SKYMAZE

Another computer game becomes as real as life—and death. Ben and Andrew, two of the winners of Space Demons (1989), order the next Japanese game: Skymaze. Linda and cool Mario, their former partners, also become involved again. So, unfortunately, do two uninvited new players: Darren, Ben's older brother, and Paul, son of Andrew's new stepfather. The six play out their antagonisms and shifting loyalties in a game that becomes so real that Mario nearly dies. In the end, fraternal rivalries are muted, if not resolved, while Mario has learned how much he means to his family. The strengths and weaknesses of Space Demons are also here: well-drawn characters exhibit realistically exasperating flashes of maturity and childishness; Linda and Mario's emerging sensuality becomes a bit more explicit but remains tentative; the game's similarity to life and the shadow it throws into the real world are still convincing. It does all seem familiar, still no more explanations (why Japan?) and no more resolution than offered earlier. Still, though not so fine or intriguing as Rubinstein's Beyond the Labyrinth (1990), a skillfully written, fast-moving story. (Fiction. 12+)