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Operation Bounce House

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Operation Bounce House

By: Matt Dinniman
Narrated by: Travis Baldree, Jeff Hays
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU BECOME YOUR PLANET’S FINAL BOSS?

THE EPIC AND FAST-PACED NOVEL FROM BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SMASH-HIT DUNGEON CRAWLER CARL AND JOIN THE FIGHT.

All New Sonoran colonist Oliver Lewis ever wanted to do is run the family ranch and keep their aging fleet of intelligent agriculture bots ticking.

But now the colossal Apex Corporation has been hired to commence an “eviction action” – exterminate all life on New Sonora in preparation for a reboot. And they charge bored Earthers for the opportunity to design their own war machines, remotely pilot them, and make it a game.

The game is called Operation Bounce House . . .

And New Sonora is its playing field.

Determined to defend the only home he’s ever known, Oliver and his friends find themselves fighting for their lives against these machines.

To earth its a game, but to Oliver, it's war.

"Matt Dinniman has cooked us all up a deliciously terrifying gamer geek stew, mixing up Avatar and Ender's Game, with a dash of The Last Starfighter and Independence Day thrown in. This tale is more twisted fun than you can shake a joystick at.” Ernest Cline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Ready Player One

"Irreverent yet heartfelt, nostalgic yet wholly original, with Operation Bounce House, Dinniman delivers another anarchic adventure rich with riotous characters and a plot that crackles towards chaos with all the alacrity of a dynamite fuse." Pierce Brown, bestselling author of Red Rising

"Fast-paced, clever, and with plenty of heart?the rare book that's both thoughtful and tremendously entertaining." James Islington, International bestselling author of The Will of the Many
© Matt Dinniman 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

 Adventure Humorous Science Fiction Space Exploration Heartfelt Witty War Game Boss Ranch

Critic reviews

What if someday Gamergate went galactic? What if the toxic corporate interests of Earth tasked its most toxic gamers with doing their colonialist bidding? What if their insignificant incel reign of terror reached beyond the borders of their parents' basements and bedrooms, and they were all given remote command of real weapons of war on another world? Matt Dinniman has cooked us all up a deliciously terrifying gamer geek stew, mixing up Avatar and Ender's Game, with a dash of The Last Starfighter and Independence Day thrown in. This tale is more twisted fun than you can shake a joystick at.
Irreverent yet heartfelt, nostalgic yet wholly original, with Operation Bounce House, Dinniman delivers another anarchic adventure rich with riotous characters and a plot that crackles towards chaos with all the alacrity of a dynamite fuse.
Fast-paced, clever, and with plenty of heart—the rare book that's both thoughtful and tremendously entertaining.
Creative and well-written as ever, Operation Bounce House reminds me how much storytelling a great writer can pack into a single volume.
An all-hands-on-deck sci-fi war novel that pits the peasants against the plutocracy, pitchforks against spaceships, rock ’n’ roll against oppression, and love against greed… you’re gonna love every bloody page of it.
Operation Bounce House has all the humor, sudden violence and pop culture insight that made Dungeon Crawler Carl a massive success…You won’t be able to put it down.
Strap in and grab your pitchfork because Matt Dinniman is back again with a fast-paced stand-alone novel that’s sure to leave you itching for more.
Dungeon Crawler Carl author Matt Dinniman’s Operation Bounce House is a hair-raising intergalactic invasion that never forgets the humans at its core.
Addictive... The stakes are sky-high, and the Ender's Game-esque plot moves at a rapid clip. ... Fans will not be disappointed.
SF readers will have a ball.
All stars
Most relevant
Reading this, I felt like I was teleported straight to New Sonora. At its core, this is a story about love and loss, about family, about sacrifice, and about how people keep going even when the weight of the past sits heavy on their shoulders. The emotional depth really stayed with me. Each character feels shaped by their history, their culture, and the reality of their daily lives, no matter where they are or what world they are a part of.

The blend of bio elements and tech had real impact. It felt grounded and believable, yet there was always this layer of mystery running underneath. The action unfolded so vividly that I could see it playing out like a film in my head. Even the music and cultural differences enriched the worlds we got to know and made it feel lived in.

The humour balanced the heavier moments beautifully. It never undercut the emotion, it supported it.

And the narration by Travis and Jeff was absolutely stellar! They each bring something distinct, giving every character their own voice and presence. You always know who is speaking, and more importantly, you feel who is speaking.

This one will stay with me. Highly recommended!

Absolutely stellar

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An interesting and thought-provoking read. While it didn’t quite reach the highs of Dungeon Crawler Carl, the author raises compelling questions about AI, freedom, and empathy in an increasingly digital world. One of the most striking themes is the erosion of empathy among younger generations growing up primarily through online interaction, and how that emotional distance can be exploited by profit-driven corporations.

It took me some time to connect with the characters, but the story really found its momentum in the second half, where both the emotional stakes and the ideas came together much more effectively. From that point on, it became an engaging and rewarding read.

Not perfect, but definitely worth your time for its themes and perspective.

Intriguing and fun listen!

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I can't express how much I loved this book, every character every moment every word kept me hooked if you aren't familiar with Matt then this is a great start if you are then you don't need me to tell you how good this book is going to be do yourself the favour get it and thank yourself later.

don't hesitate just get it.

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Great sci fi story and a different direction from Matt.

Thoroughly enjoyed and the narration was great

Great story and great narration

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How Matt can write such a great story whilst also delivering an epic series like DCC I have no idea, but he’s smashed it again with Operation Bounce House. Sums up humanity so well, our success and our failures.

Great story

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