FantasticLand

A Novel

By: Mike Bockoven

Narrated by: Angela Dawe, Luke Daniels

Length: 10 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

Since the 1970s, FantasticLand has been the theme park where "Fun is Guaranteed!" But when a hurricane ravages the Florida coast and isolates the park, the employees find it anything but fun. Five weeks later, the authorities who rescue the survivors encounter a scene of horror. Photos soon emerge online of heads on spikes outside of rides and viscera and human bones littering the gift shops, breaking records for hits, views, likes, clicks, and shares. How could a group of survivors, mostly teenagers, commit such terrible acts?

Presented as a fact-finding investigation and a series of first-person interviews, FantasticLand pieces together the grisly series of events. Park policy was that the mostly college-aged employees surrender their electronic devices to preserve the authenticity of the FantasticLand experience. Cut off from the world and left on their own, the teenagers soon form rival tribes who viciously compete for food, medicine, social dominance, and even human flesh. This new social network divides the ravaged dreamland into territories ruled by the Pirates, the ShopGirls, the Freaks, and the Mole People. If meticulously curated online personas can replace private identities, what takes over when those constructs are lost?

FantasticLand is a modern take on Lord of the Flies meets Battle Royale that probes the consequences of a social civilization built online.

©2016 Mike Bockoven (P)2017 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Disturbing... but in a thought provoking way

At first I thought I was gonna be turned off by the interview format but I have to say it worked. Wasn’t too gory so I really appreciated that part. Definitely enjoyed it

THIS WAS AN UNEXPECTED SURPRISE...AND I LIKED IT!!

This is a unique book, with a lot of potential...The narration was really good...I would have liked a bit more story...but I enjoyed the interview, the personal story telling, and the idea for all this...but would still like to know more....lol I enjoyed this...and I would read more from this author in a minute...He is creative and knows how to draw you in...that's a gift!!! Good Story!!!

Harrowing and unforgettable

This is one of those stories that will live on in my brain long after the voices in my earbuds have ceased. I hesitate to say I "enjoyed" it, as in a number of ways, it was not entertaining or enjoyable, though not by any fault of the storytelling or performances.

The performance of Angela Dawe in particular was at times so emotional and "real" that I had to turn off the book for a bit.

Anyhow, I say these things only to make sure you are prepared, as this is not an easy read. It isn't a fantastical work that you can distance yourself from with suspension of disbelief. I didn't exit having enjoyed the ride, thrilled but still feeling safe in the knowledge that monsters aren't real.

Instead I was reminded that they (potentially) exist all around. Something I wish I didn't have to remember.

While this story is obviously fiction, it doesn't feel like it. And that is the scariest thing of all.

Don't know why I waited so long for this one??

This was a remarkable, mostly original, (Lord of the Flies), story about the downfall of society. When society breaks down and modern comforts are taken away, this is how the young adults, our next leaders, will act in time of crisis. Some will lead, some will follow, all will kill to secure their safety. Whether killing for good or bad or the blurred lines in-between, this story is a warning to all. Humans suck. Don't let society crumble or this will eventually happen. #survival #dark #cynical #naturaldisaster #Tagsgiving #Sweepstakes

excellent

I enjoyed the story and performance of this book very much. it really drew you in and i was excited to get back to it everytime I stopped. the story is told with each chapter as a different interview and it gave a great overview of the park and what was happening.

Incredible

Such a uniquely written and presented novel. I kept forgetting it wasn’t a real story!

Excellent Performance

This was a really great format to listen to different characters tell their snippets to form the whole story. Fascinating psychology that had me talking to friends about “what if?”

Modern Lord of the Flies

I didn't know anything about this story going into it, but I really enjoyed it and found that it held my attention throughout. The narrators were good, the story was good, and I'm glad I took a chance on it.

Enjoyed tremendously!!

Really, really enjoyed the performance of both narrators. They brought the book to life and made an unbelievable story believable.

If Lord of the Flies played out in central FL

A thriller of the brutal, down & dirty variety. Imagine it if you will...picture yourself as a 20-something working at an off-brand Disneyworld competitor named FantasticLand. When a hurricane approaches the park, you have the opportunity to earn tons of overtime by volunteering to stay and man the park. Little do you know, this is no ordinary hurricane but the storm of the century... what ensues is a modern day Lord of the Flies at an amusement park in Central Florida. This is not high literature, people. But it's a creative idea and good fun if your reading tastes lean toward the dark and gritty. The style reminded me somewhat of World War Z - a journalistic manner of piecing together interviews told in different voices from different perspectives. I loved that it was fully casted with different actors playing different parts. A very enjoyable listed.