Space Demons: The Trilogy

by Gillian Rubinstein

First there was Space Demons.

Then there was Skymaze.

The ultimate computer game, Shinkei, is so powerful that it has the potential to make thoughts, desires and even dreams come true.

This new edition of a classic Australian fantasy brings together in one volume all three books of the Space Demons trilogy, Space Demons, Skymaze and Shinkei.

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy

439 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gillian_...

Also works under the pen name Lian Hearn

Reviews

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the first two books of this trilogy when I was about 12 or 13 and loved them. I just remember visualising the computer games, particularly Skymaze, and being absolutely enthralled. I found the concept of being sucked into a computer generated world to be original and exciting back then, although I must say I didn't remember much else about the characters or plot.

Anyway, I was feeling nostalgic recently and decided to re-read them. I discovered my library had this volume that includes a third book which I hadn't read before.

One thing I noticed right away is that the computer technology is very dated. When you think about how much computers and the internet have changed in the last 10-20 years, it's hard for a book not to become outdated in descriptions of this sort of technology. Maybe it needs editing for the next generation?

However the themes will always be relevant to the target age group. The adolescent characters explore relationships, peer pressure, self-esteem and identity, all that coming-of-age-stuff. And plenty of kids will be able to relate to becoming addicted to a computer game and/or the internet!

I was glad that I re-read Space Demons and Skymaze (see my separate reviews), but was less impressed with the third book Shinkei. It felt forced and anticlimactic, as though the author wrote it just to please the fans. Maybe I would have liked it more had I read it as a teenager? Skymaze still remains my favourite, and in my opinion is the best of the three.

[Elise]

I picked up this book at an op shop and the first 2 stories ‘space demons’ and ‘sky maze’ I had read in school. I was surprised to hear about the third ‘Shinkei’ and wondered how it escaped me. So I purchased it and decided to read again for nostalgic purposes.
Space demons was much as remembered it, a young man getting caught up in a video game. Although it had lost some of the magic over time, I still think it is a good read for preteens.
Skymaze was a favourite of mine a new game transporting them into the game construct itself. The growing relationships of the friendships they had created in the first book and much more thrilling plot.
Although technology has now changed and developed dramatically since these stories, they could still be enjoyed.
The third book Shinkei I didn’t like at all. I’m sure if it’s because as an adult it is too young for me but I just felt that there was none of the magic as in the first two. In the first two books they entered the games and played them, having to win to leave the game. The third book the game seem to control the characters and there seemed no ‘game’ to play and the insertion of the new characters, Miller especially just messed up the dynamic of the original players.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was quite a good book filled with a mixture of excitement and fantasy, the characters were also very interesting with different personalities and backgrounds. This book is about friendship and faith as the characters strive together as one when playing an electronic game that brings you inside it. Going beyond truth, courage brings them together and brings the most out of this book.