Attack Surface

384 pages

English language

Published Nov. 2, 2020

ISBN:: 978-1-250-75753-1
Goodreads:: 49247283

Cory Doctorow's Attack Surface is a standalone novel set in the world of New York Times bestsellers Little Brother and Homeland.

Most days, Masha Maximow was sure she'd chosen the winning side.

In her day job as a counterterrorism wizard for an transnational cybersecurity firm, she made the hacks that allowed repressive regimes to spy on dissidents, and manipulate their every move. The perks were fantastic, and the pay was obscene.

Just for fun, and to piss off her masters, Masha sometimes used her mad skills to help those same troublemakers evade detection, if their cause was just. It was a dangerous game and a hell of a rush. But seriously self-destructive. And unsustainable.

When her targets were strangers in faraway police states, it was easy to compartmentalize, to ignore the collateral damage of murder, rape, and torture. But when it hits close to home, and …

Cory Doctorow's Attack Surface is a standalone novel set in the world of New York Times bestsellers Little Brother and Homeland.

Most days, Masha Maximow was sure she'd chosen the winning side.

In her day job as a counterterrorism wizard for an transnational cybersecurity firm, she made the hacks that allowed repressive regimes to spy on dissidents, and manipulate their every move. The perks were fantastic, and the pay was obscene.

Just for fun, and to piss off her masters, Masha sometimes used her mad skills to help those same troublemakers evade detection, if their cause was just. It was a dangerous game and a hell of a rush. But seriously self-destructive. And unsustainable.

When her targets were strangers in faraway police states, it was easy to compartmentalize, to ignore the collateral damage of murder, rape, and torture. But when it hits close to home, and the hacks and exploits she’s devised are directed at her friends and family--including boy wonder Marcus Yallow, her old crush and archrival, and his entourage of naïve idealists--Masha realizes she has to choose.

And whatever choice she makes, someone is going to get hurt.

2 editions

Murph reviewed Attack Surface by Cory Doctorow

4 stars

I'll read anything Doctorow puts out. Enjoyed this techno-thriller, though the pacing felt vaguely off at times. Had a bit of Heinlein-esque unsubtle author monologuing through the mouths of charismatic and hypercompetent characters on the nature of technology as at best a tool for connecting and enabling humans to participate in person-to-person organizing and democracy, rather than as a magic wand that makes the world better -- you can clearly feel the period and mood he was writing this in.

Justinas Dūdėnas reviewed Attack Surface by Cory Doctorow

A good roadtrip through tech activist landscape

4 stars

The first Doctorow's book I consumed, by listening this time. Felt a bit like a road movie. Somehow not so urgent like many of his essays. I guess I also enjoy his twists and reserved poetics more when related with reality than with fiction.

But listening time was really enjoyable and the book is easy to recommend. Non the less because it is generously stuffed with technicalities of surveillance and resistance methods (even if sometimes exaggerated), which aren't often heard of and seem to be very worth noticing.

Thanks @pluralistic@mamot.fr

The first Doctorow's book I consumed, by listening this time. Felt a bit like a road movie. Somehow not so urgent like many of his essays. I guess I also enjoy his twists and reserved poetics more when related with reality than with fiction.

But listening time was really enjoyable and the book is easy to recommend. Non the less because it is generously stuffed with technicalities of surveillance and resistance methods (even if sometimes exaggerated), which aren't often heard of and seem to be very worth noticing.

Thanks @pluralistic@mamot.fr