Ready Player One (Ready Player One, #1) in Fantasy-Faction.com

Aug 19, 2017 Paul rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Ready Player One is pure sugar, you know it isn't anything of substance, but it is just so much fun to devour. Let me first say that I was highly skeptical coming into this book. I really thought that any book that relied so heavily on nostalgia to create a story is gimmicky. Do I still think that? Well, yah, this is extremely gimmicky, but it is a fun, fast read. If you are a gamer, like 80s nostalgia, or you just like really nerdy things, you'll probably get some love out of this book. If you Ready Player One is pure sugar, you know it isn't anything of substance, but it is just so much fun to devour. Let me first say that I was highly skeptical coming into this book. I really thought that any book that relied so heavily on nostalgia to create a story is gimmicky. Do I still think that? Well, yah, this is extremely gimmicky, but it is a fun, fast read. If you are a gamer, like 80s nostalgia, or you just like really nerdy things, you'll probably get some love out of this book. If you are neither of these things, I can definitely see how this book would not be for you whatsoever.

The basic premise of this book is that a billionaire passes away but before he does he leaves his fortune to be found inside a large virtual reality video game. Players will use the clues he leaves behind in order to find the easter eggs in the game to seize control of his company. Because the stakes are so high, there is a large corporation that has many gamers trying to figure out how to solve the riddles. This corporation serves as the antagonist of the book. We follow a young boy that lives his life through the virtual world and he is the first one to figure out the clue to the first riddle. He meets friends through his quest and it very much becomes a them vs the corporation book. Each riddle and clue has to do with 80s nostalgia and these players surround themselves in the 80s at all times.

The first thing I want to say is that this glorification of past eras by individuals in the future seems a little hard to believe. Yes, there is a lot of money on the line, but these kids absolutely love watching old 80s tv and movies. Now, most kids I know wouldn't be caught dead watching these old tv shows and movies. For there to be an entire generation of gamers that are preoccupied with the 80s is a bit optimistic. Furthermore, the amount of research that these kids have put into learning and memorizing television shows and movies is beyond believable. Our main character, Wade, has put in so much time watching all these different 80s forms of media, and it just isn't reasonable to be able to believe he had the time to do all this. We are suppose to believe that he has memorized an entire decade's worth of media in his young life? Yah, ok.

Regardless, this book is a ton of fun, and I had a blast reading it. As a former MMO gamer, a lot of the book was very relatable to me. As someone that grew up in the 80s, I loved the nostalgia bits. I wanted more of the actual friendships between the kids and less hype because I never felt like I connected to the characters emotionally in any way. This was a fun read and I'm glad I read it when I did. I purposely waited until the hype died down some with this book and I think that made me enjoy it even more. If you go into the book jaded or cynical from the very beginning, I would recommend just waiting until you are a little more accepting about what Ready Player One will deliver.

4/5
16/25 Possible Score
3/5 Plot
3/5 Characters
4/5 World Building
3/5 Writing Style
3/5 Heart & Mind Aspect ...more

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Jul 03, 2013 Joel rated it it was amazing

Shelves: hard-copy, top-30-favorite

Well, what more is there to say? I'm floored. Flabbergasted. Shocked and awed. Completely surprised yet unsurprised. Ready Player One was at once everything I dreamed it would be, and yet so much more.

For some reason, I repeatedly hesitated to buy this book. I'd read the reviews, both from normal readers and from numerous authors whom I honestly respect deeply. I'd noted the fact the book had overwhelmingly positive thoughts pushed towards it, something that's usually a good sign. However, I'd Well, what more is there to say? I'm floored. Flabbergasted. Shocked and awed. Completely surprised yet unsurprised. Ready Player One was at once everything I dreamed it would be, and yet so much more.

For some reason, I repeatedly hesitated to buy this book. I'd read the reviews, both from normal readers and from numerous authors whom I honestly respect deeply. I'd noted the fact the book had overwhelmingly positive thoughts pushed towards it, something that's usually a good sign. However, I'd seen some detractors - those who said it used 80s references for cheap tricks, that it was overdone, that it was cheesy, pointless and childish.

And, honestly, about 75 pages into the book, I sort of agreed. It felt a bit hollow - a cool idea, but the 80s references seemed a bit forced, pressed in for no reason other than to make people of this generation go "awww I remember that!". Then, suddenly, shit got real.

Set in 2044, the entire world is crumbling. Meanwhile, the people of said world manage their depressed lives by spending most of it jacked into a virtual reality MMO, called OASIS, created decades prior by some kind of evil nerd genius who grew up in the 80s and 90s, like most people who read this book will have. Upon his death, a video is released announcing a challenge inside the OASIS game. A series of challenges really - a scavenger hunt. This hunt is as much a method of the 80s/90s obsessed creator getting everyone in the world "into" the amazing nerd cultural items of those decades by force as anything else. The kicker - his entire billions of personal wealth, plus the control of the company that runs OASIS, is the reward for winning this treasure hunt. Wade is a member of a group called "gunters", whose entire life is devoted to completing this contest and winning the bajillions. Many of these are people who are already social shut-ins.

The story is essentially the adventures of Wade and his group of online buddies; others who emerge as the frontrunners in this contest and compete to battle off the evil IOI Corporation, who spend their considerable funds to control much of the OASIS world, and to equip their thousands of professional gunters to win the contest so the corporation can take control of OASIS forever and use it to make money and do other evil somesuch things while cackling and twirling their waxed mustachios. The corporation goes as far as to kill one of the gunters who Wade is associated with, causing the others to band together, with the help of the game's benevolent co-creator, to defeat the evil empire.

The story itself is heartwarming, nostalgic, and an absolute blast. Along with the extreme level of references, many of which made my nerd parts tingle frequently (especially the fascination with RUSH), the story itself had character conflict, a good vs. evil aspect everyone can relate to, ups and downs, twists and turns, romance, bromance, and everything else I look for in a novel. The writing is above average, the dialogue is expertly written to make people like me squee, and the story moves along at a rapid and enthralling pace.

I have very few negative things to say - I could understand why certain groups would find this book much less entertaining. However, in the end, the nerdy references are a bonus more than anything; something to make you happy, make you smile, make you reminisce. The story moves along despite them, and is an excellent tale of a poor shut-in overcoming the evil empire with the help of his friends, becoming a celebrity and a billionaire and getting the girl. It's everything that every nerd fantasy involves.

And I'm a-ok with that. ...more

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Nov 28, 2017 Brett Swanson rated it it was amazing

2nd read: This book was just as fantastic the second time around!

This book was so much fun. If you are an 80's kid, or one at heart, this book is definitely for you. Cline chocks Ready Player One full of references to 80's videogames, movies, and music.

If you love videogames, this book is definitely for you. The majority of the plot takes place in the simulated world of OASIS, the only refuge for the starved citizens of a psuedo post-apocolyptic world. In this virtual reality, you can be anythi ...more

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May 03, 2014 Jessica rated it it was amazing

I don't play video games, but it made me want to. This book is everything that is great about being a geek. Highly recommended, especially the audio version narrated by Wil Wheaton. ...more

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Apr 15, 2015 Jason McDonald rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015, 2020

So. Flippin'. Amazing.

It was truly a geeks nostalgia guide to everything 80's (and other bonuses). At one point, near the beginning, I was afraid that the book would lose its charm, that the nostalgia would prove to be too much. I was wrong. Every reference, every clever quip, just made me love the book even more. I couldn't help but to constantly chuckle as more and more references were brought up.

While there were a few obvious scenes I knew were coming, I was still surprised at the end. It ke ...more

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