Cory Doctorow is among the best of the current practitioners of near-future speculative fiction, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with such superlative peers as Bruce Sterling, Kim Stanley Robinson, Charles Stross and Justina Robson ... it’s plain that Doctorow’s 'future history,' however many clever and insightful resonances it still maintains with current headlines, is no longer a plausible near-term guide for the world, but rather the events of a counterfactual 'stub' ... What we enjoy instead is political cyberthriller, vigorous, bold and savvy about the limits of revolution and resistance, even if it’s no longer precisely contoured to our actual dilemmas ... Doctorow relentlessly builds Masha’s character into a deep portrait of a damaged personality ... Doctorow’s world might no longer map our current events, but it still charts the universal currents of the human heart and soul with precision.
... a fascinating technothriller. I thought I knew a fair amount about technology and how it can be used (and is being used) in our everyday lives, but author Cory Doctorow opened my eyes to its endless possibilities. Although I did not grasp all of the technical terms and lingo that he uses throughout the text, I understood enough to follow along with the storyline. The subject matter is certainly a timely one as part of the story deals with the protests in Portland, although naturally they are somewhat fictionalized here.
Doctorow explores his earlier novels’ idealism and anti-authoritarian politics from the deeply conflicted point of view of someone on the inside. He remains a strong and passionate storyteller, capturing all of Masha’s internal and external conflicts ... Highly recommended for those interested in near-future sf with a politically aware bent.
[The] snarky and (sometimes) cringey first-person point of view conveys Doctorow’s unsettlingly realist perspective on surveillance and internet freedom quite well ... The surprising things about this book are its heavy-handed technical descriptions and its willingness to confront present-day political events. The stakes are high and even more personal because they directly relate to current American and Eastern European politics ... Doctorow has his finger on the pulse of ethical technology use and data privacy – the research he has put into this project is astounding, but his knowledge of this technology’s real-world impact impresses me the most ... Doctorow asks questions that keep us up at night and exhibits real courage in trying to answer them ... an uncomfortable read. Whistleblowers are heroes (the front cover has a resounding endorsement from Edward Snowden), BLM activists are unequivocally good, police officers have gone too far, and anyone neutral about the issue is a bad guy. And I’m glad that it is uncomfortable. Neutrality on these issues is an incredible bore to read – anyone can look the other way when protests are happening, but Doctorow reminds (American readers, especially) that many citizens already live in dystopias, and these dystopias thrive when we stop trying to reform them.
Fortunately, Doctorow is a first-rate explainer, and like Kim Stanley Robinson and very few others, he manages to make these diversions fascinating in their own right. But what makes Attack Surface a far more mature and complex novel than either Little Brother or Homeland is Masha herself, increasingly torn between her almost pathological self-centered materialism, her desperate need for community, and her real sense of loyalty to her handful of friends. Damaged, fundamentally conflicted, and seldom fully sympathetic, she’s a memorable figure: a smart bomb who just wants to learn to be a person.
Thriller readers of all ages will enjoy the cool tech...Masha's international exploits, and the impassioned arguments for privacy, transparency, and justice.
...chilling ... Doctorow lays the tech-talk on a bit thick, which may overwhelm a casual reader, but the high stakes and believable world keep the pages turning. Doctorow’s fans will be pleased.
