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The Free Lunch Audiobook
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(3.03) - 382 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Under the of the world's finest theme park lies a secret which could alter the course of human history.
Twelve-year-old Mike, a misfit genius with a terrible secret to hide, takes refuge behind the scenes of Dreamworld, a futuristic theme park where hope exists as it does nowhere else. Annie, a midget old enough to be Mike's mother, has lived in Dreamworld for 13 years without revealing her presence to visitors or staff. She takes Mike in hand, and they settle down to a long, happy life together…until they discover that the trolls who maintain Dreamworld are multiplying at an alarming rate without explanation. As the trolls continue to multiply, they must discover why, or it could mean the end of Dreamworld—and the real world.
Knotted in conflict and turmoil, what was a wonderful, carefree place becomes a battleground on which Earth's future is at stake. Only Mike and Annie, two unconventional heroes, can save it.
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"If you like Disneyland, read this book. If you like Spider Robinson or Robert Heinlein, read this book. If you like books featuring smart kids, read this book. Seriously. Read this book."
— Alice (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Robinson knows how to generate tension without losing his sense of humor, a more difficult trick than you can imagine.”
— New York Times -
“[A] smoothly written, well-paced romp.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Veteran SF humorist Robinson takes on American cultural icons with his customary love for irony and clever wordplay. A good choice for SF collections.”
— Library Journal -
“Mike and Annie are the kind of characters that return to mind long after the book is done, and the tale is as jaunty as only Spider can make it in his Callahan mode. How can you possibly fail to enjoy this one?”
— Analog -
“Swift pacing and ingratiating characters make what is actually a pretty hackneyed affair awfully amusing.”
— Booklist -
“You get much more than you bargained for in this fun-filled yet serious novel. Spider’s the antidote for entropy, the blahs, and the pernicious notion that humor and good grace are absent from the SF field.”
— Ben Bova, science-fiction author and recipient of the National Space Society's Space Pioneer Award
The Free Lunch Listener Reviews
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" Wonderful setting; unmemorable characters and plot. "
— Alex, 12/20/2013 -
" One of my least favorite Spider Robinson books. The characters did not grab my attention and the plot didn't interest me at all. For me, his stories are getting less and less interesting lately, and I miss the brilliance of his earlier work. "
— Kallierose, 12/12/2013 -
" An odd Sci-fi book set within a future theme park. The main characters are a young boy and an old dwarf who manage to live there "under" without being noticed. "
— Theresa, 7/15/2013 -
" One of my vary favorites by Spider. Likely because I share the sentiment of the POV character and his mentor regarding for the place by which THIS place appears to have been inspired. "
— Laurie, 7/8/2013 -
" Spider Robinson is a superb writer. I enjoy everything he writes. "
— Dodie, 6/17/2013 -
" Alternate reality-ish, time traveling, and trying to make the world better by giving more (: "
— Janin, 6/13/2013 -
" Cute different idea. I enjoyed this. "
— Nora, 5/3/2013 -
" Couldn't put it down.... "
— Jay, 1/20/2013
About Spider Robinson
Spider Robinson is renowned for his Callahan’s Place series of bestselling novels. With his late wife, Jeanne, he wrote the award-winning Stardance series. As an audiobook reader of his own and others’ work, he has won the Earphones Award and been a finalist for the Audie Awards. In 2008, he won the Robert A. Heinlein Award for Lifetime Excellence in Literature.