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Ready Player One: A Novel [Paperback]

Ernest Cline
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
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Book Description

Jun 5 2012

At once wildly original and stuffed with irresistible nostalgia, READY PLAYER ONE is a spectacularly genre-busting, ambitious, and charming debut—part quest novel, part love story, and part virtual space opera set in a universe where spell-slinging mages battle giant Japanese robots, entire planets are inspired by Blade Runner, and flying DeLoreans achieve light speed.

It’s the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place.

Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets.

And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune—and remarkable power—to whoever can unlock them.  

For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday’s riddles are based in the pop culture he loved—that of the late twentieth century. And for years, millions have found in this quest another means of escape, retreating into happy, obsessive study of Halliday’s icons. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes’s oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig.

And then Wade stumbles upon the first puzzle.

Suddenly the whole world is watching, and thousands of competitors join the hunt—among them certain powerful players who are willing to commit very real murder to beat Wade to this prize. Now the only way for Wade to survive and preserve everything he knows is to win. But to do so, he may have to leave behind his oh-so-perfect virtual existence and face up to life—and love—in the real world he’s always been so desperate to escape. 
 
A world at stake.
A quest for the ultimate prize.
Are you ready?


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Review

“The science-fiction writer John Scalzi has aptly referred to READY PLAYER ONE as a “nerdgasm” [and] there can be no better one-word description of this ardent fantasy artifact about fantasy culture…But Mr. Cline is able to incorporate his favorite toys and games into a perfectly accessible narrative.”—Janet Maslin, The New York Times

“Triggers memories and emotions embedded in the psyche of a generation...[Cline crafts] a fresh and imaginative world from our old toy box, and finds significance in there among the collectibles.  A-”—Entertainment Weekly

“A most excellent ride…the conceit is a smart one, and we happily root for [the heroes] on their quest…fully satisfying.”—Boston Globe

“Enchanting…Willy Wonka meets the Matrix. This novel undoubtedly qualifies Cline as the hottest geek on the planet right now. [But] you don't have to be a geek to get it.”—USA Today 
 
Ridiculously fun and large-hearted, and you don't have to remember the Reagan administration to love it…[Cline] takes a far-out premise and engages the reader instantly…You'll wish you could make it go on and on.”—NPR.org

“A fun, funny and fabulously entertaining first novel…This novel's large dose of 1980s trivia is a delight…[but] even readers who need Google to identify Commodore 64 or Inky, Blinky, Pinky and Clyde, will enjoy this memorabilian feast.”—Cleveland Plain Dealer

“The grown-up's 'Harry Potter’…the mystery and fantasy in this novel weaves itself in the most delightful way, and the details that make up Mr. Cline's world are simply astounding. READY PLAYER ONE has it all.”—Huffington Post

“Incredibly entertaining…Drawing on everything from "Back to the Future" to Roald Dahl to Neal Stephenson's groundbreaking "Snow Crash," Cline has made READY PLAYER ONE a geek fantasia, '80s culture memoir and commentary on the future of online behavior all at once.”—Austin American-Statesman

"READY PLAYER ONE is the ultimate lottery ticket."—New York Daily News

"This non-gamer loved every page of READY PLAYER ONE."—Charlaine Harris, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse series

“A treasure for anyone already nostalgic for the late 20th century. . . But it’s also a great read for anyone who likes a good book.”—Wired.com

“Gorgeously geeky, superbly entertaining, this really is a spectacularly successful debut.”—Daily Mail (UK)

“A gunshot of fun with a wicked sense of timing and a cast of characters that you're pumping your fist in the air with whenever they succeed. I haven't been this much on the edge of my seat for an ending in years.”—Chicago Reader

“A rollicking, surprise-laden, potboiling, thrilling adventure story…. I loved every sentence of this book”—Mark Frauenfelder, BoingBoing

"A 'frakking' good read [featuring] incredible creative detailI grinned at the sheer audacity of Cline's imagination.”—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

[A] fantastic page-turner….READY PLAYER ONE may be science fiction, but it's also written for people who have never picked up an SF novel in their lives…"—Annalee Newitz, io9.com

"Fascinating and imaginative…It's non-stop action when gamers must navigate clever puzzles and outwit determined enemies in a virtual world in order to save a real one. Readers are in for a wild ride."—Terry Brooks, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Shannara series

“I was blown away by this book…A book of ideas, a potboiler, a game-within-a-novel, a serious science-fiction epic, a comic pop culture mash-up–call this novel what you will, but READY PLAYER ONE will defy every label you try to put on it. Here, finally, is this generation’s Neuromancer.”—Will Lavender, New York Times bestselling author of Dominance

“I really, really loved READY PLAYER ONE…Cline expertly mines a copious vein of 1980s pop culture, catapulting the reader on a light-speed adventure in an advanced but backward-looking future.”— Daniel H. Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of Robopocalypse 

“A nerdgasm…imagine Dungeons and Dragons and an 80s video arcade made hot, sweet love, and their child was raised in Azeroth.”—John Scalzi, New York Times bestselling author of Old Man’s War

“Completely fricking awesome...This book pleased every geeky bone in my geeky body.  I felt like it was written just for me.”—Patrick Rothfuss, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Wise Man’s Fear  

“An exuberantly realized, exciting, and sweet-natured cyber-quest. Cline’s imaginative and rollicking coming-of-age geek saga has a smash-hit vibe.”—Booklist, starred review 

"This adrenaline shot of uncut geekdom, a quest through a virtual world, is loaded with enough 1980s nostalgia to please even the most devoted John Hughes fans… sweet, self-deprecating Wade, whose universe is an odd mix of the real past and the virtual present, is the perfect lovable/unlikely hero.”—Publishers Weekly, Pick of the Week 
 

About the Author

ERNEST CLINE has worked as a short-order cook, fish gutter, plasma donor, elitist video store clerk, and tech support drone.  His primary occupation, however, has always been geeking out, and he eventually threw aside those other promising career paths to express his love of pop culture fulltime as a spoken word artist and screenwriter. His 2009 film Fanboys, much to his surprise, became a cult phenomenon.  These days Ernie lives in Austin, Texas with his wife, their daughter, and a large collection of classic video games.  READY PLAYER ONE is his first novel. 

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Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Where do I start? I should first mention that I spent a lot of time in the 80's playing many of the video games mentioned in the book, as well as watching the movies and music of that era. So perhaps for me the story was more interesting as it was more relevant. I can't say for sure. I loved it though. The idea of a future where we spend most of our time hooked into a virtual world seemed plausible, and the fact that the protagonist was an atheist was also nice as I could relate to that as well. I literally couldn't put the book down. I actually listened to it while at work, which I have never done with an audio book before. I just couldn't stop listening to it. Will Whedon did an awesome job of reading it. He added just enough flair where needed and his acting skills really seemed to add something to the characters in the story. It killed my productivity for a day, but man was it worth it. So many kewl details and interesting trivia. Even if you don't like the 80's, it may still appeal to you. There are large evil corporations, and amazing battles with manga characters. Really amazing book.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Much Geek-Love May 17 2013
Format:Paperback
"dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!" Just like that Ready Player One simultaneously transports me forward into a future of immersive virtual reality tech, and back to my past as an 80's teenager. (I swear I could hear the sound of a flux capacitor switching on in my mind every time I opened the book to read) I am in INSTA-LOVE with this book on that first page and the rest of the story continues to impress. The future is bleak and society shares a collective escapism; retreating from harsh reality into a massive virtual community/game/reality. The world also shares in the 80's obsessed geekness of this virtual reality's creator and, with me being currently in my mid- (passing into late-) 30's, the constant flood of 80's pop-culture references consistently induce nostalgia and celebration of the awesomeness of that era. Still, this could easily fall flat in the hands of an unskilled writer, but Cline does not disappoint. The story is great, exciting, and tense; driven by great characters (and the fact that I would love to run a game of D&D with them is not the only reason they are great) that are well developed, and the writing is clear and concise. This book will forever have a place upon my shelf, to be read over and over again... probably right after my yearly watching of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Action-packed 80's tribute Mar 29 2013
Format:Kindle Edition
Paying homage to 80's geek culture, from video games and RPG's to fantasy novels, films and music is the focus of this novel, but written as a sci fi adventure of the same type. It's a great novel if you appreciate those goals and attributes.
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Most recent customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars Fun but not too imaginative
The book was entertaining popcorn, but lacked much of an imaginative vision of the future, considering it takes place more than 30 years from now.
Published 2 months ago by Spud
4.0 out of 5 stars A fun ride
This was a fun novel. An interesting quest that keeps moving at a brisk pace, likeable (if somewhat two-dimensional) characters and the author's easy-breezy writing style make for... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Winston
4.0 out of 5 stars Fun read
I wouldn't call this a great piece of literature, but I sure had a ton of fun reading it. Recommended to anyone who grew up in the late 70s/80s/early 90s and/or played old video... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Bryan Lane
5.0 out of 5 stars I loved it!
I felt like a kid again when I read it :D
Highly recommended for any one who was and still feels like a geek

ENJOY!
Published 4 months ago by James
5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting read!
I was in a local bookstore a few weeks ago where they have a shelf of employees' favourites, including a review by the employee on their favourite book. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Ash B.
4.0 out of 5 stars Are you a geek born before 1980? Here's your reward.
My best friend and I met in ninth grade (that's freshman year for those of you reading from south of the border). Read more
Published 11 months ago by Andre Farant
1.0 out of 5 stars One Dimensional Video Game-Addicted Dystopian Near Future Romp
Ernest Cline needs to take a writing course from the likes of Frank McCourt, Rick Moody and Gary Shteyngart (Well, alas, he can't from McCourt, but Cline's superficial prose lacks... Read more
Published 16 months ago by John Kwok
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!
We listened to this book on a very long car ride. Wil Weaton was amazing telling the story through Wade's eyes. We thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Published 18 months ago by ablacktopp
5.0 out of 5 stars Geeks Rock! -At Least Virtually That Is.
This has already had so much said about it that I probably have nothing to add. I am not a geek or a fan of computer games, but I did kinda grow up in the eighties and I did like... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Tommy D
4.0 out of 5 stars Movie written all over it
Ernest Cline's debut novel Ready Player One is an unusual, unique and utterly addicting read. Kind of like a computer game that you can't shut down until you... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Luanne Ollivier
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