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A review by drillvoice
Attack Surface by Cory Doctorow
4.0
I liked this book a lot. I read it in about four days - it's very engaging and readable. In a weird way this tempts me to judge it for being too readable, but that's unfair. It's a strength of this book and of Doctorow's writing that he can take these topics and write interesting stories that are compelling in themselves but also a window into broader issues. It's also very up-to-date, which is sort of remarkable.
Unfortunately, it has to fall short of 5 stars. There are just a couple too many moments where it's a bit too laboured or too confusing. Masha's attraction/disdain for Marcus is fine, but it's laid on too thick and gets repetitive - like, c'mon, we know already. You've already made us notice this many times in this book. In addition, the structures alternates between Masha in the present day and Masha's historical journey to get to the present day. This generally works, but there are points where it's pretty confusing and I was a bit lost in the timeline. I think perhaps Doctorow assumes more familiarity with Little Brother/Homeland than was the case, at least for me.
Overall though, I really liked it. A big issue today is not just the use of technology for surveillance, but the ethical duties of the individuals working in these contexts. We have many examples of people who've taken a moral stand and blown the whistle; we could have many more. As Doctorow writes, "This is a book about how people rationalize their way into doing things that they are ashamed of, and how they can be brought back from the brink." Doctorow's depiction of the divided Masha reckoning with her own moral compass is really a story for our times, and Doctorow manages to take a subtle perspective on the range of issues, in a way that acknowledges the nuance and complexity.
Unfortunately, it has to fall short of 5 stars. There are just a couple too many moments where it's a bit too laboured or too confusing. Masha's attraction/disdain for Marcus is fine, but it's laid on too thick and gets repetitive - like, c'mon, we know already. You've already made us notice this many times in this book. In addition, the structures alternates between Masha in the present day and Masha's historical journey to get to the present day. This generally works, but there are points where it's pretty confusing and I was a bit lost in the timeline. I think perhaps Doctorow assumes more familiarity with Little Brother/Homeland than was the case, at least for me.
Overall though, I really liked it. A big issue today is not just the use of technology for surveillance, but the ethical duties of the individuals working in these contexts. We have many examples of people who've taken a moral stand and blown the whistle; we could have many more. As Doctorow writes, "This is a book about how people rationalize their way into doing things that they are ashamed of, and how they can be brought back from the brink." Doctorow's depiction of the divided Masha reckoning with her own moral compass is really a story for our times, and Doctorow manages to take a subtle perspective on the range of issues, in a way that acknowledges the nuance and complexity.