Item - Hyperspace

Now THIS was something interesting. One of the most bizarre CYOA books of all, this one had everything - books-within-a-book, the ability to meet the author, being able to get 'bottled' hyperspace, the works.

Charmingly free of internal logic, this was a mind-twister for the target audience, with great interest in exploring pretty much every possible story, and even just re-reading it for pleasure.

On balance, probably my favourite of the series, although party because it was just so different from the remainder.

More reviews by Aussiesmurf

Ratings: 2

Hyperspace is indeed weird. First of all "you" are actually reading a CYOA book in the story, and then you fall into some confusing hyperspace which is random-event filled and spans to fifth and sixth dimensions.

It feels like Ed's trying to mix several concepts into one book, all of which didn't blend too well. The multi-dimensional thing was actually interesting, yet he failed to explore further than 10 pages.

All in all a courageous attempt, but one has to feel that Ed's abstract hyperspace is just one too many dimensions to grasp.

More reviews by barryattles

This is definitely a weird book. Events that occur are strange and unrelated, you have the option of reading a gamebook within the gamebook, and Dr. Vivaldi makes an odd appearance. Good stuff.

More reviews by Demian

Lots of imaginative work here. NOBODY can know what each dimension is like. Packard takes you to a book of hyperspace, or TO hyperspace. You can end up in a perfect number of adventures here. It's great! But it has its flaws: the fact that it ends abruptly if you explore with the other you (Bah) is all I can think of. I counted 18 ends (Counting the book in the book's ends.)

Rating: 7.5/10

More reviews by Good

What is it with gamebooks and mad professors? Especially ones who just happen to be your neighbour. Moreover, what is it with gamebooks and multiple universes?

As Demian said, this book is weird (how the heck can you bottle hyperspace?). At least Mr. Packard was probably aware of just how strange this book is. It doesn't take itself seriously at all and is probably a self-parody (quite unlike most of R. A. Montgomery's "works"). Packard even wrote himself into the book - he's on page 79, complete with illustration.

Although the illustrations here are below average, the writing itself is pretty funny and was likely intended to be. This is one CYOA that can please an adult reader as much as it can a kid.

More reviews by Stockton

Users have pointed out that you can meet the author himself, Edward Packard, in this one, and it’s true. The moment is indicative of the book as a whole, a flimsy mess of gobbledygook with few satisfying endings and a few lazy shortcuts designed to lengthen the adventure without doing any extra writing. Speaking of writing, many of the pages of Hyperspace are ridiculously short, like three sentences, making the whole thing fly by. There are a few memorable sequences, but the choices aren’t interesting, and the whole affair feels like randomness. A victory lap for the series, celebrating a particular brand of weirdness, but ultimately a mess of noise signifying nothing.

More reviews by williamtuttlewho