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Operation Bounce House
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Overview
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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 is 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. As a fan of Earth television and culture, 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 Corporation is hired to commence an “eviction action.” But maximizing profits will always be Apex’s number one priority. Why spend money printing and deploying their own 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 own 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.
Matt Dinniman is a writer, artist, and musician (well, he's a bass player) from Gig Harbor, Washington. He is the author of several books, including the bestselling Dungeon Crawler Carl series.
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Details
- ISBN-13: 9780593820308
- ISBN-10: 0593820304
- Publisher: Ace Books
- Publish Date: February 2026
- Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 1.6 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.35 pounds
- Page Count: 448
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Being a planet colonizer is a pretty thankless gig. You’re born on the other side of the galaxy on a new planet, and everyone on Earth is waiting for you to make the planet hospitable. All you’ve got are a bunch of old agricultural robots, a very stern management bot named Roger, your sister, your girlfriend and a farm. Oh, and one more thing. You’re about to become live-fire target practice as a massive corporation tries to “evict” colonizers from the planet. Matt Dinniman’s sharp, funny and fast-moving Operation Bounce House is a hair-raising intergalactic invasion that never forgets the humans at its core. Oliver Lewis is pretty proud of his farm. If it were up to him, he’d live a rancher’s life, marry his girlfriend and play the occasional show with his band. It’s what the colonists were promised: New Sonora will be yours, and Earth will be for Earthers. But Apex Industries, the giant corporation that funded New Sonora’s colonization, wants the planet back. So who will do the dirty work and rid New Sonora of Oliver and the other settlers? Gamers. Bored Earthers buy the right to exterminate settlers through their screen, piloting fighting robots built and air-dropped to New Sonora on Apex ships. They even give it a fun name: Operation Bounce House. Oliver and his fellow colonists are soon in the middle of a war zone, with nothing but one another and whatever weapons or tools are lying around to defend their livelihood. Let’s hope it’s enough. It’s easy to latch on to the “defend the homestead” nature of Operation Bounce House. The action sequences are lively and explosive, as is the gusto with which Dinniman (Dungeon Crawler Carl) approaches an otherwise silly concept. He wastes no time finding humor throughout, like giving the mech invaders vulgar (and realistic) gamer names and finding new ways for Roger to scold everyone. However, this is also a story about xenophobia and human connection that feels prophetic for 2025 and beyond. I found myself thinking about movies like Red Dawn and WarGames when I read this book, and there’s a scrappy parallel between the protagonists of those movies and Dinniman’s novel. Operation Bounce House, like those films, expertly weaves action and technology with strong commentary: Humanity loved is humanity saved. Grab a pitchfork; it’s time to fight for it.
Being a planet colonizer is a pretty thankless gig. You’re born on the other side of the galaxy on a new planet, and everyone on Earth is waiting for you to make the planet hospitable. All you’ve got are a bunch of old agricultural robots, a very stern management bot named Roger, your sister, your girlfriend and a farm. Oh, and one more thing. You’re about to become live-fire target practice as a massive corporation tries to “evict” colonizers from the planet. Matt Dinniman’s sharp, funny and fast-moving Operation Bounce House is a hair-raising intergalactic invasion that never forgets the humans at its core. Oliver Lewis is pretty proud of his farm. If it were up to him, he’d live a rancher’s life, marry his girlfriend and play the occasional show with his band. It’s what the colonists were promised: New Sonora will be yours, and Earth will be for Earthers. But Apex Industries, the giant corporation that funded New Sonora’s colonization, wants the planet back. So who will do the dirty work and rid New Sonora of Oliver and the other settlers? Gamers. Bored Earthers buy the right to exterminate settlers through their screen, piloting fighting robots built and air-dropped to New Sonora on Apex ships. They even give it a fun name: Operation Bounce House. Oliver and his fellow colonists are soon in the middle of a war zone, with nothing but one another and whatever weapons or tools are lying around to defend their livelihood. Let’s hope it’s enough. It’s easy to latch on to the “defend the homestead” nature of Operation Bounce House. The action sequences are lively and explosive, as is the gusto with which Dinniman (Dungeon Crawler Carl) approaches an otherwise silly concept. He wastes no time finding humor throughout, like giving the mech invaders vulgar (and realistic) gamer names and finding new ways for Roger to scold everyone. However, this is also a story about xenophobia and human connection that feels prophetic for 2025 and beyond. I found myself thinking about movies like Red Dawn and WarGames when I read this book, and there’s a scrappy parallel between the protagonists of those movies and Dinniman’s novel. Operation Bounce House, like those films, expertly weaves action and technology with strong commentary: Humanity loved is humanity saved. Grab a pitchfork; it’s time to fight for it.