ELECTRONIC waste is a global problem 鈥� with an interesting corollary: there鈥檚 an awful lot of computer power just sitting doing nothing in those dumps. The characters in 鈥荣 Makers harness some of that power by inventing imaginative gadgets forged from their own clever coding and 3D printers, creating a dynamic new economy as a result.
Want a self-driving car? Use a swarm of voice-controlled robot dolls to press the pedals and steer left and right on command. Or build a radio frequency identification (RFID) system that knows where everything in your house is. Or how about a robotic theme park ride based on abandoned stair-climbing Segways?
Set against a backdrop of geek life in failed, feral suburbs of the not-too-distant future, this is not a pretty vision, but a kooky illustration of what might happen if the geeks ever have to take charge. The story has a tendency to drag at times but, falling somewhere between Stig Of The Dump, Microserfs and , it is an entertaining yarn.
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Harper/Tor