
The Mercy of Gods
Start of The Captive's War seriesby James S. A. Corey
Why you'll love it:
This science fiction shares a tense and cerebral tone that will resonate with Operation Bounce House fans.
If you loved Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman, here are the most similar books our readers recommend.
The best books like Operation Bounce House are:

When Earth's government hires a corporation to evict colonists from New Sonora, the company turns the military operation into a twisted video game where paying customers remotely pilot war machines to attack the settlers. Ranch hand Oliver Lewis and his friends must defend their homes against gamers who've paid for the privilege of hunting them, armed with little more than aging farm equipment and his grandfather's old survival manual. It's a fight for survival where the enemy treats their lives as entertainment.
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by James S. A. Corey
Why you'll love it:
This science fiction shares a tense and cerebral tone that will resonate with Operation Bounce House fans.

by A.K. DuBoff
Why you'll love it:
This science fiction shares a tense and methodical tone that will resonate with Operation Bounce House fans.

by Neal Shusterman
Why you'll love it:
This science fiction shares a thoughtful and unsettling tone that will resonate with Operation Bounce House fans.

by Cixin Liu
Why you'll love it:
This science fiction shares a cerebral and unsettling tone that will resonate with Operation Bounce House fans.
| Book | Author | Rating | Year | Pages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Mercy of Gods📚 Series starter | James S. A. Corey | 4.5 | 2024 | — | Start a new series |
| Redshirts | John Scalzi | 3.9 | 2012 | 320 | Similar vibes |
| Ender's Game | Orson Scott Card | 0 | 2004 | — | Similar vibes |
| Stranded (Starship of the Ancients) | A.K. DuBoff | 4.3 | 2025 | 419 | Similar vibes |
| Scythe📚 Series starter | Neal Shusterman | 4.6 | 2017 | 464 | Start a new series |
| The Host | Stephenie Meyer | 0 | 2008 | — | Similar vibes |
| The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy | Douglas Adams | 0 | 1979 | 169 | Similar vibes |
| Cloud Cuckoo Land | Anthony Doerr | 4.2 | 2021 | 641 | Similar vibes |
| The Three-Body Problem | Cixin Liu | 0 | — | — | Similar vibes |
| Project Hail Mary | Andy Weir | 4.5 | 2021 | 476 | Similar vibes |
If you enjoy Matt Dinniman's writing style, explore these similar authors.
The most similar books to Operation Bounce House are The Mercy of Gods, Redshirts, Ender's Game.
After finishing Operation Bounce House, readers most commonly pick up The Mercy of Gods next. Alternatively, you might enjoy more books by Matt Dinniman, such as Dungeon Crawler Carl.
Authors similar to Matt Dinniman include Andy Weir, Suzanne Collins, Blake Crouch.
Operation Bounce House is a Science Fiction novel by Matt Dinniman, published in 2026. It features elements of Dystopian, Space Colony.
Operation Bounce House is 448 pages long.
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.