It depicts Marcus, hooded and kneeling. It is him as a prisoner...and being a prisoner changed his life forever.
Thursday, 21 March 2013
Alternate Cover
This is the cover I would create if I was asked to create an alternate cover for "Little Brother."
It depicts Marcus, hooded and kneeling. It is him as a prisoner...and being a prisoner changed his life forever.
It depicts Marcus, hooded and kneeling. It is him as a prisoner...and being a prisoner changed his life forever.
Wednesday, 20 March 2013
Wait...How is Little Brother Dystopian?
Little Brother is a very current novel. Some people say that it is "set 5 minutes into the future," which means that any of the events in the novel are very real and could happen in today's world. It's actually somewhat scarily close to reality; some students in the States are forced to carry tracker cards in school. In some schools with this policy, a student can be expelled if he or she refuses to carry the tracker card.
Cory Doctorow set the novel this way so he can make a lovely blend of up-to-date hacker technologies and a great dystopian society. It also features plenty of action and suspense. Also, because it is a young adult novel, Doctorow also creates a romantic element to make the adult issues seem less urgent.
Dystopian novels are always written to prove a point and/or to acknowledge and try to solve a problem. Doctorow's novel has been written to illustrate many problems in society and to help people acknowledge them. It also proves several points.
The main issues in this novel is Security vs. Privacy. Marcus and his friends are followed practically everywhere in this novel, even before the Bay Bridge blew up and he got imprisoned. He knew he had nothing to hide, yet still had everything to hide. He was innocent, but he still had private things on his phone and email, just like any other teenage hacker, or any teenager for that matter. There are just some things in our lives that we don't want to make public.
In the book, everyone's privacy is stripped away.
They get tracked from their cards, including their credit cards, FasTrak (toll passes), etc. People get pulled over for having irregular travel routes. I think this part is particularly lame, because a lot of people would have to take an irregular route to work, since the Bay Bridge blew up, and so did a BART tunnel.
Doctorow makes an excellent point in this novel--everyone should have some privacy in their life, especially if they are innocent, everyday people. Taking that away from people would make them feel way too exposed. It might make you feel guilty.
Everyone has a right to privacy!
Cory Doctorow set the novel this way so he can make a lovely blend of up-to-date hacker technologies and a great dystopian society. It also features plenty of action and suspense. Also, because it is a young adult novel, Doctorow also creates a romantic element to make the adult issues seem less urgent.
Dystopian novels are always written to prove a point and/or to acknowledge and try to solve a problem. Doctorow's novel has been written to illustrate many problems in society and to help people acknowledge them. It also proves several points.
The main issues in this novel is Security vs. Privacy. Marcus and his friends are followed practically everywhere in this novel, even before the Bay Bridge blew up and he got imprisoned. He knew he had nothing to hide, yet still had everything to hide. He was innocent, but he still had private things on his phone and email, just like any other teenage hacker, or any teenager for that matter. There are just some things in our lives that we don't want to make public.
In the book, everyone's privacy is stripped away.
They get tracked from their cards, including their credit cards, FasTrak (toll passes), etc. People get pulled over for having irregular travel routes. I think this part is particularly lame, because a lot of people would have to take an irregular route to work, since the Bay Bridge blew up, and so did a BART tunnel.
Doctorow makes an excellent point in this novel--everyone should have some privacy in their life, especially if they are innocent, everyday people. Taking that away from people would make them feel way too exposed. It might make you feel guilty.
Everyone has a right to privacy!
Little Brother (Part 1)
Little Brother is a young adult novel written by Cory Doctorow. His other novels include:
-For the Win
- Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom
-Eastern Standard Tribe
-Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town
and
-Makers
If I were a reporter for a newspaper, I would review it like this:
"Little Brother is a lovely, fast-paced novel. It will hook and engage readers instantly...you won't be able to put this book down. It is a must-read for young adults."
--The Newspaper
-For the Win
- Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom
-Eastern Standard Tribe
-Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town
and
-Makers
If I were a reporter for a newspaper, I would review it like this:
"Little Brother is a lovely, fast-paced novel. It will hook and engage readers instantly...you won't be able to put this book down. It is a must-read for young adults."
--The Newspaper
Little Brother---Summary Part 3
Marcus got home, and his parents were extremely relieved and happy that he was back. They all cried together. Marcus was happy to be home, but he wasn't anxious to tell his parents anything. It turns out that the Bay Bridge, as well as a BART tunnel had been blown up in the attack. So, he didn't. He had also made Jolu and Van promise they wouldn't tell their parents either.
He went upstairs to his bedroom, and sat down with his laptop in his lap, wanting to check the internet. He had built this laptop himself and called it "Salmagundi." He took it apart when he saw something wrong with it and realised it had a bug in it. Someone from the DHS had obviously broken into his house to plant the bug, to track what he was doing.
So, he left his laptop and dug up his Xbox Universal. He had an ParanoidLinux DVD that he had burned, and used it to escape the watchful eyes of the government by having his software be paranoid for him.
He burned many more copies and handed them out to people at school, who promised him that they would burn more copies to give to their friends. Soon, this organisation now know as the "Xnet" became huge. It spread like wildfire, and almost everyone Marcus knew was posting blogs and videos about how the DHS was doing a bad job of keeping the city safe.
Marcus made a handle; on the Xnet, he called himself "M1k3y." He knew that the DHS was looking for him.
Marcus met a girl named Ange, or Angela, and they became partners on the Xnet. They were also best friends, and also a bit more than just friends. She helped control M1k3y and post blogs and videos to benefit the Xnet.
One day, on the way home from school, Marcus bumped into a man named Zeb. Turns out, Zeb had slipped a note into Marcus's pocket. He had known Darryl! This really set Marcus off.
He cried his eyes out and told his parents everything. His parents were angry at the government, and took Marcus to Darryl's father to tell him the story. They then all went to a reporter named Barbara Stratford. Marcus again told the story. Barbara was going to get it published, so that the whole world could see what the government was doing to innocent people.
Now Marcus knew he was going to be caught by the DHS, and he learnt to accept that. After all, he might end up helping the other thousands of people in prison.
Eventually, the DHS took Marcus in again, and started physically torturing him. They stimulated his execution by pouring water all over his face so he couldn't breathe. But before Marcus gave them any more personal information, men and women in body armour stormed in and arrested the Severe Haircut Woman, whose real name was Carrie Johnstone. They were the CHP: California Highway Patrol. Marcus was saved!
Thanks for reading the detailed summaries, but they don't tell everything that's in the book!
Yes, I recommend the book--go to a library and check it out! It's really good.
He went upstairs to his bedroom, and sat down with his laptop in his lap, wanting to check the internet. He had built this laptop himself and called it "Salmagundi." He took it apart when he saw something wrong with it and realised it had a bug in it. Someone from the DHS had obviously broken into his house to plant the bug, to track what he was doing.
So, he left his laptop and dug up his Xbox Universal. He had an ParanoidLinux DVD that he had burned, and used it to escape the watchful eyes of the government by having his software be paranoid for him.
He burned many more copies and handed them out to people at school, who promised him that they would burn more copies to give to their friends. Soon, this organisation now know as the "Xnet" became huge. It spread like wildfire, and almost everyone Marcus knew was posting blogs and videos about how the DHS was doing a bad job of keeping the city safe.
Marcus made a handle; on the Xnet, he called himself "M1k3y." He knew that the DHS was looking for him.
Marcus met a girl named Ange, or Angela, and they became partners on the Xnet. They were also best friends, and also a bit more than just friends. She helped control M1k3y and post blogs and videos to benefit the Xnet.
One day, on the way home from school, Marcus bumped into a man named Zeb. Turns out, Zeb had slipped a note into Marcus's pocket. He had known Darryl! This really set Marcus off.
He cried his eyes out and told his parents everything. His parents were angry at the government, and took Marcus to Darryl's father to tell him the story. They then all went to a reporter named Barbara Stratford. Marcus again told the story. Barbara was going to get it published, so that the whole world could see what the government was doing to innocent people.
Now Marcus knew he was going to be caught by the DHS, and he learnt to accept that. After all, he might end up helping the other thousands of people in prison.
Eventually, the DHS took Marcus in again, and started physically torturing him. They stimulated his execution by pouring water all over his face so he couldn't breathe. But before Marcus gave them any more personal information, men and women in body armour stormed in and arrested the Severe Haircut Woman, whose real name was Carrie Johnstone. They were the CHP: California Highway Patrol. Marcus was saved!
Thanks for reading the detailed summaries, but they don't tell everything that's in the book!
Yes, I recommend the book--go to a library and check it out! It's really good.
Tuesday, 19 March 2013
Little Brother---Summary Part 2
Darryl, Marcus's best friend, had just been stabbed in the crowd at the BART. Van was trying to stop the bleeding, but her efforts weren't successfully stopping the river of red pouring from Darryl's side. Soon, however, Marcus realized that there were ambulances and police cars speeding by every few seconds. They waved their arms to stop one of them, but to no avail.
Marcus got very frustrated, and he jumped right in front of a car, thinking it was an ambulance. It stopped, but it wasn't an ambulance. It was an armoured Jeep, unmarked. People in body armour came out of it, and pointed shotguns at the friends. They weren't police...what if they were terrorists?
They hooded everyone and cuffed their hands and feet together. They were thrown into the Jeep and shackled to bars on the sides. They were soon taken out and thrown into a huge eighteen wheeler truck. Marcus protested loudly, but his hooded head was hit with something hard and heavy. He stopped talking.
There were more people on the truck, and they stayed on the truck for a while until they were transferred onto a boat. The boat ride was very short, and soon they were all in a prison.
They didn't know where they were, so they couldn't escape. They were mercilessly interrogated for days and days and days. They couldn't see each other, and they were forced to unlock their emails, phones, etc, for their captors. It turned out that they were the DHS...the Department of Homeland Security. They weren't the police! Marcus and his friends were being detained by the out-of-control US government!
Finally, Marcus and his friends were released, although one of the people who interrogated him (who he had come to know as "Severe Haircut Lady") gave him a final warning, "You are a marked man now."
They were hooded again, taken on the boat and the truck, all the way back to where they had started. Only when they were unhooded and set free did Marcus, Jolu, and Van realize that Darryl was missing. He must've been left at the prison!
They chased after the truck, but it didn't stop. All three of them were left to sob, by themselves, on the hard pavement. Marcus's sadness was soon replaced by anger. He was going to get Darryl back, even if that meant taking down the DHS by himself!
Next part: Little Brother---Summary Part 3
Marcus got very frustrated, and he jumped right in front of a car, thinking it was an ambulance. It stopped, but it wasn't an ambulance. It was an armoured Jeep, unmarked. People in body armour came out of it, and pointed shotguns at the friends. They weren't police...what if they were terrorists?
They hooded everyone and cuffed their hands and feet together. They were thrown into the Jeep and shackled to bars on the sides. They were soon taken out and thrown into a huge eighteen wheeler truck. Marcus protested loudly, but his hooded head was hit with something hard and heavy. He stopped talking.
There were more people on the truck, and they stayed on the truck for a while until they were transferred onto a boat. The boat ride was very short, and soon they were all in a prison.
They didn't know where they were, so they couldn't escape. They were mercilessly interrogated for days and days and days. They couldn't see each other, and they were forced to unlock their emails, phones, etc, for their captors. It turned out that they were the DHS...the Department of Homeland Security. They weren't the police! Marcus and his friends were being detained by the out-of-control US government!
Finally, Marcus and his friends were released, although one of the people who interrogated him (who he had come to know as "Severe Haircut Lady") gave him a final warning, "You are a marked man now."
They were hooded again, taken on the boat and the truck, all the way back to where they had started. Only when they were unhooded and set free did Marcus, Jolu, and Van realize that Darryl was missing. He must've been left at the prison!
They chased after the truck, but it didn't stop. All three of them were left to sob, by themselves, on the hard pavement. Marcus's sadness was soon replaced by anger. He was going to get Darryl back, even if that meant taking down the DHS by himself!
Next part: Little Brother---Summary Part 3
Monday, 18 March 2013
Little Brother---Summary Part 1
Little Brother is a very rousing, well paced book. It is well written and keeps a reader engaged. It has thought put into it, and I would easily recommend it to a friend. In fact, if I worked at a bookstore or a library, I would recommend this book to strangers!
Little Brother looks through the eyes of teenagers, who, to adults, are like larva simply trying to make it out of a disgusting stage of life. No one really listens to teenagers. Adults believe that they can snoop on teenagers just because they might do drugs, alcohol, or basically anything against their own safety.
Marcus, the main protagonist in Little Brother, doesn't believe that adults can do this to them simply because they can. He is a teenage hacker who goes to a school that is heavy with surveillance systems. The classrooms have cameras, there are gait recognition machines in the hallways, and their "free" laptops, so called "SchoolBooks," run spy ware on them.
Marcus and his friend Darryl blow through all these devices. They put gravel in their shoes to bypass the gait machines without any recognition, and they hacked through the spy ware on their computers.
Marcus, Darryl, and their friends from different school, Jolu and Vanessa (nicknamed "Van"), like to play an ARG (Alternate Reality Game) named "Harajuku Fun Madness." It sends its players on a wild chase for clues, competing against other teams. It is a fierce competition, since the grand prize for the people who find all the clues first is a ten day trip to Japan.
Marcus and his friends decided to skip school to find the most recent clue before anyone else did. They met up by a bus stop, and planned things out before setting off on their quest for the clue. However, just as they were about to find it, another team ambushed them, taking their picture and threatening to send it to their schools...unless they backed away from the clue.
Marcus and his team didn't want to get into trouble, but before they could back away, a loud explosion rocked the earth. Air raid sirens went off...the ones which never went off unscheduled! San Francisco was under attack! Loudspeakers went off everywhere, "REPORT TO SHELTERS IMMEDIATELY."
Instantly, Marcus and his team ran towards the nearest BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) Station...but there were so many people! Everyone, rich and poor, old and young, tourist or local was trying to cram themselves into this BART Station! People were getting trampled, and people were fighting, thrashing around. Marcus and his friends would never make it down.
Darryl yelled to all the team members, and they all turned back, desperately trying to fight their way back to the surface. They eventually made it, but as they stood there, panting, Darryl suddenly fell forward with a groan.
Darryl had been stabbed in the crowd! He was bleeding all over the sidewalk. What were they supposed to do?
Find the rest of the summary in "Little Brother---Summary Part 2"!
Little Brother looks through the eyes of teenagers, who, to adults, are like larva simply trying to make it out of a disgusting stage of life. No one really listens to teenagers. Adults believe that they can snoop on teenagers just because they might do drugs, alcohol, or basically anything against their own safety.
Marcus, the main protagonist in Little Brother, doesn't believe that adults can do this to them simply because they can. He is a teenage hacker who goes to a school that is heavy with surveillance systems. The classrooms have cameras, there are gait recognition machines in the hallways, and their "free" laptops, so called "SchoolBooks," run spy ware on them.
Marcus and his friend Darryl blow through all these devices. They put gravel in their shoes to bypass the gait machines without any recognition, and they hacked through the spy ware on their computers.
Marcus, Darryl, and their friends from different school, Jolu and Vanessa (nicknamed "Van"), like to play an ARG (Alternate Reality Game) named "Harajuku Fun Madness." It sends its players on a wild chase for clues, competing against other teams. It is a fierce competition, since the grand prize for the people who find all the clues first is a ten day trip to Japan.
Marcus and his friends decided to skip school to find the most recent clue before anyone else did. They met up by a bus stop, and planned things out before setting off on their quest for the clue. However, just as they were about to find it, another team ambushed them, taking their picture and threatening to send it to their schools...unless they backed away from the clue.
Marcus and his team didn't want to get into trouble, but before they could back away, a loud explosion rocked the earth. Air raid sirens went off...the ones which never went off unscheduled! San Francisco was under attack! Loudspeakers went off everywhere, "REPORT TO SHELTERS IMMEDIATELY."
Instantly, Marcus and his team ran towards the nearest BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) Station...but there were so many people! Everyone, rich and poor, old and young, tourist or local was trying to cram themselves into this BART Station! People were getting trampled, and people were fighting, thrashing around. Marcus and his friends would never make it down.
Darryl yelled to all the team members, and they all turned back, desperately trying to fight their way back to the surface. They eventually made it, but as they stood there, panting, Darryl suddenly fell forward with a groan.
Darryl had been stabbed in the crowd! He was bleeding all over the sidewalk. What were they supposed to do?
Find the rest of the summary in "Little Brother---Summary Part 2"!
Little Brother--Synopsis
LITTLE BROTHER
Marcus, aka "w1n5t0n," is only seventeen years old, but he figures he already knows how the system works--and how to work the system. Smart, fast, and wise to the ways of the networked world, he has no trouble outwitting his high school's intrusive but clumsy surveillance systems.
His whole world changes when, having skipped school, he and his friends find themselves caught in the aftermath of a terrorist attack on San Francisco. In the wrong place at the wrong time, Marcus and his crew are apprehended by the Department of Homeland Security and whisked away to a secret prison where they are mercilessly interrogated for days.
When the DHS finally releases them, Marcus discovers that his city has become a police state where every citizen is treated as a potential terrorist. He knows that no one will believe his story, which leaves him only one option: to take down the DHS himself.
Can one teenage hacker fight back against a government out of control? Maybe, but only if he's really careful. . .and very, very smart.
Marcus, aka "w1n5t0n," is only seventeen years old, but he figures he already knows how the system works--and how to work the system. Smart, fast, and wise to the ways of the networked world, he has no trouble outwitting his high school's intrusive but clumsy surveillance systems.
His whole world changes when, having skipped school, he and his friends find themselves caught in the aftermath of a terrorist attack on San Francisco. In the wrong place at the wrong time, Marcus and his crew are apprehended by the Department of Homeland Security and whisked away to a secret prison where they are mercilessly interrogated for days.
When the DHS finally releases them, Marcus discovers that his city has become a police state where every citizen is treated as a potential terrorist. He knows that no one will believe his story, which leaves him only one option: to take down the DHS himself.
Can one teenage hacker fight back against a government out of control? Maybe, but only if he's really careful. . .and very, very smart.
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