The Reality Bug (Pendragon Series #4)

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Fifteen-year-old Bobby Pendragon has visited the alternate dimension of Denduron (The Merchant of Death), explored the endangered underworld territory of Cloral (The Lost City of Faar), and traveled back in time on his own planet Earth to uncover the evil plot of the fiendish Saint Dane--the evil force behind all these interworld exploits (The Never War). Now he "flumes" (a kind of time/space travel) into the territory of Veelox expecting to wage another battle against evil... only to find all is peaceful. He quickly discovers the peace is due to the fact that most of the citizens of Veelox have become addicted to Lifelight, a virtual reality lifestyle. Unfortunately, what once seemed so safe and enjoyable has taken a frightening twist, and Bobby must rely on a Veelox Traveler named Aja to help him find a solution--and save the territory. His antagonistic relationship with the brilliant Aja grates on his nerves as she spits out cryptic words of wisdom: "Salvation here can be found in only one place: the imagination. If you can't understand that, you might as well flume out right now."

Fans of D.J. MacHale's Pendragon series will enjoy this latest entry, and look forward to the forthcoming fifth title. The attraction of the series is not so much great writing or character development as fast-paced action and edge-of-seat danger. (Ages 9 to 12) --Emilie Coulter


Book Description
VIRTUAL REALITY? The territory of Veelox has achieved perfect harmony. Fifteen-year-old Bobby Pendragon arrives on this territory in pursuit of the evil Saint Dane, but all is peaceful on Veelox -- because it's deserted. The inhabitants have discovered a way to enter their own personal dream worlds, where they can be whoever they want, wherever they want. Their bodies lie in stasis while their minds escape to this dream realm. Fresh from his battle with Saint Dane in 1937 Earth, Bobby is confident that they can defeat whatever Saint Dane has planned for this world. But once Bobby enters the virtual world will he be able to resist the lure of the ultimate in escapism?


About the Author
D.J. McHale is a writer, director, executive producer, and creator of several popular television series and movies which include: Are You Afraid of the Dark?; Chris Cross; Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective; Tower of Terror; Ghostwriter; and multiple Afterschool Specials. In print D.J. has cowritten the book The Tale of the Nightly Neighbors, based on his own teleplay, and written a poetic adaptation of the classic folk tale East of the Sun and West of the Moon.


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In this fourth book in the series "Pendragon: Journal of an Adventure through Time and Space" Bobby Pendragon must save people in the territory of Veelox from what seems to them like a perfect world. There everyone can and does escape into an electronically-induced dream state where they live out all their best fantasies. Sounds good, but the fantasy world becomes so addictive, people refuse to leave it. The homes and businesses of Veelox are deserted. As if that weren't enough, St. Dane, the ultimate villain who seeks to destroy all humanity, twists a Reality Bug that has invaded the system so that ideal dreams become terrifying nightmares. The awful dreams will not stop unless Bobby and his few allies learn the origin code and defeat St. Dane, who has many tricks to confound them. Bobby is a 14-year-old who was leading an average teenage life on Second Earth until he learns he is destined to be a Traveler, one of just a few people with the power to travel through time and space to save the territories from St. Dane. Each book in the series includes the action-packed journal Bobby sends back to his two friends at home, along with what the friends are doing on Second Earth to help him. These fast-paced, highly visual books are the first novels of Mr. MacHale began his career as writer, director, executive producer and creator of several popular television series, specials and movies. He plans ten books in the Pendragon series. 2003, Aladdin Paperbacks/Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, Ages 9 to 12.


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