A Dark Traveling is a science fantasy novel by American writer Roger Zelazny. The story uses teleportation as both fantasy and science fiction elements. It is the only novel he wrote for young adults and one of three books without a heroic protagonist. Plot introduction When an injured scientist disappears into a parallel world that is the battlefield between the forces of light and dark, his children set out to find him. Setting Our Earth is but one of many parallel Earths split off from each other by world-changing historical events. Over many generations the Wiley family guards and develops our Earth's transcomp, a portal to the other worlds. Parallel Earths are called bands, a term taken from the bandwidth or frequency that a transcomp tunes to in order to open a portal to each world. There are four categories of bands: Lightbands are friendly worlds that exchange information, students, and observers. Graybands are worlds without transcomps and delicate historical conditions. Deadbands have no people, but they have artifacts of past ruined civilizations. Darkbands exploit other bands with lower levels of technology. Lightbands and darkbands prosecute wars against each other on some bands. Characters James Wiley – A 15-year-old boy, an incipient werewolf, joins with his sister Becky and exchange-student Barry to find and rescue his father and mother who are missing among the bands. Becky Wiley – A tough 14-year-old sorceress and James' adopted sister transports James, Barry and herself to other bands without a transcomp. Barry – A 15-year-old exchange student is a trained assassin and devotee of the martial arts. George – James' uncle, a werewolf and shapeshifter, saves James, Becky, and Barry from certain death. Tom Wiley – James and Becky's father runs a transcomp and a science think tank in the American Southwest. Agatha Wiley – James' mother, a sorceress, fights Crow, a darkband sorcerer, psychically. James is led to believe she is dead. The Golem (Golly) – An android is activated by James to protect the Wiley family's transcomp. Crow – A darkband sorcerer attempts to stop the children from destroying a transmitter that disables the lightband's transcomps. Transcomps – Transporters connected to computers open portals to the other bands.. Plot summary Becky Wiley has a vision of someone threatening her father, Tom Wiley, in their transcomp room. She runs to the control room and finds blood on the floor. The transmission part of