READY PLAYER ONE
by Ernest Cline
Living in the crowded vertical trailer “stacks” of Oklahoma City with his Aunt is not the ideal life Wade Watts prefers.
Set in a bleak 2044, the world has become significantly bigger with the Oasis, a virtual reality multiverse that allows people to travel to fictional worlds, attend school, as well as find jobs. When the creator, James Halliday the richest man in the world, passes away, he leaves behind one last game that will change the Oasis and the world. Halliday left behind an easter egg hidden in the Oasis. Whoever finds all three keys needed to access the egg will win his fortune, as well as control of the Oasis. To win, you better know your '80s pop culture, because Halliday grew up in the 1980s, and the clues left behind are riddled with '80s references. Although a slow start, the finding of the first key begins a series of events that will change the Oasis, and Wade Watts below-average life forever, as dark forces seek to undermine the hunt for their own gain.
One cannot help but notice the disservice to women and girl gamers with a lack of presence and individuality. The major female character of the novel, a celebrity within the Oasis, becomes the crush of our male hero who focuses too much on her looks. A typical love story.
The unending '80s pop culture references will certainly delight those who lived during the '80s, and the potential of a virtual reality multiverse will have gamers immersed.
Pub Date: Aug. 16th, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-307-88743-6
Page count: 384pp
Publisher: Crown
Publisher: Crown
