Ready Player One

Aug 26, 2011 Kemper rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, cyber, dystopia, future-is-now, humor, sci-fi, time-mower-adventures

Adventures in Time Mowing

After my laptop fused to my lawn mower due to a freak lightning strike, I discovered that I could use it to travel through time.

“Wow, where’d you come from?”

“I’m from 2011. Got a time mower and decided to come to the future. I’ll spare you the full origin story. My name’s Kemper.”

“I’m Wade Watts. Welcome to 2044.”

“Thanks. I gotta say, things are looking kind of grim around here. Are those mobile homes stacked up like hillbilly skyscrapers?”

“Yeah, I live in one of them. W...more

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Sep 12, 2011 William Cline rated it 2 of 5 stars

For most of the first half of this book, I was unimpressed. The writing was flat, and the story was unremarkable. The book gets hype because of its pervasive use of 1980s popular culture, particularly its references to science fiction, fantasy, and video games. The problem was that most of these references served no purpose. Something would be describing by pointing out its resemblance to something from a film or television show—a particularly annoying form of "telling, rather than showing" give...more For most of the first half of this book, I was unimpressed. The writing was flat, and the story was unremarkable. The book gets hype because of its pervasive use of 1980s popular culture, particularly its references to science fiction, fantasy, and video games. The problem was that most of these references served no purpose. Something would be describing by pointing out its resemblance to something from a film or television show—a particularly annoying form of "telling, rather than showing" given that a reader of the wrong age or background won't know the reference—but said reference would add nothing to the events at hand. Either that, or the reference would be carried to cringe-worthy, fan-fiction-grade extremes. For instance, in one scene, the online avatar of the main character, Wade Watts (known online as Parzival) pilots a DeLorean DMC-12 resembling the one used in the Back to the Future films, except for the addition of the computerized voice and sweeping red light of KITT from Knight Rider, a pair of Ghost Busters logos adorning the doors, and a license plate reading "ECTO 88".

Whether mentioned in passing or over the top like the aforementioned mash-up car, however, virtually all of these allusions are brought up and then dropped in the space of a sentence. The DeLorean, for example, takes up a couple of paragraphs and is then never used again. Ready Player One doesn't draw from 1980s popular culture; it just name-drops it all over the place. Sometimes it seemed the only purpose for these references was that the author and reader could share a knowing, self-congratulating smile.

The notion of a "massively multiplayer" online role-playing game becoming the human race's main form of entertainment presents some amusing possibilities, though, and Ready Player One doesn't completely squander its potential. The moment when I started to enjoy the book came about halfway through, in a chapter describing a day in Wade's life some time after his (view spoiler)

Cline shares the late twentieth century computer geek's vision of the Internet as a benevolent force. Wade has genuine feelings of friendship and love for his online friends, people he would never have met offline, people with whom he shares bonds of mutual interests and ideals rather than geography. An online world is one without racism or other prejudices. (Or at least, it's a world where you can avoid these prejudices by configuring your avatar appropriately. Let's not go into the implications of that.) Furthermore, despite its post-energy-crisis shabbiness, the world of Ready Player One is one in which the good guys have won: free speech, privacy, and "net neutrality" all rule the day.

At the same time, no matter how cool he tries to make the OASIS (and I admit, it is cool), Cline is conflicted about it. Its pleasures are tempered by the fact that for many of its players it serves as a drug, distracting them from the shabby state of real life in late twenty-first century Earth. Wade's dissatisfaction with a life spent entirely online is explored throughout the book, though never deeply. I would have liked to see the book explore this tension between the unifying and isolating effects of the online world in more detail.

In summary, Ready Player One touches on some interesting ideas, although it doesn't explore them as deeply as I would have liked. The writing is nothing special, but it gets the job done. The story gets more interesting in the second half, and the annoying popular culture references become less frequent. I'm glad I stuck it out to the end, but I don't think it deserves whatever hype it's getting in nerd circles.(less)

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Aug 18, 2011 Flannery rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who loves the 80s, trivia, video games, RPGs, or is looking for a fun read.

Recommended to Flannery by: Joel

Shelves: i-want-to-go-to-there, arc-galley-or-first-reads, swords-and-lasers, so-good-i-stayed-up-to-read-it, reviewed-2011, readalong, read-in-2011, wishlist-for-books-to-keep

This book is nostalgia porn. If you grew up in the 80s, enjoy video games, or go crazy for popular culture, you will devour this one. I was supposed to be reading this with a friend but I couldn’t stop. I read the beginning and thought, “what’s the big deal with everyone’s obsession?” Then Ernest Cline got his meat hooks into me and I read it while I was making dinner, while I was eating dinner, and then afterward until I’d finished it. I think I am just a few years shy of this books prime audie...more This book is nostalgia porn. If you grew up in the 80s, enjoy video games, or go crazy for popular culture, you will devour this one. I was supposed to be reading this with a friend but I couldn’t stop. I read the beginning and thought, “what’s the big deal with everyone’s obsession?” Then Ernest Cline got his meat hooks into me and I read it while I was making dinner, while I was eating dinner, and then afterward until I’d finished it. I think I am just a few years shy of this books prime audience but I can see how it will appeal to most of my ~~fellow geeks~~ friends. Ready Player One is set in a future where we have depleted our resources to the point where many people lives in Stacks, which are basically just trailer homes piled 20+ high and many people struggle to make ends meet. Wade Watts, the protagonist, attends school in OASIS like many of his peers. OASIS, an online world created by James Halliday contains thousands of different worlds, including copies of many famous sci-fi verses—I’m sure you could spend most of your time in Sunnydale or on Dune if you wanted to. In a very Westing Game move, Halliday leaves his entire $250 billion fortune to the player who can find the Easter egg hidden in OASIS. The book is set five years after his death and no player has gotten even one step closer to figuring out Halliday’s mystery. And the kicker? Halliday’s obsession, besides video games, was the 1980s. All the kids and adults alike are well-versed in all things 1980s from fashion to music to games to computers. These characters know more about the 1980s than most people who lived through it.

Wade Watts has spent years playing through all of Halliday’s favorite games and songs trying to figure out the first step. When Wade figures out the first move, his name shoots to the top of a previously empty high-scorers list and the world goes into a frenzy. The entire rest of the book follows Wade and his fellow contestants through the game in their attempts to reach the goal first. It seems like every person in the world is up against each other—especially the “gunters” (egg hunters) and the “sixers.” (Corporately-sponsored hunters who want to take over the OASIS for monetary gain, so-called because their avatar names begin with the number 6) My adrenaline ran high for the whole book. In fact, I actually kept speaking to Wade aloud. “Wade, what the hell are you doing? You are past the first gate! Pull your head out of your ass and stop spending your time at dance parties!” “Art3mis is so much smarter than you, Wade!” Wade’s fellow gunters include his long-time online crush, Art3mis and his BFF Aech (pronounced like the letter H). They were seriously awesome side characters with distinct personalities, which I especially enjoyed considering I have several friends on Goodreads whom I’ve never met in real life but I feel like I know pretty well. (view spoiler) My experience with WoW and Second Life is pretty minimal…well, I did once try Second Life but it mostly consisted of my friends and I goofing around and then accidentally wandering into an orgy and getting yelled at. Anyway, my point is that people quest all the time and talk to the same people regularly online. They have distinct personalities. I’m so happy that Ernest Cline was able to capture the personalities so well when the characters were only together outside of OASIS for limited amounts of time.

As someone who has spent probably entire weeks of her life playing video games, this book feels a bit like validation. SEE, NERD! YOUR TIME SPENT COLLECTING RUPEES WASN’T FOR NOTHING!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this highly addictive and fun read!
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Sep 27, 2012 Lou rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: to-be-movies-or-tv, arc, science-fiction, dystopia, fantasy

Three hidden keys open three secret gates Wherein the errant will be tested for Worthy traits
And those with the skill to survive these traits
Will reach The End where the prize awaits.

James Halliday a video-game designer created The Oasis. It made him one of the wealthiest people in the world. He had no successors to hand down the corporation he built. When he died he left a message to the world, one that called for the finder of 'The Egg' in a video game to gain ownership of OASIS.
I am thinking...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Melissa Proffitt rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian, science-fiction, flawed

So disappointing. The premise of a treasure hunt inside a gigantic immersive online environment is interesting. I like the idea of the people of 2044 being fixated on '80s culture for clues to solving the puzzle. The execution simply doesn't live up to the promise. The writing goes like this:

interestinginterestinginteresting

INFODUMP

interesti-

BIGGER INFODUMP

...and so forth. I honestly don't know who the intended audience is. The author overexplains all the '80s references as if he expects readers...more So disappointing. The premise of a treasure hunt inside a gigantic immersive online environment is interesting. I like the idea of the people of 2044 being fixated on '80s culture for clues to solving the puzzle. The execution simply doesn't live up to the promise. The writing goes like this:

interestinginterestinginteresting

INFODUMP

interesti-

BIGGER INFODUMP

...and so forth. I honestly don't know who the intended audience is. The author overexplains all the '80s references as if he expects readers to be too young or too disconnected from geek culture not to get them, but my experience with SF fandom is that no element of fandom, however old, ever completely dies out; all of us old farts who were teens in the '80s (and, interesting fact, the creator of the book's treasure hunt has the same birth year I do) make sure the young sprouts experience all the golden oldies. This is a first novel, and I make allowances for first novels, but this stretches my tolerance quite a bit.

More difficult for me to get past was the poorly-conceived dystopian future from which the story arises; to the bugaboos of environmental destruction, overpopulation, and economic collapse is added the fear of giant, evil corporations. This despite the fact that the guy who set up the enormous online multiverse AND created the treasure hunt did so by creating an enormous corporation of his own. His online creation is lauded (in one of those massive infodumps) as being so egalitarian because they don't charge anything for access, just for the things you buy inside it, but the corporation couldn't have set it up in the first place without needing a grundle of cash. (My computer programmer friends will fall on the floor laughing at the idea that all of those virtual items people buy are pure profit for the company because they "don't cost anything to make.") Every time I started to get interested in the story, I came up against some background element that only made sense in a tautological way--it is because it's said to be so.

But what really killed it for me, what caused me to finally give up about halfway through, has always been a deal-breaker for me in any work of speculative fiction. I don't like books that seem to exist independently of the great body of work that has explored the same issues or ideas. In this case, it's as if the author has never heard of Tad Williams' Otherland or (despite the hero's homage to Stephenson) The Diamond Age and Snow Crash. These books (I except Stephenson's more recent book Reamde because it was released the same year as Ready Player One) raised and evaluated issues with virtual reality, and yet Ready Player One does a lot of unnecessary reinventing of the cybernetic wheel. And yes, I do think this is a valid criticism; science fiction is interconnected to a degree that trumps any other genre, except possibly experimental literary fiction. There's an expectation that readers will be familiar with concepts raised elsewhere and have more than a passing familiarity with other SF novels. Ready Player One doesn't do much more than revisit ideas that other authors have explored, and the addition of a high-tech fantasy quest (an admittedly very cool idea) isn't enough to elevate it beyond the ordinary.(less)

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Sep 03, 2012 Dan Schwent rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, sf, man-tears

In the dystopian future of 2044, the world is going down the crapper and many people spend most of their free time playing OASIS, an online virtual reality game, sifting through every minute detail of the creator's life, for whomever unravels a series of riddles James Halliday left behind inherits it all. Will teenager Wade Watts be the one?

As I've said in the past, every once in a while a reader will unearth a book that feels as if it was written especially for them. For me, Ready Player One is...more In the dystopian future of 2044, the world is going down the crapper and many people spend most of their free time playing OASIS, an online virtual reality game, sifting through every minute detail of the creator's life, for whomever unravels a series of riddles James Halliday left behind inherits it all. Will teenager Wade Watts be the one?

As I've said in the past, every once in a while a reader will unearth a book that feels as if it was written especially for them. For me, Ready Player One is one of those books.

I wasn't completely sold at first. OASIS reminded me of The Metaverse from Snow Crash and Wade wasn't all that interesting to me. Then he referenced The Last Starfighter and I suddenly became more interested. By the time the Tomb of Horrors was mentioned, I was completely hooked.

The plot's structure isn't that revolutionary. It's pretty much your standard hero's journey. As the story unfolded, the characters are what made the book unputdownable. The setting, a dystopia where there's a Global Energy Crisis going on and people live in skyscraper-trailer parks called stacks is both imaginative and horribly plausible.

I hate to admit it but I was feeling some kinship with Wade as the book progressed. Is spending most of your free time in OASIS really that much different than reading for hours on end? Also, the book explores the nature of people and their online avatars. The revelation of Aech's true identity illustrates the difference between perception and reality quite nicely, just like the time when I met Kemper and discovered he wasn't a gun-toting chimp in a suit. Apparently, he left his guns at home that day. Or the time when I met Stephen and discovered he WAS a book-reviewing robot.

A large part of the appeal of Ready Player One is the astounding amount of pop culture references. While most of them are from the 1980's, a few are not. The Matrix and Monty Python and the Holy Grail, for example. I suspect younger readers won't get as many of the reference and not enjoy the books as much. However, as a child of the 80's and a dyed in the wool geek, I enjoyed the book very very much.

As I said earlier, the plot isn't revolutionary but it's still an enjoyable read. A single man-tear threatened to escape my eye during the epilogue but I fought it back. Five easy stars.(less)

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Aug 26, 2011 Stephen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, science-fiction, audiobook, signed-first-or-limited-edition, cyber-punk-prep-and-post, comfort-food, world-in-the-shitter

WOOT, WOOT and UBER WOOT all you MMORPGers, this book is the perfect calm down, happy face diversion next time you find yourself offline and frustrated because:

** you’re stuck medding back in a safe zone after nearly being ganked by some douchey griefers who jumped your camp site when the mob you were going to farm spawned so they could kill steal it and abscond with your loot;

or maybe

** some group of questing ubers turned asshat and refused to let your alt join them so you could PL by leechin...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Seak (Bryce L.) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio, 2013

Ready Player One is pure nerd candy, geek heaven, or whatever you want to call it, it was an experience I couldn't stop if I wanted to and didn't want to end.

It usually takes me quite a while to get through an audiobook and that's usually because I only listen to it at certain points of my day - when I'm in the car or walking to or from a new destination. Otherwise, I either have other commitments or other reading material.

I listened to Ready Player One in about 3 days. That's unprecedented for...more

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Jun 15, 2012 Jeffrey Keeten rated it 4 of 5 stars

"I'm not crazy about reality, but it's still the only place to get a decent meal." Groucho Marx

When I was going to middle school, which used to be the high school when my father attended school, this 1930s WPA project was full of asbestos and toxic mold from decades of water leaks. I probably shouldn't think about it too much or I might croak before I can finish this review. I was a rural kid and had to wait for the bus to come pick me up after school to haul me the five miles south of town to t...more

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Jul 13, 2011 Jo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: boy-crush, for-review, my-favourites, ya, when-can-i-move-in, things-are-rotten-in-the-state-of-d, e, own

“Somewhere along the way I started to go overboard. I may, in fact, have started to go a little insane.”

Initial Final Page Thoughts.
I’m already recommending this to everyone I know. EVERYONE.

High Points.
*Deep Breath* Alternate Reality. Virtual Insanity.Scoreboards. Quests (More books should have quests).Good old fashioned competition. W-O-W. Aech. At3mis. Best friends forever. Corruption. Damn the Man. Eccentric Billionaires. Retro. Duran Duran. Matthew Broderick. Monty Python. Rush. John Hughes...more

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May 28, 2012 Stacia ~ Mistress of Mediocrity rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, new-adult-college

4.5 stars. We have another winner!

By the halfway point I was giddy with all of the gamer fan trivia. How flipping crazy is this that ONE scene had references to D&D, MMO's, and the 80's game Joust? It's as if the heavens opened and decided to rain awesomeness.

We won't even go into all of the classic t.v. sitcoms, cartoons, movies, and technology which have been mentioned. Star Wars, Thundercats, War Games, and Atari, indeed. NERDGASM!

This book is a must read for fans of the 70's and 80's, as...more 4.5 stars. We have another winner!

By the halfway point I was giddy with all of the gamer fan trivia. How flipping crazy is this that ONE scene had references to D&D, MMO's, and the 80's game Joust? It's as if the heavens opened and decided to rain awesomeness.

We won't even go into all of the classic t.v. sitcoms, cartoons, movies, and technology which have been mentioned. Star Wars, Thundercats, War Games, and Atari, indeed. NERDGASM!

This book is a must read for fans of the 70's and 80's, as well as anyone who has ever played a console game, RPG, MUD, MMO, etc. How could anyone not love being immersed in the subculture of today's technology buffs?

The near-future involves a world where we as a people become far too immersed in a false reality - a virtual reality. Do I see this potentially happening in our future? I hate to admit this, but I'm a little afraid. Anyone who's habitually spent too much time on the internet or locked away inside of a game could probably relate to disengaging for a period from the real world. I'm even guilty of this, to an extent. I am an ex-gamer, after all. To actually see such a future played out in the pages of a book is quite scary. I hope we never get to the point where society as a whole forgets to go outside and see the sunshine. I'll be crossing my fingers and hoping on this one.

All potential doom and gloom aside, this book was entertaining! Who didn't dream of treasure hunts and winning prizes as a child? The trip was one I wished I could have gone on from within the safety of my own home (without being chased by an evil corporation, of course!). I can't say that I was able to solve any riddles myself, nor am I nearly schooled enough in 80's trivia to have been able to accomplish 1/10 of the things Wade did, but it was fun to accompany him on his journey.

If you aren't a gamer, 80's buff, or sci-fi nerd, this book might take a few chapters to warm up to. I'd say give it until at least chapter 5. It really does start to take off into a wonderful adventure, once you start to see the contest unfold and other players step in. (less)

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May 22, 2013 Giselle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobook, dystopia-or-post-apocalyptic

When you read dystopian after dystopian you realize that most of them are more or less the same, so it's extremely refreshing to come upon one who truly stands out from all the rest. Ready Player One is probably one of the coolest dystopian/sci fi stories I've ever read, and it's sure to amaze any pop culture fan, especially those who have lived through the 70s and 80s.

Ready Player One brings us into such a unique world that it's hard to not become fascinated by it all. This world involves bein...more When you read dystopian after dystopian you realize that most of them are more or less the same, so it's extremely refreshing to come upon one who truly stands out from all the rest. Ready Player One is probably one of the coolest dystopian/sci fi stories I've ever read, and it's sure to amaze any pop culture fan, especially those who have lived through the 70s and 80s.

Ready Player One brings us into such a unique world that it's hard to not become fascinated by it all. This world involves being able to live your life--school, work, etc--through a virtual universe where you decide what you look like, who you are. Think of it like suddenly living inside your favourite RPG game. This includes being able to travel from world to world, level your character, and farm for items. What's the most exciting, though, is how for years and years, people have been looking for a certain easter egg--a key to billions! How's that for a competition? When the novel begins we're immediately thrown into this premise where we learn exactly what this world is, who is behind this hunt, why, and what's at stake. Even though it's a lot of information thrown at us, I never felt overwhelmed, my eyes simply grew wider and wider with each passing minute. As someone who has enjoyed her fair share of RPGs, it was a whole lot of fun to imagine this kind of life! You don't need to have been a gamer to enjoy this novel, but if you are, and if you catch a lot of 80s references which have to be amongst the hundreds, then you'll have just a little more appreciation for it.

The egg hunt revolves around a man obsessed with the 80s, thus we get unlimited mentions of 80s pop culture in this book. The sheer amount of it amazed me, actually, and I wonder just how many hours Mr Cline spent on research for just this one book. Even though I only really got maybe 50%, if that. of all the references, I was still lost in a 1980s nostalgia filled with movies, music, and video games. Built around these, the egg hunt lets us explore Oasis, a virtual universe that Cline builds until it comes alive before your eyes. I could not only see myself walking this world, but I was left pondering what exactly I would decide to look like. In a world where you can be anybody, would you change your appearance? Your size? Your race? Even your sex? It was a lot of fun to think about.

The best side to this book for me, however, was Wade itself. Narrated by Wil Wheaton who did a fantastic job tuning into this character and bringing him to life, Wade Watts is your average teenage outcast who likes to lose himself in obsessing over this game, while simultaneously escaping his pathetic trailer park life. Wade tells us the story of how he became a legend, and right from the start I found myself easily connecting with his witty personality. While he does make mistakes along the way, his perfectly flawed nature makes his character and this whole journey very compelling. He's intelligent, no question, but he gets ahead of himself, learns a few life lessons, falls in love; showing us that he's human above all else. This is character development at its best! He's not alone through this process either, we meet characters who are, or become, Wade's loyal friends in this hunt. Having a common enemy will bring people closer and I loved seeing the sincere integrity of some of these other players. In the end it shows how important it is to lean on others to help, instead of greedily trying to go through it alone. This is something we see during Wade's transformation in this story. He starts off as an introvert with self esteem problems, and comes out a true hero.

Ready Player One is not a mindless read, it's a book you read when you want a sharp, intelligent, and imaginative read. Ultimately. it's a puzzle that will blow every pop culture fan's mind!

--

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

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Apr 17, 2013 julio rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: 70's babies, 80's babies, and California computer nerds

Recommended to julio by: the god of 1980's trivia

1980's mass-media nascent-computer-nerd porn disguised as a mystery-caper.

perfectly enjoyable, but probably only for americans born between 1968 and 1982.

it really is, start to finish, an entertaining homage to the corny, the magnificent, and the perhaps-unjustifiably-popular culture of a certain slice of America—and even worse, only for a specific span.

So your mileage may vary.

As for me...

...It was like watching Back To The Future and War Games back to back while playing the Legend of Zelda on...more

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Dec 17, 2011 Colleen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian-and-post-apoc, group-read, library-read

1.5

This was an ok read. Outside of the sci-fi aspect of it being set in a future world where people, to various degrees, spend chunks of their lives in a virtual reality world called OASIS, it's pretty much a standard quest type story - and not a particularly well written one.

The back-story is given in large wiki like chunks of exposition, the characters are kind of one-dimensional - Wade, in particular, borders of Gary-Stu territory or, at the very least, is an obvious author insert, and the v...more

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Oct 07, 2011 Phoebe added it

Recommended to Phoebe by: TheDuchess

Shelves: young-adult, geek, sci-fi, intergalactic-academy-reviews

Full review at the Intergalactic Academy.

Did you see the new Tron movie? I can’t help but wonder if Ernest Cline did–and if he winced when he realized how similar it was to his book.

Ready Player One is conceptually nearly identical. Eccentric millionaire computer whiz invents rich VR-world. Years later, he’s gone and a kid must enter the computer in order to save the old man’s company from evil corporate shills. Jeff Bridges would even make a great James Halliday.

But unlike TRON: Legacy, Ready P...more Full review at the Intergalactic Academy.

Did you see the new Tron movie? I can’t help but wonder if Ernest Cline did–and if he winced when he realized how similar it was to his book.

Ready Player One is conceptually nearly identical. Eccentric millionaire computer whiz invents rich VR-world. Years later, he’s gone and a kid must enter the computer in order to save the old man’s company from evil corporate shills. Jeff Bridges would even make a great James Halliday.

But unlike TRON: Legacy, Ready Player One samples liberally from not just one 80s film franchise, but all of them. In the obsessively detailed retro-futuristic sci-fi world of the OASIS, it seems that the pop culture of the 80s doubles as the pop culture of the 2140s. Other than the OASIS itself, mankind seems to have been incapable of creating anything of artistic value since Y2k.

The effect is dizzying, not unlike Ready Player One‘s cover. The novel’s fast-moving pages could easily double as a catalog of recommended viewing, listening, and gaming for any self-respecting geek kid. It’s not really realistic, or plausible, but it sure was comfortably familiar for this 27-year-old reader.

The story is simple: Wade Watts recounts how he became overlord of the OASIS with the help of his best friends, Aech and Art3mis. Wade’s voice was, perhaps, a little too perfect. Tiresome infodumps abound, especially in the first half of the novel–at which point they’re replaced with equally tiresome battle and game recaps. There’s nothing worse, I suspect, then to have to listen to someone recount the plot of video games–except maybe to have to listen to them recite Monty Python. That happens here, too.

Don’t get me wrong. This is a fun novel. Ready Player One is accessible, and the core friendship between the three teenagers is well-rendered and believable. But it’s also a little simplistic. Villains are one-dimensional. Minorities are stereotypical (there are two Japanese boys obsessed with “honor”). Endings are tidy. We’re told that this is a world where racism and sexism don’t matter because everyone can pretend to be a white guy. Hmm.

But I can’t deny that this is a book that a lot of people will love. It might not be particularly challenging, but it’s undeniably entertaining. It’s a great read for geeky teen readers who are into 8-bit culture–or geeky adults who, like the inhabitants of the OASIS, just want to escape into some harmless fun.(less)

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Sep 15, 2011 Katie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: signed, sci-fi-fantasy

Totally awesome! I loved this book! You do not have to be a child of the 80's or a computer-playing, arcade-going geek to appreciate it, but it would probably help. Enough people have been raving about it that I don't have much to add. Ernest Cline is my new hero for using all his obscure 80's knowledge to make money, and he deserves it. I'll be buying a copy for myself when it comes out :-)

GAME OVER

I also wanted to add that one of the first things Ernest Cline bought with his book advance mone...more

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Jun 03, 2011 Joel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, dystopia, ya, thanks-karen, vote-getters, i-am-8-bit

There's this conceit that keeps popping up in sci-fi dystopia novels that it is only a matter of time before we will all be glued to our virtual reality goggles 24 hours a day as elaborate MMPORPGs slowly take over the world.

I think this is stupid. No matter how increasingly ubiquitous computers become, I just don't foresee Second Life replacing the first one (FarmVille may have replaced actual farming, but that conversation involves a lecture on government subsidies that I just don't have time...more

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Oct 24, 2011 Sam rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi-favourites, science-fiction, 5-star-gems

WOW. Just, wow.

This book was mind-blowing. I really didn't think I would like it as much as I did. This is, by far, one of the best science-fiction novels I have read in a long time.

Ernest Cline has delivered a rare master-piece. This book has created a lot of buzz lately, and rightly so! It's everything a hard-core sci-fi fanatic could want in a book and so much more. And the brilliant thing about this novel is that it's so wonderfully written that it has the ability to appeal to non-sci-fi fa...more

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May 23, 2011 Greg rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sf-fantasy-and-other-dorky-shit

In a bleak near future, which doesn't seem all that implausible from the way things are going these days, large parts of the population escape the misery of everyday existence by plugging into this thing called OASIS that is part Second Life and part MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online game). OASIS is a full immersion simulated world where people go to recreate themselves, have adventures, goto school, make a living; or to sum it up to virtually live. The creator of this world (which costs only a...more In a bleak near future, which doesn't seem all that implausible from the way things are going these days, large parts of the population escape the misery of everyday existence by plugging into this thing called OASIS that is part Second Life and part MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online game). OASIS is a full immersion simulated world where people go to recreate themselves, have adventures, goto school, make a living; or to sum it up to virtually live. The creator of this world (which costs only a one-time fee of twenty five cents to enter) was an eccentric programmer who amassed a huge fortune and left the entire fortune to the first person who is able to solve game within the virtual world, or in gamer-speak to find the easter egg. He leaves some cryptic lines to help people on their way and the rest is up to anyone who wants to play to solve. At first everyone in the world tries to solve the game, but after years pass and no one makes any progress interest in the game dwindles till there are just a small group of hacker-type gamers and a big evil corporation looking to take control of OASIS and make it more profitable. Five years or so after the game was first announced a high school student becomes the first person to clear the first objective and the public gets more interested in the game than people give a shit about American Idol (or whatever would be like that these days, do people still watch that nonsense?)

That's the basic set up for the novel, I have no idea why I decided to give one, you probably could have just read the info about the book and learned all of that. Maybe I just wanted to put something that felt objective into the review before I started gushing about how fucking awesome the book was. Or maybe I just feel really uncomfortable writing positive reviews, which is sort of the same as the other reason. This book is really fucking awesome, seriously.

I'm not sure if it really is a great book but it's certainly a lot of fun. I'd say it's almost as fun as the first Hunger Games novel, and I even described it to Karen as being a really good YA book but for adults, but not just any adults, stunted adults who are around my age. It's a geek-tastic adventure tribute to the 1980's, but not the Bret Easton Ellis 80's, but the geeky movies and video games and music side of that decade. This is the part that makes me think that teens today might not get as much enjoyment out of this novel, it comes with a pretty hefty amount of pop-culture references that I'm not exactly sure if someone who didn't grow up in the time period would get much enjoyment out of. But even without getting all the references there is still a great adventure story populated by idealistic open-source / anarchist types, money-grubbing ruthless evil corporations and cyber-punk-esque dystopian futurism to make it not just a book version of some VH-1-like tribute to all things geeky 80's.

I spent most of the non-working parts of my birthday reading this book and it was a great way to spend the day. It brought back memories of so many Atari games that I spent days of my childhood trying to beat, games that I hadn't even thought of in years. It captured the dorky escapism of escaping from the real world into worlds of crudely rendered pixels, and afternoons and weekends playing seemingly never-ending Dungeons and Dragons campaigns, and watching the same movies over and over again till the entire dialogue is still embedded in your (well mine, maybe you've done better things with your memory) mind over twenty years later.

I'm not doing any justice to this book with my review. The book is getting all kinds of buzz already and it's still not out for another couple of months. If you're going to read it you'll probably hear about it from more lucid sources than myself but maybe you'll just take my word on this one and check this book out, although if you're childhood memories aren't filled with playing Atari and watching John Hughes films then I'm not exactly sure if you'll find this nearly as much fun as I did. (less)

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Nov 05, 2012 Carol rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Wheaton fans, those who love video game culture, 80s fans

Shelves: sci-fi, video-game-fantasy, male-lead

Very interesting. As a child of the 80s, part of it speaks to me. Then there's the part that loves a great story. It spoke to that part too, but it mostly said, "go away, loser."

Breaking this into two parts--

The story: Disjointed narrative. Like numerous 'coming-of-age' stories, this one has a period where we suddenly go from relatively little skill to relatively great skill. Not that I mind, because in this case, its video game levels. But it was worth noting.

The audio:

One of my first audio boo...more

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Apr 17, 2012 Jonathan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, action-challenge, favourites, humorous

What a rush this novel was. Like any novel it was not perfect nor was it the grandest written adventure ever but it was a lot of fun. I finished the novel and instantly contacted a few gamer friends on Facebook to tell them that they should read this novel. That's kind of an indicator of how much fun it was on the whole.

Of course I may not have agreed with several aspects of the character's narration. The talk about how he discovered that God was a myth and evolution the fact I disagreed with. W...more What a rush this novel was. Like any novel it was not perfect nor was it the grandest written adventure ever but it was a lot of fun. I finished the novel and instantly contacted a few gamer friends on Facebook to tell them that they should read this novel. That's kind of an indicator of how much fun it was on the whole.

Of course I may not have agreed with several aspects of the character's narration. The talk about how he discovered that God was a myth and evolution the fact I disagreed with. Well of course it's different to my beliefs but also because the way it was written. It came across as if God's non-existence was fact and that when anyone died you simply cease to be was also fact. Things that I disagree with from a theoretical point of view, as well as other major points of view. I disapprove of anyone telling me what is or isn't fact. I prefer people to explain that 'evidence supports this view' and that way I can challenge ideas and theories for myself. After all what if we all discover in the future that the fact of gravity was a fiction and gravity itself was actually another force? What happens to our facts then. The other reason I disapproved of the idea was because it seemed overly nihilistic which is a whole system of thought I vehemently disagree with. However I became able to ignore these parts of the narrative as a way of the character expressing their disgust at what had happened to his world.

And such discourse aside 'Ready Player One' was a treasure-house of fun references. I was not born in the 80s but rather in early 1994 and so many of the video games referred to I know only as vague entities. Films I have and have not seen were also mentioned and I loved the incorporation of both Star Wars and Blade Runner into the narrative. I also appreciated the reference to various authors and musicians also from that era. All in all the way in which Ernest Cline pays tribute to those influences was brilliant.

And while 'Ready Player One' may have been on the whole simply a fun ride it also contained for me an interesting message. I find that this type of science fiction (dystopian) is an excellent format for providing both powerful prophetic messages, warnings and a thrill ride. The warning here being about consumerism and the allure of hyper-reality. As the people spend most of their time living and dying in OASIS so the lesson is for us not to lose sight of what the real world is. I may not have liked the fact that the protagonist tried to have virtual reality sex but I did appreciate his comment that it wasn't real. That is the warning in this novel. Not to be sucked into the alluring temptation of the media and of the stories spun by the world around us (as the people did in the Matrix) but rather to be focused on what matters and what is real. And I guess as the novel showed that what really matters are people and relationships - not the games we play in life although they can be fun.

On the whole this was a brilliant debut novel and one of my favourite recent science-fiction novels. I encourage anyone who likes the culture of the 80s, appreciates sci-fi or video games to give this a read and see if you are not hooked by the story. You likely won't agree with every moral lesson or ideology present but you don't have to with any novel. What is important is that you see that the story is a fine and powerful one.(less)

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Apr 09, 2012 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

I finished this a few days ago and thought I'd let my thoughts about it, percolate. There were times when I found this book annoying. I'm tired of authors who feel obligated to send me a message about all the politically correct claptrap they have to peddle. This book does have it's share of said claptrap. Other than that however there are parts of this book that I like greatly.

I wasn't a teen in the '80s...my kids were. BUT I am a nerd...maybe I'm a proto-nerd? How far back can you go and still...more I finished this a few days ago and thought I'd let my thoughts about it, percolate. There were times when I found this book annoying. I'm tired of authors who feel obligated to send me a message about all the politically correct claptrap they have to peddle. This book does have it's share of said claptrap. Other than that however there are parts of this book that I like greatly.

I wasn't a teen in the '80s...my kids were. BUT I am a nerd...maybe I'm a proto-nerd? How far back can you go and still be a nerd? (actually it seems Dr. Seuss may have come up the word in If I Ran the Zoo in the 1950s.) Anyway, while the music of the '80s isn't my choice for fun and favorites I am a huge fan of RPGs (table top and electronic), vintage video games, science fiction and fantasy books and movies. In 1978 I was the one who organized our Dungeon and Dragons game... I bought the books, dice and other accoutrements. I've been a DM since 1978. I (and a couple of friends) played Galaga, Space Invaders, Joust...I ~~wasted~~ err, I mean spent, yah spent many hours in arcades (though I was never really into any of the Pac Mans (Pac Men??? no I'm pretty sure Ms. Pac Man wouldn't be one of the Pac "Men", so Pac Mans...whatever). Moving on, I saw Star Wars (you know the first one that is actually the fourth one, but is actually the first of the only 3 that are worth seeing) at a drive in movie...3 times (and now own the DVDs of the first 3....that are really the last 3 but are really the only ones...oh, you get the idea). Of course I'm also a fan of older science fiction movies, not to mention the Indiana Jones flicks and tons of other fantasy/adventure movies. What I'm saying is, the book allowed me to "renew and check my nerd credentials".

In other words, aside from the music everything else in the book is a nostalgia trip for anyone who's into the pass times, hobbies, interests and whatnot that also appeal to the guys on Big Bang Theory.

I found the book's story interesting and all the vintage gaming and fiction references great. There were some things that were pretty predictable and I while I wouldn't call this story the worlds most original, the setting is one that I haven't seen done more than a couple of times before...and this one does it better than the others that come to mind. (view spoiler)

So, if you're a gamer, a fantasy or science fiction fan (books, movies graphics or whatever), an '80s music enthusiast...in other words a nerd (and proud of it) this book's for you. If you're like me, you can side step the annoying crap and enjoy the nostalgic fun. I settled on 4 stars. Enjoy. (less)

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Aug 27, 2011 Brooke rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, netgalley-slash-egalley, favourites, nerd-alert

4.5 stars.

This book was clever. And I thoroughly enjoyed every page of it.

Ignoring the fact that I'm by no means a 'gaming' addict (Xbox, PlayStation, Computer Games etc.), I thought I'd find it hard to relate to the obvious addiction the characters have to the OASIS. I was pleasantly surprised when I realised that was not by any means the case. I found the plot fast paced, action packed and incredibly detailed.

That being said, I suppose I'll just sum it up as best as I can.

The story is set i...more 4.5 stars.

This book was clever. And I thoroughly enjoyed every page of it.

Ignoring the fact that I'm by no means a 'gaming' addict (Xbox, PlayStation, Computer Games etc.), I thought I'd find it hard to relate to the obvious addiction the characters have to the OASIS. I was pleasantly surprised when I realised that was not by any means the case. I found the plot fast paced, action packed and incredibly detailed.

That being said, I suppose I'll just sum it up as best as I can.

The story is set in the future (2044, if we're being precise) in a world that has succumbed to a global crisis (financial, health, you name it).

James Halliday, the god of online gaming, has passed away. Halliday is famous for his creation of the OASIS (Ontologically Anthropocentric Sensory Immersive Simulation) - a simulated alternate reality used by the masses to escape the unpleasantness of life in the real world. Users can create Avatars and the system is designed to allow, if so desired, complete anonymity. Dying without an heir, Halliday's 'people' share a video in which he reads an excerpt from his Will, detailing instructions for the users of the OASIS to compete in the ultimate treasure hunt. He explains that he has hidden a virtual 'Easter egg' somewhere in OASIS and that the person who finds it will inherit his entire fortune, including the power to control the OASIS. There are three special Keys to be found, each of which unlocks a special Gate. Clearing the Gate gives the user a clue to finding to the next Key. And so on. In the five years following Halliday's passing, millions of hunters, labeled 'Gunters', commence their search for Halliday's egg, all without success.

We are introduced to Wade, a poor 18-year-old boy who is a self confessed Halliday fan and OASIS addict. Wade lives in the Stacks, what would today be called a caravan park, the difference being that caravans are stacked (hence the name) 20 or so high, one on top of the other. Inheriting a multi-billion dollar fortune would appeal to anyone, and for that reason Wade has spent a large part of his life using the OASIS, not only for schooling, but trying to learn anything he could about Halliday and the OASIS, convinced that the key to finding the egg lies somewhere in details of Halliday’s life. Wade's research pays off - he discovers the first key and loses any anonymity he once had, becoming a celebrity quite literally overnight. His discovery comes at a cost - death threats, blackmail and a horde of Gunters ready to give Wade a run for his money.

What ensues is an adrenaline inducing, action packed, edge of your seat race which had me flying through page after page of story, desperate to know who would win the ultimate prize. I was amazed at the sheer volume of information in this book (fictional and otherwise), and I cannot imagine how long it must have taken to write a story like it. The different worlds, games, machines, technologies - everything was explained so well that, despite the volume of information, I was never felt lost or confused. Huge kudos to Ernest Cline, man. Wow.

I loved Wade, he was such a great protagonist. He was easy to love, funny, crazy geeky smart (but the impressive kind of geeky smart... I imagine him as a young Leonard (Big Bang Theory) for some unknown reason), he made me laugh.

The secondary characters were just as memorable; Aech and Art3mis were butt kicking awesome and laugh-out-loud funny, I sort of kind of maybe wish they were my friends.

I'm going to leave it there, as I really don't want to elaborate much more. I've been saying this a lot lately, but I can hardly believe this is only Cline's debut novel. I cannot wait to read more of his work, especially if this book is any indication as to what his work will be like.

Thanks to Netgally for the ARC!(less)

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Jun 15, 2011 Maja rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi, netgalley, all-the-right-choices, favorites, male-pov, postcard-from-outer-space, ya, reviewed-in-2011

4.5 stars

I have to admit I don't know the first thing about videogames. The only game I've ever played was StarCraft, a gazillion years ago, and to be honest, I sucked at it. So when this book started with a story about videogames and their creators, I figured I was in serious trouble. However, Cline really took the time to explain OASIS, and he did it in a way that is accessible to everyone, even someone like me. What's more, his descriptions were detailed, but never boring. I thoroughly enjoye...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Maggie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, book-club, notable-asian-character

Note to VH1: No one loves the 80s as much as YA authors. This is the 3rd book I've read this year set in the 80s, and it's BY FAR the most comprehensive.

This may end up being one of those "on the other hand" reviews where I seemingly have 3 hands and keep contradicting myself because while I enjoyed the book, I also had issues with it.

Good hand: The premise was intriguing and grabbed my attention immediately. A virtual scavenger hunt for billions of dollars based on a rich man's love of the 80s...more

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May 08, 2013 Brad Wheeler rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks, science-fiction, so-good-its-awesome

I thought a lot about what review to give this novel. As a pure science fiction novel, it's not that great; the virtual construct that serves as the novel's setting isn't very realistic or even consistent. As a nostalgic vehicle for 80s pop culture, it's awesome, but slightly off-the-mark for me. As a character story, it's straightforward and unsurprising. Plot-wise, doubly so.

As a whole, though, it becomes something more than the sum of its parts. It becomes a very, very fun read (slash listen)...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Maree rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-future-dystopian, sci-fi, 2012-read, june-august-quarterly-reading-chall

Well, that really wasn’t what I expected. Actually, I’m not entirely certain I even know what I expected.

Set in a future where almost everyone has given up the real world for the online sanctuary of the OASIS, Ready Player One is a book which will keep you on the edge of your seat. And no, I’m not just saying that.

The creator of OASIS, James Halliday, has hidden three keys in the online universe and whoever finds them and unlocks the corresponding gates will inherit his billion dollar fortune. W...more Well, that really wasn’t what I expected. Actually, I’m not entirely certain I even know what I expected.

Set in a future where almost everyone has given up the real world for the online sanctuary of the OASIS, Ready Player One is a book which will keep you on the edge of your seat. And no, I’m not just saying that.

The creator of OASIS, James Halliday, has hidden three keys in the online universe and whoever finds them and unlocks the corresponding gates will inherit his billion dollar fortune. Wade Watts is just one of millions of ‘gunters’ hunting for the ultimate prize. Wade spends his days online, searching and dreams of escaping his bleak and miserable life in the real world.

To be honest, it did take me a while to get into this and I was starting to wonder what all the fuss was about. Then Wade, more commonly referred to by his avatar name Parzival, found the first key. That’s when things got very interesting. From that point on I found it hard to put down (alas, being at uni means I had to study).

I think what impressed me most about this book was the sheer detail of the world that Cline has created within the book. One of my most common annoyances with dystopian/futuristic/post-apocalyptic books is the lack of world-building. Believe me, no one could fault Cline on that. Every time I picked this up I was instantly transported to a different universe. I didn’t feel like I was reading a book about a boy playing an online game – I was Parzival. This world was real and, quite frankly, that’s what made this book freakin’ awesome.

Speaking of Parzival brings me to the characters in this book. Even the ‘supporting’ characters were amazing. Each and everyone had a distinct personality and, in the same way as the world-building, the details are what made me fall in love with every member of the ‘Top 5’. I had a few issues with the love interest at first, but these were well and truly resolved by the end. I was certainly happy with the ending.

Alright, so now I need to make a confession. Most of the eighties references went way over my head. However, with Google as my trusty sidekick I managed to navigate my way through the nostalgic nod to the epic eighties.

Something which was explored in this book which I found really interesting was the idea of meeting people online and forming amazing friendships with them. I think, for someone who is slightly addicted to Goodreads, the idea of connecting with people on a purely mental level is totally true. I would definitely count my blogger friends as real friends and I have had some amazing conversations over books with my Goodreads friends. In fact, had it not been for my them I probably would not have picked up this book.

Ready Player One is a must read for anyone who loves a fast-paced novel with an epic battle scene. Don’t look at this and reject it on the basis of the sci-fi classification or video game premise, I’ve proved that anyone can enjoy this fantastic book. Plus, you should probably read it anyway to get prepared for the future because I have no doubt the world will end up like this one day.

This review and many more can be found at Maree's Musings.(less)

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Aug 29, 2012 Rose rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: quarterly-challenge-6-2012, tbr-challenge, fantasy, sci-fi, dystopia, audiobooks, favorites, all-time-favorites

Initial reaction: And this, ladies and gentlemen, is how you write a fun dystopian book with loads of pop culture/gaming references. I loved this from beginning to end and Wil Wheaton's narration of the audiobook was flawless. Certainly among my favorite reads of this past year.

Full review:

Truthfully, there's not another book quite like "Ready Player One" out there - it builds upon an interesting dystopian realm within a game-oriented environment, combining the experience with a smorgasbord of r...more Initial reaction: And this, ladies and gentlemen, is how you write a fun dystopian book with loads of pop culture/gaming references. I loved this from beginning to end and Wil Wheaton's narration of the audiobook was flawless. Certainly among my favorite reads of this past year.

Full review:

Truthfully, there's not another book quite like "Ready Player One" out there - it builds upon an interesting dystopian realm within a game-oriented environment, combining the experience with a smorgasbord of references from the decade that I was born in. I was born in the mid 1980s - but surprisingly I knew just about every reference woven into the context of the storyline from that decade and then some. I'm a complete and total media geek (books, games, anime, music, movies, etc.), and this book seems like it's well suited for those who are. Surprisingly, however, I don't think you have to be one to enjoy this novel. It wasn't that Cline threw out these references in abundance in this work to the point where a reader may be overwhelmed with them - he actually used many of them as important plot points in the story and to build upon the characterization of those depicted in the work. This is the kind of development that I like to see in a story. If people are wanting a book that uses references to music, movies, or any kind of media in an intimate, engrossing and constructive format - this book is a great example. For me, it wasn't just the nostalgia kick that allowed me to enjoy this - it took me on a rollercoaster ride filled with action and very real stakes in the life of the viewpoint character, with some remarkable character development and twists in the process. Add in a realistic romantic sub-plot, excellent worldbuilding and depiction of the online gaming environment, and a journey aspect that keeps the tension going to the end of the book - and you have the experience that is this novel. I'm getting ahead of myself a little, so I think I'll start with recapping the storyline and expounding on that for a bit.

"Ready Player One" is the story of a young gamer named Wade Owen Watts, who like many is an avid player among the massive online environment of The Oasis. One could say that The Oasis is the framework of life among those living in the environment. The Oasis was created by James Halliday, and following the death of Mr. Halliday, a worldwide contest is launched for the one who is able to find an "easter egg" hidden in the vast environment of his online creation. The one who finds it is set to inherit Halliday's massive fortune. Obviously, this has many parties - good and malicious - vying for the prize, but Wade's determined to see it through to the end, alongside a colorful cast of fellow gamers he encounters along the way.

Wade's online identity is Parzival, which allows him to be a separate entity from the real world where his weight among other factors aren't used to tease and taunt him for what he's able to do in the Oasis. Parzival becomes a leader of sorts when he's able to make a discovery no one else has after some time has passed in Halliday's contest - and that puts him on a pedestal in the eyes of other gamers as well as sets him as a target of I.O.I. - a group that wants to claim Halliday's fortune for themselves and manipulate the Oasis environment for their own use. The I.O.I. tries to charm Wade into working for them (but Wade is not so easily goaded), and the result of Wade's refusal with the group proves dangerous and deadly. Now he's on a race against time and antagonistic efforts. Not only does Wade have to beat his competition into getting towards the next steps in finding the egg, he also has to contend with real world attempts on his life and those within the game, as instituted by the I.O.I. In the end, Wade's quest proves a harrowing journey with many revelations that allow him to grow from both the gains and losses along the way.

I really appreciated the level of detail and investment Cline put into this novel. I could definitely see the parallels to Blade Runner among other awesome references to the movies "WarGames" and several of John Hughes flicks, among several gaming and media references. It satisfied my longing for a great dystopic, sci-fi journey that also wove in other genre elements to keep it diverse and rich in its construction. I think my enjoyment of the novel was enhanced with Wil Wheaton's voice and portrayals in the audiobook, because he delivers every bit of the journey with due conviction and humor through Wade's quest.

Overall, I would highly recommend "Ready Player One" - it's an excellent, enthralling journey that I couldn't help but enjoy in more ways than one.

Overall score: 5/5(less)

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Feb 04, 2013 Annalisa rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: language, sexual content

Recommended to Annalisa by: Lucy

Shelves: book-club, young-adult, dystopia, guy-lit

This book should come with a spoiler warning to the 1980s. If you ever, inspired by Back To The Future, build a time machine to live through the bodacious 1980s, this book will spoil the surprise for you. Of course, if you're a fan of Back to the Future--which you totally should be, one of my favorite things to come out of the '80s--chances are the '80s won't be much of a surprise anyway. Even though this '80s wasn't quite the Madonna-intense, hair-crimping, Cosby-watching '80s I remember, I sti...more This book should come with a spoiler warning to the 1980s. If you ever, inspired by Back To The Future, build a time machine to live through the bodacious 1980s, this book will spoil the surprise for you. Of course, if you're a fan of Back to the Future--which you totally should be, one of my favorite things to come out of the '80s--chances are the '80s won't be much of a surprise anyway. Even though this '80s wasn't quite the Madonna-intense, hair-crimping, Cosby-watching '80s I remember, I still waxed nostalgic reading about the movies, music, and Atari games from the decade.

After an awesome opener, the book started off a little rough for me with extensive info dumping, everything from a tour of the OASIS mingled into the history of video games to a long-winded argument for atheism. I thought this book was going to make we want to be a full-fledged geek (I like video games, but I would never consider myself worthy of that level of commitment), but all that nerd talk (in the same vein as guys who spout sports stats) actually turned me off a lifestyle where video games trump everything else. I was starting to think however awesome Cline's story idea was, it would be lost in so much explaining and Cline's knowledge dropping that the plot would never take off. But once the story gained steam, with a few hiccups, all that talk about video games and the '80s became part of the setting. As the book progressed, these kids obsession with the '80s made me sad. Living through the good old days is very different from trying to reenact them and prove you know more about them than the next guy in some empty attempt to connect with a time that isn't so depraved.

I stayed up later than I wanted to on more than one occasion to read one more scene, and then another. Every time I thought I knew where the story was going, Cline would throw in a new twist that kept me guessing. It reminded me of the nights I watched the NBA finals with my nails bitten down to nothing because those cocky Bulls were going to three-peat laughing at the underdog Jazz as though they weren't good enough to be there. (Not that the Bulls were evil like the IOI or overpaid Jazz players underdogs to the level of high school video game geeks, but I still felt the same anxiety for the need to win.) The throwback to some '80s movie plots were awesome too, a little reward for those of us who know our '80s trivia. I kept thinking the whole time I read the book that it would make an awesome movie and was pleased to see it's in the works to become one.

Wade was an awesome protagonist, a lonely geek whose only friends are in the OASIS, people he's never met. He's overweight, acne-prone, and never leaves his abandoned van, but as Parzival he's tall, muscular, and knows his stuff. He's definitely the guy I wanted to win a contest for Halliday's fortune. Aech was a awesome side character too. In fact, I think I liked him more than Parzival. Art3mis, on the other hand, didn't give me much to endear me to her. Her negativity and mistrust, especially when the game clock is ticking away by the seconds, got on my nerves. It could be that unlike the other characters, I wasn't given much of her history outside the OASIS to ground her for me or that while Parzival claimed she was funny, I never saw that side of her so all I saw was the hardened, online identity. (view spoiler)

As a dystopia, Cline did his job in not just creating an interesting world, but giving us readers something to ponder about where our society is headed. He especially drove home the point about people's identities being different online than they are in real life and how people escape unfavorable reality for a shallow existence online. We aren't becoming any less dependent on the Internet, so a future where we are so dependent is realistic. He also touched on corporate greed, what extents people and organizations will go to for money, our depleting natural resources, how technology and innovation don't always improve society or change it in unexpected ways, and ultimately what I thought the most damning point, public apathy that did nothing to stop society from unravelling when it was easiest to escape to a more favorable existence online.

It's a fun, fast-paced read that will make you want to grab a quarter and hit an old-fashioned arcade (or wish you still had that ghetto Atari around). I think I'm going to round up a copy of War Games and Back to the Future, and maybe a little John Hughes and Ferris Buehler's Day Off, and have myself an '80s fest.(less)

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Jun 11, 2011 karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

let me get the gripes out of the way first, because despite overall being a fun, escapist book, there are things that rankle.

i have a crush on the 80's (not an obsession, mind you, but a crush. when i was little i managed to simultaneously want to make out with both jon cryer and molly ringwald and to this day depeche mode's album black celebration soothes many sorrows.

so a book that revolves around 80's pop culture sounded like my kind of thing, even if a lot of the references are video game re...more

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If there was a Hunger Games simulation in OASIS...	8	46	6 minutes ago
Diogenes Club: Ready player one	78	27	7 minutes ago
Cast?	17	323	May 20, 2013 08:10pm
Musing about the ending * Spoiler Alert*	18	308	May 20, 2013 06:44pm
Chaos Reading: * Group Read READY PLAYER ONE Discussion 7 JUNE 2013	13	35	May 20, 2013 10:03am
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Undead & UnRe...: Ready Player One	24	13	May 16, 2013 05:56pm

title link	preview: Ready Player One
avg rating	preview: Ready Player One Goodreads rating: 4.28 (59941 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9969571-ready-player-one?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1333576871l/9969571.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9969571-ready-player-one?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Ready Player One by Ernest Cline[/url]

Ready Player One

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