Party Discipline is set in the world of Cory Doctorow’s Walkaway novel and it shares the same glimmer of hope the novel held but places it more starkly amid an exploration of some of the worst bits of living through capitalism. Unionization, debt, homelessness, and surveillance culture are heavy topics, but they’re meshed with a thrilling story. The novella moves at a steady clip through heady ideas and all the while the characters remain genuine and are steadily moving the action in engaging ways.
Communist parties were one of my favorite daydreams to dream: me and my revolutionary comrades in our funny Karl Marx beards, liberating a whole factory under the noses of the cops and the town, running all those machines and giving away free shit until the feedstock ran out. My dream parties didn’t usually take place in a sheet-metal factory—I liked the idea of taking over a scop factory where they made burgers or candy or ice cream because then I would be the person who gave everyone free candy (or burgers! or ice cream!)—but I’d take sheet metal if it was the only thing going. I could learn my skills there, and also Mama wouldn’t kill me for the scop thing if she found out. Damned health-food crazies.
Party Discipline
Party Discipline is available to read free online at Tor or as an ebook.
