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timinbc's review against another edition
2.0
OK, I didn't like the other Dream Park books all that much either, and I hated Fallen Angels.
But this was disappointing even beyond that.
This from the guy who gave us Ringworld, stepping discs and the Draco Tavern? Larry, you're slumming.
Even the basic premise is nonsense: Broadcast LARPs are popular, therefore one set on the moon will be boffo. But then I don't watch "Survivor" on TV either so what do I know?
I disliked it most near the end where a couple of scenes have characters being killed while in another room our gamer heroes are lobbing marshmallows at animatronic grubs. I just can't get my head around mixing gaming and action-film killing this way. The authors did their best to make it plausible, but it still fell short for me.
I liked the two mercenary leaders, characters with great potential that in the end might has well have been any two of the other disposable schlubs. The rest of the cast were generic, almost as if they drew index cards from a file of stock characters.
And don't even get me started on the plot-within-a-plot stuff that I won't do a spoiler on. I'll just say that nesting two implausible plots within two other implausible ones is just asking for trouble.
This is an circle-jerk for LARP gamers, and a waste of time for others. I won't read any more of them.
Also, it contained at least a dozen basic errors and typos that even a rookie copy editor would have caught.
But this was disappointing even beyond that.
This from the guy who gave us Ringworld, stepping discs and the Draco Tavern? Larry, you're slumming.
Even the basic premise is nonsense: Broadcast LARPs are popular, therefore one set on the moon will be boffo. But then I don't watch "Survivor" on TV either so what do I know?
I disliked it most near the end where a couple of scenes have characters being killed while in another room our gamer heroes are lobbing marshmallows at animatronic grubs. I just can't get my head around mixing gaming and action-film killing this way. The authors did their best to make it plausible, but it still fell short for me.
I liked the two mercenary leaders, characters with great potential that in the end might has well have been any two of the other disposable schlubs. The rest of the cast were generic, almost as if they drew index cards from a file of stock characters.
And don't even get me started on the plot-within-a-plot stuff that I won't do a spoiler on. I'll just say that nesting two implausible plots within two other implausible ones is just asking for trouble.
This is an circle-jerk for LARP gamers, and a waste of time for others. I won't read any more of them.
Also, it contained at least a dozen basic errors and typos that even a rookie copy editor would have caught.
lyleblosser's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
tamdot's review against another edition
2.0
Sadly, the Dream Park series continued to drop in quality with each new book. The idea is still interesting, but by Moon Maze Game, it was clear the authors should have quit before this.
futuregazer's review against another edition
5.0
Caveat to the following: This book = much better if you read the first Dreampark novel for background into how these games work.
Absolutely brilliant! Though no sequel will ever be able to top the original Dreampark; this is the one that comes closest. Just as in the original there is a wonderful mix between the two storylines of in-game and out of game. The out-of-game storyline still won out in grabbing my attention away from the game (for obvious reasons), but unlike books 2 and 3 (Barsoom and Vodoo) the gaming story has enough intrinsic interest in itself to really compete, probably because of the contextual crux of the book which forces the attention of the players and thus the reader onto the game--because the gamers HAVE TO play.
Now, in the original Dreampark, the out-of-game storyline and mystery was mostly resolved before the game came to an end, allowing the in-game storyline to absolutely flourish as the surviving players made an all out last-dash to the finish line. THAT left the reader feeling the adrenaline rush of fulfilled dreams after the fuel of intrigue had finished heightening the stakes. Now, in Moon Maze, that ending kinda flip-flops, resulting in the "in-game" storyline finishing (or at least coming to a climax since some could say it never really began) before the out-of-game story is resolved. There is still the adrenaline pumping race to the finish, but it is the adrenaline of escaping a nightmare rather than starring as the hero of a dream. Absolutely necessary to the book, just slightly less satisfying is all. Still, the balance between in and out game was better than any since Dreampark, and anyone who reads this books will understand why that is a simply amazing accomplishment for Niven considering the fundamental premise of this book.
So, sometimes not so much a Dreampark novel as a thriller with Dreampark elements; but that is much better than a Dreampark novel where the dreams are lackluster, boring, and kinda corny --Basoom, I'm looking at you!
Absolutely brilliant! Though no sequel will ever be able to top the original Dreampark; this is the one that comes closest. Just as in the original there is a wonderful mix between the two storylines of in-game and out of game. The out-of-game storyline still won out in grabbing my attention away from the game (for obvious reasons), but unlike books 2 and 3 (Barsoom and Vodoo) the gaming story has enough intrinsic interest in itself to really compete, probably because of the contextual crux of the book which forces the attention of the players and thus the reader onto the game--because the gamers HAVE TO play.
Now, in the original Dreampark, the out-of-game storyline and mystery was mostly resolved before the game came to an end, allowing the in-game storyline to absolutely flourish as the surviving players made an all out last-dash to the finish line. THAT left the reader feeling the adrenaline rush of fulfilled dreams after the fuel of intrigue had finished heightening the stakes. Now, in Moon Maze, that ending kinda flip-flops, resulting in the "in-game" storyline finishing (or at least coming to a climax since some could say it never really began) before the out-of-game story is resolved. There is still the adrenaline pumping race to the finish, but it is the adrenaline of escaping a nightmare rather than starring as the hero of a dream. Absolutely necessary to the book, just slightly less satisfying is all. Still, the balance between in and out game was better than any since Dreampark, and anyone who reads this books will understand why that is a simply amazing accomplishment for Niven considering the fundamental premise of this book.
So, sometimes not so much a Dreampark novel as a thriller with Dreampark elements; but that is much better than a Dreampark novel where the dreams are lackluster, boring, and kinda corny --Basoom, I'm looking at you!
madisonian's review against another edition
4.0
A good read, but I liked California Voodoo Game better. Sadly, the set of characters in this sequel is almost completely different, and Alex Griffin only plays a tiny role. The story itself is vaguely a continuation of the barsoom project, mankind has begun settling space. And now they are playing the first dream park game in the moon, which becomes more thrilling than anyone expected.
I felt that the book did get much better in the second half or so.
I felt that the book did get much better in the second half or so.
ronschae4's review against another edition
4.0
Another Niven/Pournelle collaboration?? YES!! There is something very familiar in these pages, but not "tired" in the least. While not paradigm challenging in any way, if you want a very well written SF story, this is a great option.
mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
4.0
Another Dream Park book but certainly not as good as some of the others. And a bit of a cop out since the game doesn't get finished per se. Basically fluff. But pleasant, readable enjoyable fluff. But not enough to make me want to read me HG Wells any time soon.
grayreader's review against another edition
2.0
With an ensemble cast, I found the perspective switches- sometimes three to a page- excessive and often confusing. Hard to tell who was speaking often. The story itself was a lot of fun, especially for gamers or fans of H.G. Wells. Didn't realize this was part of a series, at all, there was nothing to indicate it was not a stand-alone book. Which is not a bad thing. Overall, I enjoyed it, but would have preferred to focus on just a few characters and gotten to know them, rather than shifting nonstop through so many perspectives. Fewer typos and a better title wouldn't hurt, either.
thomcat's review against another edition
3.0
Written nearly 20 years later, this book is quite a bit better than the third and former last book of the series. It seems likely that there won't be another. I found it good, not great, and unlike the others, the plot here covers a lot more than just the game.
One of the things that confused the previous book was a ton of characters. This book has a more reasonable cast, but not a lot of growth. Previous books tried to keep up with technology and felt dated, this one waves hands over the "game" bits. It mostly succeeds in keeping a level of hard science - the setting is a colony on the moon. Also missing is the postscript, describing the ideas behind the book and real-world things.
One of the things that confused the previous book was a ton of characters. This book has a more reasonable cast, but not a lot of growth. Previous books tried to keep up with technology and felt dated, this one waves hands over the "game" bits. It mostly succeeds in keeping a level of hard science - the setting is a colony on the moon. Also missing is the postscript, describing the ideas behind the book and real-world things.
tltorrez's review against another edition
2.0
Great premise and fun to see the next generation of characters but this book looks like it was printed before it was edited. Repeated dialogue, parts written in narrative. It seriously looks like a rough draft. Worthy reading if you're a super fan of the series but not otherwise.