In this wide-ranging conversation, Ronny Joe Grooms of KSVY Sonoma 91.3 FM sits down with author, journalist, and digital rights activist Cory Doctorow to discuss his novel The Lost Cause and the real-world systems shaping its near-future vision.

Originally recorded on December 7, 2023, this interview takes on new resonance today as many of the issues explored in The Lost Cause—political instability, technological disruption, and the restructuring of society after crisis—have moved from speculative fiction into lived experience.

Doctorow connects the themes of the book to present-day realities, breaking down how copyright law has expanded far beyond its original purpose, why it often fails to protect creators in a monopolized system, and how artificial intelligence is reshaping labor, ownership, and creative work.

The conversation also explores:

• how The Lost Cause imagines a world after a failed political turning point
• the concept of “enshittification” and the lifecycle of digital platforms
• why lawsuits against AI companies may miss the real issue
• the role of monopoly power in shaping both technology and culture
• how open systems and collective action offer alternative paths forward

This is both a literary conversation and a systems-level analysis—connecting fiction, policy, and lived reality in a rapidly changing world.

Host: Ronny Joe Grooms (KSVY Sonoma 91.3 FM)
Guest: Cory Doctorow

Recorded: December 7, 2023

• The Lost Cause and its vision of the near future
• Copyright law and its modern expansion
• Fair use and legal access
• Creative Commons and global collaboration
• AI training, lawsuits, and labor implications
• Platform economics and “enshittification”
• Monopoly power and media systems

• The “failed revolution” concept in The Lost Cause
• Why fair use often depends on legal resources

• AI and the misunderstanding of infringement
• Platform decline and user exploitation

Cory Doctorow is a science fiction author, journalist, and activist focused on digital rights, copyright reform, and the political economy of technology. His work explores the intersection of technology, power, and society.