Synopses & Reviews
From the
New York Times bestselling author of
Little Brother, Cory Doctorow, comes
Pirate Cinema, a new tale of a brilliant hacker runaway who finds himself standing up to tyranny. Trent McCauley is sixteen, brilliant, and obsessed with one thing: making movies on his computer by reassembling footage from popular films he downloads from the net. In the dystopian near-future Britain where Trent is growing up, this is more illegal than ever; the punishment for being caught three times is that your entire households access to the internet is cut off for a year, with no appeal.
Trent's too clever for that too happen. Except it does, and it nearly destroys his family. Shamed and shattered, Trent runs away to London, where he slowly learns the ways of staying alive on the streets. This brings him in touch with a demimonde of artists and activists who are trying to fight a new bill that will criminalize even more harmless internet creativity, making felons of millions of British citizens at a stroke.
Things look bad. Parliament is in power of a few wealthy media conglomerates. But the powers-that-be havent entirely reckoned with the power of a gripping movie to change peoples minds….
Review
“Doctorow is indispensible. It's hard to imagine any other author taking on youth and technology with such passion, intelligence, and understanding.”—Booklist, starred review on For The Win
Praise for Little Brother:
“Generally awesome in the more vernacular sense: It's pretty freaking cool... He's also terrific at finding the human aura shimmering around technology." —The Los Angeles Times
“A believable and frightening tale of a near-future San Francisco… Filled with sharp dialogue and detailed descriptions…within a tautly crafted fictional framework.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Doctorow pays homage to [1984] with an impassioned, polemical consideration of the War on Terror that dovetails with themes of teenage angst, rebellion, and paranoia ... Little Brother should easily find favor with fans of M. T. Anderson's Feed, Janet Tashjian's The Gospel According to Larry, and Scott Westerfeld's So Yesterday.” —Horn Book(starred review)
“Readers will delight in the details of how Marcus attempts to stage a techno-revolution… Buy multiple copies; this book will be h4wt (thats ‘hot, for the nonhackers).” —Booklist (starred review)
Review
“Doctorow is indispensible. It's hard to imagine any other author taking on youth and technology with such passion, intelligence, and understanding.”—Booklist, starred review on For The Win
Praise for Little Brother:
“Generally awesome in the more vernacular sense: It's pretty freaking cool... He's also terrific at finding the human aura shimmering around technology." —The Los Angeles Times
“A believable and frightening tale of a near-future San Francisco… Filled with sharp dialogue and detailed descriptions…within a tautly crafted fictional framework.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Doctorow pays homage to [1984] with an impassioned, polemical consideration of the War on Terror that dovetails with themes of teenage angst, rebellion, and paranoia ... Little Brother should easily find favor with fans of M. T. Anderson's Feed, Janet Tashjian's The Gospel According to Larry, and Scott Westerfeld's So Yesterday.” —Horn Book(starred review)
“Readers will delight in the details of how Marcus attempts to stage a techno-revolution… Buy multiple copies; this book will be h4wt (thats ‘hot, for the nonhackers).” —Booklist (starred review)
Review
Praise for Pirate Cinema:
"His most cogent, energizing call-to-arms to date."
-Booklist, starred review
"Funny, thought-provoking, and glorious."
-School Library Journal (starred review)
"Fun...Pirate Cinema offers ample and appetizing food for thought."
-Seattle Times
Praise for the New York Times-bestselling Little Brother:
"A wonderful, important book...I'd recommend Little Brother over pretty much any book I've read this year."
-Neil Gaiman
"A rousing tale of techno-geek rebellion."
-Scott Westerfeld
"A terrific read ... A neat story and a cogently written, passionately felt argument. It's a stirring call to arms."
-The New York Times
"One of the year's most important books."
-Chicago Tribune
"A worthy younger sibling to Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, Cory Doctorow's Little Brother is lively, precocious, and most importantly, a little scary."
-Brian K. Vaughan, author of the graphic novel Y: The Last Man
"Believable and frightening...Filled with sharp dialogue and detailed descriptions of how to counteract gait-recognition cameras, arphids (radio frequency ID tags), wireless Internet tracers and other surveillance devices, this work makes its admittedly didactic point within a tautly crafted fictional framework."
-Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"I'm a huge fan of Little Brother. Reading about m1k3y, Ange, and their friends helped me visualize the escalating intrusions on our freedom and privacy wrought by advances in technology. The book describes a dystopia that seems chillingly plausible-and near."
-Alex Kozinski, Chief Justice of the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
"Freaking cool...Doctorow is terrific at finding the human aura shimmering around technology."
-Los Angeles Times
Synopsis
From the New York Times bestselling author of Little Brother, Cory Doctorow, comes a new tale of a disaffected brilliant youngster who finds himself standing up to tyranny
Synopsis
From the
New York Times bestselling author of
Little Brother Cory Doctorow comes
Pirate Cinema, a new tale of a brilliant hacker runaway who finds himself standing up to tyranny.
Trent McCauley is sixteen, brilliant, and obsessed with one thing: making movies on his computer by reassembling footage from popular films he downloads from the Net. In the dystopian near-future Britain where Trent is growing up, this is more illegal than ever; the punishment for being caught three times is that your entire household's access to the Internet is cut off for a year, with no appeal.
Trent's too clever for that to happen. Except it does, and it nearly destroys his family. Shamed and shattered, Trent runs away to London, where he slowly learns the ways of staying alive on the streets. This brings him in touch with a demimonde of artists and activists who are trying to fight a new bill that will criminalize even more harmless internet creativity, making felons of millions of British citizens at a single stroke.
Things look bad. Parliament is subject to the demands of a few wealthy media conglomerates. But the powers-that-be haven't entirely reckoned with the power of a gripping movie to change people's minds....
Synopsis
From the
New York Times bestselling author of
Little Brother Cory Doctorow comes a new tale of a brilliant hacker runaway who finds himself standing up to tyranny.
Trent McCauley is sixteen, brilliant, and obsessed with one thing: making movies on his computer by reassembling footage from popular films he downloads from the Net. In the dystopian near-future Britain where Trent is growing up, this is more illegal than ever; the punishment for being caught three times is that your entire household's access to the Internet is cut off for a year, with no appeal.
Trent's too clever for that to happen. Except it does, and it nearly destroys his family. Shamed and shattered, Trent runs away to London, where he slowly learns the ways of staying alive on the streets. This brings him in touch with a demimonde of artists and activists who are trying to fight a new bill that will criminalize even more harmless internet creativity, making felons of millions of British citizens at a single stroke.
Things look bad. Parliament is subject to the demands of a few wealthy media conglomerates. But the powers-that-be haven't entirely reckoned with the power of a gripping movie to change people's minds....
Synopsis
Trent McCauley is sixteen, brilliant, and obsessed with one thing: making movies on his computer by reassembling footage from popular films he downloads from the net. In the dystopian near-future Britain where Trent is growing up, this is more illegal than ever; the punishment for being caught three times is that your entire households access to the internet is cut off for a year, with no appeal.
Trent's too clever for that too happen. Except it does, and it nearly destroys his family. Shamed and shattered, Trent runs away to London, where he slowly he learns the ways of staying alive on the streets. This brings him in touch with a demimonde of artists and activists who are trying to fight a new bill that will criminalize even more harmless internet creativity, making felons of millions of British citizens at a stroke.
Things look bad. Parliament is in power of a few wealthy media conglomerates. But the powers-that-be havent entirely reckoned with the power of a gripping movie to change peoples minds….
About the Author
CORY DOCTOROW is a coeditor of Boing Boing and a columnist for multiple publications including the Guardian, Locus, and Publishers Weekly. He was named one of the Webs twenty-five influencers by Forbes magazine and a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. His award-winning novel Little Brother was a New York Times bestseller. He lives in London with his wife and daughter.
Reading Group Guide
Three topics frame the writing and research activities for this novel. It may be useful to explore some of the discussion questions before embarking on these projects.
I. LITERATURE AND LAW
A. From his descriptive chapter headings to his use of the name “Dodger,” Doctorows story pays homage to the nineteenth century novel Oliver Twist and other works by Charles Dickens. Read the opening pages of Oliver Twist. Make a list of the ways in which Pirate Cinema evokes Dickensian images and themes. If you have read other Dickens works or additional chapters of Oliver Twist, feel free to reference them as well in your list.
B. Cory Doctorow is in favor of liberalized copyright laws and Creative Commons licensing. Go to the library or online to learn more about the Creative Commons organization. Write a 1-2 page outline describing the policies and programs of Creative Commons.
C. In the novel, Doctorow makes reference to a cheesy film franchise of which DArtagnans Blood Oath is the latest installment. Research a one-page essay answer to the question: Why might the author have chosen to reference the name DArtagnan in this fictional film title?
D. As a writer, Cory Doctorow could be considered a 21st century “muckraker.” Research the history of the term and learn about another muckraker, such as Studs Terkel, Rachel Carson, Upton Sinclar, Ida Tarbell, or the team of Woodward and Berstein. Create an informative poster about one of these writers. If desired, arrange several posters into a classroom display. Discuss how you see Doctorow fitting into this historical line of literary muckrakers.
II. “ITS EVERYONES CULTURE” (PIRATE CINEMA, page 118)
A. In Chapter 3 of Pirate Cinema, 26 discusses the common ownership of culture. But what is “culture”? Write a one-paragraph definition of “culture” as you understand the word. Then find a dictionary definition and etymological history of the term. With classmates or friends, create a giant brainstorm list of words and ideas related to the concept of culture.
B. On page 161 of Pirate Cinema, Trent/Cecil describes one portion of his film as a “blur of actors” explaining that “Originality is just combining things that no one ever thought to combine before.” (p. 161) Do you agree or disagree? Do you think there should be any details or caveats added to the sentence? Write a short essay answer or, better still, create a film, song, sculpture, or other creative work that represents your position on this statement.
C. On several occasions, Trent/Cecil acknowledges that input from others has improved his films or perhaps to put it another way, he cannot take complete credit for the works he creates. If creativity is simply “recombination” and originality is “new recombination,” then can anyone credit himself or herself for creating a film, novel, or other artwork? Do artists have a right to make a living from their work—to charge those who use it in recombinations or reproductions? With friends or classmates, form a committee to write an Internet Usage and/or Copyright Law that you think would be best for your country. Use internet research, quotations from Pirate Cinema or other novels, legal books or other materials to support your project.
III. CREATIVITY AND COMPUTERS
A. When he begins his new life in London, Trent chooses a new name: Cecil B. DeVil. Go to the library or online to learn about the film director, Cecil B. DeMille, whose name is evoked in Trents new one. In the character of Trent, write a journal entry describing how you came to choose this new name, what you know about the real artist who partly inspired it, what other associations you intended with the name, and what you hope people will remember about Cecil B. DeVil.
B. The squat in which Trent/Cecil and his friends live is named the Zeroday. Learn more about the technological term “zero-day attack.” Then, in the character of Jem, Rabid Dog, or Chester, write a short monologue explaining why you are satisfied with the name Zeroday for your home.
C. In his Chapter 11 speech, Trent/Cecil says, “I think a law that protects creativity should protect all creativity, not just the kind of creativity that was successful fifty years ago.” (p. 293) Do you think there is a difference in creativity between traditional films and Trent/Cecils films, between musicians and deejays, between books and movies? Do you agree with Coras statement that, online, “… copying is a feature, not a bug”? Discuss these questions with friends or classmates. Then, write your own speech about creative freedom to present to your class or community. In your speech, feel free to reference your family, friends, creative interests, and other personal experiences you have had.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1. In what year or century do you envision Pirate Cinema taking place? Do you think people are as tied to the internet today as they are in Trents era?
2. How does Trent meet Jem Dodger? What are some of the first lessons Jem teaches Trent about living in London? How does Trent feel about Jems lifestyle?
3. Who is the second “Dodger” Trent meets? How does he help improve the squat? What is the significance of the squats name? What contribution does Aziz make to Trents new life?
4. What is Cynical April? What happens after Trent/Cecils film is shown in the graveyard?
5. On page 110, 26 takes Jem to a meeting with “The sort of people whore worried that theyll get done over by the Theft of Intellectual property bill.” Trent/Cecil observes that, “She said this as though I should know what it was, and I was too cool to admit that I had no idea, so I nodded my head sagely and made enthusiastic noises.” Explain the bill 26 is working to defeat. Who are her compatriots? Is it important that, up until this point, Trent/Cecil was unaware of the political machinations that partly motivated his run to London? Why or why not?
6. Who encourages Trent/Cecil to call to his family? What realizations does Trent/Cecil have after talking to Cora? Compare Trent/Cecils relationship to his family with 26s relationship to her mother, stepdad, and father, in terms of values, level of education, dreams, and politics.
7. How do 26, Cecil, Annika, and other characters react to the passage of the Theft of Intellectual Property Bill? What connection do they draw between the film industry and the passage of the bill? Who is Jimmy Preston and what is the significance of his arrest?
8. What is DArtagnans Blood Oath? Can you think of any real-life movie franchises that are similar to Trent/Cecils discussion of Milady de Winter films? How does this new film opening inspire Trent/Cecils first high-tech protest plan? Does the plan succeed or fail, and how?
9. What is “Sewer Cinema?” Compare it to several other large gatherings described in Pirate Cinema. Would you call these events primarily protests or creative celebrations, or might you suggest another descriptive term or phrase? Explain your answer.
10. On page 206, Trent/Cecil tells Jem, “… its easy to define creativity: its doing something that isnt obvious.” Do you think this is a good definition? Why or why not? Later, Cora points out that it is sometimes difficult to be certain whom to credit with the invention of an art or genre, such as the mystery novel or motion picture. How might this observation affect your understanding of creativity?
11. After Trent/Cecil, too nervous to speak to the crowd, runs out of Annikas meeting at the Turkish diner, he discovers his friends have been arrested. What chain of events is set off by the arrests? What concerns does Trent/Cecil have about his absence from the event?
12. On how many counts are Trent/Cecil indicted? What instructions does Trent/ Cecils lawyer give him while he awaits his hearing? Is he able to comply with his lawyers instructions?
13. Who is Katarina McGregor-Colford? What information does she share with Cecil? How does this motivate him?
14. What is Parliament Cinema? In what ways does this represent the climax of the novel and the protest? What is the outcome of Tip-Ex? How does the story end for Trent/Cecil? In what way is this ending a beginning?