When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth

I just finished reading Cory Doctorow's Locus Award-winning novelette When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth, which has been made freely available for all of us to read at Baen's Universe.

It's the first story I've read in ages that I read completely without stopping, and the first full-length story that I think I've ever read in its entirety online. Cory is one of the very few authors who inspire me as well as entertain me, because he tells great stories like this one.

Comments

[Chuck]

Cool story, Wil, thanks for the link.

[mirkrim]

Doubly awesome because it's set in Toronto. What a great read. Thanks for the link, Wil!

[mirkrim]

Sorry for the double post... just had to add that I suppose the *real* setting is the internet.... but still :)

[Gilder]

Hi, Will,

Just dropped in to see what you're up to. Sounds like a fantastic year!

Auditions: Break a leg!

I won't make it to the Creation event in Las Vegas, as I'll be in Vancouver for Timeless Destinations con just before.

Thanks for the Doctorow recommendation. Just found Baen's Universe through the LinkedIn network, will check it out.

All the best,
Gilder in San Antonio

[Gilder]

PS--checked out your bookmarks. Top of list was the Don Davis art site. I've passed the link to Don S. Davis, the Vancouver-based actor ("Gen. Hammond", "Stargate SG-1") and visual artist.

BTW, Don S. has two websites:
www.donsdavis.com
www.donsdavisart.com

Gilder

[wolfger]

I absolutely love this story, even though I've never read it.
I caught it some time ago as a podcast:
http://www.craphound.com/overclocked/download/

[solipsistnation]

As a sysadmin, it's a pretty gratifying read. In one form or another, I know all those guys...

Plus next week I'm starting a job in a super-secure data center (complete with fingerprint AND retina scanners, wow), and I realized yesterday that a lot of the time, I might not have any idea what's happening outside. Freaky.

[Jim Kiser]

I have read a lot of post-apocalyptic stories but that is the first one I can relate to. The sad thing is feeling like it will take something like that to put humanity back on a track that remembers "humanity."

[Cole]

I don't think you want to know just how much that story depressed the hell out of me. Should I wake up screaming, you're the one who has to sing me back to sleep, Ensign.

[Mike]

Given your love of zombies and all things online, can't believe you haven't read "John Dies At The End", the best freely available online book available on the web (and now in print). Check it out at www.johndiesattheend.com

[andreabergia]

Hi. I read the story yesterday evening, and I really loved it - very well written. Thanks for sharing this link.

BTW: being my first comment on your blog, I'd like to tell you how much I like it - it's funny, interesting and never boring. Thank you for putting all those efforts in it. And thanks for the TNG reviews: I laugh *SO* hard every time ;-)

[Khyron]

Just read it myself over the weekend, because I picked up the "Year's Best SF #28,291" or whatever. I grab it every year, and haven't been disappointed yet. Aside from that one, it had five or six other really great stories this year, and about 20 good ones.

[justme]

What an interesting experience. There's nothing quite like identifying with a character only to find that suddenly you're dead.

[Rick Boatright]

Will,

Thanks for the referral. Everyone at JBU appreciates it. Of course, it _did_ bust our bandwidth limit, but we fixed that.

Thanks. And if anyone enjoyed the story, we've got _lots_ more. :-)

Rick Boatright
Jim Baen's Universe