Cover of Operation Bounce House

Operation Bounce House

by Matt Dinniman

My Rating:
Published
2026
Read
2026-02-20
Pages
449
Publisher
Penguin Group

Genres

FictionScience Fiction

Description

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.

My Review

This book takes a little while to get rolling but is pretty enjoyable once it does. Having read through another Dinniman series, Dungeon Crawler Carl, I experienced the series just getting better and better as books came out and I have little doubt this series (assuming he writes more novels to continue this story) will go the same way. This book was an enjoyable book on its own but the ending does allow for a continuation, and given how well it has done I assume he will continue this into a series. As is so often the case the dystopian future in this novel hits close to home and has more to say than just the surface level plot.