Operation Bounce House
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A man must fight for his planet against impossible odds when gamers from Earth attempt to remotely annihilate it in this epic, fast-paced novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the smash-hit Dungeon Crawler Carl.
All colonist Oliver Lewis ever wanted to do was run the family ranch with his sister, maybe play a gig or two with his band, and keep his family’s aging fleet of intelligent agriculture bots ticking as long as possible. He figures it will be a good thing when the transfer gate finally opens all the way and restores instant travel and full communication between Earth and his planet, New Sonora. But there’s a complication.
Even though the settlers were promised they’d be left in peace, Earth’s government now has other plans. The colossal Apex Industries is hired to commence an “eviction action.” But maximizing profits will always be Apex’s number one priority. Why spend money printing and deploying AI soldiers when they can turn it into a game? Why not charge bored Earthers for the opportunity to design their own war machines and remotely pilot them from the comfort of their homes?
The game is called Operation Bounce House.
Oliver and his friends soon find themselves fighting for their lives against machines piloted by gamers who’ve paid a premium for the privilege. With the help of an old book from his grandfather and a bucket of rusty parts, Oliver is determined to defend the only home he’s ever known.
All colonist Oliver Lewis ever wanted to do was run the family ranch with his sister, maybe play a gig or two with his band, and keep his family’s aging fleet of intelligent agriculture bots ticking as long as possible. He figures it will be a good thing when the transfer gate finally opens all the way and restores instant travel and full communication between Earth and his planet, New Sonora. But there’s a complication.
Even though the settlers were promised they’d be left in peace, Earth’s government now has other plans. The colossal Apex Industries is hired to commence an “eviction action.” But maximizing profits will always be Apex’s number one priority. Why spend money printing and deploying AI soldiers when they can turn it into a game? Why not charge bored Earthers for the opportunity to design their own war machines and remotely pilot them from the comfort of their homes?
The game is called Operation Bounce House.
Oliver and his friends soon find themselves fighting for their lives against machines piloted by gamers who’ve paid a premium for the privilege. With the help of an old book from his grandfather and a bucket of rusty parts, Oliver is determined to defend the only home he’s ever known.
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Community Reviews
Nothing says “late-stage capitalism in space” quite like turning genocide into a subscription-based video game. Welcome to Operation Bounce House, where Earth looks at a whole planet of settlers and says, “What if we monetized that?”
And then it answers that question with explosions, killer robots, and gamers who absolutely should not be trusted with a “design your own war machine” interface.
Oliver Lewis just wants to ranch, jam with his band, and keep his family’s elderly agri-bots from falling apart like sentient Roombas held together by hope and duct tape. Naturally, Earth responds by reopening communication and immediately deciding, “Actually, we’d like your planet back. Please enjoy this fun, monetized eviction.”
Enter Apex Corporation, who look at interstellar warfare and think, But what if we added microtransactions? Thus, Operation Bounce House, a game where bored Earthers pay real money to remotely murder colonists. Cool cool cool, no notes.
Watching Oliver and his friends MacGyver defenses out of rusty parts and an old book while facing off against joystick-wielding Earthlings is wildly entertaining. The result is a fast, chaotic, deeply unhinged sci-fi romp that blends corporate dystopia, gamer culture satire, and scrappy underdog energy.
The action never really lets up, and the satire hits just close enough to home to make you laugh and then feel a little uncomfortable about it… which is kind of the point.
This book knows exactly what it is: loud, ridiculous, and surprisingly heartfelt beneath all the explosions. If you like your sci-fi angry, funny, and yelling “THIS IS WHY WE CAN’T HAVE NICE THINGS” at capitalism, Operation Bounce House is absolutely worth your time.
And then it answers that question with explosions, killer robots, and gamers who absolutely should not be trusted with a “design your own war machine” interface.
Oliver Lewis just wants to ranch, jam with his band, and keep his family’s elderly agri-bots from falling apart like sentient Roombas held together by hope and duct tape. Naturally, Earth responds by reopening communication and immediately deciding, “Actually, we’d like your planet back. Please enjoy this fun, monetized eviction.”
Enter Apex Corporation, who look at interstellar warfare and think, But what if we added microtransactions? Thus, Operation Bounce House, a game where bored Earthers pay real money to remotely murder colonists. Cool cool cool, no notes.
Watching Oliver and his friends MacGyver defenses out of rusty parts and an old book while facing off against joystick-wielding Earthlings is wildly entertaining. The result is a fast, chaotic, deeply unhinged sci-fi romp that blends corporate dystopia, gamer culture satire, and scrappy underdog energy.
The action never really lets up, and the satire hits just close enough to home to make you laugh and then feel a little uncomfortable about it… which is kind of the point.
This book knows exactly what it is: loud, ridiculous, and surprisingly heartfelt beneath all the explosions. If you like your sci-fi angry, funny, and yelling “THIS IS WHY WE CAN’T HAVE NICE THINGS” at capitalism, Operation Bounce House is absolutely worth your time.
Dinniman did it again! Humor and chaos is a work of art. The characters are well rounded and explained along with the history of their world. Couldn't put this baby down! It's fun, exciting, and sad. Then... a little mind blowing.
I read this because I loved Dungeon Crawler Carl - NOT THE SAME! This is totally darker and lacks the humor I expected from DCC. I feel like had I not been expecting something similar, I could have enjoyed it more, but it does kind of make you think about how far AI goes… and how wet souls all embrace our humanity
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