Forbes and the World Economic Forum (WEF) tend to agree:

Top 25 Web Celebrities for 2007

WEF’s Young Global Leaders for 2007

I’ve had the chance to meet Cory at the Google Unbound event, and again at NYU’s Free Culture series. He’s been accurately described as a “walking, talking Wikipedia of digital rights” (as I witnessed at NYU), and he’s a self-described ‘nethead’ (meaning he’s been online for as long as he can remember, and has actually written his books online…for years).

To say he’s engaging is a massive understatement. You need only to hear/watch/witness him speak, and you’ll know how very true that is. But, look out. You’d better strap your brain in. Seth Godin on Cory:

I sat next to Cory at a conference today. It was like playing basketball next to Michael Jordan.

We’ll be elaborating on Cory and his work here, up through the event and beyond. For now, here are the details:

WHAT: Interactive Podcast with Cory Doctorow

WHEN: Monday, February 12, 2007 from 1:30-3:00pm PST

HOW: Register here. But hurry!

It’s free, as always, but spaces are limited and you’ll need to register in order to participate.

Cory’s latest short story collection, Overclocked: Stories of the Future Present can be downloaded for free, listened to via podcast , and purchased one of many places (you can get an autographed copy delivered to your door, too).