Friday, June 24, 2011

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline


So far, this is the best book I’ve read all year. Love eighties pop culture? Then this book is for you. Were you a geek growing up devouring coin-operated video games and Dungeons & Dragons? Then this book is for you. Fan of cyberpunk? Fan of virtual worlds? Bleak future books? Great stories? Interesting characters? Something completely different? Yep. Then this book is for you.


In 2044 the world is pretty darn awful. Most people spend their hours hooked into OASIS, a very-interactive online utopia, to escape the drudgery and gloom of their RL (real life) existence. When the creator of OASIS dies he sends an email out to the billions who have OASIS accounts. That email contains a video with a simple worded puzzle at the end. He’s left vast fortune to the person who can find the three keys to open the three gates he’s hidden on the worlds of OASIS. The video holds the first clue. Years pass, and now, finally, the first key has been found. The race for the fortune is on…


I must admit, some of my passion for this book stems from the fact that I was able to figure out the location and look of the first gate before Wade did. I was also able to puzzle out a few of the other gate and key locations without Wade’s help. While this was rewarding, it also made me realize that I was a HUGE geek in the 80s. Upon further reflection I have realized that I’m pretty darn proud of it.


This book isn’t coming out until August 16th (I managed to get my hands on an advance copy) so place your holds now!