Cory Doctorow New Book: Enshitification
Cory Doctorow New Book: Enshitification
www.kickstarter.com
Enshittification: the DRM-free audiobook
Comments
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An older book I frequently refer to:
On Bullshit | Princeton University Press https://share.google/DaiZS6wG7SiOCdRcg
"One of the most prominent features of our world is that there is so much bullshit. Yet we have no clear understanding of what bullshit is, how it’s distinct from lying, what functions it serves, and what it means."
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He has the first hour and a half (of 9) in his latest podcast, if you want a real preview: https://craphound.com/podcast/2025/08/28/enshittification-episode-500/
I decided to order the epub because no matter how I try, I can’t enjoy Wesley’s voice (sorry Will).-
FWIW Cory narrates this book. And he has a YouTube video embedded that has the first hour if you want to hear how it sounds.
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I agree with you about Wesley (🤮), but that's not really relevant to this book?
Cory recorded the audio himself to my understanding (listened to his appearance on the QAA podcast), and it sounds like his voice reading it on the linked podcast.
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Wow, my brain really failed me here! I ALSO listened to Picks and Shovels recently, which was narrated by Will Wheaton, and somehow the voices got switched in my memory. You are correct, Cory recorded this himself.
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Expected release date: 7 October 2025
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Anyone read other books of his and if so, do you recommend them?
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His ideas are fantastic. Execution and characterization are spotty. Been a while since I read anything of his, but IIRC, he has a tendency to dip into surrealism or absurdity that feels cringey instead of his artistic target.
In some ways, it's similar to a lot of Golden Era SF. You read it for the ideas, not the story.
I do have a favorable opinion of him and his work. I'd really enjoy Doctorow being paired with a traditional fiction author and both being rode herd by a hardass SF editor.
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For non-fiction I've read Chokepoint Capitalism and The Internet Con. The Internet Con was a lot like his online essays, to the point where it felt redundant, but he does good essays so if you haven't read them it's a good way to get around his work. Chokepoint Capitalism was a little more novel (probably in part because he coauthoured). Neither were very dry, which is significant for the genre.
Fiction, I've read Walkaway and Unauthorised Bread. Walkaway is good worldbuilding with both fascinating and bizarre ideas, but I don't think it's good fiction. Unauthorised Bread is a short story available online and is excellent.
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I find the non-fiction stuff he writes good (e.g. The Internet Con, Chokepoint Capitalism). I believe this book is like that?
I found his fiction, based on the one book (The Lost Cause) I read, to be a bit juvenile in style (as in feels like a young adults kind of book) to the point I didn't quite enjoy it, although the topics are interesting enough.
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personally i read "Down and Out in the magic Kingdom" as well as the german translation "Backup", which - while not masterpieces - were quite enjoyable.
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I highly recommend the recent episode of the QAA podcast with Doctrow, it's an amazing listen!
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This is Frickin sick.
I must get a copy, i love this authors writing. I also very much enjoy he respects the right of ownership and anti-drm
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It's spelled "enshittification."
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He enshittified my favorite word!
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He got it right (which makes sense; he coined the term); OP didn't.
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Ordered.
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Is it about how everyone is using the term wrong and it doesn't mean anything anymore?
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Why do you think everyone is using the term is wrong? Plenty of words get overused until they become meaningless but I have mainly seen enshittification used to refer to large companies significantly degrading their product in a bid to increase profits which is what I understand it to mean. If it's used a lot, it's because it's happening a lot (often by companies who built their products in the zero interest rate, infinite money era and now have to face the new reality).
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I see it used as "things got worse" a lot but I did a quick search and looks like you're right, on lemmy it's used correctly most of the times.
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It's happening to governments too, but they call it austerity.
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It's authored by the guy who coined the term originally; so however he's using it, that's the way it's used.
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Not necessarily... Death of the author and all that. Once it's in the public, it's out of his hands
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Audiobook? Bah, I remember when books were for reading.
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Nothing is stopping you from doing that: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374619329/enshittification/
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If you actually read the Kickstarter page, he's selling a physical and ebook version of it as well.
Also, maybe practice reading a webpage before you act pretentious about book formats.
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"old man yells at cloud"
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Him being an “old man” would be predicated on his incorrect assumption that the act of having a book read to you is somehow new and is not as old as books themselves.
He’s just a moron lmao
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What? No you don’t. Oral book readings predate regular book reading as a widespread practice by literally thousands of years.
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Yeah, but that was because in those days most people were actually illiterate, which in recent history we considered a bad thing and tried to avoid, but it seems to be making a comeback unfortunately.
(Nothing against audiobooks specifically, you gotta do what you gotta do, just suggesting the decline in literacy in general is worrisome)
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The first half of the book is great.
The second half has ads that take up more and more of the page until you reach a page that is just ads and a QR code.
When you scan the code, it takes you to a website asking you to pay a subscription for the remaining pages.
(If you rate five stars, they send a 10% discount code to your email and add you to a newsletter list without an unsubscribe button.)
LoL I thought you were serious for a second
Just a touch too close to reality. That was a beyond-awesome comment.
Isn't that the point though? The book enshittifies
Or am I missing the ironic tone?
Do you have any screenshots? And is it the retail version or is it some early version? Retail's supposed to only come out in October.
It's a joke, mate.
Whoosh