In the Net of Dreams

A well-written, fast-paced adventure novel, one part fun, one part danger, one part wit and one part naughtiness. Simmons uses a dash of science fiction to justify putting a modern-day character into a fantasy world - his own literary creation, now programmed into a game world by a large corporation bent on giving users the 'ultimate fantasy experience'. But something goes wrong and now they want the man best suited to the task to find out what! It's a fun, rollicking adventure that is still uplifting each time I read it. It makes a nice light read with a satisfying ending (although it has a sequel). Be warned: there are puns, although they're not too bad.

This book was quite a trip through fantasy. To be able to step out of this world, even for a short time, and experience the world of knights and wizards we read about in other fantasy novels would be a treat. Mr. Simmons has given us a way to at least imagine exactly that to be possible. The mix of the silly/familiar characters found here and there through out adds a perfect humor to keep you guessing from page to page. In short; of the dozens of books I read while trying to stay cool in 130 degree heat (in the shade), dodging sand storms, and hoping a SCUD wasn't about to land on my head, THIS book was the only one I brought home with me. I can't wait to get into the "Chronicles." Thanx a TON Mark.!!

Take a dash of The Matrix, a pinch of Grimm Fairy Tales, a smattering of Dungeons and Dragons, as well as a heavy dose of humor, and you have something approaching 'In the Net of Dreams'.It's filled with memorable characters and settings, all viewed through the cynical eye of it's hero, Robert Remington Ripley III, who lets you know he's aware how ridiculous the situations he keeps getting dropped into are. It's a book that's more entertaining, funnier, and smarter than it's component parts.It's a shame Wm. Mark Simmons has never gotten wider recognition for this series.

Wm. Mark Simmons' "In the Net of Dreams" has been a favorite of mine for years. I picked up a copy of the book when it was first released, mainly because I liked the cover art. (I'd never heard of Simmons, but that was because "In the Net..." was his first novel.) Once I got into the book, however, I couldn't put it down. An almost perfect crossover idea, "In the Net..." is filled with Gnomes and Goblins, Sorcerers and Spells, Witches, Warlocks and Werewolves (actually, it's a Werebear and boy, does it hate fire) and some off-the-wall Science Fiction, all of which comes to life on the pages of the book. When I read the book back in the '90's, I told my friends to go out and get the novel that was "Dream Park" with Heart. I haven't changed my opinion with subsequent re-readings. Simmons has an uncanny ability to grab the reader's emotions and then hold on for dear life. His protagonist Ripley knows love and heartache, fear and triumph, lust and revenge, and half a dozen other emotions that will jump off the page to become real to the reader (Did you cry when Misty Dawn died?). More than anything else, however, Simmons knows how to make the reader laugh. The book is riddled with humorous allusions and a plethora of horrid puns that the tosses about with seeming impunity. For a fascinating blend of Fantasy and Science Fiction (you can't get to Fantasyworld without going through the very hi-tech suspension tanks) with a liberal dose of Freudian psychology thrown in.

This book is an excellent view of a Dreampark and virtual reality world of fantasy. It has a great sense of humor and an engaging and intelligent storyline. I recommend it for anyone who is a fan of fantasy.