Space Demons was the first of a three-part series. Īshley Lower comments that the book discusses modern society's "pre-occupation with television". However, Rubinstein has said she merely used this device as a means of ending the game. Butler believes that the ultimate purpose of the program is to force the player to confront hate and thus reduce their tendency toward it. Īndrew Butler focuses on the violence of the game and the use of love and hate as gameplay mechanics. 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. 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". Andrew, Ben, and Mario all come from homes with absent parents and abusive siblings. One of the book's central themes is the effect of dysfunctional families. Yvonne Frey says of the novel: "The story is more complex, with well-rounded characters and conflicts that are not simply drawn". 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.". The novel is currently a suggested text in the syllabus for K-10 in NSW, Australia. Psychologists for Peace Interest Group Children's Peace Literature Award The Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year This table details the awards the novel was shortlisted for or won. The novel was received with contemporary critical acclaim at its time of publication. The following table details the publication history of the novel. The game ends and Andrew, Ben, Mario and Elaine end up back on the floor of Andrew's bedroom. Elaine and Andrew convince Mario to return the gun. They encounter Mario near the cliff face, still holding a gun. Elaine and Andrew witness the destruction of all the space demons. Andrew realises that paying Mario compliments kills the demons. While hiding from the clones, Andrew and Elaine confront their own personal issues, realising there are some things in life they cannot control and that trying will only make things worse.Įlaine sees a message that says the game can be ended by returning the gun. Andrew and Elaine argue and end up in the game, where they find the space demons have all been replaced by clones of Mario. Ben and Elaine visit Andrew to find out what has happened to Mario. Mario's brother, John, tells Elaine that Mario did not come home last night and was not at school. That night, he realises that he can beat the game if he refuses to hate. Andrew's nightmares become darker as he dreams about killing people with the gun from the game. Anger and resentment build between the players, driven by difficult events in their home lives. Only those who have played the game can see them. Space demons from the game begin to manifest in the real world. During one of their sessions, Mario disappears from the game. Mario and Andrew play Space Demons more and more frequently despite concerns from Andrew's mother Marjorie about Andrew's behaviour. Convinced that this was part of the game's plan, Andrew invites Mario to Andrew's house, where Mario shoots himself, affording him entrance to the game. Andrew loses the gun while hitching a ride with his friend Mario Ferrone. Over the next few days, all three experience nightmares and hallucinations. They win and find themselves back on the floor of Andrew's room. The others try to take the gun from her, which results in each of them being granted their own 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. Playing on her dislike of him, Andrew goads her into shooting him with the game gun. To save Ben, Andrew convinces Elaine to come over, where he explains that Ben is trapped in the game. This initiates the next stage of the game and Ben is swept into the console. Andrew and Ben have a big fight over the game and Ben's newfound friendship with their schoolmate Elaine Taylor. When they meet up after school a couple weeks later, Andrew reveals that a gun from the game came back into reality with him. After Ben goes home, Andrew also finds himself pulled into the world of the game. When he comes back, Ben tells Andrew that he feels like he went into the game. While playing together, Andrew sees Ben disappear for a moment. Andrew introduces his best friend Ben Challis to the game. Andrew Hayford's father presents Andrew with a new Japanese videogame called Space Demons.
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