The Reality Bug: Metaphysics for kids

The Reality Bug by D.J. MacHale

The Reality Bug is the fourth novel in D.J. MacHale’s 10-book PENDRAGON series for teens. In each novel, young Bobby Pendragon, a Traveler, visits a different “territory” (world) where he tries to prevent Saint Dane, the evil villain, from causing enough chaos to completely destroy the multiverse.

This time Bobby is summoned to the territory of Veelox, which seems peaceful at first. Then he learns that Veelox is quiet because 90% of its population is plugged into a computer simulation that allows them to control and play out all their fantasies. (Don’t worry. This is a book for kids, so these fantasies are all totally, if unrealistically, G-rated.) While people are in the virtual reality, their bodies are monitored and fed as needed. With most of the population of the planet being entertained 24 hours per day (or however long Veelox days are, I actually don’t know), the work needed to maintain their advanced civilization isn’t getting done. There is nobody to plant, harvest, and deliver food, or to maintain the infrastructure, for example. (I’m not sure how Veeloxians pay for their upkeep and entertainment since they’re not working, but whatever.) The problem is so bad that Veelox has come to one of those “tipping points” that Saint Dane hopes to use to drive it into chaos. It’s up to Bobby and the Traveler he meets on Veelox to fix the problem. When they create a “Reality Bug” which they hope will give the simulation enough authenticity to induce people to leave it, things go very wrong.

Meanwhile, back on Second Earth (that’s our Earth), Mark and Courtney have started high school. Courtney, who was a popular athlete in middle school, is not skilled enough to compete with the high school girls. She is losing her identity. On the other hand, Mark, who has always been an unpopular geek, has finally found a group of like-minded kids that may perceive acquaintance with him as an asset. Both continue to read the journals Bobby sends home and to worry about what might happen if Saint Dane comes to Second Earth. They wonder how they might be able to contribute to the war effort.

As with the previous PENDRAGON books, The Reality Bug is a fun fast-paced adventure that will appeal to the target audience. There’s plenty of action, even if a lot of it is “virtual.” This story explores a popular science fiction theme — metaphysics — and I think it’s delightful to realize that this may be the first time that many young readers have been asked to think about the nature of reality.

All of the PENDRAGON books so far have offered some subtle teaching moments and warnings for teens, but The Reality Bug is not subtle. It’s clear that D.J. MacHale is saying, “Don’t waste your life playing computer games, or you’ll become a useless member of society and what would happen to our civilization if we all decided we’d rather go live in a fantasy world?” Personally, I like this message since I have two teenage boys who are, or used to be, addicted to MMORPGs. This is something my family struggles with, so I appreciate the sentiment. This warning is much more transparent than in previous books, but that may be appropriate for MacHale’s audience.

It’s nice to see a little more character development from Bobby and his friends. Bobby is getting homesick and he’s wishing he was back at high school in New Jersey, while his friends are wishing they were off having adventures. In this story Bobby finds out that his role as a Traveler is even more important than he originally thought. The ending has a surprising twist.

William Dufris, as usual, does a great job narrating the audiobook. It’s 11 hours long.