Invitation to the Game
Encyclopedia
Invitation to the Game is a science-fiction book written by Monica Hughes
.
The book is a hard science fiction dystopia
n novel set in 2154, a time when machine
s and robot
s perform most jobs. Because of this, very few people are employed, with many people living on a social welfare system for support. The unemployed people have nothing to look forward to, except various illicit drugs
. Some have formed gangs, some are shown to be agitating for political reform (in chapter 5 there is a reference to leaflets printed up), and many are involved in organized crime
of some form or another. The government, possibly the only government in existence at this point, is shown to have complete control over its citizens by restricting the unemployed to designated areas (DAs), and having similar control over the working-class.
The working-class people are taught to hate the unemployed citizens, and the unemployed generally want money and employment, in a classic class struggle
.
The story is told from the perspective of Lisse, a recent graduate of school. She is 16 when the story starts.
and develop a security system designed to discourage criminals with electric shocks.
During a trip out to experience the nightlife, the group learns of The Game, a kind of entertainment that some people are very desperate to become involved in. They are later invited to try out The Game via a suspicious envelope placed within their warehouse (despite their security measures). After learning how to navigate the subways, they arrive at a secret entrance
to a government facility. Inside they have their first taste of The Game, which is actually a very sophisticated simulation of an Africa-like area. They cannot take anything from the real world inside this simulation and nothing from The Game can come back with them.
Having little else to look forward to in their lives, the group focuses on training and information gathering during their time between Game sessions. They develop a schedule of regular exercise (consisting of jogging and weight-training), search for information in the local library, and discuss their experiences and motivations. As they progress in The Game, they find that they have needs (for a doctor and someone with agricultural knowledge). The government
swiftly moves people they knew from school into their lives, filling those needs.
After a year of such training, the game session changes—they are placed in an area much like the one they visited, except this time, they are not awakened if they are in danger of hurting themselves.
Eventually, it is revealed that The Game is a kind of training meant to prepare the group for an off-world colony project, not unlike Ender's Game
is actually real. This project is designed to halt the massive overpopulation
the world is suffering.
It is hinted that part of the reason such a group of people were unemployable out of school was to help in the colonization of other worlds, since each seed group would need a variety of talents. Indeed, an early portion of the book reinforces this supposition, as it explains that the prestigious school from which Lisse and her friends graduated once had a 90% job-placement rate, which is now a mere 10%—meaning that the most qualified workers are being placed within the Game system rather than the workforce.
Monica Hughes
-External links:***...
.
The book is a hard science fiction dystopia
Dystopia
A dystopia is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian, as characterized in books like Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four...
n novel set in 2154, a time when machine
Machine
A machine manages power to accomplish a task, examples include, a mechanical system, a computing system, an electronic system, and a molecular machine. In common usage, the meaning is that of a device having parts that perform or assist in performing any type of work...
s and robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
s perform most jobs. Because of this, very few people are employed, with many people living on a social welfare system for support. The unemployed people have nothing to look forward to, except various illicit drugs
Recreational drug use
Recreational drug use is the use of a drug, usually psychoactive, with the intention of creating or enhancing recreational experience. Such use is controversial, however, often being considered to be also drug abuse, and it is often illegal...
. Some have formed gangs, some are shown to be agitating for political reform (in chapter 5 there is a reference to leaflets printed up), and many are involved in organized crime
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
of some form or another. The government, possibly the only government in existence at this point, is shown to have complete control over its citizens by restricting the unemployed to designated areas (DAs), and having similar control over the working-class.
The working-class people are taught to hate the unemployed citizens, and the unemployed generally want money and employment, in a classic class struggle
Class struggle
Class struggle is the active expression of a class conflict looked at from any kind of socialist perspective. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels wrote "The [written] history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggle"....
.
The story is told from the perspective of Lisse, a recent graduate of school. She is 16 when the story starts.
Plot summary
Lisse and her 7 friends are unemployable after graduation from a respected private school, despite their intelligence. They are assigned to their Designated Area (or DA), and allowed to live as a group in an abandoned warehouse. They discover that by day, the area they live in is a dreary, dirty place. By night, however, the unemployed folks go out to party and otherwise spend care-free evenings. The thought police quickly step in to quell any large problems or disputes. For their own safety, they study karateKarate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
and develop a security system designed to discourage criminals with electric shocks.
During a trip out to experience the nightlife, the group learns of The Game, a kind of entertainment that some people are very desperate to become involved in. They are later invited to try out The Game via a suspicious envelope placed within their warehouse (despite their security measures). After learning how to navigate the subways, they arrive at a secret entrance
Secret passage
Secret passages, also commonly referred to as hidden passages or secret tunnels, are hidden routes used for stealthy travel. Such passageways are sometimes inside buildings leading to secret rooms. Others allow occupants to enter or exit buildings without being seen...
to a government facility. Inside they have their first taste of The Game, which is actually a very sophisticated simulation of an Africa-like area. They cannot take anything from the real world inside this simulation and nothing from The Game can come back with them.
Having little else to look forward to in their lives, the group focuses on training and information gathering during their time between Game sessions. They develop a schedule of regular exercise (consisting of jogging and weight-training), search for information in the local library, and discuss their experiences and motivations. As they progress in The Game, they find that they have needs (for a doctor and someone with agricultural knowledge). The government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
swiftly moves people they knew from school into their lives, filling those needs.
After a year of such training, the game session changes—they are placed in an area much like the one they visited, except this time, they are not awakened if they are in danger of hurting themselves.
Eventually, it is revealed that The Game is a kind of training meant to prepare the group for an off-world colony project, not unlike Ender's Game
Ender's Game
Ender's Game is a science fiction novel by American author Orson Scott Card. The book originated as the short story "Ender's Game", published in the August 1977 issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact. Elaborating on characters and plot lines depicted in the novel, Card later wrote additional...
is actually real. This project is designed to halt the massive overpopulation
Overpopulation
Overpopulation is a condition where an organism's numbers exceed the carrying capacity of its habitat. The term often refers to the relationship between the human population and its environment, the Earth...
the world is suffering.
It is hinted that part of the reason such a group of people were unemployable out of school was to help in the colonization of other worlds, since each seed group would need a variety of talents. Indeed, an early portion of the book reinforces this supposition, as it explains that the prestigious school from which Lisse and her friends graduated once had a 90% job-placement rate, which is now a mere 10%—meaning that the most qualified workers are being placed within the Game system rather than the workforce.