The Moon Maze Game

Dream Park, Book 4

By: Larry Niven, Steven Barnes

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

The year is 2085, and humanity has spread throughout the solar system, a stable lunar colony is agitating for independence, and lunar tourism is on the rise....

Against this background, professional "Close Protection" specialist Scotty Griffin, fresh off a disastrous assignment, is offered the opportunity of a lifetime: to shepherd the teenaged heir to the Republic of Kikaya on a fabulous vacation. Ali Kikaya will participate in the first live-action role playing game conducted on the Moon itself. Having left Luna - and a treasured marriage - years ago due to a near-tragic accident, Scotty leaps at the opportunity.

Live-action role playing attracts a very special sort of individual: brilliant, unpredictable, resourceful, and addicted to problem solving. By kidnapping a dozen gamers in the middle of the ultimate game, watched by more people than any other sporting event in history, they have thrown down an irresistible gauntlet: to "win" the first game that ever became "real."

Pursued by armed and murderous terrorists, forced to solve gaming puzzles to stay a jump ahead, forced to juggle multiple psychological realities as they do...this is the game for which they've prepared their entire lives, and they are going to play it for all it's worth.

©2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc. (P)2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

The best one of the series

I listened to this last book of the series. Mostly to complete it. I found it more interesting than the other books, but still not very exciting. I would probably only recommend it if you’re into the genre and have a very long drive ahead of you.

Amazing

A great and entertaining read! I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves games!

Good. Needs editing.

I liked this one but of the Dream Park series I think this one needs some more revisions. There are several times in the middle where what characters do and do not know change from scene to scene.

interesting plot but confusing at times

I disliked the way the reader paused between every sentence. it made it feel like start and stop the whole way through. also used very similar tones for different people so it was confusing at times who was talking.

Dream Park, The Next Generation...

Another well written romp through Dream Park. The tech feels contemporary in this more recent visit to Dream Park. It’s a shame a place like this does not exist yet, it sounds really fun! This was a good cross between game and a real life and death struggle. With some of the game still functioning and very real and very deadly pirates in pursuit, this is a more intense “game”. Big fun, I’m sorry it’s over and there are no more books in this series.

Overall about a 82/100 imho

Loved the concept and plot of this book. It had sooo much potential that honestly maybe I was a little too excited because it did fall slightly flat. Nothing overly poor it just never really swept me up and had me on the edge of my seat or cheering out loud for our gamers etc.

Enjoyed the narration but I take exception to the way he pronounces ichor as “ick-cor” as in icky ,,, if this is correct it’s a first to me. Most narrators pronounce the I as in EYE-Kor in my experience.

Also while I blame the author for this and not the narrator I gotta say “Fit-Fat” 😳🤯 the author uses this phrase like 15 times at least I think and it really felt annoying and repetitive.

On the upside again the premise behind the story was pretty sweet incorporating many of my favorite genres Space Opera Larp gaming etc.

The story so far

Having just finished the latest installment in the Dream Park series I gotta say this was a solid tale through space. Not my favorite in the series but honestly a good time. Even when the game itself got derailed I found myself wondering how things would have played out without the intruders.

Whaat do you do when you lose control of the game.

given an opportunity to play on the moon. be careful what you wish for, you just might get dose of reality.

A Very Good Story.

Yes, I know it falls into the vein of things like Under Siege and Die Hard. This, I enjoyed how the story ran and played out. The hero didn’t turn out to be some super dude, but a team that worked together to reach their goal. The H. G. Wells reference was a neat idea that could have played out but I didn’t write the book.

engrossing story, very well read!

it's been years since I read the Dream Park series, well worth diving back into that world.