"See, outer space. Looks like we keep on playing or we're up here forever."
—Danny Budwing
Zathura (the book version) is the sequel to Jumanji (the book version). It was written by Chris Van Allsburg in 2002.
The story picks up where the previous one left off: two boys Walter and Danny Budwing discover the Jumanji board game where it was hidden and take it home. However, Danny discovers another game also hidden inside the box: the sci-fi-based Zathura. Despite their ongoing rivalry, Walter and Danny find they must work together if they're ever going to beat the game and get back home.
It was adapted into a fantasy film directed by Jon Favreau in 2005.
This book contains examples of:
- AI Is A Crap Shoot: The robot summoned by Walter is apparently supposed to protect humans from hostile aliens. Unfortunately, its A.I. is defective and it can't differentiate Walter from an alien. This causes it to relentlessly try to kill Walter until the boys topple it.
- Aloof Big Brother: Walter, at first. He is entirely uninterested in doing anything with Danny.
- Always a Bigger Fish: The Zorgons are the main threat for a good chunk of the book. What ends up getting rid of them? The robot that wants to kill Walter.
- Antagonist Title: Like its predecessor, Zathura is the name of the board game that is causing all the trouble. But this time, the portal takes a whole house into space!
- An Arm and a Leg: The robot loses an arm after a fight with a Zorgon.
- Artifact of Doom: The board game Zathura, while not inherently evil or malevolent, still rains down misfortune and disaster on the players in the form of meteor showers, invading aliens, and black holes.
- Artistic License – Space: For starters, there is oxygen and gravity (unless for the latter, you draw a card that reverses the polarity).
- Big Brother Bully: Walter always talks down to and beats up Danny.
- Big Brother Instinct: Inverted when Danny saves Walter from floating away into outer space, and when Danny figures out how to knock out the robot.
- Bowled Over: After Walter summons the robot, Danny draws a card that turns himself "the shape and size of a large beach ball," then orders Walter to roll him towards the robot, knocking it out for a while.
- Bratty Half-Pint: Kid protagonist Walter is a major jerk for most of the book.
- Broken Record: The robot seems capable of speaking only five words.EMERGENCY: ALIEN LIFEFORM. MUST DESTROY.
- Contrasting Sequel Main Character: Walter and Danny have a tendency to start games without reading the instructions, unlike Jumanji protagonists Judy and Peter. They are also more prone to arguing.
- Establishing Series Moment: Once the game begins and Danny draws the first card saying "METEOR SHOWER TAKE EVASIVE ACTION", it's made immediately clear just how real the game's effects are when a meteor shoots straight through the TV that Walter is watching.
- Everything Trying to Kill You: Not as bad as Jumanji, but if you get a card, you better get ready to run.
- Extremely Short Timespan: The game really only lasts for three hours or less.
- The Faceless: Just like the adults from the Jumanji book, Mr. and Mrs. Budwing and the Zorgon never show their faces in the pictures.
- Flaming Meteor: The meteors that strike the house are red hot.
- From Bad to Worse: Getting thrown into space is one thing, but then comes falling meteorites, gravity decreasing and increasing on a whim, a deadly robot, Zorgons that want to eat the players and come in swarms, and finally, a black hole that sucks up one of the players.
- The Game Come to Life: Walter and Danny are transported into the world of the game.
- The Game Plays You: The game affects reality and can only be survived by playing to an ending.
- Grammar Nazi: Walter frequently reminds Danny to say, "You and I," as opposed to, "Me and you." When he decides to stop bullying Danny at the end, he also starts saying, "Me and you."
- Lizard Folk: The Zorgons are aliens who resemble humanoid lizards.
- Oh, Crap!: Danny and Walter when they start playing the game and then actual meteors rain down through their house, forcing them to take shelter.
- Recycled In Space: It's Jumanji IN SPACE!
- Reptiles Are Abhorrent: The reptilian Zorgons are the monstrous villains
- Reset Button: A black hole sends Walter back in time to just before Danny finds the Jumanji box.
- Riddle for the Ages: What exactly gives Zathura its reality-warping abilities? Who made the game and why? How did it end up in the same box as Jumanji? None of these questions are ever given any explanation.
- Sibling Rivalry: Between Danny and Walter. They eventually work out their differences, though.
- Unrealistic Black Hole: The one that sucks up Walter.
- A Villain Named "Z__rg": The Zorgons, a race of evil lizard people.
- Yellow Brick Road: In Jumanji style... meaning that once the players start down the road, they must play the game all the way through in order to escape and undo the damage done.
