking at Nettlefold Hall, London, May 8
Hey, Londoners! I'm giving a talk on May 8 at 7PM at the Nettlefold Hall in West Norwood (SE27). The library there has asked me to come in and talk about how I use technology to write and publish my work. It's free, but seats are limited, so they're asking you to RSVP. Hope to … [Read more]
Makers as dummy-text on a site for low-vision hockey team
Sandy works with the Ice Owls, a team of blind and low-vision hockey players. In the course of making the team's website, Sandy had need of some sample text with which to test the site with a screen-reader. Instead of opting for the boring, non-representative "lorem ipsum" text, Sandy used text from my novel Makers. … [Read more]
Entertainment industry perverts justice and sacrifices freedom – this means war!
My latest Guardian column, "Digital Economy Act: This means war," explains how the latest round of dirty tricks from the entertainment industry -- perverting British law, proposing an American police state, building an oppressive global treaty behind closed doors -- changes the game. We're no longer merely arguing about the future of control over culture: … [Read more]
Booklist loves FOR THE WIN!
My next YA novel, For the Win, comes out in less than a month on May 11, and the early reviews have begun to show up. I'm especially delighted to have gotten my first-ever starred review in Booklist, which reads, in part, "Doctorow is indispensable. It's hard to imagine any other author taking on youth … [Read more]
Printcrime in Hungarian
Judit Hegedus from the Open Society Institute in Budapest has translated my story Printcrime into Hungarian. This is one of my most widely translated stories, and this edition was part of an exhibition on copyright. OSI Deputy Director Jerzy Celichowski explains: "Visitors can print their own copy and take it home."
Happy 15th, HarperVoyager!
Today marks the 15th anniversary of HarperVoyager, the excellent British science fiction line by whom I'm privileged to be published in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and other commonwealth territories. They've released this fun little vanity trailer to commemorate the event -- happy anniversary, everyone! Voyager 15th Anniversary Trailer … [Read more]
Limited edition Jonathan Worth portraits back on sale
Jonathan Worth, the photographer who produced an extraordinary limited-edition run of portrait photos of me, has but a second batch on sale. Each one is accompanied by a signed manuscript page from my next novel, FOR THE WIN.
Commercial German LITTLE BROTHER audiobook to be given away under CC license
Argon Verlag, publishers of the German audiobook edition of my novel Little Brother, are fed up with all the man-the-barricades talk about audiobook piracy. So they commissioned a very high quality reading of the German text, read by Oliver Rohrbeck, a beloved German voice-actor (star of the long-running radio drama Die Drei ??? and overdub … [Read more]
Video from opening and closing ceremonies at Norwescon 33
Alternate cover for Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom
Danielle Mathieux, an MFA student, produced an alternate cover for my novel Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom as part of her degree. She's released it under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. I think it's just swell!
Interview with Little Atoms
Here's an interview I recorded with the ResonanceFM Little Atoms show last week in London, talking about privacy, game mechanics, creativity, the genome, and many other subjects. MP3 Link
Signing and reading in Seattle at University Book Store on Monday
I'm reading and signing book at the fantastic University Book Store in Seattle this Monday, April 5 at 7PM. Also on the bill are Mark Henry, Jeanne Stein, and Jaye Wells. Hope to see you there! Events Calendar - University Book Store, Seattle Washington
See you in Seattle this weekend at Norwescon!
I'm headed to Seattle this weekend to be one of the guests of honor at Norwescon, along with (among others), Vernor Vinge. If you're in Seattle and you can make it, I'd love to say hi! Here's my programming schedule for the event: Thursday, 7:00 p.m., Opening Ceremonies William Sadorus (M), Dr. John G. Cramer, Cory Doctorow, … [Read more]
UK record lobby has vehement feelings on Digital Economy Bill debate, won't say what they are
My latest Guardian column, "Does the BPI want MPs to debate the digital economy bill properly?" addresses the British Phonographic Institute's weird, vehement silence on Parliament's debate on its pet legislation, the dread Digital Economy Bill. Vehement silence? Oh yes. Last week, the BPI sent me a vehement denial after I published a report that its … [Read more]
Does the BPI want MPs to debate the digital economy bill properly?
The Guardian
Podcast interlude
No story this week, just a reminder that I'll be in Seattle this coming weekend for NorWesCon! Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed audio engineer, producer, composer, and sound designer. In his free time, he makes beer, jewelry, odd musical instruments and furniture. He likes to meditate, to read and … [Read more]
Talk on publishing economics at Bloomsbury
Earlier this month, the UK publisher Bloomsbury (best known for having struck gold with the Harry Potter books, though also a real leader on the use of Creative Commons in publishing) invited me to give a talk to its staff over the lunch hour at its London office. I gave a talk about the theory … [Read more]
Speech at anti-debill rally in London
Here's me at yesterday's Digital Economy Bill protest outside of Parliament in London, bellowing at the top of my lungs!
Makers is a finalist for the Prometheus Award
I'm absolutely tickled to announce that my novel Makers is up for the 2010 Prometheus Award, given annually by the Libertarian Futurist Society. My last novel, Little Brother won in 2009, and it was an incredible honor. Once again, I'm sharing the ballot with some tremendous books and authors, including Liberating Atlantis by Harry Turtledove … [Read more]
Help fight DRM on the BBC
The Open Rights Group is looking for British individuals and organisations to sign onto its comments to the UK TV regulator, who is on the verge of giving into blackmail from the BBC and an offshore DRM cartel, crippling TV in Britain forever. The BBC has asked Ofcom, the UK telcoms regulator, to give it permission … [Read more]
Makers audiobook: direct from the author, no DRM, no EULA
I've just set up a store selling direct MP3 downloads of the Random House audiobook for my last novel, Makers, thanks to the good offices of Random House Audio, the eShop WordPress plugin, and Mike Little, my WordPress tech guy. The Makers audiobook runs 18.5 hours and is formatted for burning onto 15 CDs. It's … [Read more]
Makers Audiobook
From the New York Times bestselling author of Little Brother, a major novel of the booms, busts, and further booms in store for America Perry and Lester invent things–seashell robots that make toast, Boogie Woogie Elmo dolls that drive cars. They also invent entirely new economic systems, like the “New Work,” a New [...]
Interview on Lab Out Loud science teacher podcast
Lab out Loud, a podcast for science teachers, interviewed me -- they're fun guys! MP3 Link
Leipzig day two
I'm pretty sure I just had a second day in Leipzig, but it's a kind of blur. Some thoughts to record however: * Cosplayers, cosplayers, cosplayers. Mr Jenkins to the white courtesy phone please, your meme is ready * The Viennese coffee stand: I had to actually stop myself from going back because I'd eaten so goddamned [...]
Leipzig book-fair day one
It's 1206AM in Germany and I'm ready to drop -- left the flat in London at 0445 this morning to get to the Leipzig Book Fair and have had a high old time in my first of two days onsite. Leipzig: pretty, in that particularly German way of mid-sized cities that have great swathes of [...]
Is the music industry trying to write the digital economy bill?
The Guardian
Guardian column: is the record industry stupid or arrogant?
In my latest Guardian column, "Is the music industry trying to write the digital economy bill?", I look at the last two weeks' events in the life of the UK Digital Economy Bill, a piece of legislation tailor-made for the record industry at the expense of the public interest, freedom and due process. The question [...]
Downloadable 3D cover for MAKERS is now also an article of commerce
The folks at Shapeways surprised me in January with a 3D-printed version of the UK cover for my novel Makers, which had been designed by Shapeways community member Dmitry Kobzar. Mr Kobzar was good enough to release his 3D files under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial license. Now Shapeways is selling 3D prints of the [...]
Clockwork Fagin 5 ¿ CONCLUSION
Here's the fifth and final installment of "Clockwork Fagin," a young adult steampunk story commissioned for a Candlewick Press anthology edited by Kelly Link and Gavin Grant. The story runs to 12,500 words and should take about a month to read for the podcast. Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed [...]
Free copies of FOR THE WIN for young reviewers
Tor Books, the US/Canada publisher, has two hundred advance copies of my next young adult novel, For the Win, available for free to young (19 or younger) gamers who are interested in reviewing the book on their blog or school paper. The book is about gamer kids all over the world who use multiplayer games [...]
Clockwork Fagin, Part 4
Here's the fourth installment of "Clockwork Fagin," a young adult steampunk story commissioned for a Candlewick Press anthology edited by Kelly Link and Gavin Grant. The story runs to 12,500 words and should take about a month to read for the podcast. Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed audio engineer, [...]
Guardian column on LibDem proposal to block web-lockers
For my Guardian column today, I took the LibDem Lords to task for introducing legislation that would ban web-lockers because these services allow for copyright infringement. I won't argue that copyright infringement takes place on services like Google Docs and YouSendIt, but the reason that these services are great for piracy is that they're great [...]
My Lords, you can't please the entertainment industry and sustain privacy
The Guardian
Column: HOWTO make smarter dumb mistakes about the future
My latest Locus magazine column, "Making Smarter Dumb Mistakes About the Future," is about the ways that corporate futurism goes astray, imagining futures that make the boss happy which never come to pass. It's based on the magnificent and wondrously wrong "Carousel of Progress" that Walt Disney creates for GE's pavilion at the 1964 NYC [...]
Printcrime video
John Swinehart made this cute procedural movie using my story Printcrime as a script. Cool!
Makers printed on a cash-register receipt
Ben O'Steen got his maker on by printing out the entire text of Makers on a cash-register receipt, using a till printer. Awesome.
Clockwork Fagin, Part 3
Here's the third installment of "Clockwork Fagin," a young adult steampunk story commissioned for a Candlewick Press anthology edited by Kelly Link and Gavin Grant. The story runs to 12,500 words and should take about a month to read for the podcast. Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed audio engineer, [...]
Talking Makers with FastForward Radio
Here's an interview I conducted with the Fastforward Radio podcast about my last novel, Makers. MP3 Link
Podcast about ebook pricing
Here's an interview I recorded with the Beyond the Book podcast, about my Publishers Weekly column about book pricing. MP3 Link
Live ACTA chat tomorrow
I'm doing a live chat tomorrow (Friday) for Internet Evolution about my latest ACTA article at 11AM Eastern/8AM Pacific/4PM UK.
Speaking at Ignite London, Mar 2
I'm speaking at the next Ignite London, on Mar 2. It's a free event; other speakers include Russell Davies, talking about Newspaper Club, and 16 others presenting on topics as varied as the Hacker/Maker Revolution, The History of Colour and The Journey of a Metal Jew. Lots of other Ignites in the UK: Cardiff, Bristol, [...]
Ducks, Nazis and Disney: well, that's one way to get a TV transition
The Guardian
How a duck, a Nazi and a themepark saved American color TV
My latest Guardian column, "Ducks, Nazis and Disney: well, that's one way to get a TV transition," tells the unlikely story of how a duck based on a rehabilitated Nazi rocket-scientist helped create the American color TV transition in the sixties: There was one source of ready-made colour material that could have gone out over the [...]
Clockwork Fagin, Part 2
Here's the second installment of "Clockwork Fagin," a young adult steampunk story commissioned for a Candlewick Press anthology edited by Kelly Link and Gavin Grant. The story runs to 12,500 words and should take about a month to read for the podcast. Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed audio engineer, [...]
U Wisconsin symphony concert based on fantasy novels, video games, manga, anime
On Feb 27, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Symphonic Band and Wind Symphony is giving a concert based on sf/f films, video-games, and books, which sounds awesome. And I'l honored that the prof who organized it, Kevin Collins, cited my last couple of novels as inspiration for the theme. “I think that it's fair to [...]
Column: ACTA Kremlinology
My latest Internet Evolution column, "Copyright Undercover: ACTA & the Web," talks about the absurd tea-leaf-reading exercise that we have to engage in to figure out what's actually happening with negotiations for a far-reaching, secret copyright treaty that could change the face of the web, privacy, creativity, competition, and commerce. As the seventh round of secret [...]
New podcast story, “Clockwork Fagin,” YA steampunk story for Kelly Link and Gavin Grant's forthcoming anthology
Here's the first installment of "Clockwork Fagin," a young adult steampunk story commissioned for a Candlewick Press anthology edited by Kelly Link and Gavin Grant. The story runs to 12,500 words and should take about a month to read for the podcast. Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed audio engineer, [...]
Amazon and Macmillan: Price discrimination versus demand elasticity
My latest Publishers Weekly column, "The Price Is Right," looks at the Amazon-Macmillan price dispute as a fight between two strategies for maximizing profit: price discrimination (getting the most out of each customer) and demand elasticity (sacrificing some per-customer revenue to sell to more people) and how these two strategies are challenged by the nature [...]
New column: Why is Ofcom ready to allow BBC DRM?
In my latest Guardian column, "Why did Ofcom back down over DRM at the BBC?" I look at how lamentably credulous both the BBC and its UK regulator, Ofcom, have been in accepting US media' giants threats to boycott the Beeb if it doesn't add digital rights management to its broadcasts. The BBC is publicly [...]
New Podcast, “Sensored,” a short-short story about ubicomp
"Sensored" is a short-short story commissioned by the UK Open University's computer science department for use in My digital life (TU100), its ubiquitous computing course. It's licensed Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. I'm pleased with how it worked out, and I'm honoured to be a Visiting Senior Lecturer in the OU's comp sci department. Mastering by John Taylor [...]
I'm a Forbes Web Celeb!
Hey, this is cool! I made Forbes's 25 Web Celebs list again -- I'm in the top 10!
Copyright, companies, individuals and news: the rules of the road
The Guardian
Sane copyright doesn't treat all copying as the same
My latest Guardian column, "Copyright, companies, individuals and news: the rules of the road," is a start on a coherent framework for a copyright system that recognizes the difference between commercial use and non-commercial use, incidental copying and unfair copying, and many of the other exceptions that copyright needs to keep from devolving into a [...]
Martian Chronicles, Part 09 – CONCLUSION
Here's the ninth and final installment of the podcast of my new story, MARTIAN CHRONICLES, being written for Jonathan Strahan's YA Mars book, LIFE ON MARS. Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed audio engineer, producer, composer, and sound designer. In his free time, he makes beer, jewelry, odd musical instruments [...]
Copper Robot podcast interview about Makers
Mitch Wagner from the Second Life interview show Copper Robot has written up my interview there a couple weeks ago, in a Tor.com post called "A cheery conversation with Cory Doctorow about the upside of economic collapse." He's also included the audio, which I'm folding into my podcast feed. A cheery conversation with Cory Doctorow about [...]
3D-printed version of the cover illo from Makers
Joris Peels from Shapeways liked the cover on the HarperCollins UK edition of my novel Makers, which features a variety of objects depicted in the novel as plastic model-parts attached to a sprue. Shapeways being a custom 3D printing shop, Joris whipped up an incredibly detailed 3D version of the cover illustration, which arrived in [...]
Makers tile game: the final, 9×9 edition
Tor.com's just posted the final iteration of the little rotating tile-game based on the Creative Commons-licensed illustrations that accompanied the serialization of my novel Makers. The 9x9 grid is truly a thing of awesome beauty. Makers Tile Game, final 9x9 iteration now live Previously: Makers 6x6 tile game Boing Boing Makers 5x5 tile game - Boing Boing Makers tile game [...]
Martian Chronicles, Part 08
Here's part eight of the podcast of my story in progress, MARTIAN CHRONICLES, being written for Jonathan Strahan's YA Mars book, LIFE ON MARS. Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed audio engineer, producer, composer, and sound designer. In his free time, he makes beer, jewelry, odd musical instruments and furniture. [...]
Coming to Iowa in Nov, Seattle in Apr
I'm to be the guest of honor at ICON 35: A Steam Powered Convention of the Future , to be held November 5-7, 2010 at the Cedar Rapids Marriott. This is a great, venerable regional con and I'm really looking forward to seeing some of Iowa! Hope to run into you there. And for those of [...]
My essay collection Content, free in Italian
The Italian publisher Apogeo commissioned a professional Italian translation of my Creative Commons-licensed essay collection Content and released their edition as a free, noncommercial download! Content: Selezione di saggi sulla tecnologia, la creatività, il copyright (Grazie, Fabio!) Previously: Fan-readings from my essay collection "Content" - Boing Boing Content: my first-ever collection of essays - Boing Boing
Close enough for rock `n' roll: how the Internet makes the cheap, dirty and experimental possible
My latest Locus column, "Close Enough for Rock 'n' Roll," discusses the way that the net makes it possible to do something almost as good as its offline equivalent for a fraction of the cost, and how that changes everything: In other words, rock 'n' roll is cheap, experimental and fluid, and devotes most of its [...]
Here's part seven of the podcast of my story in progress, MARTIAN CHRONICLES, being written for Jonathan Strahan's YA Mars book, LIFE ON MARS. Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed audio engineer, producer, composer, and sound designer. In his free time, he makes beer, jewelry, odd musical instruments and furniture. [...]
Interview with Digital Content Quarterly
The debut issue of Digital Content Quarterly has a sweet one-page interview with me, conducted by Michelle Pauli, who also wrote about Makers for the Guardian. Here, Michelle asks me what excites me about the future. PDF link
I, Robot in Spanish
Fernando Orbis, a reader in Spain, was inspired to translate my story I, Robot (from my collection Overclocked) into European Spanish. He says he did it to practice, and "because when I tried to find a translation in your website to share it with some friends that do not know enough English I did not [...]
Makers tile game ¿ embeddable flashtoy edition
Each installment in Tor.com's serialization of my latest novel Makers was accompanied by a Creative Commons licensed illustration from Idiots' Books, in the form of a tile that can be interlocked with previous tiles on all four sides. We're planning to release these as a limited-edition deck of cards in the future, and we've [...]
BBC's plan to kick free/open source out of UK TV devices
My latest Guardian column, "The BBC's digital rights plans will wreak havoc on open source software," describes how the BBC's plan to add DRM to its high-def broadcasts will exclude free/open source software from use in digital television applications, slowing down innovation, raising costs, and harming the public interest. The BBC's regulator, Ofcom, will soon [...]
Martian Chronicles, Part 06
Here's part six of the podcast of my story in progress, MARTIAN CHRONICLES, being written for Jonathan Strahan's YA Mars book, LIFE ON MARS. Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed audio engineer, producer, composer, and sound designer. In his free time, he makes beer, jewelry, odd musical instruments and furniture. [...]
Free holiday reading sampler PDF including MAKERS
JC Hutchins -- he of the boundless energy! -- has assembled a free "holiday sampler" of excerpts from great new books, handily bundled together in a handsome PDF, well suited to loading onto your device or printing out for your Xmas holiday. In it are excerpts from recent books by some of my favorite authors, [...]
Update on LITTLE BROTHER limited edition, now cheaper, with shipping to US/Canada!
Well, it's certainly a learning-experience kind of day. Long story short: HarperCollins has shipped a beautiful, limited edition slipcased and signed edition of LITTLE BROTHER. But there are some problems: 1. Their ecommerce system is messed up and you have to phone in to order your copies 2. Due to a silly territorial rights issue, they won't ship [...]
Limited edition, signed slipcased LITTLE BROTHER
HarperCollins have just brought out a beautiful limited deluxe edition of my novel Little Brother. It's a slipcased hardcover, in a limited run of 500 signed copies, and it sports eight spectacular original illustrations by Richard Wilkinson (along with some really snazzy endpapers: a map of San Francisco's Mission district redrawn as a circuit-diagram). All [...]
“How to Destroy the Book” – transcript of my talk to the Canadian National Reading Summit
Jade Colbert transcribed my speech from the Canadian National Reading Summit, entitled "How to Destroy the Book." She did a great job! There is a group of powerful anti-copyright activists out there who are trying to destroy the book. These pirates would destroy copyright, and they have no respect for our property. They dress up their [...]
Martian Chronicles, Part 05
Here's part five of the podcast of my story in progress, MARTIAN CHRONICLES, being written for Jonathan Strahan's YA Mars book, LIFE ON MARS. Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed audio engineer, producer, composer, and sound designer. In his free time, he makes beer, jewelry, odd musical instruments and furniture. [...]
Teaching materials for OVERCLOCKED and LITTLE BROTHER
Over the weekend, two educators wrote to me to tell me about blogs that contain curricular material based on my books. The first, from Donald Riggs at Drexel College in Philadelphia, contains links and supplementary material for students reading my second short story collection, Overclocked. Donald put the material together because Overclocked was Drexel's book [...]
Activists raising money to translate LITTLE BROTHER into Burmese languages
The Digital Democracy project and the All-Burma I.T. Student Union have just a few hours left in a Kickstarter project to translate my novel Little Brother in free electronic editions in four Burmese languages: Burmese, Karen, Chin and Kachin. As they write, "[the translation will] broaden the debate on using technology in the struggle for [...]
Second Life interview on Copper Robot next Wednesday
I'm doing an in-world Second Life interview with Mitch Wagner's Copper Robot program next Wednesday, Dec 16, at 8AM Pacific/11AM Eastern/4PM UK. Hope to see you there! WHEN: Wednesday, Dec. 16, 8 am Pacific time SPECIAL DAY AND TIME WHERE: The lovely Seaside Theater, World2Worlds Island in Second Life, watch the live video on the Web, or [...]
Stupid DRM, abusive EULAs, hopeless ecommerce: why I'm not even going to try to sell my short story collection audiobook downloads
In my latest Publishers Weekly column, I explain why I'm not even going to try to sell downloads of the audiobook of the my forthcoming experimental short story collection, With a Little Help: Apple won't carry it without DRM; Audible won't carry it without an abusive EULA; and all the major digital delivery systems are [...]
Guardian column: Streaming doesn't exist
My latest Guardian column, "Streaming will never stop downloading," argues against the idea that streaming can "solve the copyright problem" because "no copies are made." This is technically untrue, and the more we pretend it isn't, the worse it will get for us. First of all, while streaming music from Last.fm is a great way to [...]
Martian Chronicles, Part 04
Here's part four of the podcast of my story in progress, MARTIAN CHRONICLES, being written for Jonathan Strahan's YA Mars book, LIFE ON MARS. Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed audio engineer, producer, composer, and sound designer. In his free time, he makes beer, jewelry, odd musical instruments and furniture. [...]
Profile and MAKERS review in the Guardian
The Guardian's Michelle Pauli has written a stupendous profile of me and review of MAKERS for today's edition: In Makers, 3D printers are used to run off everything from homes for squatters to the fairground rides that cause the plot-twisting showdown with Disney. But, typically for a Doctorow novel, it's not as far-fetched as it might [...]
Small World Podcast interview on Makers and the writing proces
I did a really fun interview on Makers and the writing process for the Bazooka Joe podcast, which has many other interesting writers in this latest instalment (Annalee Newitz, JC Hutchins and Steve Eley). MP3 Link
Interview with Nigel Beale, critic and rare book specialist
Here's an interview I conducted earlier this year in Ottawa with Nigel Beale, a literary critic and rare books specialist. We talk about the future of books, bookselling and copyright -- it was a great chat. MP3 Link
Interview on tech and kids with TVO
Here's a quick interview on technology and kids I shot with TVOntario last month.
Martian Chronicles, Part 03
Here's part three of the podcast of my story in progress, MARTIAN CHRONICLES, being written for Jonathan Strahan's YA Mars book, LIFE ON MARS. MP3 Link
Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund auctioning off tuckerizations in forthcoming sf works, including one of mine
The Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund is a venerable institution that sends sf fans from North America to Europe and vice-versa, to bridge the world's fandoms (there are other funds that bring together fans from other parts of the world). Frank Wu, Anne KG Murphy and Brian Gray are fundraising for this year's fund, and they've solicited [...]
WSJ on being a career activist
Nice, short profile in today's Wall St Journal about pursuing a career in the nonprofit sector: For those who are interested in doing the same, he stresses the importance of volunteering for a cause first. "Your best bet is to join up with a cause pro bono or part time," he says. "You have to be [...]
Data-viz for the text of Anda's Game
John did a wicked-cool set of data-visualizations of the text of my story Anda's Game: "I picked terms for the trees that were relevant to the themes of the story - gold, for in-game items and Fahrenheit, which is a clan in the story."
Guardian column: Peter Mandelson is putting the Analogue Economy first
My latest Guardian column looks at Peter Mandelson's new "Digital Economy Bill," a sweeping piece of proposed British legislation that would give Mandelson broad powers to act as the Pirate-Finder General, with the implausible aim of reducing UK file-sharing by 70 percent in one year. Mandelson argues that Britain's Digital Economy will be based on [...]
Why does Mandelson favour the Analogue Economy over the Digital?
The Guardian
To Go Boldly, WITH A LITTLE HELP plan on Starship Sofa podcast
The lovely folks at the Starship Sofa podcast recorded audio versions of my recent short story To Go Boldly (published in The New Space Opera 2), as well as the Publishers Weekly article describing my forthcoming short story collection With a Little Help. MP3 Link
Wide-randing interview with the Command Line podcast
Last week I sat down for an interview with the excellent Command Line podcast at Philcon and recorded a long talk on sundry subjects ranging from politics to creativity to all my forthcoming projects. MP3 Link
How Wikipedia uses facts-about-facts to do the impossible
My latest Make: column, "Shortcut to Omniscience," talks about the cognitive shift that Wikipedians undergo in order to collaboratively write an encyclopedia, and how that kind of fundamental, subtle change enables networked groups of people to do things that were previously considered impossible. Here's the thing about expertise: it's hard to define. It may be possible for [...]
Spider Robinson reads Human Readable, part 2
Here's part two of Spider Robinson's reading of my story Human Readable, recorded for my collection WITH A LITTLE HELP. MP3 Link
Makers, the DRM-free audiobook
The audiobook of my latest novel, Makers has been published by Random House Audio, strictly in DRM-free formats over the net (this means that Apple won't carry it in the iTunes store, even though Audible was willing to carry it without DRM). The reading is by Bernadette Dunne, a very talented actor. I [...]
Martian Chronicles, Part 02
Here's part two of the podcast of my story in progress, MARTIAN CHRONICLES, being written for Jonathan Strahan's YA Mars book, LIFE ON MARS. MP3 Link
Audio from Harvard Books MAKERS signing
Here's the audio from my reading last week at the Harvard Bookstore, along with Q&A. MP3 Link
Radio Berkman interview
Here's an interview I did with Radio Berkman -- the podcast of the Berkman Center at Harvard. Radio Berkman 137: Cory Doctorow ¿ In Defense of © MP3 Link
My wife kicks ass
Congrats to my wife Alice, on winning four British Interactive Media Awards! What a clever spouse -- I'm a lucky, lucky man..
Interview with Straylight Magazines
Here's an interview I conducted with Straylight Magazine, ranging over many subjects -- Makers, the craft of writing, and the business of publishing. MP3 Link
MAKERS tour ends this weekend at Philcon near Philadelphia
This weekend, I'll be wrapping up my US/Canada tour for Makers, my new novel, with a weekend at Philcon, near Philadelphia. I'll be signing books, doing a reading, giving a speech, and appearing on several panels. Hope to see you there! Important note: I had previously announced a couple of readings tomorrow at the Philadelphia Free [...]
Interview with The Link (Concordia)
Ginger Coons did a great interview with me last week for Concordia's paper The Link. Good meaty policy questions ahoy! Enhanced Driver's Licenses are being adopted in order to comply with newly-created American regulations on what constitutes an acceptable document for crossing the border. Doctorow did not view this as a sensible excuse. “If all the other [...]
Meet 13-year-old Cory Doctorow, at-risk D&D player
Here's a mid-1980s CBC News scare-story about Dungeons and Dragons driving kids to suicide featuring (at 2:49 onwards) me and my classmates (the video is dated 1985, but I'm pretty sure this couldn't have been later than my graduation from Junior High in 1984). Ignoring the crazy-ass fearmongering, it's incredibly nostalgic to see all those [...]
National Post on Makers
Nice piece in today's National Post about Makers and my approach to publishing: Presently, Doctorow is in the midst of a short North American book tour promoting Makers, which, like all his work, is free to download from his website, craphound.com,under a Creative Commons licence, which allows readers to share and remix the work as long [...]
MAKERS signing 7PM tonight in NYC at Columbus Circle Borders
Hey, New Yorkers! I'm reading from and signing my new novel Makers tonight at the Borders in Columbus Circle at 59th Street, starting at 7PM. Hope to catch you there! Philadelphians, you're next -- Philadelphia Free Library on Friday, then Philcon (in Cherry Hill, NJ) over the weekend. US/Canada Tour
DRM-free, free-as-in-beer Dutch Little Brother ebook
Uitgeverij De Vliegende Hollander is the Dutch publisher for Little Brother, and they've really put a big push behind it. Unfortunately, they're also locked into distributing their catalog as DRM-crippled ebooks through an online retailer that is the only major ebook vendor in the Netherlands. But they're good folks at my publisher, and they're not fond [...]
Talking National Broadband Strategy
AMCTV interview about MAKERS and Disney World
I recently conducted an interview with AMCTV's Sci-Fi Scanner about my new novel MAKERS, in which we got into some nice, juicy detail about what makes Disney Parks so fascinating for science fiction treatment. Q: So how did the concept evolve into creating a hacker Disney World in a Wal-Mart? Did it come from your other [...]
Martian Chronicles: new story podcast
I've just started podcasting a new story: MARTIAN CHRONICLES is a story I'm working on for Jonathan Strahan's forthcoming LIFE ON MARS young adult anthology. It's a story about the colonization of Mars by free-market absolutists and the video-games they play. They say you can't smell anything through a launch-hood, but I still smelled the pove [...]
Martian Chronicles, Part 01
Here's part one of the podcast of my story in progress, MARTIAN CHRONICLES, being written for Jonathan Strahan's YA Mars book, LIFE ON MARS. MP3 Link
MAKERS US launch tonight, Harvard Bookstore, 7PM
Hey, Bostonites! I'll see you tonight at the Harvard Bookstore (1256 Mass Ave) at 7PM for the US launch of my new novel, Makers! (New Yorkers, and Philadelphians -- see you later this week!) US/Canada tour
Little Brother interview
Intervju med Cory Doctorow from Veslebror Serdeg on Vimeo. Here's an interview I gave to my Norwegian publisher about the writing of Little Brother.
Spider Robinson reads HUMAN READABLE pt 2
Spider Robinson's posted part two of his reading of my story Human Readable on his latest podcast. I'm so happy with how this turned out! MP3 Link Podcast feed
Reading from last night
Here's the actual reading from last night's MAKERS launch: MP3 Link
Maker Culture video from last night's launch
Here's me chatting with the MakerCulture Project, a student group who came out to my launch last night. Smart folks! They also got pix.
Makers reading
Here's the actual reading from last night's MAKERS launch: MP3 Link
Audio and photos from MAKERS launch in Toronto
Andrew Schwab recorded last night's MAKERS launch in Toronto, a stellar event that was standing-room only, featuring free Ubuntu disks (thanks, John!), presentation of the Sunburst Award, a reading, and Q&A. Photos Makers Launch audio MP3 link
TVO Agenda on Makers
Here's last night's TVO Agenda interview on Makers -- Steve Paikin and I had a fantastic talk.
Video from Quantum 2 Cosmos talks
A couple weeks back I travelled to Waterloo, ON, to appear at the Perimeter Institute's Quantum 2 Cosmos science and technology festival. I gave a talk on copyright and did a panel on robotics and AI, both of which were lots of fun. The TVOntario people just sent me the video links for both, with [...]
Makers Canadian launch in Toronto tonight!
Tonight, I'm launching my latest novel Makers in Canada, at the excellent Toronto sf reference library, the Merril Collection, at 239 College St. (3rd floor), east of Spadina. The event starts at 7PM, and I'll be doing a reading, taking questions, and signing books. Books are being sold by Bakka Phoenix, and if you can't make [...]
Hypothetical peek into Rupert Murdoch's mind
I turned my Boing Boing post about Murdoch's mad pronouncements on the Internet into a column for the Guardian, called "For whom the net tolls." What, exactly, is Rupert Murdoch thinking? First, he announces that all of Newscorp's websites will erect paywalls like the one employed by the Wall Street Journal (however, Rupert managed to get [...]
Spider Robinson reads my story “Human Readable”
As part of the audiobook for my forthcoming experimental short story collection With a Little Help I asked Spider Robinson to read my story "Human Readable" aloud. He did a smashing job, and now he's serializing the story on his podcast feed. MP3 link Podcast feed
Epoch, Part 08
Here's the eighth and final installment of a story-in-progress, Epoch, commissioned by Mark Shuttleworth for my forthcoming short story collection WITH A LITTLE HELP. MP3 Link
Toronto Star on the Makers launch
Today's Toronto Star has a good piece about my upcoming book-launch for Makers in Toronto on Nov 12, and on the politics that informs my work. Cory Doctorow will have mixed feelings when the news reaches him that employees of the Toronto Public Library system will not be on strike this week. The U.K.-based author and blogger [...]
Interview with Off the Hook/WBAI about Makers
Here's a radio interview I did recently with Off the Hook, the 2600 show, on New York's WBAI, talking about MAKERS, maker politics, and the state of the world. MP3 Link
My Locus column on sex in YA fiction
My latest Locus column, "Teen Sex," explains why I think young adult literature should have sex -- and other "mature" topics -- in it. There's really only one question: "Why have your characters done something that is likely to upset their parents, and why don't you punish them for doing this?" Now, the answer. First, because teenagers have [...]
Radical Presentism in Tin House
Tin House, a literary magazine, asked me to introduce the current science fiction issue with an overview of the field. I wrote them an essay called "Radical Presentism," about the way that science fiction reflects the present more than the future. Mary Shelley wasn't worried about reanimated corpses stalking Europe, but by casting a technological innovation [...]
Epoch, Part 7
Here's the seventh installment of a story-in-progress, Epoch, commissioned by Mark Shuttleworth for my forthcoming short story collection WITH A LITTLE HELP. MP3 Link
Speaking this week in Cambridge, Sheffield
I'm giving two talks in the UK this week -- the first in Cambridge, as part of the Arcadia Seminar, held at Robinson College; the second is at Sheffield, as part of the DocFest premiere of RIP: A Remix Manifesto, a documentary on copyfighting and art that features some interviews with me. Hope to see [...]
Makers Canada/US tour details
As promised, here's the details on the short Canada/US tour for my novel Makers in November: November 12, 7PM Toronto, ON, Canada The Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation, and Fantasy 239 College Street, 3rd Floor, +1 416 393-7748 Books by Bakka Phoenix (you can pre-order signed copies from them if you can't make it). November 16, 7PM Cambridge, Mass Harvard Bookstore 1256 Massachusetts Avenue November [...]
Times op-ed on British 3-strikes plan
I have an op-ed in today's Times about the British plan to disconnect people from the internet if someone in their home is accused -- without proof -- of infringing copyright, and how utterly unjust this is. Even more radical is the Mandelson proposal to disconnect entire families from the internet if a single member – [...]
Interview with The Publishing Point
The Publishing Point, a salon on the future of publishing conducted this brief interview with me on the state of publishing at the Tools of Change conference in Frankfurt earlier this month.
Speaking on privacy at Battle of Ideas London this Sat
I'm speaking at London's Battle of Ideas this Saturday, Oct 31, on a panel called "Rethinking Privacy in an age of Disclosure and Sharing." The event goes 1:30-3:30 and there are still a few tickets left! The increasing reach of information technology into all areas of life, from social networking websites to data sharing in public [...]
Makers
Makers, published in October 2009 by Tor (US) and HarperVoyager (UK) is about people who hack hardware, business-models, and living arrangements to discover ways of staying alive and happy even when the economy is falling down the toilet. Weirdly, I wrote it years before the current econopocalypse, as a parable about the amazing blossoming [...]
Makers launch!
Today is the launch of my new novel, Makers, a book about people who hack hardware, business-models, and living arrangements to discover ways of staying alive and happy even when the economy is falling down the toilet. Weirdly, I wrote it years before the current econopocalypse, as a parable about the amazing blossoming of creativity [...]
Writers Digest interview
Here's the full text of the Writers' Digest interview that was on the cover of last month's issue: YOU'VE SAID YOU LEARNED AT THE CLARION SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY WRITERS' WORKSHOP HOW TO SIT DOWN AT THE KEYBOARD AND “OPEN A VEIN.” HOW DID THAT CHANGE YOUR WRITING? That's a variation on a famous old writing aphorism, [...]
Epoch, Part 6
Here's the sixth installment of a story-in-progress, Epoch, commissioned by Mark Shuttleworth for my forthcoming short story collection WITH A LITTLE HELP. MP3 Link
Guardian column on the danger of “self-help” copyright rules
My latest Guardian column, "Corporate bullying on the net must be resisted," describes the way that copyright "self-help" measures that let rightsholders force ISPs to take action against infringement without court oversight are rife with abuse. The UK is one of many countries presently considering a law allowing record and movie companies to take whole [...]
Epoch, Part 5
Here's the fifth installment of a story-in-progress, Epoch, commissioned by Mark Shuttleworth for my forthcoming short story collection WITH A LITTLE HELP. MP3 Link
Jonathan Worth's copy-friendly photography business experiment
Jonathan Worth is a talented commercial photographer (he shot me for a feature in Popular Science a few years back) who was recently asked for his shots by the National Portrait Gallery in London, and asked if he could come and take my pic for it, offering to give me the right to use the [...]
I'm an Utne Reader “visionary”!
I'm incredibly honored to have been included in the Utne Reader's annual list of "50 Visionaries". I've been a UR fan since I was a teenager, and with the list topped by such luminaries as the Dalai Lama, John Wilbanks, Brewster Kahle and Bob Stein, I'm in good company indeed.
WITH A LITTLE HELP, my DIY publishing experiment
Publisher's Weekly just announced (on the cover, no less!) my forthcoming DIY short-story collection, With a Little Help, a print-on-demand book that explores pretty much every "freemium" model for turning a free, well-known digital object into a bunch of highly sought and profitable physical objects. There's four different covers on the print book, a hand-bound [...]
Tickets and video for my talks in Waterloo, Ontario this week
I've just gotten word from the Quantum to Cosmos festival in Waterloo, Ontario -- where I'm speaking later this week -- that there will be live video streams of both the panel and my solo talk (the video will also be available afterwards). They've also just released a new block of tickets -- if you [...]
Internet Librarian International interview
Cory Doctorow at Internet Librarian International 2009 from Jaap van de Geer on Vimeo. Here's an interview I sat for last week at the Internet Librarian International conference in London, on the future of libraries, access and technology.
Printcrime in Chinese
Renjie Yao translated my short-short story Printcrime (which has been translated into several languages!) into Chinese. Thanks, Renjie Yao! Printcrime by Cory Doctorow ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿·¿¿¿¿ ¿ ¿¿¿ ¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿––¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿2000¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿––¿¿¿¿¿¿¿––¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿––¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ “¿¿¿”¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿“¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿” ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿“¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿” ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿“¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿”¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ “¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿” ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿“¿¿¿¿¿¿¿”¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ “¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿”
Makers 6×6 tile game
Tor has updated the tile game that accompanies the ongoing serial of my forthcoming novel Makers, which comes out at the end of the month (and boy am I excited! Publishers Weekly called it "Brilliant" and a "Tour de force" and Library Journal called it "Enthusiastically recommended"). Each installment in the serial has been accompanied [...]
Speaking at Hackney LibDems event London, Oct 19
I'm speaking at a Hoxton LibDems dinner in London on Oct 19 at 7:30PM, at the Hoxton Apprentice in Hoxton Square, near Old Street Station. The event is open to the public -- though they will try to get you to join/donate to the LibDems, whom I support for many reasons, not least because they're [...]
Panel at Brighton Battle of Ideas next Sat, “The Future of Collaboration”
I'll be in Brighton, England next Saturday, Oct 17 for a Battle of Ideas event entitled "The Future of Collaboration: Sharing and Work in the Networked Age." I'll be on a panel with Michael Bull from the University of Sussex and Nico Macdonald, chaired by Robert Clowes of Brighton Salon. It's at 8PM in the [...]
Speaking at Waterloo's Quantum to Cosmos, Oct 22
I'll be in Waterloo, Ontario on 22 Oct 2009 for the Perimeter Institute's Quantum to Cosmos event, which will also feature Neal Stephenson, Stewart Brand, Neil Gershenfeld, Stephen Hawking, Tara Hunt, Jaron Lanier, and many other distinguished scientists and writers. I'm doing a solo talk on copyright at 4PM and then a panel on AI [...]
Epoch, Part 4
Here's the fourth installment of a story-in-progress, Epoch, commissioned by Mark Shuttleworth for my forthcoming short story collection WITH A LITTLE HELP. MP3 Link
Free download of official Norwegian Little Brother
Samlaget, the Norwegian publisher for Little Brother, have released the full text of the book as a downloadable PDF. Samlaget have been incredibly forward-looking and a delight to work with. They brought me to Norway to participate in a debate on the future of copyright law at the Litteraturhuset, and my translator, editor, and publicist [...]
Canada's national reading summit, Toronto, Nov 12-13
The inaugural Reading and Democracy National Reading Summit is coming up in Toronto on Nov 12-13, and I'm coming to Toronto to speak at it. The plan is to "create a national reading strategy for Canada" -- a noble goal. The TD National Reading Summit will engage participants in crafting a blueprint for a reading Canada. [...]
Epoch, Part 3
Here's the third installment of a story-in-progress, Epoch, commissioned by Mark Shuttleworth for my forthcoming short story collection WITH A LITTLE HELP. MP3 Link
Interview with Audio Visual Podcast
I stopped at the University of Ottawa's CHUO radio and recorded an interview with the Audio Visual show; they've just popped it online as a podcast, along with an interview with Bob Wiseman. MP3 link
Interview in IO9
Annalee Newitz from IO9 and I sat down for a chat over lunch at the WorldCon, and she's published the transcript: Novels are competing for attention with other media that can be peeled off from them. At the same time, novels are social objects and the web is social technology. My novels diffuse through the web [...]
Guardian column on BBC's sneaky plan to encrypt “free” TV
My new Guardian column, "The BBC is encrypting its HD signal by the back door," describes a petition from the BBC to Ofcom, the UK telecoms regulator, seeking permission to encrypt its broadcast signals, something it is prohibited from doing. The BBC proposal goes like this: Hollywood studios are blackmailing us and demanding this. But [...]
Epoch, Part 2
Here's the second installment of a story-in-progress, Epoch, commissioned by Mark Shuttleworth for my forthcoming short story collection WITH A LITTLE HELP. MP3 Link
CC licenses help readers, Part MMXII
Espen Andersen writes, "After buying 'Little Brother', I discovered that a page was torn out. Rather than exchange it, I just printed out the missing page from Cory's webpage." Yet another argument for CC books
Little Brother wins the Sunburst Award!
I'm delighted and honored to announced that my YA novel Little Brother has won the 2009 Sunburst YA award for best Canadian sf novel for kids. The Sunburst is named for Phyllis Gottleib's first novel, my friend and the "mother of Canadian science fiction," who died this year, so it's especially poignant and significant to [...]
Makers 5×5 tile game
As part of the ongoing serialization of my forthcoming novel MAKERS, Tor.com has commissioned Idiots' Books to produce 81 CC-licensed, interlocking illustrations, one for each installment. Periodically, Tor is adding these to a little Flash-toy that lets you rotate and realign the images like tiles (each has edge-elements that matches up with the others). They've [...]
Special guest at PhilCon this year
Philcon have just announced that I'll be a "Special Guest" this year at the con (Nov 20-22, across the state line at The Crowne Plaza Hotel, Cherry Hill, NJ); I'm delighted to be returning. I attended PhilCon annually for several years, but haven't managed to make it since I moved overseas.
Speaking in Ottawa, Waterloo and PEI next week
I'm headed to Canada for some speaking gigs in the coming week, in PEI, Ottawa, and Waterloo: Waterloo: Sat, Sept 26, 2:30-4PM, University of Waterloo, Arts Lecture Hall. Free, open to the public. Sponsored by the Independent Studies Programme, where I'm a Scholar in Virtual Residence. Ottawa: Mon, Sept 28, 7PM, Ottawa Writer's Festival, Saint Brigid's Centre [...]
Epoch, Part 1 – New story
Here's the first installment of a story-in-progress, Epoch, commissioned by Mark Shuttleworth for my forthcoming short story collection WITH A LITTLE HELP. MP3 Link
Live chat today at 3PM Eastern
I'm doing a live audio- and text-chat today at 3PM EDT with Internet Evolution's new IE Radio program. Hope to chat with you! Cory Doctorow, blogger, Boing Boing
Why economics condemns 3D to be no more than a blockbuster gimmick
The Guardian
Guardian column on the future of 3D movies
My latest Guardian column, "Why economics condemns 3D to be no more than a blockbuster gimmick," discusses the difficulty of making truly 3D movies (that is, movies that lose something crucial in 2D) in a world where movies need to find a home on 2D small-screens in order to recoup. Movies, after all, rely on the [...]
Interview with ResonanceFM – more!
Here's some more of the interview I did with Resonance FM in London, in handy podcast form. MP3 link
Scroogled in Ukrainian
Thanks to Kos Ivantsov for translating my story Scroogled into Ukrainian
Cloud computing article in Hebrew
Yuval Tobias has translated my cloud computing Guardian article into Hebrew under a CC license. Enjoy!
Cloud computing article in Polish
The Polish OSNews site has translated my cloud computing Guardian article into Polish, under a CC license. Enjoy!
YA writers: Detroit public school teacher of blind kids wants your ebooks for her Braille printer
Back in August, I got a surprise in the mail: a long Braille computer printout and a letter. The letter was from Patti Smith, who teaches visually impaired middle-schoolers in Detroit's public school system. She explained that almost all the Braille kids' books she had access to were for really little kids -- kindergartners, basically [...]
Complete podcast of Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town
36 weeks ago -- give or take -- I set out to read my 2005 novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town aloud, in installments, in my podcast. And now I am done. Someone Comes to Town is my weirdest book by far, a fantasy novel about a man whose father is a mountain and [...]
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 036 – CONCLUSION
Here's the thirty-sixth and final part of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. Thanks to John Williams for mastering! Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed audio engineer, producer, composer, and sound designer. In his free time, he makes beer, jewelry, odd musical [...]
Speaking at the “Long Conversation” in London this Saturday
I'm speaking at the odd and cool-sounding Longplayer "Long Conversation" event this Saturday in London. The "Long Conversation" is a twelve-hour continuous on-stage conversation in which the participants rotate on and off the stage every 36 minutes. One of the organisers is a friend and he waxed so rhapsodic about previous events that I jumped [...]
Cool free cover-image for Little Brother from Wordle
Ross sez, "Recently, I stumbled upon a website called wordle.net, which creates images out of text files. The image is calculated in a histogram style, with words that appear more appearing larger than words that don't appear as often. I decided to hack the algorithm by pasting 'Little Brother Cory Doctorow' about a thousand [...]
Live sf workshop in London tomorrow night
Tomorrow (Thursday) night, I'm appearing on stage in London with my fellow sf writers Gwyneth Jones, Ian Watsonand Matthew de Abaitua for an odd live event called "The BAD IDEA Butcher's Shop: FUTURE HUMAN." Here's the pitch: The Butcher's Shop is a unique writers' workshop and theatrical experience. Hosted by BAD IDEA's editors at the Old [...]
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 035
Here's part thirty-five of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. Thanks to John Williams for mastering! Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed audio engineer, producer, composer, and sound designer. In his free time, he makes beer, jewelry, odd musical instruments and furniture. [...]
Locus column: special pleading
My latest Locus column, "Special Pleading," talks about the damned-if-you-do/ damned-if-you-don't nature of free ebook scepticism. When I started out giving away my print novels as free ebooks, critics charged that it only worked because I was so obscure that I needed the exposure. Now that I've had a book on the NYT bestseller list, [...]
My submission to the Canadian Copyright Consultation
Here's my submission to the Canadian Copyright Consultation. You've still got time to get yours in, too. Some industry representatives have advocated for a US-style anti-circumvention regime for Technical Protection Measured (TPMs, also called Digital Rights Management systems or DRMs). They argue that these will preserve creators' rights. The 1998 US Digital Millennium Copyright Act and [...]
My Guardian column expressing skepticism about cloud computing
My latest Guardian column, "Not every cloud has a silver lining," is about the dirty secret of cloud computing: most of it is about making a buck off of you by supplying something you can do cheaply and easily for yourself. Here's something you won't see mentioned, though: the main attraction of the cloud to investors [...]
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 034
Here's part thirty-four of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. Thanks to John Williams for mastering! Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed audio engineer, producer, composer, and sound designer. In his free time, he makes beer, jewelry, odd musical instruments and furniture. [...]
Printcrime in Korean
Sejin Choi has translated my story Printcrime into Korean! ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿ ¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿. ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿, ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿.
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 033 FIXED
Here's part thirty-three of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. Thanks to John Williams for mastering! Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed audio engineer, producer, composer, and sound designer. In his free time, he makes beer, jewelry, odd musical instruments and furniture. [...]
Homemade Braille edition of Little Brother from Detroit public school teacher
Patricia Smith is a teacher of visually impaired students in Detroit's public school system. She mailed me a copy of my YA novel Little Brother that she had run off her school's Braille embosser and supplied to her students. She reports, "What I could not enclose is the gratitude from my Braille reading students. For [...]
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 033
Here's part thirty-three of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. Thanks to John Williams for mastering! Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed audio engineer, producer, composer, and sound designer. In his free time, he makes beer, jewelry, odd musical instruments and furniture. [...]
Fan-annotated site for Little Brother
@Halvais, a fan of my novel Little Brother, has set up a wiki-style site with the full text of the book for group annotation with links and commentary. Sweet! W1N5T0N
More video interviews on libraries, media literacy and activism
Here's some more pieces of that interview I did with the At Your Library folks on media literacy, activism and libraries.
Futuristic Tales of the Here and Now for Android, iPhone and DSi
The Robot Comics folks have been industriously converting my Creative Commons licensed IDW graphic novel, Cory Doctorow's Futuristic Tales of the Here and Now (which collects six of my short stories adapted to comics form by an array of talented writers and editors) to a multiplicity of mobile phone platforms. This is all under the [...]
Mur Lafferty interview on everything I'm up to
Here's a transcript of an interview I did with Mur Lafferty at WorldCon on my WITH A LITTLE HELP project/stunt and various other writing things I'm up to: CD: For the Win's almost done. It'll be, I think they're saying May 2010? Or March, one or the other. A month that starts with an “m” and is [...]
Interview on librarianship and media
Here's an interview I conducted with the At Your Library folks on the role of libraries in activism, media literacy, and Creative Commons.
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 032
Here's part thirty-two of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. Thanks to John Williams for mastering! Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed audio engineer, producer, composer, and sound designer. In his free time, he makes beer, jewelry, odd musical instruments and furniture. He [...]
Guardian column on how free ebooks work for different kinds of writers
My latest Guardian column, "Why free ebooks should be part of the plot for writers," talks about how free ebook releases benefit well-known and obscure writers alike. Releasing a book as a free download isn't newsworthy in and of itself. It was, once upon a time, especially when that book had the backing of a major [...]
Book-donation drive
In Canada, the US and the UK, kids will be going back to school in a short while, so now's a good time to remind you of the donation program for my books. Here's how it works: teachers, librarians (and others, like people who work in family shelters, halfway houses, prisons, etc) indicate that they'd [...]
Interview with Yeti Stomper
The Yeti Stomper blog has a short interview with me today as part of their "Keeping an Eye On" series.
Gaiman reads “The Right Book”
Here's a video of Neil Gaiman reading my short story "The Right Book" at the World Science Fiction Convention last week; Neil did the reading for an ambitious short story collection publishing experiment I'm working on; we recorded audio too. The story was written for the 150th anniversary of Britain's The Bookseller magazine -- the [...]
Minibar presentation on WITH A LITTLE HELP
Here's a short presentation I gave last week at the Minibar event in London, discussing my plans for a new open publishing experiment -- a short story collection called WITH A LITTLE HELP.
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 031
Here's part thirty-one of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. Thanks to John Williams for mastering! Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed audio engineer, producer, composer, and sound designer. In his free time, he makes beer, jewelry, odd musical instruments and furniture. He [...]
Randomizer script for SOMEONE COMES TO TOWN
David Jackson Wallace wrote a script that randomly changes the names of the characters in my 2005 Tor Books novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town -- a book in which the characters' names fluctuate, with only their first initials remaining constant. It's an absolutely delightful idea! Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town (remix) Source [...]
Cheap Facts and the Plausible Premise podcast
The good folks at the StarShipSofa podcast have once again converted one of my columns to podcast form: Cheap Facts and the Plausible Premise (which appears in the latest Locus) also appears in this week's podcast, #95, starting around the 9 minute mark. Nice stuff!
Chris Anderson's Free adds much to The Long Tail, but falls short
The Guardian
Free: a great book, but it's missing the truly free
Here's my Guardian review of Chris Anderson's excellent new book, Free: The Future of a Radical Price. As with The Long Tail, Free gave me lots to think about: it does a tremendous job of enumerating the economic and business opportunities derived from the net's capacity to deliver so much for free. However, I think [...]
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 030
Here's partthirty of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. Thanks to John Williams for mastering! Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed audio engineer, producer, composer, and sound designer. In his free time, he makes beer, jewelry, odd musical instruments and furniture. He likes [...]
Teach kids to be safe online by getting them to think critically about censorware
My latest Internet Evolution feature proposes that the best way for schools to protect their students on the Internet is to assign them curriculum that asks students to investigate all the ways that the school's censorware sucks -- blocks useful material, easily circumvented by students, interferes with teachers, invades privacy and enriches sleazy censorware companies. [...]
Sliding tile game using CC-licensed art from MAKERS serial
As part of the ongoing serialization of Makers, my forthcoming book (late October 2009, from Tor USA and HarperCollins UK), Tor.com has commissioned a series of 81 interlocking, Creative Commons-licensed illustrations from Idiots' Books. Each illustration's four edges line up with any of the other illustrations' edges. Now Tor has released a Flash game that lets [...]
My Worldcon schedule
Anticipation, the 67th World Science Fiction Convention (to be held in Montreal this year) is almost upon us, and the programming committee has put together a kick-ass program, and they've put it online. Here's my program items -- hope to see you there! Friday 10 AM: Intellectual Property and Creative Commons, with Laura Majerus and Felix Gilman [...]
Request for Montrealers: Can I rent your 3G modem from Aug 6-10?
I'm headed to Anticipation, the World Science Fiction Convention in Montreal, Canada at the start of August (Aug 6-10) and I'd like to rent someone's 3G modem. The conference centre charges $395/DAY (!!!) for WiFi. I'll happily pay your whole monthly data tariff for the favour. If you're in Montreal and you can part with [...]
Question: How do I edit PDFs with Linux?
Here's a question for the hivemind: a typographer friend of mine is laying out a book for me, and delivering a printer-ready PDF. After he sends me the PDF, I need to be able to make minor edits and corrections to the type, preferably using Linux. How can I do this?
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 029
Here's part twenty-nine of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. Thanks to John Williams for mastering! Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed audio engineer, producer, composer, and sound designer. In his free time, he makes beer, jewelry, odd musical instruments and furniture. He [...]
When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth, full-cast audio drama
Sage Tyrtle and the QN Podcast team created a full-cast radio drama based on my apocalyptic, award-winning, Creative Commons licensed short story When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth. I had no idea they were working on it until they told me they'd completed it -- it blew me out of the water. What a fantastic piece [...]
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 028
Here's part twenty-eight of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. Thanks to John Williams for mastering! Mastering by John Taylor Williams: [email protected] John Taylor Williams is a full-time self-employed audio engineer, producer, composer, and sound designer. In his free time, he makes beer, jewelry, odd musical instruments and furniture. He [...]
Stop worrying, Hollywood ¿ nobody is stealing your films with mobiles
The Guardian
Phones confiscated at preview screenings: whose hypothetical risk is more important?
My latest Guardian column, "Stop worrying, Hollywood ¿ nobody is stealing your films with mobiles," looks into the curious practice of forcing attendees at preview screenings to surrender their phones while they see the movie. The industry admits that no one has ever camcordered a movie with a phone, and further, they admit that 100 [...]
Keynote at Europython 09
Here's a talk I gave to the Python hackers at Europython in Birmingham, England earlier this month, explaining why Python hackers need to care about the copyright wars.
Interview with ResonanceFM Part 5
The English Arts Council's Rachel Baker and Charles Beckett came by my office last week to interview me for local radio station ResonanceFM, covering a lot of ground. They broke the interview into five parts for airing and their podcast. Part 5
Interview with ResonanceFM Part 4
The English Arts Council's Rachel Baker and Charles Beckett came by my office last week to interview me for local radio station ResonanceFM, covering a lot of ground. They broke the interview into five parts for airing and their podcast. Part 4
Interview with ResonanceFM Part 3
The English Arts Council's Rachel Baker and Charles Beckett came by my office last week to interview me for local radio station ResonanceFM, covering a lot of ground. They broke the interview into five parts for airing and their podcast. Part 3
Interview with ResonanceFM Part 2
The English Arts Council's Rachel Baker and Charles Beckett came by my office last week to interview me for local radio station ResonanceFM, covering a lot of ground. They broke the interview into five parts for airing and their podcast. Part 2
Interview with ResonanceFM Part 1
The English Arts Council's Rachel Baker and Charles Beckett came by my office last week to interview me for local radio station ResonanceFM, covering a lot of ground. They broke the interview into five parts for airing and their podcast. Part 1
Little Brother shortlisted for Canada's Sunburst Award
The shortlists for Canada's Sunburst Award for best sf novel have been posted and I'm delighted to find that Little Brother made the young adult list! The prize is announced in September; it's a juried award (I was honored to win the prize for my first short story collection, A Place so Foreign and Eight [...]
Get together July 9 in Chicago
I'll be in Chicago on July 9 to see a production of the highly praised theatrical adaptation of my novel Little Brother. The July 9 show is sold out (performances run until July 18), but Bill Massolia, who wrote the play and runs the company, has organized a get-together beforehand. If you're in Chicago, [...]
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 027
Here's part twenty-seve of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. Thanks to John Williams for mastering! MP3 Link
Little Brother wins the Prometheus Award for libertarian sf
Wouldya lookit that! I've won the Libertarian Futurist's Society's Prometheus Award for my novel Little Brother! As with all the other awards LB has been up for this year, I'm even more honored by the company I'm in than the award itself; this year's Prometheus nominees included Charlie Stross's Saturn's Children, Matter by Iain [...]
Makers serialized online
Pablo from Tor has the details on a cool new promo they're doing to promote my next book, Makers, which'll be published in the fall (HarperCollins UK will publish it in the UK, Australia, NZ, and other parts of the commonwealth). Makers tells the story of a group of hardware hackers who fall in with [...]
Locus column on cheap facts and science fiction
My new Locus column, "Cheap Facts and the Plausible Premise," explores what it means for science fiction when the cost of knowing something falls to zero, and when the difference between knowing something can be done and doing it narrows away to nothing. Tell someone that her car has a chip-based controller that can be hacked [...]
Hugo voting deadline!
Diane from the World Science Fiction Convention sez, "Just wanted to drop you a quick note to say that the voting deadline for the Hugo awards is this Friday. Eligible voters must vote online by July 3rd, 23:59PM EST. People should vote as early as possible in case of computer problems and to ensure [...]
What happens to your crypto-secrets after you die?
My latest Guardian column, "When I'm dead, how will my loved ones break my password?" describes the process my wife and I went through when we drew up our wills and realized that our encrypted hard-drives and our network passwords would go with us if we died or were incapacitated, and how important it was [...]
To Go Boldly
The New Space Opera 2: All-new stories of science fiction adventure (Gardner Dozois and Jonathan Strahan)
New Space Opera 2
Gardner Dozois and Jonathan Strahan's new anthology The New Space Opera 2 came out today, featuring all original stories by me, John Scalzi, Robert Charles Wilson, Jay Lake, Garth Nix, Bruce Sterling, Elizabeth Moon, Justina Robson and many others. My story, "To Go Boldly," is a look at the LARPing ethic that lurks under the [...]
Little Brother wins the Campbell Award – see you in Lawrence, KS on July 11/12
My novel Little Brother has won the Campbell Award for best sf novel of the year (sharing the award with Ian MacLeod's "Song of Time"). The award's given out over the July 9 weekend at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, KS, and includes free events that are open to the public. Also in attendance [...]
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 026
Here's part twenty-six of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. MP3 Link
CC-licensed photo-book to accompany my CC-licensed essay on CCTVs
Emma sez, "Snitchtown: the photo essay" is a book of photographs of a (very small) subset of the 4.2 million CCTV in Britain. These have been put together with Cory Doctorow's essay on ubiquitous CCTV coverage, "Snitchtown" as part of the SoFoBoMo event, in which photographers work to put together a solo project in [...]
Videos from Chicago production of Little Brother play
Bill Massiola, who adapted my novel Little Brother for a critically acclaimed stage-play running in Chicago right now at the Griffin Theatre Company performing at the Athenaeum Theatre, sent me these three video clips from the production. I'm coming through Chicago on July 9 to see the play (it runs until July 19); based on [...]
Guardian column: Abstinence programs don't for for IT or for kids
I wrote my latest Guardian column after hearing security experts lament, for the nth time, that sensitive systems like MRI machines, defense-contractor computers, and so on should never be connected to the Internet, and when these are compromised by spies, malware or worms, it's the fault of bad network policy. I realized that this lament was [...]
Futuristic Tales of the Here and Now for Android, iPhone
The folks are Robot Comics have completed their conversion of the comics in my CC-licensed graphic novel Cory Doctorow's Futuristic Tales of the Here and Now, which adapts six of my stories for comic form. The Robot Comics editions are free and run on your Android phone and (sometimes) on the iPhone (Apple rejected the [...]
MAKERS cover art
Holy crow do I *ever* love the cover art for the US (top) and UK (bottom) editions of Makers, my next novel, coming from Tor and HarperCollins respectively in Oct/Nov.
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 025
Here's part twenty-five of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. MP3 Link
See you next week at Europython in Birmingham!
I'm one of the keynoters at next week's EuroPython convention in Birmingham, England -- looks like a hell of a show, with further keynotes by Bruce Eckel and Professor Sir Tony Hoare and a whack of great talks and tutorials. Being a Community Conference means that EuroPython is run entirely by volunteers, that means us [...]
Internet ©rapshoot: How Internet Gatekeepers Stifle Progress
Internet Evolution
Column about the copyright's gatekeepers and how they hurt us all
I've got a new feature up on Internet Evolution today, a piece called "Internet ©rapshoot: How Internet Gatekeepers Stifle Progress," about how everybody wants to be a gatekeeper -- the studios and publishers, the bookstores and online retailers and theaters, the "creators rights' groups" and how that ends up screwing everyone: So, how do you use [...]
Little Brother option sold to Don Murphy (Natural Born Killers, From Hell, etc)
I've been waiting to announce this for months now, while the paperwork went back and forth and now I finally can! Don Murphy, producer of such films as Natural Born Killers and From Hell, has bought a film option on Little Brother. I've talked it over with Don and feel confident that if he makes [...]
Little Brother the play, in Chicago until July 18
Chicago's Griffin Theatre has mounted a live production of my young adult novel Little Brother, adapted by William Massolia. This is incredibly exciting; Time Out Chicago gave it four stars, saying, "Doctorow raises many worthy points about the relationship between our safeties and our freedoms, and in Milne's bracing production, newcomer Mike Harvey as Marcus [...]
Talking education and openness for the EU
Here's a little video I recorded for the EU's International Symposium on Helping Educational Leaders Use New Tools, talking about the use of Creative Commons in education.
Little Brother fan-trans into Slovak
Pavol Hvizdos just posted a Slovak fan-translation of my book Little Brother -- Maly brat. Man, I love the cool stuff Creative Commons licenses lets people do with my books! Cory Doctorow: Maly brat
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 024
Here's part twenty-four of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. MP3 Link
Speech on the future of public service broadcasting at Norway's NRK
Last week I had the immense pleasure of keynoting at Fagdagen, the annual conference put on by NRK, Norway's public broadcaster. NRK leads the world in internet-savvy public broadcasting, operating its own torrent server to deliver CC-licensed versions of its programming; they asked me to talk to them about what else they could do to [...]
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 023
Here's part twenty-three of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. MP3 Link
Search is too important to leave to one company ¿ even Google
The Guardian
Guardian column on search as an open project
In my latest Guardian column, "Search is too important to leave to one company ¿ even Google," I make the case that Google's algorithms are editorial decisions, and that so much editorial power is better vested in big, transparent, public entities than a few giant private concerns: It's a terrible idea to vest this much power [...]
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 022
Here's part twenty-two of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. MP3 Link
Privacy talk with Charlie Stross
Here's the video from the Open Rights Group benefit talk on privacy that Charlie Stross and I did, ably chaired by Ian Brown. All-seeing eye
Extreme Geek, podcast on StarShipSofa
The excellent StarShipSofa podcast has a reading of my Locus article Extreme Geek in this week's installment. It starts about 7 minutes in. MP3 Link
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 021
Here's part twenty-one of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. MP3 Link
True Names is up for the Sturgeon Award
Delighted to discover that True Names, the Hugo-nominated novella I co-wrote with Benjamin Rosenbaum, is up for a Sturgeon Award! Paolo Bacigalupi "The Gambler" Fast Forward 2 Ted Chiang "Exhalation" Eclipse 2 Charles Coleman Finlay "The Political Prisoner" F&SF, August Cory Doctorow & Benjamin Rosenbaum "True Names" Fast Forward 2 James Alan Gardner "The Ray Gun: A Love [...]
We must ensure ISPs don't stop the next Google getting out of the garage
The Guardian
Column on how ISPs' dirty tricks will hurt Britain's digital future
My latest Guardian column, "We must ensure ISPs don't stop the next Google getting out of the garage," talks about how the policy debate over "Digital Britain" has ignored the most important aspect of a digital nation: a fair deal on open network access. But the real problem of per-usage billing is that no one ¿ [...]
Search Engine on TVO – new interview
Search Engine, the former CBC Radio tech show, has moved to TVOntario, where it's a podcast. Jesse Brown, the host of the show, came by my folks' place last week while I was in Toronto and recorded an interview with me for the premiere. MP3 Link
Hugo Award ballot is live!
The final Hugo Award ballot is finally online (and, presumably, in the post). If you're registered to attend this summer's Worldcon in Montreal, Anticipation, you're eligible to vote in one of the most prestigious science fiction awards in the world (and yes indeed, I am a double nominee, thanks for asking!). Once again, John "Mensch" Scalzi [...]
Video chat with high school students at Arapahoe HS in Littleton, CO
I did a live video-chat with some enterprising high-school freshmen at Arapahoe High School in Littleton, CO, a cabal of enterprising kids who are lobbying the school-system to add Little Brother to the statewide curriculum (!). We had a great chat -- they're really bright and lovely kids and clearly passionate and engaged!
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 020
Here's part twenty of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. MP3 Link
Closing panel from Convention on Modern Liberty
Earlier this year, I had the privilege of participating in the closing panel at the Convention on Modern Liberty with Billy Bragg, Lisa Appignanesi, Feargal Sharkey, Paul Gilroy and Henry Porter. The Convention was a whole-day event in which activists, scholars, Parliamentarians, regulators, teachers, cryptographers and others. On the closing panel, we were [...]
Interview in Rolling Stone Argentina
Rolling Stone Argentina has a great interview with me about copyright, conducted by Ignacio Román. Bueno, muchos músicos están despertando. Quizá no les guste lo que está pasando con Internet, porque durante toda su carrera les llenaron la cabeza diciéndoles "no te dejes copiar". Pero de ahí a ir en contra de sus propios fanáticos... [...]
Talking about “sexting”
I shot a long video for the upcoming EU/Schoolnet event in Rome -- they've started putting pieces of it online. Here's me talking about "sexting," media literacy and hysteria.
Little Brother wins the Ontario Library Association's White Pine Award
Today I found myself surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of enthusiastic, high-school age readers from the Ontario school system, and was honoured to receive a popular award for best Canadian young adult novel of 2008. The award was the White Pine, part of the Ontario Library Association's "Forest of Reading" program -- librarians nominate ten [...]
Guardian column: Copyright protects creators, leaves fans out in the cold
In my latest Guardian column, "When love is harder to show than hate," I look at the fact that copyright protects critics who want to talk trash about creative works, but gives no real protection to people who want to say nice things about them. The damage here is twofold: first, this privileges creativity that knocks [...]
Column on “self-serve licensing” – a proposal to turn the makerverse into your R&D lab
In my latest Internet Evolution column, "Digital Licensing: Do It Yourself," I propose a new kind of self-serve, lightweight "commercial commons" that would allow makers to do small-scale commercial manufacturing of goods that remix copyrights and trademarks, with no upfront payments, and a fixed royalty rate that lets the makerverse operate as a giant, well-compensated [...]
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 019
Here's part eighteen of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. MP3 Link
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 018
Here's part eighteen of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. MP3 Link
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 018
Here's part eighteen of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. MP3 Link
Guardian column: transparency isn't enough
My latest Guardian column, "Transparency means nothing without justice," is up. I wrote this before the G20 debacle (it was delayed due to an administrative problem at the Guardian), but all the points are just as relevant to the G20's climate camp as they are to last summer's version of it. And here's where transparency breaks [...]
Little Brother, Weak and Strange and True Names make the Locus Award shortlist!
The Locus Award shortlist has been posted -- this is the list of the best science fiction books and stories of the year, as chosen by the general public. I'm immensely gratified to say that I'm on the list three times, for my young adult novel Little Brother, my collaborative novella True Names (with Ben [...]
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 017
Here's part seventeen of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. MP3 Link
How DRM sucks part LXVII
Cam writes in with just about the perfect parable about why DRM just sucks: I thought you'd be amused to hear the circumstances which caused me to pick up and read Little Brother. Being a pretty big nerd (I'm a tech director at Electronic Arts by day), I was excited to pick up a Sony [...]
Column about how the entertainment industry's greedy lobbying is its undoing
Here's my latest column for Internet Evolution: "Big Entertainment Wants to Party Like It's 1996" explains how the entertainment industry's greedy, naked lobbying tactics will be their undoing, since these victories end up backfiring because they arouse such public ire. It's not that these companies can't get their laws on the agenda, and not that they [...]
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 016
Here's part sixteen of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. MP3 Link
My ebooks and DRM talk from O'Reilly's Tools of Change for Publishing
Here's a talk I gave earlier this year at the O'Reilly Tools of Change for Publishing conference in NYC, about the way that DRM gives distributors control over publishers and writers. This talk went down very well, and is the source of "Doctorow's Law," which a lot of people have asked me about: "Any [...]
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 015
Here's part fifteen of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. MP3 Link
Guardian column: games that sell in-game items solve the time-rich/cash-rich problem
The Guardian's just published my latest column, "Developers still finding that it pays to get in the game," about the increasingly prevalent online game practice of selling items to players, and the parallels this has to the download wars: Official, game-sponsored exchanges for real-money trades (RMTs) are more than places where players can swap goods for [...]
Anda's Game on Android
Last year, IDW published a collection of six comics adapted from my short stories called Cory Doctorow's Futuristic Tales of the Here and Now, all of these stories also licensed under Creative Commons. Now, Robot Comics, a firm that provides comics for Android mobile phones, has begun to make the comics available free under the [...]
Interview with Golem.de
Video: Cory Doctorow - Interview (3:47) Last week, I gave a talk at Berlin's Re:publica conference and recorded this video interview with Golem.de.
Serbo-Croatian interview
The Serbian City Magazine just published the first-ever interview with me in Serbo-Croatian! Gomila mojih prijatelja je napisala knjige za mlade i odli¿no su se zabavljali. Moja prijateljica Kathe Koja je bila poznata horor spisateljica koja je pisala veoma ¿ivopisan horor, kada je, za svaki slu¿aj, odlu¿ila da pi¿e te skoro hemingvejske romane za mlade(¿). Iskustva [...]
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 014
Here's part fourteen of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. MP3 Link
To Market, To Market: podcast
Roy Trumbull has just posted his latest installment in his podcast readings of science fiction stories, and for this one he's chosen my story "To Market, To Market: The Branding of Billy Bailey," which was published in my first short story collection A Place So Foreign and Eight More. Roy really nailed the reading -- [...]
Guardian column: text-to-speech is the wrong thing to worry about with the Kindle
My latest Guardian column, "Authors have lost the plot in Kindle battle," argues that the Authors' Guild is nuts to focus on the text-to-speech feature, and should really be paying attention to the fact that it's apparently possible to remotely disable features in the ebook reader. Maybe I'm right and maybe I'm wrong, but the important [...]
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 013
Here's part thirteen of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. MP3 Link
Open Rights Group benefit in London with Charlie Stross, May 1
Charlie Stross and I are doing a benefit talk for the Open Rights Group on May 1 in London, entitled "Resisting the all-seeing eye." Hope to see you there -- Stross is a ball, and ORG is a damned worthy cause, especially in this era of ubiquitous surveillance. From technologies like PGP and Tor to the [...]
Little Brother's a finalist for the Prometheus Award!
The Libertarian Futurist Society has released its slate of nominees for this year's Prometheus Awards, the award for the best "pro-freedom" science fiction of the year. I'm proud to say that my novel Little Brother made the cut, as did five other standout books, including a couple personal favorites: Half a Crown by Jo Walton [...]
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 012
Here's part twelve of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. MP3 Link
Hugo ballot announced – Little Brother up for best novel!
Hot damn! The 2009 Hugo Awards ballot is live and it's a doozy, and not just because I'm on it twice (Best Novel: Little Brother and Best Novella: True Names, with Ben Rosenbaum). No, it's better than that -- the entire ballot is just killer, especially my competition in the Best Novel category (hell, three [...]
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 011
Here's part eleven of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. MP3 Link
Benefit reading for EFF in San Francisco Mar 23 with Rudy Rucker and others!
I'm thrilled to announce that I'm doing a benefit reading for the Electronic Frontier Foundation in San Francisco on March 23, 2009 -- a week this Monday -- along with Rudy Rucker, Annalee Newitz and Charlie Jane Anders. Hope to see you there: Join EFF on Monday, March 23rd, for a fundraising event featuring award-winning writer [...]
IT vs. users: a war everyone loses
I've just had a quick article on the wars between corporate IT and tech enthusiast employees published in the Harvard Business Review. I've been on both sides of that barricade, and while I understand the plight of IT, I think that it's against everyone's interest to give them to power to lock employees out of [...]
Why I Copyfight in French
Eric Moreau has translated my Locus column Why I Copyfight into French, in honor of the bill in French Parliament that will criminalize copyists and downloaders. Pourquoi accorder tant d'importance à la question de la réforme du copyright ? Qu'est-ce qui est en jeu ? Tout. Jusqu'à une époque récente, le copyright était une réglementation industrielle. Si l'on [...]
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 010
Here's part ten of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. MP3 Link
I'm a punchline!
Spoiler alert, I'm the punchine in today's This is Me webcomic!
Interview in Milan with Blogosfere
I'm in Milan for an event called "Meet the Media Guru" and I've been doing tons of interviews. Here's the first, an interview with Eleanora of Blogosfere!
Video from Open University talk
Here's the video from my Open University talk last week!
Interview with Platform
I did this interview last week while speaking at Open University, chatting with the video podcast Platform.
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom free reading from Podiobooks
The good folks at Podiobooks have taken advantage of the Creative Commons license on my novels and put together a fantastic free recording of my first novel, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom (this is the third fan-reading of that book!), this one by Mark Douglas Nelson, who does a stellar job. Down and Out [...]
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 009
Here's part nine of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. MP3 Link
Little Brother is nominated for the Nebula Award
The Nebula Ballot for best sf/f book of 2008 is up -- and I'm on it! Little Brother - Doctorow, Cory (Tor, Apr08) Powers - Le Guin, Ursula K. (Harcourt, Sep07) Cauldron - McDevitt, Jack (Ace, Nov07) Brasyl - McDonald, Ian (Pyr, May07) Making Money - Pratchett, Terry (Harper, Sep07) Superpowers - Schwartz, David J. (Three Rivers Press, Jun08) Nebula Awards® 2008 [...]
Tomorrow is Britain's nationwide “Convention on Modern Liberty”
Tomorrow marks the first ever British Convention on Modern Liberty, co-sponsored by The Guardian, OpenDemocracy, and Liberty. It's a daylong, nationwide forum on the erosion of liberty, privacy and civil rights in Britain. Boing Boing is a proud sponsor of the event, and I'll be speaking at the closing plenary with Billy Bragg tomorrow afternoon [...]
You shouldn't have to sell your soul just to download some music
The Guardian
Don't violate copyright – the ultimate EULA
My latest Guardian column’s just gone up, about the message that entertainment companies send when they put crappy EULAs on their digital downloads: Here’s the world’s shortest, fairest, and simplest licence agreement: “Don’t violate copyright law.” If I had my way, every digital download from the music in the iTunes and Amazon MP3 store, to [...]
Steampunk column for Make
My latest Make column is up, “Love the Machine, Hate the Factory,” written for the steampunk theme issue: For me, the biggest appeal to steampunk is that it exalts the machine and disparages the factory (this is the motto of the excellent and free *Steampunk* magazine: “Love the Machine, Hate the Factory”). It celebrates the elaborate [...]
This Week in Tech
Last night I stayed up waaay late to record an episode of the excellent tech panel show, This Week in Tech. MP3 Link
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 008
Here’s part eight of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. MP3 Link
Media-Morphosis: How the Internet Will Devour, Transform, or Destroy Your Favorite Medium
Internet Evolution
Internet Evolution on the remaking of movies, music, books and newspapers
Information Week’s Internet Evolution’s just published my latest article, “Media-Morphosis: How the Internet Will Devour, Transform, or Destroy Your Favorite Medium” — a noodle on the factors that led to the demise of newspapers, the transformation of music, and the potential destruction of big budget movies and mass-market publishing (and what can be done about [...]
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 007
Here’s part seven of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. MP3 Link
Flashbake: Free version-control for writers using git
For the past couple weeks, I’ve been working with Thomas “cmdln” Gideon (host of the fabulously nerdy Command Line podcast) on a free software project for writers called “Flashbake.” This is a set of Python scripts that check your hot files for changes every 15 minutes, and checks in any changed files to a local [...]
A fact-based Digital Britain
My latest Guardian column is up — it’s a fantasy alternative to Lord Carter’s recommendations for the Internet in the Digital Britain report, one in which the best evidence on building a digital nation is deployed: If the objective here is to secure Britain’s digital future, the most important thing we can do with DRM is [...]
Locus Award ballot for best sf of 2008 online
It’s time again for Locus Magazine’s annual public poll of the best works in science fiction for the preceding year, with the winners taking home the prestigious Locus Awards. I’ve been privileged to win several of these awards, and they’re among the highest honors I’ve ever been paid. The Locus Awards are open to the [...]
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 006
Here’s part six of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. MP3 Link
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 005
Here’s part four of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. MP3 Link
Forbes article on dumpster diving
Last December, Forbes published my latest article on Darren Atkinson, hands down the most exciting, thoughtful and skilled garbologist and dumpster diver I’ve ever heard of. My first-ever article for Wired was an article about Darren, back in 1997, and more than ten years later, Darren’s still at it. Darren’s got the perfect zero-capital, socially [...]
I'm a Forbes Web Celeb (again)!
Once again, Forbes Magazine has honored me by including me near the top of its list of 25 Web Celebrities, “the people who have turned their passions into new-media empires.” How cool is that? Cory Doctorow
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 004
Here’s part four of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. MP3 Link
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 003
Here’s part three of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. MP3 Link
Online Hugo nominating ballot is live
A couple weeks ago, I posted to let you know that nominations for the Hugo awards had just opened — and promised to re-post once the online nomination form went live. I’ve just noticed that it’s up — handy if you want to save the hassle of printing out the form and putting it in [...]
Complete fan-reading of “Content”
Jan Rubak, a Canadian mathematician/physicist, has been reading aloud all the essays from my collection Content: Selected Essays on Technology, Creativity, Copyright and the Future of the Future and uploading them to the Internet Archive, and this week, he finished! He’s even included some bonus material from John Perry Barlow. These are great readings and [...]
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 002
Here’s part two of my reading of my 2005 novel, Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. MP3 Link
I'm a letterpress!
Jeff Macklin sez, I have an old time letterpress shop in my garage, where I make things for kicks. I am a longtime lover of letterpress. I try to focus my energies on Canadians who I think are due some letterpress love. Clearly, you fall into this category, along with Louis Riel, Marshall McLuan, Buck 65, [...]
Writing in the Age of Distraction
My latest Locus column, “Writing in the Age of Distraction” is up — a grab-bag of practical tips for getting the writing done in the internet era. We know that our readers are distracted and sometimes even overwhelmed by the myriad distractions that lie one click away on the Internet, but of course writers face the [...]
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, Part 001
After a long hiatus, I’m back at my podcast, and to kick it off, I’m reading my 2005 novel Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, “A miraculous story of secrets, lies, magic and Internet connectivity.” It’s going to take a while — this is a looong book — and I’m really looking forward to [...]
Hugo nominations open!
The 2008 Hugo award nominations have opened — if you were a member of the 2008 WorldCon in Denver, or have bought a membership to the 2009 WorldCon in Montreal, you’re eligible to nominate. I’ll be sending in my nominations this week, and just in case you were wondering, here’s the stuff I wrote that’s [...]
Hugo nominations open!
The 2008 Hugo award nominations have opened — if you were a member of the 2008 WorldCon in Denver, or have bought a membership to the 2009 WorldCon in Montreal, you’re eligible to nominate. I’ll be sending in my nominations this week, and just in case you were wondering, here’s the stuff I wrote that’s [...]
Doctorow plushie!
How cool is this? Craftster user BurningSchoolhouse made a plush version of me in my hot air balloon (see XKCD for more) as a Christmas present for her boyfriend. Color me tickled! (Thanks, Jen H!)
NYT names Little Brother one of the kids' books of the year!
Here’s a Happy Thanksgiving from the New York Times: they’ve named Little Brother one of the eight “Notable Children's Books of 2008,” calling it, “a novel that is at once an entertaining thriller, a thoughtful polemic and a practical handbook of digital-age self-defense.” Notable Children's Books of 2008 (Thanks, Lori!)
Little Brother launch at Forbidden Planet tomorrow
A reminder that tomorrow is the UK launch and signing for Little Brother at Forbidden Planet in London — 1PM! You can also pre-order signed copies through the Forbidden Planet site. Hope to see you there! Saturday 29, November, 1:00PM - 2:00PM Forbidden Planet London Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8JR Our Price: £6.99 Little Brother UK launch/signing at [...]
Profile in The Guardian
Damien G Walter’s written a smashing profile of me for The Guardian, pegged to the UK release of Little Brother (hope to see you all at the UK launch at Forbidden Planet on Saturday!). “The job of a science fiction writer, historically, has been to understand how technology and social factors interact,” he says, “how technology [...]
Selectable Output Control in Make
MAKE’s put my latest column, “Selectable Output Control,” online — it describes a proposal to the FCC to allow broadcasters to shut down parts of your home theater while you’re watching their channels, and the consequences for Makers. Chances are, you haven’t heard of Selectable Output Control (SOC), a proposed digital TV technology that would allow [...]
Little Brother German fan-translation
Christian Wohrl undertook a German fan-translation of my novel Little Brother, working on his daily train-commute. He’s just finished the work and posted “version 1″ on his site. The whole text is CC licensed, of course! “Little Brother” auf Deutsch (Thanks, Christian!)
Why I Copyfight in Russian
My Locus column, Why I Copyfight has been translated into Russian by Private Reporter magazine! ¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿? ¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿¿? ¿¿¿. ¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿. ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿, ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ – ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿¿, ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿, [...]
Little Brother UK launch in London, Nov 29
The launch for the UK edition of my novel Little Brother has been scheduled! I’ll be signing at Forbidden Planet in London on Satuday, November 29. They’re also taking pre-orders for signed copies by mail-order — makes a dandy Christmas pressie! Cory Doctorow ¿ Little Brother Saturday 29, November, 1:00PM - 2:00PM Forbidden Planet London Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, [...]
Watching Back: a list for kids who care about technology and freedom
Smári McCarthy, a high-school teacher in Iceland, has been teaching a course unit on civil liberties and technological literacy based around my novel Little Brother. He’s launched a new Google Group for the kids in his class (and other classes around the world) to continue the discussion — what an awesome idea! At the [...]
Why I Copyfight
My latest Locus column, “Why I Copyfight,” was published a couple weeks back while I was on honeymoon and made quite a stir. It’s intended as a concise answer to the question, “Why should we care about the copyright wars, anyway?” The Internet is a system for efficiently making copies between computers. Whereas a conversation in [...]
Little Brother UK edition, signed!
My novel Little Brother has just come out in the UK, a month ahead of schedule (Waterstone’s, the book-store chain, wanted it as a featured title, but their slot was in October, not November). This is fabulous news, of course, but it does mean that I’m not around to do signings and events right away [...]
Randall “XKCD” Munroe and me on our work-habits
Last August, I travelled to Springfield, Mass for 3PiCon, a science fiction convention where I was co-guest of honor with Randall “XKCD” Munroe. We did some fun programming items together, but the best was the last day’s event, a panel called “My Day at Work.” In honor of Randall’s comics, I attended in red cape [...]
New media forms exposed by the net
My new Internet Evolution column is up: “Don’t Judge New Media by Old Rules” considers the amazing hidden media formats that have been revealed by the Internet’s loosening of formal strictures: Isn’t it amazing that there’s always exactly 60 minutes’ worth of news everyday, and that, when transcribed, it fills exactly one newspaper? Have you ever stopped [...]
Content review/reading on The Command Line podcast
This week, The Command Line podcast favored me with a stellar review from my new essay collection Content, along with readings of two of the essays: Amish for QWERTY and Science Fiction is the Only Literature People Care Enough About to Steal on the Internet. Link MP3 link
Little Brother in the New York Times
Austin “Soon I Will Be Invincible” Grossman’s written a fantastic review of my young adult novel Little Brother for this weekend’s New York Times book review section. Incidentally, the book went into a fifth hardcover printing last week, and is going back for a sixth printing next week because so many orders came in between [...]
Who Owns Ideas?
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s venerable Ideas programme just aired a fantastic one-hour segment on copyright called “Who Owns Ideas?” with a wide range of interviews with me, James Boyle, Steve Page from BNL, Siva Vaidhyanathan, Eric Flint, Michael Geist and many others. MP3: Who Owns Ideas?
Content: my first collection of essays
Today, Tachyon Books and I are launching my latest book, Content: Selected Essays on Technology, Creativity, Copyright, and the Future of the Future, my very first collection of essays. In it are 28 essays about everything from copyright and DRM to the layout of phone-keypads, the fallacy of the semantic web, the nature of futurism, [...]
Content
Content is my first nonfiction collection, collecting over a dozen essays, speeches, and white-papers on subjects ranging from copyright to science fiction writing to DRM, Wikipedia to Facebook and Metadata. It sports an introduction by one of my all-time heroes: John Perry Barlow. It was published in September, 2008 by Tachyon Books.
Little Brother interview with Podcrash podcast
I did a fun interview about Little Brother with the Podcrash podcast from the Bureaucrash folks: Link, MP3 Link
Macropayments: why I don't have a tipjar
My latest Locus Magazine column is live: “Macropayments” explains why I don’t have a tipjar: Two columns back, in “Think Like a Dandelion,” I talked about the reproductive strategies employed in species where reproduction is cheap, like dandelions. Unlike humans, dandelions don't worry about the disposition of each of their children – they only want to [...]