Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town by Cory Doctorow

"A miraculous novel of secrets, lies, magic--and Internet connectivity" hails the cover. And that's what you have, really. The story can basically be separated into two parts that finally spill over into the third. The storyline isn't always clear and this doesn't always matter. Actually, it works to the author's advantage because he can take bits that perhaps he wanted in, that weren't totally vital to the main story, and wedge them between a cliffhanger and its resolution. You find yourself blazing through this novel to find out the next bit leading to the next and so on.
First, we have the protagonist living in Toronto, trying to find his place in a new neighborhood. He soon makes friends and enemies, and eventually hooks up with a thirty-something punk that is on a quest to install free Wifi across the city, or as far as he can.
Second, we delve into the dark and bizarre past of the main character as he grows into the somewhat normal man he has become, and struggles to maintain. There is a brother feud, one is killed, then he comes back as a shambly zombie type character to seek revenge.
But as the novel progresses, as Doctorow merges the worlds together, the real delight of the novel surfaces. This is a fantasy novel - it has golems, goblins, and talking mountains. However, this side of the story is treated very realistically, even when the author tramples past the limits of some stories, he keeps it toned. Calling this fantasy, and indeed it was published by TOR, presents the story with false impressions. There is a realism that keeps the whole concept together, that other "fantasy creatures invading the world of humans" cannot muster.
It's a thoroughly entertaining novel. I killed the 300 page thing in about two days. Unlike me, a slow reader. His ideas pop, and his homework, well he probably already knew the technical bits about home restoration and wifi. Actually, I know he did. So it all comes off as smooth and wonderful. It's fun. There are dark moments, but they are fun too. You won't get your life changed by the plot, you won't think in new ways, but you will get reminded of this fantastic book often, giggling to yourself.

(p.s. this is the second novel-sized work I've read of Mr.Doctorow's. I liked Down and Out better, but that's just me.)

You can read Cory's writings daily on Boingboing.net and find his stories at craphound.com. His novella, After the Siege, recently won a Locus award.

-jldale