History Literature / EscapistDream

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 {{otaku}}s, 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 [[{{Gorn}} controversial medium]]. The book became famous for its use of a multitude of geeky pop cultural references. It referenced everything from ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' to ''LetsPlay/{{PewDiePie}}'', and gained somewhat a scholarly interest from nerds everywhere. Due to being famous for its pop culture references, it's been [[DuelingWorks compared]] to a similar novel entitled ''Literature/ReadyPlayerOne''.

* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: 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 ''LetsPlay/PewDiePie'' and the Oculus Rift are considered nostalgic.

A webnovel sequel entitled ''Literature/OtakuGirl'' is currently available in [[https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/40118/otaku-girl Royal Road]].

*** His girlfriend Aika [[spoiler: (later found out to be his digital waifu)]] embodies the typical expressionless, somber, and downright emo characters like [[LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya Yugi Nagato]], [[Manga/BlackButler Mey Rin]] and [[Manga/{{Naruto}} Sasuke Uchiha]]. She can transform into a MagicalGirl, but when she do so, she transforms into frigging Lucy from ''Manga/{{Elfen Lied}}'' instead.

* AdultFear: Charlie, being a teenager and the youngest of the group, elicits this fear to the adults, first to Launa and later to Jim.

* GenreDeconstruction: The ''Escapist Dream'' was released at a time when YoungAdultLiterature 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 ''Literature/ReadyPlayerOne'' and ''Literature/TheHungerGames''). 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).

A webnovel sequel entitled [[https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/40118/otaku-girl ''Otaku Girl'']] is currently available in Royal Road.

A [[https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/40118/otaku-girl webnovel sequel]] is currently available in Royal Road.

* BreakTheCutie: Throughout the novel, Charlie from an optimistic happy-go-lucky geeky kid to a broken traumatized wreck after all of the horrible things he had to go through.

''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 {{otaku}}s, 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 [[{{Gorn}} controversial medium]]. The book became famous for its use of a multitude of geeky pop cultural references, from comics, TV, films, anime, video games, literature, internet etc. It referenced everything from ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' to ''LetsPlay/{{PewDiePie}}'', and gained somewhat a scholarly interest from nerds everywhere. Due to being famous for its pop culture references, it's been [[DuelingWorks compared]] to a similar novel entitled ''Literature/ReadyPlayerOne''.

** 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 is far better, than the laws of the physical world. This is further given evidence upon when readers learn [[spoiler:that one can survive inside the Escapist Dream even if they're consciousness are no longer connected to their physical bodies, as long as said consciousness is downloaded into the virtual reality world]].

* AnotherDimension: 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 billions of 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 [[spoiler:trap everyone inside so they could have a "universe of their own"]].

''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.

* AbsurdlySharpBlade: 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 into tricking the brain to feel pain. This came as a big and fearful surprise to everyone, since feeling pain is impossible inside a simulation. [[spoiler: 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]].

* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: 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 exists (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 ''LetsPlay/PewDiePie'' and the Oculus Rift are considered nostalgic.

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 {{otaku}}s, 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 [[{{Gorn}} controversial medium]]. The book became famous for its use of a multitude of geeky pop cultural references, from comics, TV, films, anime, video games, literature, internet etc. It referenced everything from ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' to ''LetsPlay/{{PewDiePie}}'', and gained somewhat a scholarly interest from nerds everywhere. Due to being famous for its pop culture references, it's been [[DuelingWorks compared]] to a similar novel entitled ''Literature/ReadyPlayerOne''.

* BreakTheCutie: In the beginning, Charlie appeared as this optimistic happy-go-lucky geek. But after all the horrible things he had to go through inside the virtual reality world, the young kid ends up being broken by the end.
* BreakTheHaughty: Unlike Charlie, Jim started off as a grumpy narcissist who hated geeks, "weirdos", and everyone else he considered beneath him. He then slowly starts to mellow on the geeks after getting the chance to interact with them and learning about the miserable lives many have.

* FailureIsTheOnlyOption: 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. [[spoiler: The Escapist Dream was doomed to be shut down by the government after all the horible things that happened in it, and Jim’s plan ends up further cementing this when he himself takes it over]].
** Its destruction is further cemented upon [[spoiler: 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 the real world.

*** His girlfriend Aika [[spoiler: later found out to be his digital waifu]] embodies the typical expressionless, somber, and downright emo characters like [[LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya Yugi Nagato]], [[Manga/BlackButler Mey Rin]] and [[Manga/{{Naruto}} Sasuke Uchiha]]. She can transform into a MagicalGirl, but when she do so, she transforms into frigging Lucy from ''Manga/{{Elfen Lied}}'' instead.

* AdultFear: Charlie, being a teenager and the youngest of the group, illicits this fear to the adults, first to Launa and later to Jim.

* FailureIsTheOnlyOption: 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, was all for naught. [[spoiler: The Escapist Dream was doomed, and Jim’s plan would further cement this when he himself takes it over]].