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captlychee's review against another edition
4.0
I re-read this to check whether there wa a story about a uterine transplant, and there was. It's not very germane to the plot, since plots are Niven's forte, but it does provide insight into the characters which is Barnes'.
Good Dream park material, well verdue for a movie as they all are.
Good Dream park material, well verdue for a movie as they all are.
hirvimaki's review against another edition
3.0
A little too much, muck like Barsoom Project. But a satisfying end saved it.
branch_c's review against another edition
3.0
Although the original Dream Park is a long-time favorite, I’m concerned that it might not hold up to my current tastes if I were to reread it today. Maybe it would, but this one, I’m afraid, never really engaged me. There are some interesting concepts surrounding the unique varieties of voodoo that formed the basis of the game, but beyond that, things were less interesting. The “real” plot involving espionage, theft, and murder just didn’t hold my attention for long. The gaming jokes were less funny than I’d hoped, perhaps due to my reading this so long after it was published. So probably Niven and Barnes don’t deserve all the blame, but for me this book was just okay.
madisonian's review against another edition
5.0
Great book, I liked it better than [b:Dream Park|357922|Dream Park (Dream Park, #1)|Larry Niven|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1309200983s/357922.jpg|1775372] and much better than [b:The Barsoom Project|218470|The Barsoom Project (Dream Park, #2)|Larry Niven|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1309203335s/218470.jpg|1765301]. The interactions between Alex and his allies on the one side, and Bishop on the other were captivating. And I also enjoyed the actual game going on.
mschlat's review against another edition
2.0
Of the Dream Park books I've read (this one and the previous two), California Voodoo Game has the most interesting Game being played. Unlike the first two books (where the immersive live role playing events involved Europeans saving indigenous peoples), here the Game setting is a futuristic megacomplex where "Valley" and mall culture humorously reign supreme. The cast is huge (we have five teams of players competing for the win), and the action - especially near the end - is very exciting.
But the cringe factor was too much for me. We start off the book with sex scenes full of deceit and dysfunction sandwiching a murder. That's not exactly what I want in a science fiction thriller based on LARPing, but what makes it worse is that (spoilers below)
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our murderer and murder victim (each of which has one of the awful sex scenes mentioned above) were apparently both victims of childhood rape by a family member and may have even met each other at a support group for childhood rape survivors. That's too much ick for me from a book I'm reading just for the gamer kicks.
But the cringe factor was too much for me. We start off the book with sex scenes full of deceit and dysfunction sandwiching a murder. That's not exactly what I want in a science fiction thriller based on LARPing, but what makes it worse is that (spoilers below)
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our murderer and murder victim (each of which has one of the awful sex scenes mentioned above) were apparently both victims of childhood rape by a family member and may have even met each other at a support group for childhood rape survivors. That's too much ick for me from a book I'm reading just for the gamer kicks.
misterfix's review against another edition
3.0
Pure guilty pleasure, pulp reading. I loved this series when I was young but only read books 1 & 2 so I took a break from heavy reading and was surprised this mostly held up - heck 3 stars is not terrible.
Many elements of this series were ahead of their time, particularly the description and use of virtual reality but even the Reality TV style of the content was prescient. I'm surprised this series has never been made into a series or a film. If you are looking for some shallow escape reading you could do far worse though I suggest book one, Dream Park, as this one has a port that drags a bit and is a bit convoluted vs the pure joy of the first book.
Many elements of this series were ahead of their time, particularly the description and use of virtual reality but even the Reality TV style of the content was prescient. I'm surprised this series has never been made into a series or a film. If you are looking for some shallow escape reading you could do far worse though I suggest book one, Dream Park, as this one has a port that drags a bit and is a bit convoluted vs the pure joy of the first book.
thomcat's review against another edition
2.0
Third book in a series (and for nearly 20 years, the last book of the series), this large cast story can be hard to follow and has more caricature than character. Technology was also starting to leave this description of a future world behind. That said, it brought the series to a nice conclusion.
In the world described, Dream Park has been a going venture for a number of years. This game represents a cast-only break from normal activities, and also five teams of five in competition. The plot describes both a mystery outside the game and a race within the game. When you add in the staff and major NPCs, the character total becomes quite unwieldy - though more than a few are killed off in the virtual world competition.
That's also part of the problem - the virtual world described in the first book (1981) consisted of holograms, props and makeup. This book (1992) adds visors - heads up displays with added character information and many of the injuries and death. VR headsets, already available at the time of writing, were not even considered. Another focus of this book is the media presentation of the game, with characters playing to the camera. How similar this would be to reality television...
It will be interesting to see how the 4th book (2011) connects our world with Dream Park. I plan to tackle it later this year, finishing off yet another series.
In the world described, Dream Park has been a going venture for a number of years. This game represents a cast-only break from normal activities, and also five teams of five in competition. The plot describes both a mystery outside the game and a race within the game. When you add in the staff and major NPCs, the character total becomes quite unwieldy - though more than a few are killed off in the virtual world competition.
That's also part of the problem - the virtual world described in the first book (1981) consisted of holograms, props and makeup. This book (1992) adds visors - heads up displays with added character information and many of the injuries and death. VR headsets, already available at the time of writing, were not even considered. Another focus of this book is the media presentation of the game, with characters playing to the camera. How similar this would be to reality television...
It will be interesting to see how the 4th book (2011) connects our world with Dream Park. I plan to tackle it later this year, finishing off yet another series.
tarsel's review against another edition
3.0
Tough to get into, perhaps read the others first. The language feels too odd and unnatural, but the ideas are great as always with a Niven book.
js_warren's review against another edition
3.0
Like the other books in this series, CVG worked on some levels, while falling short on others. It kept me entertained (once it got going, anyway...), but there are problematic aspects to the story as well. Spoilers below.
The change in tech was an odd choice, since it was a step backwards in many ways. The first two books took place in Dream Park's gaming domes, where hologram beasties and set pieces are nigh-indistinguishable from reality, and ultrasonics can subconsciously affect one's mood. The CVG is held in a(n admittedly unique) preexisting structure that's been retrofitted for the game, but requires the use of what amount to VR HUDs for the full effect. Why? Because it's unrealistic for a future high-tech gaming firm to port their bleeding-edge tech to a different location? I honestly don't know, but it's a head-scratching choice, especially if it was based on worries about straining the reader's suspension of disbelief.
The obligatory out-of-game mystery/crime to be solved felt convoluted, and I'm not even sure it's necessary. I can't help but wonder if simply treating the series like a fun, fictional Ultra-LARP session wouldn't have been the more natural route to take. Regardess, for the second book in a row unnecessarily dark back story was included. I'm not averse to a discussion of sensitive subjects, but a sci-fi/fantasy mashup series is an odd place to pepper in plot points about abortion and incest--especially since they're utterly unnecessary to either plot. In both instances, the inclusion feels forced and perfunctory, which is an odd combination.
Last but not least, one could easily argue that the entire series is an exercise in cultural appropriation. It's a concept I struggle with, as I've taken a number of anthropology classes precisely because foreign cultures fascinate me. I certainly understand the impulse to incorporate elements of other cultures into a story, devoid of any malice or intentional exploitation. I also see how that might not necessarily excuse it. Add to that the occasionally dudebro-y take on sex, and the books can exude a strong scent of eau du white heterosexual male.
But hey, maybe I'm putting more thought into this than I should. As I noted before, the series still entertains, but probably less so as an adult.
The change in tech was an odd choice, since it was a step backwards in many ways. The first two books took place in Dream Park's gaming domes, where hologram beasties and set pieces are nigh-indistinguishable from reality, and ultrasonics can subconsciously affect one's mood. The CVG is held in a(n admittedly unique) preexisting structure that's been retrofitted for the game, but requires the use of what amount to VR HUDs for the full effect. Why? Because it's unrealistic for a future high-tech gaming firm to port their bleeding-edge tech to a different location? I honestly don't know, but it's a head-scratching choice, especially if it was based on worries about straining the reader's suspension of disbelief.
The obligatory out-of-game mystery/crime to be solved felt convoluted, and I'm not even sure it's necessary. I can't help but wonder if simply treating the series like a fun, fictional Ultra-LARP session wouldn't have been the more natural route to take. Regardess, for the second book in a row unnecessarily dark back story was included. I'm not averse to a discussion of sensitive subjects, but a sci-fi/fantasy mashup series is an odd place to pepper in plot points about abortion and incest--especially since they're utterly unnecessary to either plot. In both instances, the inclusion feels forced and perfunctory, which is an odd combination.
Last but not least, one could easily argue that the entire series is an exercise in cultural appropriation. It's a concept I struggle with, as I've taken a number of anthropology classes precisely because foreign cultures fascinate me. I certainly understand the impulse to incorporate elements of other cultures into a story, devoid of any malice or intentional exploitation. I also see how that might not necessarily excuse it. Add to that the occasionally dudebro-y take on sex, and the books can exude a strong scent of eau du white heterosexual male.
But hey, maybe I'm putting more thought into this than I should. As I noted before, the series still entertains, but probably less so as an adult.
gigglesag98's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This book was slow to get into and probably not my style. I did enjoy it but there were so many characters it was hard to keep track (I listened to audiobook, might be easier when reading).