Attack Surface by Cory Doctorow

Although I hadn’t read the Young Adult novels from which Attack Surface spins off, I was already familiar with Cory Doctorow’s work and eagerly anticipated this release. The novel, squarely aimed at an adult readership, delves into weighty, unsettling themes that set it apart from its predecessors. Its darkness isn’t just in the plot but in the moral and ethical questions it raises—questions that resonate deeply in a world increasingly shaped by technology and surveillance.

The science fiction elements are both intriguing and disquietingly plausible. Doctorow constructs a near-future landscape that feels unnervingly close to reality, where technological advances blur the lines between empowerment and oppression. The "spy versus spy" narrative structure injects a taut, gripping energy into the story, but what truly defines Attack Surface is its protagonist, Masha.

Masha is both a fascinating and frustrating character. Troubled and troubling, her decisions are questionable—sometimes outright indefensible—from the very beginning. While the reader gains intimate access to her thoughts and rationalizations, it’s often difficult to sympathize with her, and that discomfort feels intentional. Doctorow doesn’t hand us a protagonist we can easily root for; instead, he challenges us to confront the moral ambiguities of complicity and resistance in a world built on surveillance and control.

The novel’s greatest strength lies in its incisive exploration of power—who holds it, how it’s wielded, and at what cost. Technology in Attack Surface feels almost sentient in its ubiquity and hostility, but Doctorow makes it clear that the true danger lies not in the tools themselves but in the human hands—and national interests—that control them. This recognition is chilling, especially as we reflect on how willingly we, as individuals and societies, have ceded power to technologies that govern, monitor, and manipulate our lives.

Ultimately, Attack Surface is a thought-provoking and sobering read. It asks its audience to reckon with the unsettling realities of the present as much as the fictionalized future it portrays. Doctorow’s world-building is sharp and immersive, but it’s the moral dilemmas, not the technological ones, that linger long after the final page. For anyone concerned about the intersections of technology, governance, and individual autonomy, this novel offers both a warning and a call to action.

Macmillian-Tor/Forge, Publication Date October 13, 2020