Makers is a 2009 SF novel by Cory Doctorow.
Perry and Lester invent things: seashell robots that make toast, Boogie Woogie Elmo dolls that drive cars. They also invent entirely new economic systems. When Kodak and Duracell are broken up for parts by sharp venture capitalists, Perry and Lester help to invent the “New Work,” a New Deal for the technological era.
Tropes used in ''Makers' include:
- Big Eater: anyone who undergoes the "fatkins" procedure. With hummingbird genes, those who undergo fatkins lose all body fat and have to eat 10,000 kCal a day in order to survive.
- Body Horror: It's not until the epilogue that we learn the true cost of fatkins. By qunitupling their metabolism, the fatkins end up aging themselves to death. Their bones become brittle and collapse on themselves, and their digestive systems decay. Lester at the end of the book has the body of a supercentinarian despite only being in his 60s probably. Lester's only made it 15 years by the grace of his generous salary at Disney, despite being the posterchild for fatkins and one of the earliest.
- Cannot Keep a Secret: Tjan's daughter Lyenitchka, about Kettlewell's crush on Suzanne Church
- Collector of the Strange: Perry, Lester, their mall, The Story.
- Deaf Composer: Despite working for Disney Parks because of his love of rides, Sammy realizes he no longer enjoys them.
- Disney Owns This Trope: Although Disney itself doesn't do this, since Disney Parks is now it's own IPO, Disney Parks tries to shut down The Story by issuing an injunction against all the rides.
- Everyone Has Standards: Averted with Freddy, who has no standards or journalistic ethics
- Extreme Doormat: What Sammy believes Death Waits is.
- Felony Misdemeanor: The Boward County police in spades, first after the shantytown residents move in with Lester and Perry, and later on after Disney's injunction. The latter is especially egregious, mostly because Perry sued the shit out of the police force for being shot in the head.
- Fool for Love: Lester, Kettlewell, and Perry for Suzanne Church.
- Glory Hound: Afterted by Lester and Perry; both who'd rather someone else take up the reigns of their creation so they can get back to tinkering
- Horrible Judge of Character: Perry with Sammy multiple times. Tjan is wise to him immediately.
- Insists on Paying: Perry and Lester when they first take Suzanne to dinner. She refuses however, out of journalistic ethics.
- Inspector Javert: Sammy regarding Perry and Lester and The Story, which he tries to stop at all costs.
- Insufferable Genius: Freddy in spades. His blog and message boards serve as an echo chamber for his ego, even if people know he's full of shit.
- Jack of All Trades: In various degrees throughout the story, both Perry and Lester, who have to adopt new skills in order to keep changing the world.
- Jerkass: Freddy again. Especially when it comes to Suzanne, Kettlewell, Perry and Lester or the "New Work". When Sammy decides to copy The Story, Freddy fires at him as well.
- Knight Templar: Both Freddy and Sammy. Sammy slips and damages the rides of The Story on occasion to get back at it for bringing down attendance at Disney Parks. Freddy grew up poor and worked entry level minimum wage jobs until he got into journalism, and sees everyone else as kind of a layabout or entitled child.
- Lady in a Power Suit: Suzanne Church in order to intimidate the fire chief into putting out a shantytown fire
- Sweet Tooth: Lester especially but everyone who undergoes the "fatkins" treatment, on account of needing to eat 10,000 kCal of food a day. In fact, lots of food is fortified with sugar to make sure the fatkins don't starve.
