I wanted to share a dual announcement about two future events.
Well known novelist, blogger, speaker, and cyberactivist Cory Doctorow will be our guest on the Future Trends Forum on Wednesday, May 16th, from 2-3 pm eastern time. I’m looking forward to his thoughts on the future of education and technology, and also to your questions and comments.
Speaking of which, we now have our next book club reading, written by Cory.
Hubert Vernon Rudolph Clayton Irving Wilson Alva Anton Jeff Harley Timothy Curtis Cleveland Cecil Ollie Edmund Eli Wiley Marvin Ellis Espinoza―known to his friends as Hubert, Etc―was too old to be at that Communist party.
But after watching the breakdown of modern society, he really has no where left to be―except amongst the dregs of disaffected youth who party all night and heap scorn on the sheep they see on the morning commute. After falling in with Natalie, an ultra-rich heiress trying to escape the clutches of her repressive father, the two decide to give up fully on formal society―and walk away.
After all, now that anyone can design and print the basic necessities of life―food, clothing, shelter―from a computer, there seems to be little reason to toil within the system.
It’s still a dangerous world out there, the empty lands wrecked by climate change, dead cities hollowed out by industrial flight, shadows hiding predators animal and human alike. Still, when the initial pioneer walkaways flourish, more people join them. Then the walkaways discover the one thing the ultra-rich have never been able to buy: how to beat death. Now it’s war – a war that will turn the world upside down.
This sounds like a great addition to our burgeoning library of near-future science fiction, which we read in order to explore the possible futures of education and technology.
I’ll share a reading schedule soon. Grab a copy from your local library or through the links above.
I’m very excited to read one of Cory Doctorow’s novels for our book club, and delighted to have him as a Forum guest.
Please join us.
(Doctorow photo by Jonathan Worth)
Just ordered the book because waiting usually means putting off to the last minute and a late start. By the time of the Forum, I will likely be on the road or at sea — may need to spring for the Shindig app after all.
PS found this link in comments at a TOR article on Doctorow, https://www.tor.com/2017/05/02/cory-doctorows-walkaway-and-the-power-of-small-ideas/
Cory Doctorow and Edward Snowden (Yes, *that* Snowden) had a discussion of the book and related topics at the New York Public Library. You can still see it, here: https://livestream.com/nypl/events/7222281
Related article in the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/05/books/edward-snowden-and-cory-doctorow-talk-sci-fi-and-reality.html
These are great links, Vanessa. Thank you!
Thank you very much for those links! Just read Walkaway last week, and found it highly enjoyable as well as a trigger to think what of those things mentioned I could (help) create today.
Pingback: Cory Doctorow’s Walkaway- Hey, I Could Help Do That! | Interdependent Thoughts