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Eastern Standard Tribe
Cory Docterow Book Review

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Plot Summary of Eastern Standard Tribe
"

Tor, Mar 2004, 23.95, 224 pp.
ISBN: 0765307596

While working for an international monolith that either files employees away or deletes them, interface designer Art Berry is developing a data flow management program. His objective is to create the most user-unfriendly software ever promulgated on an ill-cyber public. Art is an underground operator for the global Eastern Standard Tribe though he resides in the heartland of the Greenwich Mean Tribe.

In a world when boundaries exist in the twilight mind of the bureaucrat, only power matters, but how to achieve and hold authority in a boundless orb is the question of the competing tribes trying to foster their time zone on an unsuspecting people still used to the influence of DAC (delete, alternate control). Art believes that his hostile program will embarrass the rivals, but soon after hitting his current squeeze with his car he finds he has doubts about the truth as venerated by tribal leaders. Now Art stands on a Boston insane asylum's rooftop thinking of using that ancient communication device, the stubby penci,l to escape from his current scenario.

Like his first Berry novel, DOWN AND OUT IN THE MAGIC KINGDOM, Cory Docterow provides a wild satire of the shrinking yet increasingly complex world. The zany story line is crazier than the lead protagonist making it difficult to follow and requiring extra time beyond the standard for this size novel.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Eastern Standard Tribe
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10%




FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Spying & Investigations Yes
What is main char. doing? - unraveling a conspiracy
Tech./$$$/Info hunt Yes
Stealing/recovering/destroying - computer/database
Parody Yes
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - computer programmer
Age: - 20's-30's
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
Earth setting: - current (early 21st century)
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death
How much dialogue? - significantly more dialog than descript
Most similar books to Eastern Standard Tribe
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Gaudeamus by John Barnes
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Team Player by Biff Mitchell
The Getaway Special by Jerry Oltion


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Cory Docterow Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Harriet Klausner  

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