Viva la Little Brother
For those who know me, you might know that I am kind of into the Harry Potter books. I just listen to them for a second time. Now my car is a lonely void without something to radiate out the speakers. I tend to subsidize my music with some form of audio book or talk. Last year I came across a great book by Boing Boing contributer Cory Doctorow called “Little Brother.” Doctorw’s book is about a not too distant future of an all seeing government and the underground resistance by a troop of California High School kids. When I first came across “Little Brother”, it instantly became a favorite of mine. With Cory being an extremely pertinent blogger, “Little Brother” is full of factual computer and tech references. For example, the books protagonist Marcus aka W1n5t0n aka M1k3y uses a toilet paper roll and a few LEDs to make a hidden camera finder. W1n5t0n uses a microwave to nuke the RFID in a library book to keep it from helping the schools administration from tracking him. Taking on such issues as torture and unabated government surveillance Doctorow’s “Little Brother” mixes these hot buttons with a youthful perspective of an intelligent yet deviant High School student. Because of events beyond his control and being in the wrong place, Marcus is forced to take on the San Francisco Police and the unbridled Department of Homeland Security. When the book came out, and I began to read it, I got into it so much I emailed Cory Doctorow. I was expecting a canned response. To my surprise Cory emailed me directly. Through out my time in the world of Little Brother, we would exchange email. Doctorow is a cool and very down to earth guy and his book reflex his proclivities. To fill the silent nullity in Red Thunder, I decided to give “Little Brother” another go through. I highly recommend a once over for anyone who would like an intelligently yet accessibly written book that is also fearfully relevant and compelling watchtower warning.