The California Voodoo Game

Dream Park, Book 3

By: Larry Niven, Steven Barnes

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Dream Park, the ultimate in amusement parks, was about to embark on the greatest game ever: the California Voodoo Game. Across the world bets were being placed; fortunes and reputations hung in the balance. Gaming careers would be made - or destroyed. And the most advanced software package ever invented was going to be tested.

But one of the players was a murderer - and worse. Only Alex Griffin, head of Dream Park Security, and Game Master Tony McWhirter guessed the extent of the treachery tainting the Game. Somehow, they had to catch the killer - but above all, the Game must go on....

©2011 Larry Niven and Steven Barnes (P)2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Okay

I was concerned a little at first cause I got a little lost on where this story was going. But once it did and I could see the path the story made absolute sense to me. I know I can trust in Larry Niven’s writing. I have not found many of his books that I did not care for. This one was in line with the two previous stories of the Dream Park series.

Took a while to get what the heck was going on

What the game entailed took a while to clarify. I swear I listened to the first three chapters three times to get the pieces assembled in my head. Admittedly that might be me and not the story. In any case, once it got rolling it was a pretty dang good story. I don’t usually think “this would make an awesome movie,” but this would make an awesome movie.

Dungeons and Dragons meets Westworld, Awesome!

This Dreampark novel is more tech current than the previous two. Augmented Reality and AI all make appearances. MIMIC, the gargantuan quake damaged housing experiment turned truly dangerous gaming area is a memorable place. What the Game Masters created there is stark raving genius. Hero’s, villains, humor and a fun, fast pace make this tough to turn off. Grover Gardner does a superb narration job, as usual.

Good book

Second book in this series. I enjoyed both of them and love anything from Larry Niven!

Good story, very enjoyable

Continually impressed that the technology these guys were writing about starting in 1981 (with Dream Park book #1) and then 10 years later with this one (#3 in the 4 book series) they’re still impressive. The characters that have made it through all 3 books continue to delight and have you rooting for them to achieve their goal. Great stuff, the narration isn’t what I consider to be the pinnacle of the audio book world but it’s very enjoyable I’d easily give the narrator a good 8/10, same with the writing. This isn’t Shakespeare,more like starship troopers meets the office or something.