Literature / Escapist Dream

"To have adventures that were crazy, fantastical and out of this world."'

Escapist Dream is a sci-fi virtual reality fiction novel written and published by Louis Bulaong. The book tells the story of an American teenager named Charlie and a British programmer named Jim, as they use a machine to send their minds to visit a virtual reality world called the Escapist Dream. In this simulated world, all kinds of geeks, from comic nerds, otakus, gamers, etc, can role-play and use the powers of their favorite fictional characters, usually in fights against each other. But then, a string of computer bugs started to mess around the system, which would progressively devolve into something more life-threatening throughout the course of the story.

The world of the Escapist Dream is separated into five areas, mainly Stan City which is for fans of superhero and comic books, Otaku Academy which is for manga and anime otakus, Gamer's Den which houses gamers and gaming aficionados, The Library which is where the literary geeks reside, and the Zone of the Macabre which is a horrifying place for those fans of a controversial medium. The book became famous for its use of a multitude of geeky pop cultural references. It referenced everything from Naruto to PewDiePie, and gained somewhat a scholarly interest from nerds everywhere. Due to being famous for its pop culture references, it's been compared to a similar novel entitled Ready Player One.

A webnovel sequel entitled Otaku Girl is currently available on Royal Road (here).

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Escapist Dream contains examples of

• 20 Minutes into the Future: Unlike other virtual reality stories, it's never directly stated what year this book takes place in. Although something like a virtual reality machine exists, other common products like laptops and smartphones also still exist (and again, it's never stated if these are futuristic models or not). If one could make a guess, it probably exists a couple of decades after 2010s, based around the fact that stuff like PewDiePie and the Oculus Rift are considered nostalgic.
• Abandoned Area: The district aptly named Zone of the Macabre, which is an area inspired by really screwed up media from Neon Genesis Evangelion, Crossed, and I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream
• Absurdly Sharp Blade: The third bug in the system takes the form of a knife that can literally cause pain inside a virtual reality world, which it does so by hacking the virtual reality machines and tricking the brain to feel pain. This came as a horrible surprise to everyone, since feeling pain is impossible inside a simulation. They would soon find out that the bug doesn't only cause pain. It can also trick the body into dying, causing actual death in real life.
• All-Loving Hero: Charlie, being the youngest and kindest, as well as having that superhero moral code, embodies this. He's also one of the only main characters who did not get tempted by the powers of the computer bugs. He's so nice in fact, that he even tried to bargain with the Big Bad than risk a fight.
  • The only time that Charlie showed coldness was the time he fought and killed The Librarian. But the latter was not that innocent either. In fact, The Librarian was a delusional psychopath who was going to kill him and his friend Jim, so the kid definitely had a reason to put him down.
• Another Dimension: One of the major themes in the book is the scientific theory that virtual reality worlds are actually dimensions or man-made universes. Of course, almost all of the characters dismiss this crazy theory due to the fact that... well... digital 3D environments are not and cannot become universes, because universes are made up of numerous stars and galaxies. However, a few of the characters, who ended up becoming the villains, not only believed in this theory, but actually tried to trap everyone inside so they could have a "universe of their own".
  • It's still debated and remains ambiguous whether or not this theory is actually true. On one hand, common sense dictates that this is absurd. But several instances in the story kind of dictates that there is a possibility. Jim Broughton, one of the designers of the Escapist Dream, even stated that the laws of virtual reality worlds are not only similar, but are far better than the laws of the real world. This is further given evidence upon when readers learn that one can survive inside the Escapist Dream even if their consciousness are no longer connected to their physical bodies, as long as said consciousness is downloaded into the virtual reality world.
• Anthropomorphic Personification: Not really although one could see the subtle characteristics. Most principal characters pretty much embody their favorite fandoms:
  • Charlie, the American geek, is dressed up in a Superman t-shirt and Jedi robes, since he's a fan of superhero comics and typical "objectivist" heroic epics. Like a typical superhero, Charlie is sweet, kind, and tries to save everyone.
  • Jim, the British programmer, pretty much embodied British characters from books, comics and films. He dresses up like John Constantine and carries Judge Dredd's lawmaker. His username even spelled "Vertigo-Man" which is a reference to Vertigo Comics. Like most British characters, Jim prides himself for his intellect, his realistic though cynical view of life, as well as his jerk-y British wit.
  • Kaichou, the otaku admin, represents most anime characters and otakus in real life. He wears glasses and a gakuran uniform, has a spiky hairstyle and katana, smirks like a typical anime smartass, and can use the kamehameha. However, in actuality he's a lonely fat otaku who went so far as to create his own waifu inside the virtual reality world.
    • His girlfriend Aika (later found out to be his digital waifu) embodies the typical expressionless, somber, and downright emo characters like Yugi Nagato, Mey Rin and Sasuke Uchiha. She can transform into a Magical Girl, but when she do so, she transforms into frigging Lucy from Elfen Lied instead.
  • The Wiz portrays the typical modern gamer. She's hip, fun-loving, witty, very snarky and toxic. She's South Korean too, a nationality famous for their gamers.
  • Based on her costume and later insanity, Launa embodied the antihero, from her guns, Spawn-like cape and chains, Punisher emblem, and her extreme plan to create a world of geeks by trapping everyone inside the Escapist Dream.
  • Librarian, a Hogwarts dweeb, represents the negative aspects of literary geeks, in that they think that old-fashioned books are better than comics and games. He's pretty much written as a criticism against high-culture.
• Anyone Can Die: A lot of the characters, even the main ones, are axed off. Those who survived ends up traumatized.
• Badass Boast: Played for laughs. Before Charlie fought Kaichou, the admin of the otakus, he first gave him an anime-style boast as a sort of mockery. And this embarassing boast was filled yet again with anime references like Cutie Honey and Dragon Ball Z.
  Charlie:Hahaha-ha! I’ve played a lot of roles in my life. At times I’m a high school student. Sometimes a normal teenager livin’ with his mom and dad in suburbia. And sometimes I’m a hot geek whom many girls fall for… okay maybe the last one was not real... But I’m Charlie, the American geek! I’m the hope of the universe! I’m the answer to all livin’ things who cry out in the night! Allied to good, nightmare to you! And listen up Kaichou, I’ve just kicked your girlfriend’s ass and now I’m here to kick yours!
• Batman Gambit: Jim, as a John Constantine fan, does this a lot, especially in his fight with the Librarian and Launa. In the former, he allows himself and Charlie to be captured and tortured to see the effects of their new weapon, which turned out to be one of the bugs. In the latter, he does this by letting himself get beaten up in order to slowly and surely take Launa's powers away. Both plans were risky and dangerous that there was a large chance he could've died.
  • Charlie also does one during his brief battle with Kaichou. Knowing that Kaichou is an otaku that has the powers of and acts like an anime character, Charlie decided to defeat him by using ecchi. He literally used Naruto's sexy-no-jutsu to make Kaichou nosebleed himself to death.
• Big Bad: One of the big mysteries that is kept a secret throughout most of the chapters. The initial and mid chapters basically focused on minor threats, but when the Big Bad appeared, it made an earth-shattering revelation to the characters since it was Launa all along, who was one of the kindest and most beloved characters in the story.
• Break the Cutie: Throughout the novel, Charlie turned from an optimistic happy-go-lucky geeky kid to a broken traumatized wreck after all of the horrible things he had to go through.
• Break the Haughty: Unlike the sweet Charlie, Jim started off as a grumpy narcissist who hated geeks and everyone else whom he considered weird and beneath him. He then slowly starts to soften on the geeks after getting the chance to interact with them and learning about their miserable lives.
• Calling Your Attacks: Happens many times as a sort of gag, especially if it concerned with characters who are otakus and anime nerds.
• Caught Monologuing: Used as a pop culture gag when Charlie, Jim and Launa went to visit Otaku Academy, which was filled with... you guessed it... fans of anime and manga. Charlie, during his battle with Aika, caught the female otaku doing this while fighting.
  Aika: This kid… I thought it would be easy gutting him but he proves to be more cunning. Who is he? And isn't he supposed to be new here? Nevermind about him, focus on taking down that British bastard who's probably sitting back there and drinking tea. I need to take him out now before he–
  Charlie: Oh my God, are you monologuin'?
  Aika: Orousai!
• Dead Guy on Display: The Big Bad does this to several geeks who tried to fight and resist. This was made to make an example of the other geeks who're brave and stupid enough to do the same. Said geeks had their dismembered body parts hung similar "to that of William Wallace".
• Downer Ending: Charlie, the sweetest of all the characters, can't get enough of bad luck. In the first chapter, we learn that he suffers from depression because he lost his only friend to suicide. Fast-forward twenty chapters later after a lot of horrible things had happened, Charlie still ended up being alone and friendless like he was before. He even contemplated suicide but did eventually recover.
• Escapism: Pretty much the major theme of the story (and the name of the book itself). Every character in this novel have something missing in them that they can only have in the Escapist Dream, and how much some of these people would do in order to leave the real world and live forever in the virtual reality world.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Even though Jim hates and despises geeks, he condemns their entrapment and wholesale slaughter in later chapters of the book.
• Face–Heel Turn: Two of the main beloved characters fall to this. First was Launa, who turned from a kind and responsible leader to a deranged mass-murderer. And Jim who ends up fighting Charlie to accomplish his real goals in the final chapter.
• Failure Is the Only Option: By the final chapters, all major characters have to realize that even after all their hardwork, from searching for the computer bugs to fighting the Big Bad, were all for naught. The Escapist Dream was doomed to be shut down by society after the revelation that it is not as safe as it was assumed to be.
  • Its destruction is further cemented upon when two of the main protagonists ended up fighting each other and causing its destruction. These endings pretty much ties the theme of the book: that no matter how much the geeks try to escape the real world into a place made solely for them, the problems of the former would continue to hound them and force them to face their problems.
• Foreshadowing: Used very well in the book. It turns out that Launa's and Salt Slayer's heart-felt wishful dream of having a world only for geeks wasn't a wishful thinking at all. They actually created this elaborate plan to trap the geeks inside the virtual reality world so they won't need to go back to the real "cruel" world. Another notable example was Jim's slight interest in the anime CLANNAD even though he told everyone that he hates anime. It turns out that this was his dead wife's favorite anime series, and he wants to resurrect her and their dead son in the manner similar to the anime.
• Geek: Almost every character falls under this trope, from the comic book nerds, otaku, gamers, literature geeks etc.
• Genre Deconstruction: The Escapist Dream was released at a time when Young Adult Literature characters and LitRPG characters were written as angsty, adult-hating, uber-talented and powerful Mary Sues whose universes basically revolves around them (similar to that of Ready Player One and The Hunger Games). The book's main character, Charlie, differs by not being overpowered or super-talented and smart (he admits to being an idiot), and not minding hanging out and being told what to do by adults. Even though he also suffered quite a lot like typical Young Adult protagonists, he actually tries to be positive and cheerful rather than being broody (it also helps that he talks to people about his problems, especially to mental health professionals).
• Genre-Busting: We're talking about a story about a virtual reality world where people can become actual comic book, anime, video game, and literary characters. As such it has elements and references of each medium in it, from superhero fiction to horror. It is however, marketed as a science fiction and pop culture fiction by many.
• God Mode: The Wiz, and later Launa when they got the hold of the second bug.
• Heroic Sacrifice: The Wiz during the final battle.
• I Know Mortal Kombat: Lampshaded and somehow subverted. After the destruction of the Escapist Dream, Charlie returns back to his normal life and was beset by the FBI at his own school. Things took a turn for the worse as the feds turned out to be deuces. During a scuffle between the kid and the feds, Charlie somehow managed to fight and outmaneuver them all using his experiences fighting inside the Escapist Dream. There is a twist however, since in the previous chapters, Jim gave Charlie actual military and martial arts training inside the virtual reality world.
• Jerk Jock: The last part had the Big Bad summoning an army of invincible jocks to destroy the united geek army and made them "feel like the betas they are". This include not only athletic jocks, but also military and gangsters for some reason. And they have the typical jock attitude and lingo to boot.
  Jock: You fucking freaks! None of your stupid superpowers won’t work on us! We’re too cool to be affected by your lame-ass magical spells and laser beams! Now come closer, losers, so we can straighten your brains out!
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Jim to the largest degree, due to him being a snarky bastard and a bully to all geeks in the Escapist Dream. But there's a reason why he's a jerk, and one of the major themes of the story is about him learning to cope with this and be kinder to everyone around him. The reason why he's a bastard? He lost his wife and 5-year-old son.
• MacGuffin: The computer bugs that have been plaguing the Escapist Dream served as the main objectives (especially to Jim). There are three main bugs that the gang had to find and destroy. The first one, the Reality Bug, is responsible for much of the glitching and reality going wonky. The second one, the Physics Bug, can make certain people or objects invincible. And the third bug, the Mental Bug, can hack into the system and cause pain. As the story progressed, the characters and the readers would find out that there are more to these bugs than they thought.
• Meaningful Name: The admin of the Gamer's Den has a funny but awesome name based on typical gamer lingo. He literally calls him The Salt Slayer because he is one of the most dangerous gamers in there. Another gamer, The Wiz, got her name from the famous 1980s film The Wizard, complete with the powerglove and all. And the admin of Otaku Academy, Kaichou? Takes his name from the Japanese word for president.
• Ninja Maid: Aika to a T.
• Reference Overdosed: All forms of modern geek culture from comics, films, anime, video games, books. EVERYTHING. The book even referenced Jim Sterling, Hayao Miyazaki, and the legendary indie film Begotten.
• Superman Substitute: Charlie admitted to being a fan of Superman but this only scratches the surface. He pretty much embodies Superman, including the heat vision and the uber-kindness and morals.
• Rei Ayanami Expy: Aika is pretty much dressed up to be like this. Weirdly enough, she acts so much like Rei Ayanami that Jim suspects that she's not human, which proved to be true since she's just an AI waifu created by Kaichou.
• Religion of Evil: The Librarian's cult is one. They are basically literary geeks who believed that old-fashioned books are better than comics, manga and all other forms of mediums. They're basically the negative aspects of high-culture personified.
• The Mentally Disturbed: Almost all of the characters are, which makes up the themes of the book. Not surprising since the author admitted to having a psychology baccalaureate. Notable characters include Charlie and Jim who both suffered depression (but the latter's is worse since he also suffers psychosis), Kaichou who suffers typical loneliness that many otaku go through, the crazy anti-social Librarian, and then there's Launa, who revealed herself to be the craziest of them all.
• The Metaverse: The Escapist Dream seems to embody this trope, as well as other virtual reality worlds in the story. What's hilarious is that there is a virtual reality world for almost everything, from K-Pop fandom, history buffs, to even porn. However, for some reason people inside virtual reality worlds can still use the internet in the old-fashioned way by pulling out their phones and computers from the inside.
• The Plan: Jim and the group's final preparations before the final battle.
• The Reveal: A lot of reveals. You can look up Twist Ending section to get a better idea.
  • One of the twists that was revealed early in the story but not to the characters was Jim being the one who actually created the bugs in the first place. Easy to say, when the other characters found out, they got pissed.
• Trenchcoat Brigade: Jim is literally a fan of John Constantine, hence why he too sports a trenchcoat and Silk Cut.
• Tsundere: Aika is one. She even spouts the typical tsun-tsun trademark "Orousai!"
• Twist Ending: There are two main plot twists in this story, each revealed at the end. The twists are: Launa was the one who unleashed the bugs and caused all of this to happen, and Jim was the one who created the bugs in the first place, in order to reshape the virtual reality world so he can be with his dead family... forever.
• Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny: The battles in Escapist Dream fit this trope, since they're basically about fights between fandoms. There's literally a fight between an American geek with a lightsaber vs a Japanese otaku dressed as a ninja. And there's even a fight between two gamers using video game powers but one was a retro gamer while the other was a modern FPS player.
• Veteran Instructor: Being a former lieutenant for the British Marines, Jim happily (though hesitatingly at first) give military exercises to Charlie in order to make him a stronger fighter.
• White Void Room: One of the first place that players go to before embarking into the Escapist Dream is the Lobby. It's basically this white room "bleached so much that it was painful to look at". Although a bit cliched that a virtual reality story has this feature, it was later revealed in the following chapters that the creators of Escapist Dream were inspired by The Matrix, hence why they have a white void room.
• Worldbuilding: The novel has one of the most unique world-building in fiction. The virtual setting is pretty much divided into different "fandoms", mainly Stan City for comic nerds and fans of American media, Otaku Academy for otaku and fans of Japanese media, Gamer's Den for every gamers out there, The Library which is the home of literary geeks and fans of Classical (Mostly British) literature, and the Zone of the Macabre which is a place for any controversial media in history.