The Barsoom Project (Dream Park series, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

Illusions are played so much for dangerously real as to be almost indistinguishable from the real thing. -- The Times, London

Review

Illusions are played so much for dangerously real as to be almost indistinguishable from the real thing. (The Times, London)

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Ace; 1st THUS edition (April 29, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441167128
• ISBN-13: 978-0441167128
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #669,492 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #17 in	Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > ( B ) > Barnes, Steven
  #89 in	Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > ( N ) > Niven, Larry

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lacks "Dream Park's" magic, but well worth the ride, October 22, 1997

By	[e-mail] (Alvin, Texas) - See all my reviews

Although missing some of the wonder that made the first novel in this on-going series a unique and highly satisfying work, "The Barsoom Project" remains, nonetheless, a very good read. Like its predecessor, the story has several dimensions, managing to succeed as an excellent fantasia on the rarely-studied, yet fascinating Eskimo mythos and magic, a provocative portrait of the likely future of the entertainment industry, and an abosrbing and convoluted murder mystery. Even if Barnes's and Niven's second "Dream Park" effort lacks the magic of their first, it is nonetheless a well-crafted book allowing the eager reader to check in on a few old friends, and live, if only for a moment, in a wonderland of entertainment that makes Disneyland<tm> look like an oversized swingset. Also in the same series by the same authors are:"Dream Park"and"The California Voodoo Game"--Dalin T. Error ([e-mail])Alvin, Texas

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A return to Dream Park - this time with Inuit mythology, July 20, 1997

By A Customer

Returning to the ever-fascinating Dream Park, where a bodyguard assignment also reopens a decade-old in-park murder. The game this time involves Eskimo/Inuit mythology - a little more helter-skelter and a LOT more metaphysical than "Dream Park's" New Guinea. But I'll come back to the park anytime

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Return to Dream Park for those who want a little less, October 26, 2007

By	Dave Deubler (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This return to Dream Park (the role-playing theme park of the future) is workman-like enough and avoids the pitfalls of the earlier novel, but ultimately there isn't much real meat here. This time through, the game is a "Fat-Ripper Special", which means that the players are paying their hard-earned dollars to lose weight, get plenty of exercise, and change the way they think about food. This certainly makes sense from a Dream Park perspective - people always seem to have money for weight loss - and this at least makes it distinct from the original Dream Park novel, but it doesn't make for an especially interesting story. Once again, the best part of the book is the Game itself, which this time is based on Inuit mythology. And once again, the back-story (a ruthless industrialist attempts to sabotage the visionary Barsoom Project) is where most of the science fiction is, even though it gets very few pages, and isn't really all that interesting. So like the original Dream Park novel, this book is recommended for gamers more than for sci-fi readers. Those uncertain if they really want to return to Dream Park would be better off skipping to the third installment, The California Voodoo Game, which is a substantially better book than this one.