Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, E.L. Doctorow

I haven't read hard sci-fi in a few years, and this is why. No matter how cool the idea -- and the idea is pretty darned cool, I admit -- there isn't enough CHARACTER there for me. I liked it, and I stayed up all night to read it, but I didn't come away feeling anything about it. 

Grade: C

Originally published 2009