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masyukun's review
3.0
There was a lot of potential with this story line, and it seemed to rush to a tidy conclusion. Without revealing any spoilers, I loved the core concept, but it would have been better as a fully fleshed novel: for such a seemingly important set of characters that could have an impact on the main story line, I expected more character development and differentiation, and more development of the idea that any Turing complete device (pretty much anything) can be used to perform magic..
trish204's review
5.0
BWAHAHAHAHAHA. This was a delightful little excursion between novels.
Bob is sent to The Farm, a retirement home for Laundry agents that finally got their souls crushed by all the bureaucracy they had to deal with (because demonology has nothing on bureaucracy).
The story is short, but full of wonderfully quiry characters - from the gents inserted for an investigation decades ago to a carnivorous sofa and, of course, the nurses and Matron.
The author was narrating this audio version himself, which was also cool, because he's really good at it.
DIVIDE BY ZERO! :D
Bob is sent to The Farm, a retirement home for Laundry agents that finally got their souls crushed by all the bureaucracy they had to deal with (because demonology has nothing on bureaucracy).
The story is short, but full of wonderfully quiry characters - from the gents inserted for an investigation decades ago to a carnivorous sofa and, of course, the nurses and Matron.
The author was narrating this audio version himself, which was also cool, because he's really good at it.
DIVIDE BY ZERO! :D
keu482's review
3.0
This one is neat, about magic and math and robots and the hazards involved in mixing them.
marc_lucke's review
3.0
This short story neatly incorporates some classic suspense/whodunit elements within the thriller framework that Stross has been deploying throughout the series. I enjoyed watching Bob slowly untangle the truth of the Farm and the complex relationships at its heart, and the nods to previous stories were a nice little reward for readers who've stayed with the series.
elusivity's review
3.0
Bob is sent to a secret psychiatric facility for Laundry employees. Someone, an inmate, has sent a message complaining of ill-treatment by the staff.
Of course Bob escapes to become bureaucrat for another day.
Spoiler
The place turns out to be an ultra-secret think tank where the inhabitants are working on ultra-dangerous theoretical research that is far above Bob's security clearance. The "nurses" are robot perimeter guards who patrol the hospital, ensuring no unauthorized personnel gets in, and if in, won't get out. They are animated by an extra-dimensional nameless horror trapped in this place, who, having heard a bit of the theoretical research, broke through the summoning parameters of the hospital to send the message out as a lure, so someone outside can come investigate, become possessed, and allow it to become FREE.Of course Bob escapes to become bureaucrat for another day.
hisham's review
5.0
Down on the Farm is a Laundry Files short story. Full of the usual wit and subversive humour that is the norm for a Laundry story - Bob has been dispatched to Laundry sanctioned recuperation facility (Funny Farm) where something is odd... well, odder than usual!
A lively short story that can be enjoyed by those who have read a Laundry Files story before as well as those new to the world.
A lively short story that can be enjoyed by those who have read a Laundry Files story before as well as those new to the world.