Aliens
The novel is centered around an imminent alien invasion, as the popular game Armada has been created by the government in order to prepare citizens for an alien invasion. Overall, the novel depicts certain video games and films as simulations to help people prepare for certain events, such as alien invasions. As this is a science-fiction novel, we might expect this to be a key theme.
Role models
This text shows the importance of role models to young people. As Zack lost his father as a young boy, he looks up to the owner of the video game store, Ray. Ray becomes a sort of father-figure to Zack and is shown to be a valuable influence in his life.
Conspiracy theories
This novel also focuses on conspiracy theories. Zack discovers that his late father Xavier was very interested in conspiracy theories, which inspires Zack himself to look into them. This is something Zack finds very interesting and also helps him to uncover the truth about the video game Armada.
