Moxyland by Lauren Beukes

Moxyland
Author: Lauren Beukes
Publisher: Angry Robot Books (July 2009)
ISBN: 978-0-00732-389-0 (UK/Aus)
978-0-00732945-8 (US/Can)

Moxyland definitely has some strong cyberpunk tones in the story.  Based around four central characters, Moxyland paints very real, very plausible picture of a future that potentially lies just around the corner.  First we have Kendra, a naive art school dropout yet talented photographer.  Toby, a slacker who lives off his mom, until she cuts him off, and streamcasts via his high tech jacket, Baby Strange.  Tendeka, a hard edged revolutionary willing to go to any length to protest the corporate hold on society.  And Lerato, a highly sexual, incredibly talented programmer working for the evil corporation itself.

Set in South Africa in the very near 2018, if my math is correct, Moxyland is an amazing ride in a high tech world where cutting edge nano can heal the sick and our cell’s SIM cards open, or close, the doors on the quality of lives we live.  Your cell’s SIM card is your pass to the “corporati” or your ticket to “disconnect”.

Lauren Beukes does an amazing job of world building in Moxyland. You get a real sense of what life is like in this part of the world in this future, a clear picture of the very large divide between the luxury of working for the corporation, the despair of living on the streets, and the quality of life in between.

The story is fast paced and a quick read at just over 300 pages.  I myself read it in just a few days. The story has a way of reaching out and grabbing you and roping you into their world. Towards then end I was scrambling to find out what was going to happen to the characters Lauren Beukes had allowed me to grow so fond of. The story has a real twist and my head is still swimming from the out come. I’ll simply say, well played Lauren, well played.

Moxyland, along with Slights, is the first release by the new SF/F publishing house Angry Robot Books. In order to do this Angry Robot turned to the internet to get the word out.  Relying on bloggers, forums, genre websites and reviewers to spread the word about their new titles.  I am glad that I jumped on this train when I did, if I hadn’t, I might have missed the boat and a wonderful opportunity by a top notch publisher. I say this because Moxyland is by far one of the best books I have read in quite some time.

I was so excited when I stumbled across this earlier today on the Make Magazine Feed and then again later on Boing Boing.  The guys over at Adafruit Industries have launched a new series that includes a comic and a kit called Citizen Engineer.  Volume One deals with Sim Card Hacking and the video, posted below is totally cool.

For those of you following along or have read snippits of Moxyland, a book I’m reading for Angry Robot, know that this tends to go right along with the whole cyberpunk theme that tends to be following me around lately.  Maybe?  Why Not.  I bring this up because in Moxyland, I won’t review it here just a premise, the entire society is run on cell phones.  The cash is transfered via cell, the police enforcement is done via cell, based on the condition of your sim you can be allowed access into certain areas of the city or be shut out into the slums, even advertisers use signals as you walk by billboards to send stuff to your cell targeted to you.  Quite fascinating actually.

Needless to say when this popped up today I got really excited and ordered the mag and subscribed to the feed instantly.  I can’t wait to see what they come up with for their next installment.  Anywho, check out the video, check out the comic, get the kit.  It just looks way too fun….

NutBar Tech Specialist…

Citizen_Engineer from citizen engineer on Vimeo.