Rating: 
Summary: Murder during a week-long live-action virtual reality game.
Review: "Dream Park" is a Disneyland-like theme park that lets its
visitors dress up and play a week-long adventure against virtual
reality opponents.
The huge profits that the newest game are sure to reap are
jeopardized when one of the crew is found murdered.
The murderer must be one of the competitors - but whom? A
detective enters the game to find out.
Niven fans won't be dissappointed. This is a real page-turner.
Ahead of his time again, it won't be long before Niven's
"Science Fiction" dream park is "Science Fact".
Rating: 
Summary: Possibly the best book I've ever read....
Review: There are some stories that work on many levels; this is one of them. Just the idea is great: a murder mystery set in a futuristic theme park. Add to this that many people come to the park to physically role play an intense adventure, and you've got tons of elements to deal with--making for a rich story environment.</p> Add once more to this: a wide variety of detailed characters, including social outcasts, an intelligent thief, a slick security officer, and some "doing it for the dollars" adventure designers and you've got a tale that is simply incredible.</p> I heartily recommend this book and it's sequels (particularly The California Voodoo Game) to any reader--regardless of what genre they enjoy. I just wish that Niven and Barnes would write another...</p>
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic book in a fantastic world
Review: A complex murder mystery set in a futuristic theme park where attendees can participate in one of the most involved role-playing games of all time. The authors manage to weave a gripping mystery around a detailed near-future Earth without ever breaking the readers suspension of disbelief. The dual threads of the murder and the story-within-a-story of the South Seas Game are masterfully interwoven; the authors give you all the information you need to solve the crime without ever revealing the criminal untill the very end. I, too, made the mistake of lending this book to a friend, never to be seen again. If you see this book, grab it!
Rating:
Summary: An all-time favorite
Review: Before Star Trek:TNG introduced the "Holodeck," there was Dream Park... which I got accidentally from the Science Fiction Book Club, forgot to send back, paid for angrily, and then read over, over, and over again. If you are wondering where our entertainment world of Xbox/Playstation/GameCube, Warcraft/Everquest/Quake, TheSimsOnline and "LAN parties" is headed, read Dream Park. It's clever, exciting, and has influenced the thinking of lots of us. Right up there with "Snow Crash" in terms of resonance with the world we live in now. Snap it up if you can find it, or write the publisher and request a reissue!
Rating:
Summary: An old favorite
Review: DREAM PARK is a favorite book of mine- though it's hardly a true literary classic, it's a remarkable achievement in the "pop" fiction world. Here is a high-tech thriller that's not just exciting but thoughtful, detailed, empathetic and charming. It's a little epic that's more rewarding than it looks. The setting is Dream Park, a futuristic fantasy theme park full of holographic attractions and the latest in VR technology. A team of players enters the South Seas Treasure Game, one of the Park's frequent live-action high-endurance fantasy role-playing spectaculars, facing off against the diabolical designs of Gamemaster Richard Lopez. All's fun and games until a Park security guard is murdered, a valuable research property stolen, and all evidence points to someone inside the game. Security chief Alex Griffin goes undercover into the game to unmask the culprit. Unfortunately for him, Lopez believes in fair play, and if the Griffin wants to stay in the game long enough to catch the criminal he'll have to overcome the same obstacles as the rest of the team. Dream Park is in and of itself a fantastic setting, with enough combination of whimsy and high-tech that I wished I could go (and I'm probably not the only one.) What makes the plot work so well is the combination of the mystery-thriller element with the high fantasy adventure of the Game. The players in this game are just as serious about winning as Griffin is about solving his case- there are no prizes at stake, no salaries paid, it's a matter of them doing their best. Their dedication is actually quite touching, and the descriptions of the adventure are so vivid that they're impossible to separate from the "reality" of the Park. It's not a fearful "has technology gone too far" attitude that prevails here (unlike the similar film WESTWORLD), but an appreciation of fantasy and imagination. It helps that the game's plot is in itself intriguing and original, centering around the magic of the Melanesian "cargo cults", and the recovery of a powerful WWII artifact at stake. There are monsters, zombies, and even a riddle contest with a Melanesian god. There's a lot to digest, but it all moves at a brisk and absorbing pace. On top of it all, though, what makes this book so much fun is its characters. Niven and Barnes have filled the story with people who are real, vibrant, sympathetic, complicated, and compelling. There's veteran gaming couple Ollie Norliss and Gwen Ryder, the diminuitive, quirky but tough and lovable Mary Martha Corbett (Mary-Em for short, pardon the pun), bewildered novice Tony McWhirter, "game groupie" Janet who appears in the game as a maiden in distress, dedicated second-stringer Holly Frost, and the near-obsessed team leader Chester Henderson. And that's just skimming the surface- almost every character is fascinating. Is it a perfect book? I suppose not, but it's practically perfect for what it is. It's a sophisticated page turner, and Niven and Barnes could teach Crichton or Clancy a thing or two.
Rating:
Summary: An old favorite
Review: DREAM PARK is a favorite book of mine- though it's hardly a true literary classic, it's a remarkable achievement in the "pop" fiction world. Here is a high-tech thriller that's not just exciting but thoughtful, detailed, empathetic and charming. It's a little epic that's more rewarding than it looks. The setting is Dream Park, a futuristic fantasy theme park full of holographic attractions and the latest in VR technology. A team of players enters the South Seas Treasure Game, one of the Park's frequent live-action high-endurance fantasy role-playing spectaculars, facing off against the diabolical designs of Gamemaster Richard Lopez. All's fun and games until a Park security guard is murdered, a valuable research property stolen, and all evidence points to someone inside the game. Security chief Alex Griffin goes undercover into the game to unmask the culprit. Unfortunately for him, Lopez believes in fair play, and if the Griffin wants to stay in the game long enough to catch the criminal he'll have to overcome the same obstacles as the rest of the team. Dream Park is in and of itself a fantastic setting, with enough combination of whimsy and high-tech that I wished I could go (and I'm probably not the only one.) What makes the plot work so well is the combination of the mystery-thriller element with the high fantasy adventure of the Game. The players in this game are just as serious about winning as Griffin is about solving his case- there are no prizes at stake, no salaries paid, it's a matter of them doing their best. Their dedication is actually quite touching, and the descriptions of the adventure are so vivid that they're impossible to separate from the "reality" of the Park. It's not a fearful "has technology gone too far" attitude that prevails here (unlike the similar film WESTWORLD), but an appreciation of fantasy and imagination. It helps that the game's plot is in itself intriguing and original, centering around the magic of the Melanesian "cargo cults", and the recovery of a powerful WWII artifact at stake. There are monsters, zombies, and even a riddle contest with a Melanesian god. There's a lot to digest, but it all moves at a brisk and absorbing pace. On top of it all, though, what makes this book so much fun is its characters. Niven and Barnes have filled the story with people who are real, vibrant, sympathetic, complicated, and compelling. There's veteran gaming couple Ollie Norliss and Gwen Ryder, the diminuitive, quirky but tough and lovable Mary Martha Corbett (Mary-Em for short, pardon the pun), bewildered novice Tony McWhirter, "game groupie" Janet who appears in the game as a maiden in distress, dedicated second-stringer Holly Frost, and the near-obsessed team leader Chester Henderson. And that's just skimming the surface- almost every character is fascinating. Is it a perfect book? I suppose not, but it's practically perfect for what it is. It's a sophisticated page turner, and Niven and Barnes could teach Crichton or Clancy a thing or two.
Rating: 
Summary: A flawed but interesting book, especially for RPG fans
Review: Dream Park is basically about a Disney World type amusement park in the near future that features rooms similar in some ways to the Holodecks found on Star Trek. The primary difference is that the holograms in Dream Park have no substance, so to create an illusion of reality real world actors and objects are used along with the holograms. Its an interesting concept and isn't a rip off of Star Trek at all because the book was written before The Next Generation series ever aired. Perhaps TNG got the idea for the holodeck from this book! Along with "rides" where people are presented with various holographic images of fantastic worlds and environements, the Dream Park features Games. The games are essentially role playing games where a bunch of individuals come together to act as magicians, warriors, etc in a fictional holographic environment run by a game master. My main problem with the book is that it tries to do too much. Along with the plot of a group of people role playing in the game, there is also a murder which makes the book into a mystery. There's also an exploration of the characters which is quite interesting, but it gets tedious when you start to notice most of the character interaction is just people going off to have sex. Although there's nothing graphic, there's a lot more sex than is called for in this book. I'm not a prude but I felt that the sex really didn't add much to the book. Overall the book was pretty good. The Cargo Cult which formed the basis of the game is a real entity and was carefully researched by the authors. I'd reccomend anyone who likes role playing to give the book a try, but don't expect to be amazed.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Read
Review: Fantastic book,I found the game to be slightly more interesting then catching the thief, Boy does that come from left field. It was great to see all the types of players from the novices to the one who seem a step ahead of the Gamemasters. I read it several times, Don't lend this one to a friend you will never get it back. I made that mistake with my first copy so I had to buy another.
Rating:
Summary: Another Great One From Niven
Review: First of all, it's OK to read this review without spoiling the story for you (I really hate when people do that). If you read the other reviews you will quickly see that there are many of us who have read Dream Park numerous times and consider it among that small band of visionary science fiction tales. Niven has several books on my short list (Mote In Gods Eye is at the top). Although gamers will love the story, it is a well written science fiction piece, and also works well as a murder mystery. Some of the technical innovations are now showing their age (fan fold computer paper, etc.) but with the incredible growth of both e-gaming and the huge multi-million dollar amusement/game/fantasy complexes in Orlando, there is a natural symbiosis just waiting to happen. This is not Jurrasic Park or anything like that....this is a classic science fiction approach to what could become.....and as Niven is one of the great SciFi writers of all time.....as well articulated as you will find in any great literary work.
Rating: 
Summary: Overrated
Review: I have nothing against SF, and I am a roleplayer myself. I even own (and like) the Dreampark RPG. In fact, I was eager to find this in paperback, because a lot of people seem to rate it highly both as adventure fiction and for its portrayal of role playing and roleplayers. I was severely disappointed. The characters are pretty wooden, and the world itself is pretty unconvincing. The authors try to convince us that the "Game" is a big thing, carrying huge monetary gains for TV rights and novelization, but I really fail to see how public could really be interested in this. The attempts to make us sympathize with the players and seeing how they are so engrossed in it to actually care more for the game itself than the rest of the world are pretty unconvincing, too, and the story seems flat and forced in more than a place. Characters' psychology is probably not a forte for Niven, but unfortunately all the SFX razzle dazzle fail to carry the story... just like an Hollywood action film, in fact.
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