BUG PARK

Hogan's latest near-future speculation (Realtime Interrupt, 1995, etc.) involves insect-sized miniature machines: Originally developed to assemble true nanomachines, these prove to have other more startling applications. Thanks to its revolutionary interface, Eric Heber's Neurodyne is the industry leader in building tiny machines that can be operated, you-are-there fashion, by linked humans who thus obtain amazing new perspectives: Filing cabinets loom like skyscrapers, and insects—terrifying monsters on this scale—can be observed, hunted, or battled. So 15-year-old Kevin Heber and his buddy, Taki Ohira, have created Bug Park, where they can explore and interact with this peculiar and fascinating world. But then Kevin accidentally learns that his stepmother, the beautiful, ice-cold Vanessa, is planning to sabotage Neurodyne and sell out to rival Microbotics, owned by her secret lover, Martin Payne. With the help of lawyer Michelle Lang and chief engineer Doug Corfe, Kevin directs his machines to invade Payne's lawyer's office in search of evidence to convince the oblivious Eric. But everything goes wrong, Payne and his cohorts are alerted to the threat, and Vanessa as an insect-sized assassin creeps forth to eliminate the unsuspecting Eric. So, with Michelle a captive, and Doug unable to convince the police, can Kevin and Taki's tiny army save the day? Charming and remarkable microengineering and astounding microperspectives, coupled with an old-hat evil-stepmother plot and its predictable complications: Root for the little guys, tolerate the remainder.