If the point of science fiction is to unpack current issues through advanced technology and futuristic scenarios, Matt Dinniman's Operation Bounce House understands the assignment. Best known for his Dungeon Crawler Carl series, the author is back with something a bit darker in 2026 — and his newest novel feels all too pertinent as it arrives on shelves.
Operation Bounce House opens with its main character, Oliver, totally disengaged from Earth politics, much to the chagrin of his girlfriend and friends. To be fair, they're settlers on a planet called New Sonoma, and a few generations removed from the ancestors who left Earth to colonize space. They shouldn't need to concern themselves with what's happening on Earth. However, when the most powerful people there set their sights on Oliver's home planet, ignorance is no longer an option.
The people around Oliver know this already, but it takes his planet being invaded for him to come around. It's a clever perspective to tell this story from, as who among us doesn't know an Oliver? He's a good person, he's relatable, and he cares deeply. However, he doesn't pay mind to problems or injustices until they arrive on his doorstep.
And when they arrive, they do so in explosive fashion. A company called Apex Corporation begins sending mech suits to New Sonoma — and the circumstances of the invasion are chilling. For one, the mech suits are being piloted remotely by young, bloodthirsty gamers from Earth. Additionally, those gamers (and much of Earth's population) have been led to believe that the company is dealing with a terrorist threat. In reality, it's committing genocide for the sake of money and resources.
Fortunately, Oliver's grandfather preserved AI bots, including one ahead of Earth's advancements: Roger. With Roger's help, Oliver and his friends are able to put up a good fight defending their home. As they do, Dinniman weaves a compelling story that sparks important conversations. It delivers plenty of action, twists, and emotional moments, too, making for an experience that's equal parts entertaining and thought-provoking.
Operation Bounce House takes a hard look at the cycle of violence
Operation Bounce House takes a cold, hard look at the cycle of violence and what contributes to it, and it's not afraid to admit that sometimes it's, well...us. It's no mistake that the enemy soldiers in Dinniman's story are gamers, and young ones at that. The choice to frame the conflict this way, rather than having a corporate or government entity attack New Sonoma firsthand, is a statement.
At its core, Operation Bounce House is a book that questions the use of violence as entertainment — and wonders whether seeing it in our games, movies, and shows from a young age desensitizes us to witnessing it in real life. It's a fair question, and Dinniman leans specifically into the most toxic aspects of gamer culture, sometimes in hilarious ways.
I will say, I wish we'd seen some evidence that not every gamer is likely to go down this path. I fear someone could take the book's concepts too far in the other direction, parroting the sort of moral panic that blames media instead of people.
It does help that Dinniman shows how the corporation manipulates these gamers, highlighting the ways wealth and power can be leveraged to radicalize people. There's also a lot to be said about the book's approach to propaganda. Apex doctors what the mechs are seeing and alters the footage that makes its way to Earth. With advanced technology, including AI, it's capable of adding and removing details to uphold its "terrorism" lie — and convince people that what's happening is justified.
And gaming isn't the only way Dinniman makes his point about normalizing violence, either. As Oliver and his loved ones get deeper into this conflict, they too begin to grow numb to the casualties on both sides. Humans aren't meant to see so much tragedy in such quick succession, and Dinniman drives that point home. It's not hard to draw a connection to the 24/7 news cycle of the present day.
Matt Dinniman's 2026 book makes a powerful argument for what true resistance looks like
In its discussions of violence and power, Operation Bounce House takes a powerful stance on what resistance looks like. Some of its most hard-hitting moments see its characters becoming as angry and reactive as the people they're trying to defeat. The question of whether Oliver and the others must stoop to their enemies' level in order to win is always lingering.
Yet the most stunning takeaway of Operation Bounce House is that true resistance means embracing the most human parts of ourselves. When things truly begin to look dire for our characters, Oliver is left with the truth of words his grandmother spoke to him years and years ago: "The closer we are to the end, the more we need to embrace our happiness."
And the book goes to great lengths to fully humanize these characters, giving us snippets of their lives before the invasion. It also emphasizes the importance of community, and it highlights the effectiveness of art as a form of resistance. The latter is really striking, and I love that Dinniman acknowledges that art doesn't need to be good or profitable to serve that purpose. It just needs to be embraced.
Operation Bounce House tackles one of the most important conversations of our time
Operation Bounce House may emphasize the importance of our humanity, but its story relies on advanced technology — and AI, specifically, plays a prominent role. Not only is one of the most compelling characters an AI bot, but there's a lot of discussion about how AI has shaped this futuristic version of Earth. It's led to censorship on the internet, forced people to question the information they receive, and even led to a war prior to the events of the book.
Obviously, Dinniman's willingness to wade into AI discourse makes this novel incredibly timely. And ultimately, I think he does a decent job showcasing the dangers that accompany its misuse. The book touches on the ways misinformation can be spread with it, and it also explores the idea of humans losing control of it.
Dinniman takes a level-headed approach to the technology, offering a refreshing take on the topic. Operation Bounce House drives home just how devastating such technology can be, but it also highlights the possibility for it to evolve into something less so.
Operation Bounce House is a gripping ride with a few shortcomings
Overall, Operation Bounce House is a truly great novel for the times. It's both an action-packed distraction — the sort of entertainment that Dinniman critiques, even — and a thoughtful conversation starter. The characters are easy to root for, the world itself is intriguing, and the narrative rarely lets up.
That said, there are a few lulls early on, which Dinniman uses to feed us information about the plot and characters. The more tech-heavy bits might make this seem daunting to sci-fi newcomers, at least more so than something like Dungeon Crawler Carl.
Once things really take off, though, it's difficult to put this book down. From there, the biggest issue is that some of the humor doesn't land. Fortunately, the emotional moments still do. Those are what make the book truly shine, and they make it a worthwhile sci-fi read.
Rating: B+
Operation Bounce House is available now from Ace, wherever books are sold.