Cory Doctorow's "Anda's Game" (novelette, science fiction): Description of an online multi-player computer game

While the story obviously gets inspiration for the title as well as ideas of using kids as main protagonists & game sessions to discuss larger themes, from Orson Scott Card's much better known "Ender's Game", it's a very different story.

It's also among the Cory's more accessible stories. There is some jargon, but far less than I've seen in some of his other stories. Focus is on telling the story with generally no distractions.

Full text of this story is available for download.

Story summary.

There are actually 2 intertwined stories here:

1. Description of a multi-player online computer game & the virtual world it's played in. I have never played such a game, & read this part as a decent tutorial on the subject. Yes - actual playing is more enlightening, but...
   
   This is the part that makes me rate this story A.
   
   Anda of title is a 10 year old girl in London & the main protagonist.
2. Some commentary on interaction of the economy of sweat-shops in low-wage countries with the economy of better off countries. I found this part naive & completely contrary to my experiences.
   
   His core thesis seems to be that of pity. Poor guys earn so little compared to their richer counterparts; let's ensure their sweat-shop is not harmed.

Fact sheet.

First published: salon.com, 15 November 2004.
Rating: A
Related: All stories of Cory Doctorow.