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FantasticLand

A Novel

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FantasticLand

By: Mike Bockoven
Narrated by: Angela Dawe, Luke Daniels
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Summary

Since the 1970s, FantasticLand has been the theme park where "Fun is Guaranteed!" But when a hurricane ravages the Florida coast and isolates the park, the employees find it anything but fun. Five weeks later, the authorities who rescue the survivors encounter a scene of horror. Photos soon emerge online of heads on spikes outside of rides and viscera and human bones littering the gift shops, breaking records for hits, views, likes, clicks, and shares. How could a group of survivors, mostly teenagers, commit such terrible acts?

Presented as a fact-finding investigation and a series of first-person interviews, FantasticLand pieces together the grisly series of events. Park policy was that the mostly college-aged employees surrender their electronic devices to preserve the authenticity of the FantasticLand experience. Cut off from the world and left on their own, the teenagers soon form rival tribes who viciously compete for food, medicine, social dominance, and even human flesh. This new social network divides the ravaged dreamland into territories ruled by the Pirates, the ShopGirls, the Freaks, and the Mole People. If meticulously curated online personas can replace private identities, what takes over when those constructs are lost?

FantasticLand is a modern take on Lord of the Flies meets Battle Royale that probes the consequences of a social civilization built online.

©2016 Mike Bockoven (P)2017 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.
Anthologies & Short Stories Dark Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Ghosts Horror Science Fiction Supernatural Suspense Thriller & Suspense Scary Paranormal Haunted Employment Exciting Survival Short Story
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The way this story is written as a series of witness accounts lends itself so well to audio format. I was really impressed with the range of voices and personalities that came out of just two voice actors. Often, when there are too many perspectives in a book I find myself annoyed because it feels like they jump to a new person's story just as you're getting invested in the one you're reading but this book does it so well. The only frustration I have is that there isn't more of it. I would love to hear more perspectives and find out who a couple of the characters were (not knowing is going to annoy me for a long time!). There are definitely some questions left unanswered which, given the non-fiction style, is to be expected but frustrating none the less! I guess that just means the author did a good job though, always leave them wanting more. I've thought about who I would be and I could easily be Jason or a circus freak. That's another great thing about this, you will be able to identify with someone in the park because all types of personalities and tactics are covered.

Gripped from Start to Finish

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I don't think that i've listened to such a long audiobook in such a small space as this one before.
Told via a series of interviews with two actors providing the voices of the narrators, this gripping story plays out like a modern 'Lord of the Flies'. A hurricane cuts off a theme park from civilisation and the staff trapped there under the park management's crisis plan splinter into tribes based on the themed areas of the park. To say any more would really spoil your enjoyment of this unknown (in the uk imho) classic.
Mike Bockoven has created a truly believable environment and characters where the story criss-crossed via the structure of the interviews.
I came across this novel via the 'Shock Waves' podcast episode 127 where the podcasters were relating their favourite horror films and 'things' from 2018. Thank you Rebekah McKendry for this suggestion as it really has gone into my top ten of 'all-time' favourite audiobooks!

Cracking...just superb. Will listen again!

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This is compelling, disturbing and gripping. An interesting format that takes a bit of getting used to but well worth it.

Fantastic land

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Didn't think I was going to be able to get into this one but honestly if u just give it a chance it's really enjoyable

well written

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It is like no other book, piecing the story together from a lot of different interviews, great idea with plenty of horror and gore, perfect audible dramma.

Fantastic

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