In the Net of Dreams [Paperback]

Wm. Mark Simmons (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Questar (October 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0445210168
• ISBN-13: 978-0445210165
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,507,442 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Before he turned his attention to Science Fiction, (William) Mark Simmons was winning awards for his writing, first as a newspaper journalist and later as a broadcast copywriter. His first book was a finalist for the Compton Crook Award and made the LOCUS Best List in 1991. When he isn't writing, Mark is in front of the camera or microphone having worked in television and now radio where his is the morning voice for Radio Kansas and can be heard throughout half of the Sunflower State.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dream Park with a Heart, April 10, 2001

By 

Dennis E. Smirl (Topeka, KS United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In the Net of Dreams (Paperback)

Wm. Mark Simmons' "In the Net of Dreams" has been a favorite of mine for years. I picked up a copy of the book when it was first released, mainly because I liked the cover art. (I'd never heard of Simmons, but that was because "In the Net..." was his first novel.) Once I got into the book, however, I couldn't put it down. An almost perfect crossover idea, "In the Net..." is filled with Gnomes and Goblins, Sorcerers and Spells, Witches, Warlocks and Werewolves (actually, it's a Werebear and boy, does it hate fire) and some off-the-wall Science Fiction, all of which comes to life on the pages of the book. When I read the book back in the '90's, I told my friends to go out and get the novel that was "Dream Park" with Heart. I haven't changed my opinion with subsequent re-readings. Simmons has an uncanny ability to grab the reader's emotions and then hold on for dear life. His protagonist Ripley knows love and heartache, fear and triumph, lust and revenge, and half a dozen other emotions that will jump off the page to become real to the reader (Did you cry when Misty Dawn died?). More than anything else, however, Simmons knows how to make the reader laugh. The book is riddled with humorous allusions and a plethora of horrid puns that the tosses about with seeming impunity. For a fascinating blend of Fantasy and Science Fiction (you can't get to Fantasyworld without going through the very hi-tech suspension tanks) with a liberal dose of Freudian psychology thrown in.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Has a special spot in my bookcase, August 2, 2005

By 

David Harper (Toronto, ON Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In the Net of Dreams (Paperback)

A well-written, fast-paced adventure novel, one part fun, one part danger, one part wit and one part naughtiness. Simmons uses a dash of science fiction to justify putting a modern-day character into a fantasy world - his own literary creation, now programmed into a game world by a large corporation bent on giving users the 'ultimate fantasy experience'. But something goes wrong and now they want the man best suited to the task to find out what! It's a fun, rollicking adventure that is still uplifting each time I read it. It makes a nice light read with a satisfying ending (although it has a sequel). Be warned: there are puns, although they're not too bad.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dream Park with humor, November 6, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: In the Net of Dreams (Paperback)

This book is an excellent view of a Dreampark and virtual reality world of fantasy. It has a great sense of humor and an engaging and intelligent storyline. I recommend it for anyone who is a fan of fantasy.