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A review by thejanewayprotocol
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
5.0
Reread December 2020 .... I'm glad I decided to reread this as my memory of this book was tainted by that awful movie adaptation. Now I can move onto the sequel.
* * * * * *
Original review:
When I was in tenth grade, my English teacher set us an Essay Assignment one semester: It is the year 2100. You are exactly the same age you are today. Explain with detail and examples, a typical day in your life. (Something along those lines.)
I had forgotten all about this assignment up until I had started reading Ready Player One. But as I got further and further into this book, it started to come back to me. This is pretty much what I had predicted. (Although, Ernest Cline definitely wrote it better than I did!) Either way, this book struck a chord with me for sure.
Ready Player One takes place in the year 2044. When you stop to think about that, that is actually not that far away; we will all probably be alive when it comes around. And that is a truly freaky thought, if we are going to go by what Cline has laid out for us, on our beautiful blue planet; we are running our of space, out of food and out of resources. It would be a far stretch to continue to call this our "Blue Planet."
That is why children and adults choose to live their lives mostly in the OASIS. A virtual reality game where you can be anyone you want, do anything you want, build what ever you want. You can base or even recreate your favourite movies, TV shows, books, etc. (Indeed, I've already spent more hours than I care to admit imagining my what my avatar would look like, and where I'd be - Planet Hogwarts and BFFs with Harry Potter, duh!!!)
We follow the life of Wade Watts a high school student who, like almost every other OASIS user, has dedicated his life to finding The Egg.
OASIS' creator was a bit of a shut in himself. Meaning no heirs. When he discovered that he was dying he set up the biggest treasure hunt in virtual reality. The winner who finds the three keys and completes all the quests, and gets to the egg first, wins it all. The entire OASIS program, and the billions that go along with it.
The creator, James Halliday, grew up in the 1980's. He was a nerd to the nth degree. So he based this massive hunt after all of his favourite movies, games and TV shows from that era. An entire generation in the future, furiously studying everything that happened back then. Not only studying, but enjoying and obsessing over. Countless times you hear Wade geek out about the show Family Ties, or the movie WarGames. I think it goes to show what kind of faith Cline has in the creativity of our future, if everyone is going to go back to the 70's and 80's and thoroughly enjoy what they had to offer, even with crude special effects and the like.
Its not just fellow gunters (egg hunters) who are vying for this specially prize. OASIS' top competitor, Innovated Online Industries (IOI) were also competing for this takeover, by whatever means necessary; stealing, cheating, even murder. (And not just in the game, either.) It is an all consuming competition.
There are some truly chilling parts to this book. Mostly about how most humans shun their physical lives altogether. Living in little boxes big enough to hold their gaming consoles and themselves. No real physical activity, no direct sunlight. (Wade goes six months without stepping out of his flat at one point.) No real contact with actual people. (That being said, as I contemplate this awful turn of humanity, as I myself try to do everything one handed, cook, eat, walk my dog, the other hand shoving this book in my face) We don't really have that far to go to get to that point, do we?
I loved everything about this book, though. The references are a great reward for everyone. I missed the 80's but grew up in the early 90's, so I'm pretty sure I got most of the references. I definitely created a list of things I want to check out though. And Cline referenced FIREFLY twice so I freaking love this guy.
I think it also goes to show the level of writing Cline is at; there are very few conversations in this book. A lot of it is world building, contexts and description. For the most part, I find that very difficult to read, but in this case, major exception! There was no real part of this book that felt like it was dragging for me. No way. I am just sorry that it wasn't a longer book!
Recommending this to absolutely everyone. Such a fantastic read! Slightly ashamed I've never hear of it until now, as this book has been out since 2011 I believe. Everyone needs to read it!
GAME OVER.
* * * * * *
Original review:
When I was in tenth grade, my English teacher set us an Essay Assignment one semester: It is the year 2100. You are exactly the same age you are today. Explain with detail and examples, a typical day in your life. (Something along those lines.)
I had forgotten all about this assignment up until I had started reading Ready Player One. But as I got further and further into this book, it started to come back to me. This is pretty much what I had predicted. (Although, Ernest Cline definitely wrote it better than I did!) Either way, this book struck a chord with me for sure.
Ready Player One takes place in the year 2044. When you stop to think about that, that is actually not that far away; we will all probably be alive when it comes around. And that is a truly freaky thought, if we are going to go by what Cline has laid out for us, on our beautiful blue planet; we are running our of space, out of food and out of resources. It would be a far stretch to continue to call this our "Blue Planet."
That is why children and adults choose to live their lives mostly in the OASIS. A virtual reality game where you can be anyone you want, do anything you want, build what ever you want. You can base or even recreate your favourite movies, TV shows, books, etc. (Indeed, I've already spent more hours than I care to admit imagining my what my avatar would look like, and where I'd be - Planet Hogwarts and BFFs with Harry Potter, duh!!!)
We follow the life of Wade Watts a high school student who, like almost every other OASIS user, has dedicated his life to finding The Egg.
OASIS' creator was a bit of a shut in himself. Meaning no heirs. When he discovered that he was dying he set up the biggest treasure hunt in virtual reality. The winner who finds the three keys and completes all the quests, and gets to the egg first, wins it all. The entire OASIS program, and the billions that go along with it.
The creator, James Halliday, grew up in the 1980's. He was a nerd to the nth degree. So he based this massive hunt after all of his favourite movies, games and TV shows from that era. An entire generation in the future, furiously studying everything that happened back then. Not only studying, but enjoying and obsessing over. Countless times you hear Wade geek out about the show Family Ties, or the movie WarGames. I think it goes to show what kind of faith Cline has in the creativity of our future, if everyone is going to go back to the 70's and 80's and thoroughly enjoy what they had to offer, even with crude special effects and the like.
Its not just fellow gunters (egg hunters) who are vying for this specially prize. OASIS' top competitor, Innovated Online Industries (IOI) were also competing for this takeover, by whatever means necessary; stealing, cheating, even murder. (And not just in the game, either.) It is an all consuming competition.
There are some truly chilling parts to this book. Mostly about how most humans shun their physical lives altogether. Living in little boxes big enough to hold their gaming consoles and themselves. No real physical activity, no direct sunlight. (Wade goes six months without stepping out of his flat at one point.) No real contact with actual people. (That being said, as I contemplate this awful turn of humanity, as I myself try to do everything one handed, cook, eat, walk my dog, the other hand shoving this book in my face) We don't really have that far to go to get to that point, do we?
I loved everything about this book, though. The references are a great reward for everyone. I missed the 80's but grew up in the early 90's, so I'm pretty sure I got most of the references. I definitely created a list of things I want to check out though. And Cline referenced FIREFLY twice so I freaking love this guy.
I think it also goes to show the level of writing Cline is at; there are very few conversations in this book. A lot of it is world building, contexts and description. For the most part, I find that very difficult to read, but in this case, major exception! There was no real part of this book that felt like it was dragging for me. No way. I am just sorry that it wasn't a longer book!
Recommending this to absolutely everyone. Such a fantastic read! Slightly ashamed I've never hear of it until now, as this book has been out since 2011 I believe. Everyone needs to read it!
GAME OVER.