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| Cover art by Stephan Martiniere |
| THE FREE LUNCH Spider Robinson |
Rating: 5.0 High |
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| TOR, August 2001 | ISBN 0-312-86524-4 | 254pp | HC | $22.95 | |
Early in the 21st century, Thomas Immega built Dreamworld: a place that Disneyland wished it could have been. Thanks to inspired design and some technological breakthroughs, Dreamworld delighted all who visited it, and Thomas Immega, now departed, was viewed by everyone as a saint.
Make that almost everyone. There were a few who held a different view. Haines was one such. The proprietor of ThrillWorld, he longed to put Dreamworld out of business. But with the popularity of his competitor's business, its legal defenses, and its technological superiority, he had no chance — until his agents detected an odd fact: every night, six more employees were clocking out of Dreamworld than had clocked in that morning. He didn't know what that meant, but he was determined to find out — and he hired some heavy muscle to help him do so.
Meanwhile, a young man named Mike also had designs on Dreamworld. His were different, though; he wanted to be a part of it: to hide out there and escape the world. And as it turned out, he had company on the inside. How they met up and learned to help each other is a fascinating part of the tale. But even more fascinating is the origin of those six daily interlopers, and what their purpose in coming to Dreamworld was.
All this plays out amid the covert battle inside Dreamworld against Haines and his minions. It is a thoroughly absorbing read.
To contact Chris Winter, send email to this address.