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Operation Bounce House
All New Sonoran colonist Oliver Lewis ever wanted to do is run the family ranch and keep their aging fleet of intelligent agriculture bots ticking.
But now the colossal Apex corporation has been hired to commence an 'eviction action' - exterminate all life on New Sonora in preparation for a reboot. And they charge bored Earthers for the opportunity to design their own war machines, remotely pilot them and make it a game.
The game is called
OPERATION BOUNCE HOUSE...
And New Sonora is its playing field.
Determined to defend the only home he's ever known, Oliver and his friends find themselves fighting for their lives against these machines.
To Earth it's a game, but to Oliver, it's war.
But now the colossal Apex corporation has been hired to commence an 'eviction action' - exterminate all life on New Sonora in preparation for a reboot. And they charge bored Earthers for the opportunity to design their own war machines, remotely pilot them and make it a game.
The game is called
OPERATION BOUNCE HOUSE...
And New Sonora is its playing field.
Determined to defend the only home he's ever known, Oliver and his friends find themselves fighting for their lives against these machines.
To Earth it's a game, but to Oliver, it's war.
390 pages, Hardcover
First published February 10, 2026
4527 people are currently reading
57463 people want to read
About the author
Matt Dinniman
36 books16.1k followersMatt Dinniman is the best-selling writer and artist from Gig Harbor, Washington. He is the published author of dozens of short stories and a gaggle of books. In addition, his art publications—from greeting cards to stationery kits to calendars—can be found in boutique and stationery shops around the world. Also, he strongly feels like a pretentious twat when he writes about himself in third person.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,084 reviews
February 10, 2026
I'm a huge Dungeon Crawler Carl fan so I wanted to try an other story from Matt Dinniman, and I'm so glad I did!
The concept is both chilling and entertaining, the characters are interesting and have great chemistry, and the world building is really immersive.
I loved the balance between deep feelings and action, humour and violence.
There are also very interesting ideas addressed all through the plot, especially regarding the treatment of who or what is deemed different from us.
I had a great time and I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, action packed, genuinely good story.
Thank you so much Berkley Publishing Group for this ARC!
The concept is both chilling and entertaining, the characters are interesting and have great chemistry, and the world building is really immersive.
I loved the balance between deep feelings and action, humour and violence.
There are also very interesting ideas addressed all through the plot, especially regarding the treatment of who or what is deemed different from us.
I had a great time and I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, action packed, genuinely good story.
Thank you so much Berkley Publishing Group for this ARC!
Read
December 17, 2025__Well, that might just be my last book of the year, ! A full review is queued up and ready to launch the moment I submit the last exam in 2025 hehee 💀😭
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘔𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘦𝘭 𝘑𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘩 (𝘗𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘯 𝘙𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦), 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺.
----
Oh my gosh, I'm absolutely dying to know what Matt's cooking up! I'm starving just thinking about it, and the worst part is the book won't be out until next year. The wait is killing me😭.
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘔𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘦𝘭 𝘑𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘩 (𝘗𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘯 𝘙𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦), 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺.
----
Oh my gosh, I'm absolutely dying to know what Matt's cooking up! I'm starving just thinking about it, and the worst part is the book won't be out until next year. The wait is killing me😭.
February 14, 2026
4.5 stars. Matt Dinniman I am your biggest fangirl 😩
I would give anything to inhabit Matt's brain for a few hours. Writers will forever impress me because how do you come up with something from nothing? Create a whole world and characters that feel so real??
This book mirrored so many real-life events- the genocide in Gaza, the unlawful deportation of immigrants in the U.S, and the destructive use of A.I- and introduced them in this litrpg adjacent book with characters that you can't help but root for and fall in love with in such a short time.
This was very action-packed, funny at times but actually a very thoughtful and heavy read. This is not my first Matt Dinniman book and I'm familiar with how he can take a very deep and relevant question or event and craft an immersive story around it; however, this book was on another level. This book is very political. It is a slap in the face for leaders who continue to abuse their power and decide who lives or dies, who has or doesn't have rights, and who think their lives are more important than others because of where they come from or where they were born.
My only issue with the book was that the ending was a bit rushed. I think reading absurdly long books for so long has altered my brain because wdym this book was only 10.5 hours long??😅 I really wanted this to be a bit longer because I just wanted...more yk?
I would give anything to inhabit Matt's brain for a few hours. Writers will forever impress me because how do you come up with something from nothing? Create a whole world and characters that feel so real??
This book mirrored so many real-life events- the genocide in Gaza, the unlawful deportation of immigrants in the U.S, and the destructive use of A.I- and introduced them in this litrpg adjacent book with characters that you can't help but root for and fall in love with in such a short time.
This was very action-packed, funny at times but actually a very thoughtful and heavy read. This is not my first Matt Dinniman book and I'm familiar with how he can take a very deep and relevant question or event and craft an immersive story around it; however, this book was on another level. This book is very political. It is a slap in the face for leaders who continue to abuse their power and decide who lives or dies, who has or doesn't have rights, and who think their lives are more important than others because of where they come from or where they were born.
My only issue with the book was that the ending was a bit rushed. I think reading absurdly long books for so long has altered my brain because wdym this book was only 10.5 hours long??😅 I really wanted this to be a bit longer because I just wanted...more yk?
Currently reading
February 22, 2026𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭: 🔥🧡
If Matt Dinniman writes it, I WILL READ IT!! 🙂↔️
If Matt Dinniman writes it, I WILL READ IT!! 🙂↔️
February 20, 2026
Wow, there's so much to unpack here. My brain is reeling from this ride. It really pulls you in. You feel like you're a part of this world on the brink of disaster.
I adored this cast of characters and enjoyed just sitting back and taking in the various topics Dinniman was exploring with this one. It's heavier than I was expecting, as far as tone, but I do appreciate the direction he went with it.
Full review to come...stay tuned!!!
I adored this cast of characters and enjoyed just sitting back and taking in the various topics Dinniman was exploring with this one. It's heavier than I was expecting, as far as tone, but I do appreciate the direction he went with it.
Full review to come...stay tuned!!!
February 10, 2026
It was just a game to them. Just a game. Another stream to follow. Another type of cruelty to keep them entertained.
Residents of a colonized planet are stunned to find themselves the targets in a video game played by gamers sitting in their parents' basements on Earth.
This was well-paced, though I did get bogged down a bit by the politics and science of the whole thing. Also, as I'm not a gamer, and my boys always played quest games that involved walking around asking questions, so I had trouble visualizing the mechs and the battle scenes.
There's a good message here:
That was the problem with war. It was impossible to color within the lines.
But I suspect this one will be enjoyed more by someone more familiar with first person shooters.
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for sharing.
Residents of a colonized planet are stunned to find themselves the targets in a video game played by gamers sitting in their parents' basements on Earth.
This was well-paced, though I did get bogged down a bit by the politics and science of the whole thing. Also, as I'm not a gamer, and my boys always played quest games that involved walking around asking questions, so I had trouble visualizing the mechs and the battle scenes.
There's a good message here:
That was the problem with war. It was impossible to color within the lines.
But I suspect this one will be enjoyed more by someone more familiar with first person shooters.
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for sharing.
October 17, 2025
Thank you Netgalley and Berkely Publishing Group/ ACE for an ARC of this book!
*Sighs and adds 30 books to my TBR*
Yeah, this was everything I was hoping it would be! to infinity and beyond more. I have had my eye on the Dungeon Crawler Carl series for a while now, and it's on my TBR. But I am in the middle of so many series right now it's actually disgusting. And I have also sworn against sci-fi up until very recently. But I knew I had to be careful when I took my first step. I had a hunch Mr. Dinniman would be a fantastic stepping stone into the world of Sci-fi. I was very much correct. If you've been contemplating getting into the Sci-fi genre, you start with this book. It's a standalone, so you don't have to worry about committing to a series. Pieces of real life/real life problems and Science Fiction are glued together with humor and it's absolutely brilliant! It's not hard to follow, you don't feel as if you're getting lost, or anything is over your head. I think the use of real life situations helps with that. The story itself is an emotional ride. This was definitely a good time
According to the rules of this book, Im very weak minded..f@&k 😅
*Sighs and adds 30 books to my TBR*
Yeah, this was everything I was hoping it would be! to infinity and beyond more. I have had my eye on the Dungeon Crawler Carl series for a while now, and it's on my TBR. But I am in the middle of so many series right now it's actually disgusting. And I have also sworn against sci-fi up until very recently. But I knew I had to be careful when I took my first step. I had a hunch Mr. Dinniman would be a fantastic stepping stone into the world of Sci-fi. I was very much correct. If you've been contemplating getting into the Sci-fi genre, you start with this book. It's a standalone, so you don't have to worry about committing to a series. Pieces of real life/real life problems and Science Fiction are glued together with humor and it's absolutely brilliant! It's not hard to follow, you don't feel as if you're getting lost, or anything is over your head. I think the use of real life situations helps with that. The story itself is an emotional ride. This was definitely a good time
According to the rules of this book, Im very weak minded..f@&k 😅
February 16, 2026
It's easy to underestimate Matt Dinniman's writing. The humor, the characters, the action it's all so much fun! But what makes his writing special is the heart. No matter what is going on, be sure that at some point you will be punched in the feels. At some point you will notice the commentary going on underneath and in that way and maybe one or two others, this is similar to the now wildly popular Dungeon Crawler Carl series. Make no mistake, I am 100% #princessposse, and this is not that, but it's nearly as good.
A planet, New Sonora, seeded by generations ships from earth, is surviving and thriving with both cities and agricultural innovations. Suddenly they find themselves invaded by gamers from earth that are paying for the privilege. Generations of New Sonorans are at risk as is everything they've worked for. Will they successfully defend their planet? You'll have to read this to find out!
The characters here were easy to root for and the villains easy to hate. Still, I felt for them and what they were going through, their bewilderment at what was happening and the destruction of their homes.
There's an undercurrent of social commentary and it was easy to draw parallels between New Sonora and our world today. AI has progressed in ways both hilarious and scary and this book did give me food for thought. It seemed that no matter what rules were in place where AI was involved, it evolved somehow, and isn't that what nearly all of science fiction has taught us would occur?
In between all the heavy things happening, Operation Bounce House was laugh out loud funny at times. The humor often served as a tension breaker, and it's not as frequent as it is in the DCC series, but that seemed to serve this narrative perfectly.
Overall, this was a blast to read, and Matt Dinniman is not at all a one trick pony!
Highly recommended!
*ARC from publisher
A planet, New Sonora, seeded by generations ships from earth, is surviving and thriving with both cities and agricultural innovations. Suddenly they find themselves invaded by gamers from earth that are paying for the privilege. Generations of New Sonorans are at risk as is everything they've worked for. Will they successfully defend their planet? You'll have to read this to find out!
The characters here were easy to root for and the villains easy to hate. Still, I felt for them and what they were going through, their bewilderment at what was happening and the destruction of their homes.
There's an undercurrent of social commentary and it was easy to draw parallels between New Sonora and our world today. AI has progressed in ways both hilarious and scary and this book did give me food for thought. It seemed that no matter what rules were in place where AI was involved, it evolved somehow, and isn't that what nearly all of science fiction has taught us would occur?
In between all the heavy things happening, Operation Bounce House was laugh out loud funny at times. The humor often served as a tension breaker, and it's not as frequent as it is in the DCC series, but that seemed to serve this narrative perfectly.
Overall, this was a blast to read, and Matt Dinniman is not at all a one trick pony!
Highly recommended!
*ARC from publisher
November 3, 2025
Operation Bounce House
by Matt Dinniman
This really is a book that came out of left field. The characters, plot, theme, and world-building are so unique that it caught me totally by surprise. I love a good, fresh look at sci-fi and this sure is! The characters on another planet are interesting and amazing. The backstory of the people and all the history is strange and mysterious. There is the simple awe of the story as it unfolds, the society they have and how it all works, and the dry humor that pops up frequently along the way.
Just as I was getting comfortable with this crazy but adorable life, people on earth find a way to mess things up. They start a game but the game really kills the people on the planet. It is televised on Earth and the planet's people are called terrorists. These farmers now have to fight mechanical soldiers with bombs, guns, and are controlled by rich spoiled kids.
I loved this book! I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this unique and wonderful book!
by Matt Dinniman
This really is a book that came out of left field. The characters, plot, theme, and world-building are so unique that it caught me totally by surprise. I love a good, fresh look at sci-fi and this sure is! The characters on another planet are interesting and amazing. The backstory of the people and all the history is strange and mysterious. There is the simple awe of the story as it unfolds, the society they have and how it all works, and the dry humor that pops up frequently along the way.
Just as I was getting comfortable with this crazy but adorable life, people on earth find a way to mess things up. They start a game but the game really kills the people on the planet. It is televised on Earth and the planet's people are called terrorists. These farmers now have to fight mechanical soldiers with bombs, guns, and are controlled by rich spoiled kids.
I loved this book! I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this unique and wonderful book!
September 29, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing/Ace for the eARC! ♥️
My first exposure to this author came through Dungeon Crawler Carl (which I somehow ended up reading in tandem with this book).
This book is very different from DCC and has a very different vibe. While DCC is a kind of sci fi fantasy mashup with a somewhat campy and humorous feel to it, this book is straight sci fi and lacks the humorous vibe.
This book follows a group of people originally from Earth who colonized another planet and live fairly simple lives working the land (the main character is a rancher, others are farmers, etc). Meanwhile, Earth decides to invade this new planet and the main character Oliver and his friends and family members defend their home.
This was a somewhat odd reading experience for me. Oliver, despite being the main character, didn’t feel like the main character at all. A lot of the action happened “off screen” so to speak and he wasn’t involved with it at all; he would just hear about it later from someone else or see it later on a vid screen. Roger, one of the robots working on Oliver’s ranch, felt like more of the main character (even though this is first person from Oliver’s perspective) because Roger was involved in more of the action (and a lot of the time, he was the one reporting back to Oliver what was going on).
Roger was also the only humorous character and I enjoyed his scenes. Since he was essentially the babysitter/teacher of Oliver and his sister as kids, he doesn’t tolerate cursing which led to some funny moments. I kind of pictured him to look like IG-11 from The Mandalorian.
The rest of the “humor” in the book (if you could call it that) consisted of dirty jokes and the like, none of which I personally found funny.
Aside from Roger, none of the characters really stood out to me. Part of that is because a bunch of them were introduced at the same time and also because Roger would refer to them with names like “Oliver’s third friend” or whatnot so it was difficult to keep track of them all.
I did like the interview segments which helped explain the bigger picture. The story itself was a bit hard to follow at times and was a bit repetitive (Earth attacks, they defend, person XYZ was killed in the battle, etc). The ending got very sci fi and I personally wasn’t a fan of it.
Overall I would definitely recommend Dungeon Crawler Carl over this. This book is more on the sci fi end and is nowhere near as humorous or entertaining as DCC is. Sadly, this was a bit of a miss for me.
My first exposure to this author came through Dungeon Crawler Carl (which I somehow ended up reading in tandem with this book).
This book is very different from DCC and has a very different vibe. While DCC is a kind of sci fi fantasy mashup with a somewhat campy and humorous feel to it, this book is straight sci fi and lacks the humorous vibe.
This book follows a group of people originally from Earth who colonized another planet and live fairly simple lives working the land (the main character is a rancher, others are farmers, etc). Meanwhile, Earth decides to invade this new planet and the main character Oliver and his friends and family members defend their home.
This was a somewhat odd reading experience for me. Oliver, despite being the main character, didn’t feel like the main character at all. A lot of the action happened “off screen” so to speak and he wasn’t involved with it at all; he would just hear about it later from someone else or see it later on a vid screen. Roger, one of the robots working on Oliver’s ranch, felt like more of the main character (even though this is first person from Oliver’s perspective) because Roger was involved in more of the action (and a lot of the time, he was the one reporting back to Oliver what was going on).
Roger was also the only humorous character and I enjoyed his scenes. Since he was essentially the babysitter/teacher of Oliver and his sister as kids, he doesn’t tolerate cursing which led to some funny moments. I kind of pictured him to look like IG-11 from The Mandalorian.
The rest of the “humor” in the book (if you could call it that) consisted of dirty jokes and the like, none of which I personally found funny.
Aside from Roger, none of the characters really stood out to me. Part of that is because a bunch of them were introduced at the same time and also because Roger would refer to them with names like “Oliver’s third friend” or whatnot so it was difficult to keep track of them all.
I did like the interview segments which helped explain the bigger picture. The story itself was a bit hard to follow at times and was a bit repetitive (Earth attacks, they defend, person XYZ was killed in the battle, etc). The ending got very sci fi and I personally wasn’t a fan of it.
Overall I would definitely recommend Dungeon Crawler Carl over this. This book is more on the sci fi end and is nowhere near as humorous or entertaining as DCC is. Sadly, this was a bit of a miss for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2026
˗ˏˋ 2 stars ⟡ ݁₊ .
i requested this book since i loved DCC very much. it felt very different from DCC and it was very sci-fi and not as funny as DCC was. there was also kinda a lot of info dumping in the beginning of the book where i got very confused with all of the characters... somewhere in the middle of the book, the plot kinda got very repetitive and it felt like it was going nowhere? iykwim
⤷ thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
i requested this book since i loved DCC very much. it felt very different from DCC and it was very sci-fi and not as funny as DCC was. there was also kinda a lot of info dumping in the beginning of the book where i got very confused with all of the characters... somewhere in the middle of the book, the plot kinda got very repetitive and it felt like it was going nowhere? iykwim
⤷ thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 12, 2026
I had read some of the author’s book “Dungeon Crawler Carl” a couple of years ago, and I found it pretty entertaining, if a little crude. Dinniman is hilarious, and you never quite know what is going to come out of a character’s mouth. So I’ve been keen to read more of his books, and I’m glad I received an eARC of this one.
It’s funny—really funny. But it’s also sad, horrific, informative and reflective. There are moments of joy, relief, melancholy, and terror, along with pure WTF that makes you howl with laughter (see Roger’s character). Dinniman knows how to write great characters that get under your skin. You truly come to care about what happens to them.
I very much appreciated the parallels between New Sonora/Earth and the present day United States. I can think of a similar situation nowadays where certain hirelings who have no business having guns are being unleashed upon innocents and causing terror, destruction and death. Said hirelings also consider their targets to be “subhuman”. That is a whole other issue, one that I have many feelings about, but this is not the platform for it.
Aaaaaanyway….
“Operation Bounce House” is well worth your time, and I am determined to read more of Dinniman’s work, because heaven knows we all could use some belly laughs in this timeline!
Thank you to NetGalley and Ace for gifting me an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
It’s funny—really funny. But it’s also sad, horrific, informative and reflective. There are moments of joy, relief, melancholy, and terror, along with pure WTF that makes you howl with laughter (see Roger’s character). Dinniman knows how to write great characters that get under your skin. You truly come to care about what happens to them.
I very much appreciated the parallels between New Sonora/Earth and the present day United States. I can think of a similar situation nowadays where certain hirelings who have no business having guns are being unleashed upon innocents and causing terror, destruction and death. Said hirelings also consider their targets to be “subhuman”. That is a whole other issue, one that I have many feelings about, but this is not the platform for it.
Aaaaaanyway….
“Operation Bounce House” is well worth your time, and I am determined to read more of Dinniman’s work, because heaven knows we all could use some belly laughs in this timeline!
Thank you to NetGalley and Ace for gifting me an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
February 19, 2026
This was a great time and honestly just what I was hoping for to switch things up from a lot of extremely heavy/slow reads as something snappy with a dose of Dinniman's trademark sharp humor. The audio with Travis Baldree's narration (and a few cameos from Jeff Hays) was also superb and just perfect for the story.
Dinniman has become a master at setting up an intriguingly absurd premise that somehow still manages to stay emotionally grounded with real human stakes. He's also speaking from the heart here and delivering an important thematic message that I think we could all use a reminder of as we continue as a civilization to lose ourselves ever more in technology and the net. Analog experiences are vital to our soul, whether digging into grandma's beloved homemade cinnamon rolls, or playing your own shitty music with your friends in your garage band. He may be shouting to the void, but I'm glad he's making the effort.
I found it pretty difficult to ever put this thing down with the plot being so propulsive, and it was genuinely comforting to follow this cast of good-hearted characters who all grew up in an isolated and unforgiving place where everyone knew and looked out for each other. It was tense but rewarding to see them come together to try to figure out how they might survive each day against the odds, and the plan Dinniman cooked up for the climactic sequence made for an incredibly dynamic sprint to the finish.
It works great as a standalone, but the downside is that it was always going to be hard for it to have the same kind of emotional impact as the later DCC books which have the advantage of so much more build-up. I connected with the POV character of Ollie and his family's AI bot Roger but felt pretty distanced from most of the human side character cast, many of whom I think just didn't have the page time or enough memorable moments/dialogue to stand out for me. The human corporate antagonists also felt undercooked and maybe like the weakest cog here and I'm not sure they were necessary to have at all. I enjoyed the action scenes, but looking back I think some of them were a bit underwhelming and lacking in tension and payoff, though I'm not sure with the set up how they might've been done any differently and they're not the heart of the book anyway.
Overall this was a new release by a favorite author that left me quite satisfied and could be the perfect read to turn to for a few days if you want something entertaining that moves fast and is easy to get into but that still has plenty of heart and drama.
Dinniman has become a master at setting up an intriguingly absurd premise that somehow still manages to stay emotionally grounded with real human stakes. He's also speaking from the heart here and delivering an important thematic message that I think we could all use a reminder of as we continue as a civilization to lose ourselves ever more in technology and the net. Analog experiences are vital to our soul, whether digging into grandma's beloved homemade cinnamon rolls, or playing your own shitty music with your friends in your garage band. He may be shouting to the void, but I'm glad he's making the effort.
I found it pretty difficult to ever put this thing down with the plot being so propulsive, and it was genuinely comforting to follow this cast of good-hearted characters who all grew up in an isolated and unforgiving place where everyone knew and looked out for each other. It was tense but rewarding to see them come together to try to figure out how they might survive each day against the odds, and the plan Dinniman cooked up for the climactic sequence made for an incredibly dynamic sprint to the finish.
It works great as a standalone, but the downside is that it was always going to be hard for it to have the same kind of emotional impact as the later DCC books which have the advantage of so much more build-up. I connected with the POV character of Ollie and his family's AI bot Roger but felt pretty distanced from most of the human side character cast, many of whom I think just didn't have the page time or enough memorable moments/dialogue to stand out for me. The human corporate antagonists also felt undercooked and maybe like the weakest cog here and I'm not sure they were necessary to have at all. I enjoyed the action scenes, but looking back I think some of them were a bit underwhelming and lacking in tension and payoff, though I'm not sure with the set up how they might've been done any differently and they're not the heart of the book anyway.
Overall this was a new release by a favorite author that left me quite satisfied and could be the perfect read to turn to for a few days if you want something entertaining that moves fast and is easy to get into but that still has plenty of heart and drama.
February 18, 2026
Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman is a 5 star read. Combining humor with a dark undercurrent of indifference to evil. A must read for any lover of fantasy or science fiction. A true pleasure to read. Full review linked here.
https://youtu.be/XH8ryqmFKgI?si=aY0EX...
https://youtu.be/XH8ryqmFKgI?si=aY0EX...
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
"Welcome, Citizen Soldier. Welcome to Operation Bounce House."
What an adventure - a story with Matt Dinniman's signature wit and humor mixed into the horror on-line streamers, internet anonymity, and war.
Generations ago, a group of people left Earth to establish a colony on a new planet. They've been there years now, working the land, trying to establish cities versus farms and make it ready for others to come and live here. There were some hiccups, sure. A mysterious illness, a few breakdowns in the drones and worker bots, but otherwise it's gone okay. However, suddenly, mechs are at their doorstep and a brother and sister, their friends and fellow farmers along with their robots, must fight to keep this planet and the only life they've ever known.
This was a great adventure of a read, but also sobering about the realities of fighting to live. I loved learning the history of the planet but, unlike Dungeon Crawler Carl, this doesn't show the horror of aliens but the terrible side of humans. It gives us both sides of the coin of people and we get to see how each can be used for good or bad. I loved the silly moments, the animals are absolutely wonderful parts of the story, and the friendships and found family warmed my heart. Wondering what would happen next and the maneuvering of war were fascinating and compelling and made it hard to stop reading. I loved it!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
What an adventure - a story with Matt Dinniman's signature wit and humor mixed into the horror on-line streamers, internet anonymity, and war.
Generations ago, a group of people left Earth to establish a colony on a new planet. They've been there years now, working the land, trying to establish cities versus farms and make it ready for others to come and live here. There were some hiccups, sure. A mysterious illness, a few breakdowns in the drones and worker bots, but otherwise it's gone okay. However, suddenly, mechs are at their doorstep and a brother and sister, their friends and fellow farmers along with their robots, must fight to keep this planet and the only life they've ever known.
This was a great adventure of a read, but also sobering about the realities of fighting to live. I loved learning the history of the planet but, unlike Dungeon Crawler Carl, this doesn't show the horror of aliens but the terrible side of humans. It gives us both sides of the coin of people and we get to see how each can be used for good or bad. I loved the silly moments, the animals are absolutely wonderful parts of the story, and the friendships and found family warmed my heart. Wondering what would happen next and the maneuvering of war were fascinating and compelling and made it hard to stop reading. I loved it!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
February 10, 2026
Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the pre-release copy of Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman. Below you'll find my honest review.
This one was a roller coaster! I recently discovered and binged the entire library of available installments in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series and LOVED them, so when I saw this standalone by Dinniman on Netgalley, I knew I had to request it.
Sadly, for the first half (maybe 60%) of the book, I was struggling hardcore. It was slow and a little repetitive. But the last 40-50% totally made up for that in awesomeness, so I'm glad I didn't give up!
He's crafted a novel that touches on how we treat people we perceive differently than ourselves, the issues with AI, and what it means to be a human on every end of the spectrum of behaviors.
I don't want to give too much away (Roger was my favorite, so I'll say that), but I'll say this:
First half or so - 2 stars. Needed some pacing work.
Second half or so - 5 stars. Top notch, real emotional and storyline payoff.
So on average, that's about 3.5 stars (2+5 = 7, divided by 2 = 3.5), and I'll round up because the last half was that good, so 4 stars overall.
Recommended for fans of sci-fi and dystopia, but be warned, don't go in expecting Dungeon Crawler Carl. Give it a fair shake as its own thing, like I did by the end but should have at the beginning.
(PS - thank you, Dinniman, for the little easter egg of Princess Donut.)
This one was a roller coaster! I recently discovered and binged the entire library of available installments in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series and LOVED them, so when I saw this standalone by Dinniman on Netgalley, I knew I had to request it.
Sadly, for the first half (maybe 60%) of the book, I was struggling hardcore. It was slow and a little repetitive. But the last 40-50% totally made up for that in awesomeness, so I'm glad I didn't give up!
He's crafted a novel that touches on how we treat people we perceive differently than ourselves, the issues with AI, and what it means to be a human on every end of the spectrum of behaviors.
I don't want to give too much away (Roger was my favorite, so I'll say that), but I'll say this:
First half or so - 2 stars. Needed some pacing work.
Second half or so - 5 stars. Top notch, real emotional and storyline payoff.
So on average, that's about 3.5 stars (2+5 = 7, divided by 2 = 3.5), and I'll round up because the last half was that good, so 4 stars overall.
Recommended for fans of sci-fi and dystopia, but be warned, don't go in expecting Dungeon Crawler Carl. Give it a fair shake as its own thing, like I did by the end but should have at the beginning.
(PS - thank you, Dinniman, for the little easter egg of Princess Donut.)
January 25, 2026
This was a really fun read and even though I’m not really a sci-fi girly, it had lots of elements to appeal to a wide audience.🥰⭐️
The story predominantly follows Oliver, a farmer living a small off-Earth colony called New Sonara, alongside his friends and family.🧑🌾🐷🐓🌾
However, the characters soon discover a previously advertised ‘Operation Bounce House’ is real and its purpose is to exterminate New Sonara using remotely-operated mechanical robots. 🤖🦾🦿💥🚀
The story has a strong cat of characters with a good amount of depth but also it knows when to add humour to the story, and not take itself too seriously. I always have a soft spot for little robot characters (perhaps stemming from my love of Rocky in Project Hail Mary) and so Roger 👾was a great primary character and was strategically used to move the plot along, add information, humour and even contention. Similarly I think the elaborate lay-out of the AI systems was very clever.
The plot was very compelling and I was definitely invested in the progress of the invasion in what seemed like an insurmountable battle. Another component worth highlighting is the scene-cuts of Rosita’s recording 🎬📽️🎞️- aiming to create empathy in the audiences - which felt almost like a breaking-the-fourth-wall moment. Even though a lot of the language and plot centres around mechanics and technology, those scenes were a nice prompt to make you humanise the characters and their prior lives. 🥹😌They felt sincere and endearing.
Overall a great read. If you’re a Dinnaman fan and used to his writing style, you’ll have heaps of fun with this🫡💃🏽 - and if you haven’t read his work before, this is a great entry point to his writing as well as the sci-fi genre.🥰⭐️
The story predominantly follows Oliver, a farmer living a small off-Earth colony called New Sonara, alongside his friends and family.🧑🌾🐷🐓🌾
However, the characters soon discover a previously advertised ‘Operation Bounce House’ is real and its purpose is to exterminate New Sonara using remotely-operated mechanical robots. 🤖🦾🦿💥🚀
The story has a strong cat of characters with a good amount of depth but also it knows when to add humour to the story, and not take itself too seriously. I always have a soft spot for little robot characters (perhaps stemming from my love of Rocky in Project Hail Mary) and so Roger 👾was a great primary character and was strategically used to move the plot along, add information, humour and even contention. Similarly I think the elaborate lay-out of the AI systems was very clever.
The plot was very compelling and I was definitely invested in the progress of the invasion in what seemed like an insurmountable battle. Another component worth highlighting is the scene-cuts of Rosita’s recording 🎬📽️🎞️- aiming to create empathy in the audiences - which felt almost like a breaking-the-fourth-wall moment. Even though a lot of the language and plot centres around mechanics and technology, those scenes were a nice prompt to make you humanise the characters and their prior lives. 🥹😌They felt sincere and endearing.
Overall a great read. If you’re a Dinnaman fan and used to his writing style, you’ll have heaps of fun with this🫡💃🏽 - and if you haven’t read his work before, this is a great entry point to his writing as well as the sci-fi genre.🥰⭐️
February 11, 2026
Operation Bounce House was easily one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and somehow, it still managed to exceed my already high expectations! The plot is unique and addictive, I was completely sucked in and couldn't put it down.
It captures that dystopian vibe that we all love in Dungeon Crawler Carl, but stands entirely on its own with a amazing storyline full of chaotic moments and a cast of unforgettable characters. The whole time I read it I kept imagining it as a TV show / movie or a video game. I couldn't put it down, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I finished. Pure perfection! Easy 5 stars and will be one of the best books of the year!!
It captures that dystopian vibe that we all love in Dungeon Crawler Carl, but stands entirely on its own with a amazing storyline full of chaotic moments and a cast of unforgettable characters. The whole time I read it I kept imagining it as a TV show / movie or a video game. I couldn't put it down, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I finished. Pure perfection! Easy 5 stars and will be one of the best books of the year!!
February 16, 2026
4.5 The Rhythm Mafia Rocks Stars
Average people, living average lives on New Sonora, a farming planet just got invaded by Earth’s gamers in a new kind of propaganda filled genocide.
Oliver and his sister grew up on a farm on a world far form earth. His parent’s generation died out of a genetic sickness when he was young the entire planet is people over fifty (the colonist that came from earth) and under thirty (the 2nd generation born on planet). Raised by his grandparents and a nanny AI/farm helper bot Oliver’s whole life just flipped the script as the first wave of gamers show up for Operation Bounce House, which is pretty much pay to play to kill people game.
Things I loved:
I have completely enjoyed Dungeon Crawler Carl (DCC) series. Dinniman’s crass and irreverent sense of humor really works for me and that is no different in this book. He builds great post-apocalyptic style worlds in the middle of a war with characters that step up be all they can be in ways they never expected. The story type fits into the framework of a first shooter game, told from the PoV of Oliver who pretty much had his head in the sand about the outside galaxy until the invasion.
The set up for the story takes a little time in the beginning. Listening to the audiobook it took a minute to figure out what was happening in the story as before many of the main chapters there is a little snippet of a documentary showcasing the lives of the settlers before Operation Bounce House or a military type briefing after with some statements REDACTED. However, once I got used the cadence of that and figured out the time jumps it really worked well. This is one of the times that having a digital copy of the words would have helped that issue.
I went into this blind, not reading the blurb and picking it up because it was a Matt Dinniman story. I’m glad I did as this had some great moments, fantastically fun characters and a lot of great smack talk with the enemy. My kind of ride.
Narration
Performance: ★★★★★
Character Separation: ★★★★★
Diction: ★★★★★
Pacing/Flow: ★★★★★
Sound Effects: none
While I was disappointed that this was not produced by the same group as DCC so we would get some sound effects mixed in this was narrated very well. I always enjoy Travis Baldree and Jeff Hays. They again brought their A-game to this series and delivered on the humor, seriousness and emotion to make this performance great.
Average people, living average lives on New Sonora, a farming planet just got invaded by Earth’s gamers in a new kind of propaganda filled genocide.
That was the problem with war. It was impossible to color within the lines.
Oliver and his sister grew up on a farm on a world far form earth. His parent’s generation died out of a genetic sickness when he was young the entire planet is people over fifty (the colonist that came from earth) and under thirty (the 2nd generation born on planet). Raised by his grandparents and a nanny AI/farm helper bot Oliver’s whole life just flipped the script as the first wave of gamers show up for Operation Bounce House, which is pretty much pay to play to kill people game.
Things I loved:
❶ – The AI Nanny Bot Roger – Super funny as he still treats people in their twenties like grade schoolers in a classroom. Also, surprisingly good at tactics and psychological warfare. Hopefully Roger likes my review and I can get a smiley face sticker for today ☺
❷- Oliver – Much like Carl he is thrown into a war and at some point something breaks within him and the gamers didn’t see what was coming at them.
❸ – The documentary snippets – This was a great way to set up what life was like and give some depth and backstory to the characters fighting at the farm.
❹ – Cindy (the pig) and Some Chickens website – In the middle of a genocide leave it to the humans to want to make sure and save the animals ☻
❺– The entire last 30% – It was non stop action, emotion and a great ride with a satisfying wrap up at the end.
I have completely enjoyed Dungeon Crawler Carl (DCC) series. Dinniman’s crass and irreverent sense of humor really works for me and that is no different in this book. He builds great post-apocalyptic style worlds in the middle of a war with characters that step up be all they can be in ways they never expected. The story type fits into the framework of a first shooter game, told from the PoV of Oliver who pretty much had his head in the sand about the outside galaxy until the invasion.
The set up for the story takes a little time in the beginning. Listening to the audiobook it took a minute to figure out what was happening in the story as before many of the main chapters there is a little snippet of a documentary showcasing the lives of the settlers before Operation Bounce House or a military type briefing after with some statements REDACTED. However, once I got used the cadence of that and figured out the time jumps it really worked well. This is one of the times that having a digital copy of the words would have helped that issue.
I went into this blind, not reading the blurb and picking it up because it was a Matt Dinniman story. I’m glad I did as this had some great moments, fantastically fun characters and a lot of great smack talk with the enemy. My kind of ride.
Narration
Performance: ★★★★★
Character Separation: ★★★★★
Diction: ★★★★★
Pacing/Flow: ★★★★★
Sound Effects: none
While I was disappointed that this was not produced by the same group as DCC so we would get some sound effects mixed in this was narrated very well. I always enjoy Travis Baldree and Jeff Hays. They again brought their A-game to this series and delivered on the humor, seriousness and emotion to make this performance great.
February 19, 2026
If you prefer video reviews, you can watch mine here.
I went into Operation Bounce House hoping for strong Dungeon Crawler Carl energy… and that may have been my first mistake.
This SciFi/GameLit satire follows a peaceful colony on New Sonora that’s attacked by Earth-based gamers who pay to remotely pilot war machines, effectively turning planetary defense into corporate entertainment. It’s action-heavy and clearly aims to critique gaming culture and corporate greed.
There were elements I genuinely appreciated. I’m always drawn to sentient AI in science fiction, and Roger Roger was easily one of the more interesting parts of the story for me. The horror element introduced later in the book also added a layer of tension that finally pulled me in — around the 60% mark is where the story really started to ramp up.
That said, the pacing was uneven for my taste. It took a long time to feel fully engaging, and some of the place names on New Sonora (Fat Landing, Burnt Ends, Belly Rubbed Pug) pulled me out of the story more than they immersed me. Comparisons to Dungeon Crawler Carl feel inevitable given the author, but this leaned much more into real-world stakes with Earth vs. New Sonora, and I personally missed the “game” structure where consequences felt less brutally permanent.
Overall, this wasn’t a bad read — just one that didn’t fully land for me.
I went into Operation Bounce House hoping for strong Dungeon Crawler Carl energy… and that may have been my first mistake.
This SciFi/GameLit satire follows a peaceful colony on New Sonora that’s attacked by Earth-based gamers who pay to remotely pilot war machines, effectively turning planetary defense into corporate entertainment. It’s action-heavy and clearly aims to critique gaming culture and corporate greed.
There were elements I genuinely appreciated. I’m always drawn to sentient AI in science fiction, and Roger Roger was easily one of the more interesting parts of the story for me. The horror element introduced later in the book also added a layer of tension that finally pulled me in — around the 60% mark is where the story really started to ramp up.
That said, the pacing was uneven for my taste. It took a long time to feel fully engaging, and some of the place names on New Sonora (Fat Landing, Burnt Ends, Belly Rubbed Pug) pulled me out of the story more than they immersed me. Comparisons to Dungeon Crawler Carl feel inevitable given the author, but this leaned much more into real-world stakes with Earth vs. New Sonora, and I personally missed the “game” structure where consequences felt less brutally permanent.
Overall, this wasn’t a bad read — just one that didn’t fully land for me.
August 27, 2025
Like many people, I came to know Matt Dinniman as a huge fan of the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. While I can’t always completely understand what is happening in those books, I find reading them to be tremendously enjoyable. I’m not a big gamer nor am I a fantasy reader, but I love Princess Donut and Carl’s adventures.
This book, Operation Bounce House, has wonderfully developed characters that remind me a lot of Carl. While the supporting cast isn’t as absurd or whimsical, the story is engaging and it is so much easier for me to visualize and understand. Yay for Dinniman getting an editor!!
Oliver is a farmer with a steady girl and a garage band. He is the third or fourth generation on a planet called New Sonora. Earth hasn’t made contact with them for 100 years, when the planet was colonized by a handful of scientists and criminals. They are fully independent from earth. But the tables are turned with earth’s government decides to evict the settlers and take back control of the planet via AI android types that are controlled by earth gamers.
So they now become part of a video game that Earth people are charged to play to completely get rid of the citizens of Sonora, called Operation Bounce House.
This one is more speculative fiction and sci fi than fantasy, and has some thinly veiled warnings about late stage capitalism and AI. I found it to be very adventurous and fun. There is some humor, but mostly this is just action packed.
Thanks to NetGalley and Ace Publishing/ Berkeley for the ARC. Book to be published 2/9/26.
This book, Operation Bounce House, has wonderfully developed characters that remind me a lot of Carl. While the supporting cast isn’t as absurd or whimsical, the story is engaging and it is so much easier for me to visualize and understand. Yay for Dinniman getting an editor!!
Oliver is a farmer with a steady girl and a garage band. He is the third or fourth generation on a planet called New Sonora. Earth hasn’t made contact with them for 100 years, when the planet was colonized by a handful of scientists and criminals. They are fully independent from earth. But the tables are turned with earth’s government decides to evict the settlers and take back control of the planet via AI android types that are controlled by earth gamers.
So they now become part of a video game that Earth people are charged to play to completely get rid of the citizens of Sonora, called Operation Bounce House.
This one is more speculative fiction and sci fi than fantasy, and has some thinly veiled warnings about late stage capitalism and AI. I found it to be very adventurous and fun. There is some humor, but mostly this is just action packed.
Thanks to NetGalley and Ace Publishing/ Berkeley for the ARC. Book to be published 2/9/26.
September 29, 2025
This isn't Dungeon Crawler Carl, but there's no denying it's a Matt Dinniman book. It has much of what makes Matt's books so enjoyable- a wild premise, irreverent humor, action, an endearing cast, and twists and turns that keep you guessing til the end.
January 19, 2026
First off, this is true MD writing with the humor and vibes that feel like you are truly a part of the story.
Second, I just refuse to believe that this is a standalone. I had such a good time with this one but I think the way this story unraveled and ended could be by itself OR continue as a series. Personally I want more.
The first 1/3 of the book is somewhat slow but that is to be expected to get the lay of the land. Then it is a steady climb until we hit the peaks of the plot.
I didn’t think I’d be obsessed with the ending of this but I am! I have SO MANY QUESTIONS. But I think that is why I refuse for this to just end.
This book is full of humor, heartfelt moments, gore, violence and plenty of profanity that is monitored by a Robotic Bee named Roger….this will be your book if any of these spark your interest! Especially when it is placed in a dystopian future of human colonization mixed in with the propaganda and political turmoil.
Or you may like this book if you just pick it up and just read it.
Thank you to Netgalley and Berkeley Publishing for the eARC.
Second, I just refuse to believe that this is a standalone. I had such a good time with this one but I think the way this story unraveled and ended could be by itself OR continue as a series. Personally I want more.
The first 1/3 of the book is somewhat slow but that is to be expected to get the lay of the land. Then it is a steady climb until we hit the peaks of the plot.
I didn’t think I’d be obsessed with the ending of this but I am! I have SO MANY QUESTIONS. But I think that is why I refuse for this to just end.
This book is full of humor, heartfelt moments, gore, violence and plenty of profanity that is monitored by a Robotic Bee named Roger….this will be your book if any of these spark your interest! Especially when it is placed in a dystopian future of human colonization mixed in with the propaganda and political turmoil.
Or you may like this book if you just pick it up and just read it.
Thank you to Netgalley and Berkeley Publishing for the eARC.
November 2, 2025
Such a good book. Not as good as Carl so don’t expect it to be. But definitely give it a read.
February 10, 2026
3.75⭐️
Thank you @acebookspub and @prhaudio for the gifted copies + audiobook ♡
𝚜𝚌𝚒𝚏𝚒 • 𝚍𝚢𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚊𝚗 • 𝚜𝚙𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚏𝚊𝚛𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚜 • 𝙰𝙸
I am not a litrpg girl but this one worked for me, especially paired with Travis Baldree and Jeff Hays on audio. Space farmers have settled New Sonora and are just making music, harvesting onions, living their lives, when Earth declares them a terrorist state who must be eliminated. Sounds eerily familiar…packed with crass humor but also not without a lot of heart. 🎸
▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||။|• 🎧 the audiobook enhanced the story bringing voice accents (space farmers, robots - 🤖 Roger).
link to my review on bookstagram
Thank you @acebookspub and @prhaudio for the gifted copies + audiobook ♡
𝚜𝚌𝚒𝚏𝚒 • 𝚍𝚢𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚊𝚗 • 𝚜𝚙𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚏𝚊𝚛𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚜 • 𝙰𝙸
I am not a litrpg girl but this one worked for me, especially paired with Travis Baldree and Jeff Hays on audio. Space farmers have settled New Sonora and are just making music, harvesting onions, living their lives, when Earth declares them a terrorist state who must be eliminated. Sounds eerily familiar…packed with crass humor but also not without a lot of heart. 🎸
▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||။|• 🎧 the audiobook enhanced the story bringing voice accents (space farmers, robots - 🤖 Roger).
link to my review on bookstagram
February 17, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
After reading DCC i was really looking forward to this book! I will say i didn’t like it anywhere near as much as that series which is why my rating is so low. I love the authors humour and the concept of this book was really unique like the rest of his work. I loved roger’s character he definitely added more of a fun element into the chaos!
After reading DCC i was really looking forward to this book! I will say i didn’t like it anywhere near as much as that series which is why my rating is so low. I love the authors humour and the concept of this book was really unique like the rest of his work. I loved roger’s character he definitely added more of a fun element into the chaos!
Read
February 19, 2026This one is for sci fi gamers that love first person shooter games or like a a fortnight. It felt like I was reading a game of fortnight.
February 11, 2026
I've only previously read Dinniman's Dungeon Crawler Carl series, though I know a bit about his prior work, online posting, and convention appearances. I don't believe I'd be amiss to characterize his work as cynical. That's why I can't help but consider that this book itself may be an expression of cynicism from both the author and publisher. Penguin Random House may have wanted a book that they wholly owned that could sell well based on his current popularity alone. Dinniman went along with it and gave them this standalone novel. There are those who hate traditional publishing with a passion who may even see it as Dinniman getting everything he wanted from a major publisher without them getting much of anything from him. For me, it's just a disappointment, and further deters me from looking into what else he's done besides DCC.
Bounce House tries to be several different books at once and ends up being an incoherent muddle. At its core it's an Invasion novel, as in the literary genre, which is similar but not the same as what DCC does. Built atop that is a videogame novel, possibly FPS base defense survival, and also a social science fiction novel. In a way it's interesting because we get to experience an alternate history where Dinniman originally wrote DCC as a traditionally published standalone novel. Unfortunately, in that timeline it probably wouldn't have been all that much more successful than his first traditionally published novel from over 20 years ago.
In many ways this is DCC lite. From the foreign corporate/goverment invasion nearly wiping out everyone, to the central role of an AI, and starting with a discussion about a relationship gone wrong. This isn't necessarily bad. Giving the audience a familiar thing with a twist can work out well. There was a single overwhelming issue though. I didn't find this to be fun in any way and there was nothing else that could compensate for that. Both the humor and the sociopolitical commentary fell flat for me. The central conceit is: What if genocide could be gamified? Now teenage boys can scream at their mother and hurl slurs while gleefully murdering civilians. The pro streamers have their ridiculous interactions with their chat while exterminating those they deem to be subhuman terrorists. If the narrative were done differently where it didn't try to be serious and irreverent at the same time it could've possibly passed itself off as a work of social satire.
Bounce House is defined by its mushy middle. As with the plot itself, it seems to be just trying to wait it out until it's over. The characters have little agency and when they try to exert it, it's usually ineffectual and goes badly. Without the AI and others doing just about everything all the time for them, they all would die horribly and immediately without any chance of survival. That's not what I want to read.
Bounce House tries to be several different books at once and ends up being an incoherent muddle. At its core it's an Invasion novel, as in the literary genre, which is similar but not the same as what DCC does. Built atop that is a videogame novel, possibly FPS base defense survival, and also a social science fiction novel. In a way it's interesting because we get to experience an alternate history where Dinniman originally wrote DCC as a traditionally published standalone novel. Unfortunately, in that timeline it probably wouldn't have been all that much more successful than his first traditionally published novel from over 20 years ago.
In many ways this is DCC lite. From the foreign corporate/goverment invasion nearly wiping out everyone, to the central role of an AI, and starting with a discussion about a relationship gone wrong. This isn't necessarily bad. Giving the audience a familiar thing with a twist can work out well. There was a single overwhelming issue though. I didn't find this to be fun in any way and there was nothing else that could compensate for that. Both the humor and the sociopolitical commentary fell flat for me. The central conceit is: What if genocide could be gamified? Now teenage boys can scream at their mother and hurl slurs while gleefully murdering civilians. The pro streamers have their ridiculous interactions with their chat while exterminating those they deem to be subhuman terrorists. If the narrative were done differently where it didn't try to be serious and irreverent at the same time it could've possibly passed itself off as a work of social satire.
Bounce House is defined by its mushy middle. As with the plot itself, it seems to be just trying to wait it out until it's over. The characters have little agency and when they try to exert it, it's usually ineffectual and goes badly. Without the AI and others doing just about everything all the time for them, they all would die horribly and immediately without any chance of survival. That's not what I want to read.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
review of ARC sent by the publisher
I thought some of the fighting sequences were over too quick and not very exciting or dangerous for the characters.
the final 100 pages (and especially the last 50) were great, though.
I also wanted a scene at the end with the side characters dealing with the consequences of the final event with the MC.
I enjoyed the commentary on AI. it's crazy how some of this "sci-fi" stuff no longer feels quite like fiction.
overall fun to read.
I thought some of the fighting sequences were over too quick and not very exciting or dangerous for the characters.
the final 100 pages (and especially the last 50) were great, though.
I also wanted a scene at the end with the side characters dealing with the consequences of the final event with the MC.
I enjoyed the commentary on AI. it's crazy how some of this "sci-fi" stuff no longer feels quite like fiction.
overall fun to read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me with an eARC.
This book has a chilling but unique premise where people from Earth create a game to attack and destroy the colonists remotely. I quite liked the characters and their dynamics. Midway through the book, I found the fight scenes somewhat repetitive and think that the book could've been a bit shorter. I'm not sure how to feel about the ending but I suppose it was fitting. The core of the story made me feel the same way I felt while reading 1984, like this could be real someday. I've never read a dystopian/speculative fiction book with this plotline before. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a unique dystopian novel -- part video games, part war.
This book has a chilling but unique premise where people from Earth create a game to attack and destroy the colonists remotely. I quite liked the characters and their dynamics. Midway through the book, I found the fight scenes somewhat repetitive and think that the book could've been a bit shorter. I'm not sure how to feel about the ending but I suppose it was fitting. The core of the story made me feel the same way I felt while reading 1984, like this could be real someday. I've never read a dystopian/speculative fiction book with this plotline before. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a unique dystopian novel -- part video games, part war.
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