Plot
Andrew Hayford's father presents Andrew with a new Japanese videogame called ''Space Demons''. Andrew introduces his best friend Ben Challis to the game. While playing together, Andrew sees Ben disappear for a moment. When he comes back, Ben tells Andrew that he feels like he went into the game. After Ben goes home, Andrew also finds himself pulled into the world of the game. When they meet up after school a couple weeks later, Andrew reveals that a gun from the game came back into reality with him. Andrew and Ben have a big fight over the game and Ben's newfound friendship with their schoolmate Elaine Taylor. Andrew tells Ben that he hates him. This initiates the next stage of the game and Ben is swept into the console. To save Ben, Andrew convinces Elaine to come over, where he explains that Ben is trapped in the game. Playing on her dislike of him, Andrew goads her into shooting him with the game gun. Inside the game, Andrew finds Ben, who explains that the game feeds on hate and that to leave the game, they must advance to the cliff top. Elaine drops into the game with the gun. The others try to take the gun from her, which results in each of them being granted their own gun. A battle ensues with the space demons. They win and find themselves back on the floor of Andrew's room. Over the next few days, all three experience nightmares andPublication history
The following table details the publication history of the novel.Critical reception and reviews
The novel was received with contemporary critical acclaim at its time of publication. This table details the awards the novel was shortlisted for or won. The novel is currently a suggested text in the syllabus for K-10 in NSW, Australia. Teacher Ashley Lower said that its critical reception did not surprise her: "I've just read it with a Year 9 class, who would not let me put it down.". Yvonne Frey says of the novel: "The story is more complex, with well-rounded characters and conflicts that are not simply drawn".Themes
One of the book's central themes is the effect of dysfunctional families. Andrew, Ben, and Mario all come from homes with absent parents and abusive siblings. Author Rubinstein has commented on the theme, saying "family is where we have the most pain and the most pleasure and the most intense emotions". John Foster opines that the dominant theme of the novel is friendship, with the evolution of Andrew's friendships with Elaine, Ben and Mario being the central development. Andrew Butler focuses on the violence of the game and the use of love and hate as gameplay mechanics. Butler believes that the ultimate purpose of the program is to force the player to confront hate and thus reduce their tendency toward it. However, Rubinstein has said she merely used this device as a means of ending the game. Ashley Lower comments that the book discusses modern society's "pre-occupation with television".Sequels
''Space Demons'' was the first of a three-part series. The second entry in the trilogy was ''Skymaze'' which was first published in 1989. The final entry in the series was ''Shinkei'' which was published in 1996.Adaptation
''Space Demons'' was adapted as a play by Richard Tulloch in 1990. The play received similar critical acclaim to that of the novel.References
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