The Dueling Machine

"The Dueling Machine" by Ben Bova and Myron R. Lewis is a science fiction book that paints a picture of a future where disagreements are sorted out in a special machine that makes people see the same imaginary world, so they can fight without actually getting hurt. The main character, Prime Minister Dulaq, gets trapped in a serious duel against Major Odal that could not only end his life but also mess up the whole government of his world. As the story begins, Dulaq gets ready for his duel in a complicated, made-up city, totally convinced that it's real. As he looks for his opponent, things get more and more tense, and we see how worried and desperate Dulaq is as he tries to make his way through this weird, dreamlike place. He has to figure out what's real and what's not, and he realizes that this fight is about more than just him staying alive, it's also about big political stuff too. This exciting setup lets the book look at themes like power, technology, and what fighting really means, in a place where what's real and what's fake are all mixed up together.