The Moon Maze Game
by Larry Niven, Steven Barnes
science fiction
copyright 2011
read in October 2013
rated 6/10: read to pass the time
The core of the story is a virtual reality game. The game theme is Wells' First Men in the Moon. With other book by Wells thrown in to add variation.
What is it with HG Wells rip-offs? Is it the season ? Is it his birthday ? Is it just coincidence that this is the second that I have recently read ? Moon Maze at least adds a more modern story round the rip-off. Not that it really helps.
First, the science sucks. Or does it ? Heinlein, in The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, had people leaping through the vacuum of space. On Mars, Schwarzenegger's eyes bulged badly. In Moon Maze, vacuum will lead to instant death by boiling blood. Which is correct ? My money is with Heinlein.
Then, the game sucks. Okay, it's a virtual reality game, not a screen simulation. Still... My impression is that the authors have never ever played a computer game. The book makes me think of non-players trying to impress readers with their own rather weak extensions to something that they have read about but never actually tried. (Sorry about the length of that sentence ! )
Finally (?) the story is weak, the successes are questionable and the explanations are unclear.
Willing suspension of disbelief ? Try, willing suspense of critical faculties... If you can do that, you can read this book.
Sort of fun. Could be better.
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Problems ? Solved
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