As part of my New Year’s resolutions this year I’m trying to get to 25 books read in 2013.
This is an obligatory Book Report blog post stemming from that goal. Take it or leave it, but here we go.
#1: Overclocked: Stories of the Future Present by Cory Doctorow
This book is a series of short stories written 
A few short stories that stood out:
– I, Robot. While I abhor the use of this classic title, Doctorow’s rendition of this short story is not bad at all but holds very little in common with its namesake. This takes place in the future (surprise!) where the US is a regulated police state with tight controls over 3D printing and intellectual properties. The main character is employed in one of the few remaining legal occupations as a police officer to enforce IP regulations. The result of the IP conservatism puts the US in a horribly inferior position to the post-singularity “Eurasia” as referred to by Doctorow. The story has an adequate narrative slicing through the above, but I was happy enough with the presentation of a State retarded by IP regulation that the story was a bonus.
– “After the Siege” felt like a deeper and more violent rendition of Doctorow’s I, Robot, but each stood apart well enough that they’re both worth reading.
The other short stories aren’t so bad either. Definitely worth a read but it won’t blow your socks off.
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#2: The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
This book is about an old man (100 years old to be exact) who climbed out his window and takes on a wacky journey . The author is crafty with words and surprises abound in this well written book. Part of the schtick is that the old man had a life history of meeting famous people without realizing it, but it gets old about 3/4ths of the way through. Luckily the book ends shortly thereafter.
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#3: DR BLOODMONEY OR HOW WE GOT ALONG AFTER THE BOMB by Philip K. Dick
My condensed notes:
REALLY WEIRD SHIT
1965
OLD SCHOOL
GUY
Hoppy Harrington
WEIRD
post-apocalyptic, POST-NUCLEAR
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The quality of these book reports is going downhill, but I’m still on track 3/25 complete!
kfarr 