Book:                  Ready Player One

Author:               Ernest Cline

Publisher:           Crown

ISBN/ASIN:         978-0307887436

Release Date:    Out Now

Rating:                  Five Stars, Top Eleven of 2011

Read an Excerpt

Is it the lure of nostalgia or simply the epic feel of Ready Player One that makes it so deliciously entertaining? It is perhaps, a bit of both. Ernest Cline playfully reminisces while offering up a heady eighties banquet in his futuristic piece about a quest to end all quests that jet-propels the minds and hearts of readers from the very first page.

I can still remember the very first time I saw Star Wars and Tron, the first time I delved into books that epically moved me…Watership Down, The Hobbit, Neuromancer, Holy Fire, Heart of Darkness, even Harry Potter…diving into Ready Player One, with my haptic gloves, visor, and OASIS immersion rig was no different-an absolutely electrifying and unforgettable experience.

Cline manages to convey a bit of prescience in his portrayal of the world that Wade Watts lives in…a virtual world that is more comforting than a bleak future, where millions grow up in the OASIS, through its schools, its libraries, and its simulated cities and towns-all digitally recreated-its seamless worlds-within-worlds offering up a never-ending adventure. Sound familiar?

Clines’ futuristic grail quest takes off when the creator of the OASIS and owner of Gregarious Simulation Systems James Halliday dies, thrusting the entire planet into a frenzy (much in the same way Steve Jobs’ demise did). 

Within the OASIS, Halliday has programmed clues to unraveling a treasure-his treasure-roughly two hundred and forty billion dollars’ worth and a controlling interest of the most powerful company on the planet. All are at stake and up for grabs. One only needs to have an excellent knowledge of the eighties, the background of Halliday’s life memorized, and an unbeatable strategy to unravel the scavenger hunt-like clues hidden within the OASIS.

Cline plays up his inexhaustible eighties references, as Wade Watts does his pasty-white-best to unravel the clues to three keys left by his idol Halliday-whether it is acting ou