Karissa E. (ophelia99) reviewed Ready Player One (Audio CD) (Unabridged) on + 2527 more book reviews
I pretty much loved everything about this book. I listened to this book on audio, imagine my surprise when I realized that this was narrated by Will Wheaton (I just listened to Fuzzy Nation a couple weeks ago which was also narrated by Will Wheaton) and he again did an absolutely stellar job of narrating. This book is so fun and is really a kick to read if you were ever interested in, or part of, 80's geek culture. It also has a strong cyperpunk feel to it; so fans of cyberpunk should also considering checking this book out.
Wade lives in 2044 and the future is bleak, power shortages have most of humanity struggling and out of work. So most of humanity live their lives in the OASIS; a virtual reality creaked by James Halliday that consists of thousands of worlds. This is where Wade goes to school, where he plays, and where he is raised. When Halliday dies he leaves the ultimate puzzle/lottery behind. Halliday has hidden an Easter Egg in the OASIS and whoever finds it will win Halliday's substantial fortune. Wade is one of many Gunters (egg hunters) who has spent years searching for the prize. When Wade stumbles on a clue that leads him to the first key his life is changed forever.
Did you grow up in the 80's? Do you love games of all types? If so this is the book for you. This book basically is everything 80's geek culture could ever ask for. There are references to numerous 80's video games in here: Joust, Golden Ax, PacMan, Zork, and many others. As well as references to 80's movies, music, TV shows, etc. All of this is wrapped into a quest to find three keys, conquer three gates and win the prize. So there is a bit of a classic Dungeons and Dragons feel to the book as well. But this is DnD with a cyber punk twist. Certain worlds will allow magic, and others tech, but chaos regions allow for both creating some truly mind-blowing scenes involving magic, guns, and lasers. The amount of awesome 80's trivia in this book is incredible; Cline definitely put a ton of research into writing this book.
This isn't just a geek fest, there is a lot to think about in this book too. Wade's closest friends are people he's never meet in person. Wade also spends a very small amount of time in the real world; his body is mearly a piece of equipment that he keeps exercised and fed so that he can jack in to the OASIS. This brings up questions about what it means to live; do we need to do things in person for them to be real and fulfilling? As you learn more about the genius that is Halliday this question comes to a head; was he happy with his creation or did he regret his lack of interaction with other humans?
Then there is the evil corporation that has hired people to play in the OASIS for them; this group of OASIS players is known as the sixers and they do everything in their power to win Halliday's Easter Egg. The sixers are basically everything corporate that Halliday hated. With the Gunters going against the Sixers you have a classic story about the normal everyday man facing off against the evil corporation.
As Wade and his friends make more progress towards finding the Easter Egg consequences start to leak out of the OASIS into the real world and people start dying. It becomes less and less clear where the OASIS ends and the real world begins.
The characters in this book are awesome; they are all so real and fun to read about. The story is absolutely engaging, it is pretty quest based so that is the main driver...but as the story continues it becomes more and more compelling and impossible to put down.
All in all this book was an absolute blast to read. It was a fun read for someone like me who loves gaming of all types, it provided some great food for thought, it was funny and heartwarming, full of great action scenes and completely engaging. I highly recommend this book. My only caution would be if you do not like gaming and do not know anything about 80's culture then a lot of this book is going to go right over your head. A lot of the negative reviews for this book are from people who don't like gaming or just don't get it. So, uh, seriously if you don't like gaming why are you are reading a cyberpunk fantasy novel about 80's gaming culture called Ready Player One!?
Highly recommended, an absolute blast to read, I can't wait to see what Cline comes up with next.
Wade lives in 2044 and the future is bleak, power shortages have most of humanity struggling and out of work. So most of humanity live their lives in the OASIS; a virtual reality creaked by James Halliday that consists of thousands of worlds. This is where Wade goes to school, where he plays, and where he is raised. When Halliday dies he leaves the ultimate puzzle/lottery behind. Halliday has hidden an Easter Egg in the OASIS and whoever finds it will win Halliday's substantial fortune. Wade is one of many Gunters (egg hunters) who has spent years searching for the prize. When Wade stumbles on a clue that leads him to the first key his life is changed forever.
Did you grow up in the 80's? Do you love games of all types? If so this is the book for you. This book basically is everything 80's geek culture could ever ask for. There are references to numerous 80's video games in here: Joust, Golden Ax, PacMan, Zork, and many others. As well as references to 80's movies, music, TV shows, etc. All of this is wrapped into a quest to find three keys, conquer three gates and win the prize. So there is a bit of a classic Dungeons and Dragons feel to the book as well. But this is DnD with a cyber punk twist. Certain worlds will allow magic, and others tech, but chaos regions allow for both creating some truly mind-blowing scenes involving magic, guns, and lasers. The amount of awesome 80's trivia in this book is incredible; Cline definitely put a ton of research into writing this book.
This isn't just a geek fest, there is a lot to think about in this book too. Wade's closest friends are people he's never meet in person. Wade also spends a very small amount of time in the real world; his body is mearly a piece of equipment that he keeps exercised and fed so that he can jack in to the OASIS. This brings up questions about what it means to live; do we need to do things in person for them to be real and fulfilling? As you learn more about the genius that is Halliday this question comes to a head; was he happy with his creation or did he regret his lack of interaction with other humans?
Then there is the evil corporation that has hired people to play in the OASIS for them; this group of OASIS players is known as the sixers and they do everything in their power to win Halliday's Easter Egg. The sixers are basically everything corporate that Halliday hated. With the Gunters going against the Sixers you have a classic story about the normal everyday man facing off against the evil corporation.
As Wade and his friends make more progress towards finding the Easter Egg consequences start to leak out of the OASIS into the real world and people start dying. It becomes less and less clear where the OASIS ends and the real world begins.
The characters in this book are awesome; they are all so real and fun to read about. The story is absolutely engaging, it is pretty quest based so that is the main driver...but as the story continues it becomes more and more compelling and impossible to put down.
All in all this book was an absolute blast to read. It was a fun read for someone like me who loves gaming of all types, it provided some great food for thought, it was funny and heartwarming, full of great action scenes and completely engaging. I highly recommend this book. My only caution would be if you do not like gaming and do not know anything about 80's culture then a lot of this book is going to go right over your head. A lot of the negative reviews for this book are from people who don't like gaming or just don't get it. So, uh, seriously if you don't like gaming why are you are reading a cyberpunk fantasy novel about 80's gaming culture called Ready Player One!?
Highly recommended, an absolute blast to read, I can't wait to see what Cline comes up with next.
**spoiler alert** http://swtlduckie10.wix.com/dream-rea...
Ready Player One is filled with wonderful 80s pop culture reference as well and geeky folklore; from Atari to dungeons and Dragons with everything in between. Ready Player One is a grand adventure to obtain the fortune of a legend, the creator of the number one virtual reality game of the future; OASIS.
Ernest Cline brings the world of OASIS alive, confronting challenging details, and painting the landscape as clear as day into our minds.
Wade Watts or Parzival our main character faces many challenges to become one of the top competitors in the OASIS contest. Parzival faces the obstacles of having little to no resources, having a health that was rather lacking, and lacking strength to truly compete. What Parzival had that truly been his number one tool was his geek know how and 80s culture knowledge. At the beginning of the story Parzival has little rank seeming weak. Then soon as he becomes the first Gunther to obtain the first key he quickly grows in levels acquiring much items and much influence within the game. Towards the end of the book Parzival has gone from a nobody to a strong leader thanks to OASIS, Halliday's contest, and his friends. Parzival was an underdog we the readers wanted to root for, to see win and defeat the venomous Sixers.
H being Parzival's best friend on OASIS really brought a great element to the plot, often challenging Parzival's knowledge while sharing a well formed friendship. H as we later learn although posed as a man on Oasis was in reality an African American woman. H thought it best to pose as a man on the infamous game to avoid social disadvantages many women of color face in society. I felt as a ready this really brought depth to H's character, for to think one could avoid harsh treatment such as prejudice is quite an idea. For when you think of what a game such as the OASIS could really do for the identity of a person, they could be whoever they wanted the world to see. H proved that friendship does not need to be based on image but your soul and personality.
Art3mis being well known by Parzival rather early in OASIS for her popular blog, was a spunky female who shared knowledge close to H and Parzival's levels on the 80s culture and games needed to complete in Halliday's contest. Parzival from the start had a crush on Art3mis, though once the two meet they grow to become close. Parzival falls for Art3mis, although Art3mis insists he does not truly know her for he has never even met her in real life; he only has seen the parts of her that she desires him to see within OASIS. Later we come to know Art3misor as she is also known Samantha Evelyn Cook looks rather similar to her avatar except she has a well sized birthmark on one side of her face. It appears that Art3mis may believe herself unattractive due to the blemish, although Parzival still finds her beautiful. The Dialoge between Parzival and Art3mis is what truly brings the magic within their chemistry; it has an authentic feel to it. At the end when Parzival and Art3mis meet in real life for the first time it was a magical moment. To be physically together instead of as avatars in OASIS had to be a true moment of excitement for our characters, for Samantha to meet Wade. This scene was intense as well as intimate, our characters expressing their raw emotions for each other.
Shoto and Diato Japanese brother team on OASIS proved to be great adversaries within the contest and OASIS. Although in OASIS Shoto and Diato were brothers in real life they had no blood relation let alone ever met. Shoto and Diato formed a bond as brothers, enjoying a shared love for samurai films. Diato sadly fell victim to the Sixers underhanded ways and was murdered by the villainous group both in OASIS and in real life. Shoto greatly mourned the loss of his brother and good friend seeking revenge against the Sixers. Later when he fought against the Sixers elite gamer Sorrento, his avatar had been killed. Parzival believing Sorrento deserving of defeat annihilated Sorrento's avatar; ultimately got the revenge against the Sixers for his friends Shoto and Diato, as well as his aunt and neighbor who had also been killed by the Sixers. Shoto and Diato brought their own element to the book, although not as big of characters they held their importance to OASIS, as well as to Parzival, and his character development.
I knew the moment Parzival had discovered the out of order Pacman arcade game that he had discovered something of importance, although I did not for see the coin being of an artifact let alone another life. Parzival gaining Halliday's avatars abilities was quite interesting and a fantastic reward, I also did not for see him resurrecting his friend's avatars, but I glad he was able to do so. I do hope Sorrento receives the punishment he deserves for the crimes he committed, although I do believe the Sixer higher ups deserve to be punished as well. I look forward to the sequel, as well as the movie in the works. I give Ready Player One a scoring of 4.5 out of 5 rating.
Ready Player One is filled with wonderful 80s pop culture reference as well and geeky folklore; from Atari to dungeons and Dragons with everything in between. Ready Player One is a grand adventure to obtain the fortune of a legend, the creator of the number one virtual reality game of the future; OASIS.
Ernest Cline brings the world of OASIS alive, confronting challenging details, and painting the landscape as clear as day into our minds.
Wade Watts or Parzival our main character faces many challenges to become one of the top competitors in the OASIS contest. Parzival faces the obstacles of having little to no resources, having a health that was rather lacking, and lacking strength to truly compete. What Parzival had that truly been his number one tool was his geek know how and 80s culture knowledge. At the beginning of the story Parzival has little rank seeming weak. Then soon as he becomes the first Gunther to obtain the first key he quickly grows in levels acquiring much items and much influence within the game. Towards the end of the book Parzival has gone from a nobody to a strong leader thanks to OASIS, Halliday's contest, and his friends. Parzival was an underdog we the readers wanted to root for, to see win and defeat the venomous Sixers.
H being Parzival's best friend on OASIS really brought a great element to the plot, often challenging Parzival's knowledge while sharing a well formed friendship. H as we later learn although posed as a man on Oasis was in reality an African American woman. H thought it best to pose as a man on the infamous game to avoid social disadvantages many women of color face in society. I felt as a ready this really brought depth to H's character, for to think one could avoid harsh treatment such as prejudice is quite an idea. For when you think of what a game such as the OASIS could really do for the identity of a person, they could be whoever they wanted the world to see. H proved that friendship does not need to be based on image but your soul and personality.
Art3mis being well known by Parzival rather early in OASIS for her popular blog, was a spunky female who shared knowledge close to H and Parzival's levels on the 80s culture and games needed to complete in Halliday's contest. Parzival from the start had a crush on Art3mis, though once the two meet they grow to become close. Parzival falls for Art3mis, although Art3mis insists he does not truly know her for he has never even met her in real life; he only has seen the parts of her that she desires him to see within OASIS. Later we come to know Art3misor as she is also known Samantha Evelyn Cook looks rather similar to her avatar except she has a well sized birthmark on one side of her face. It appears that Art3mis may believe herself unattractive due to the blemish, although Parzival still finds her beautiful. The Dialoge between Parzival and Art3mis is what truly brings the magic within their chemistry; it has an authentic feel to it. At the end when Parzival and Art3mis meet in real life for the first time it was a magical moment. To be physically together instead of as avatars in OASIS had to be a true moment of excitement for our characters, for Samantha to meet Wade. This scene was intense as well as intimate, our characters expressing their raw emotions for each other.
Shoto and Diato Japanese brother team on OASIS proved to be great adversaries within the contest and OASIS. Although in OASIS Shoto and Diato were brothers in real life they had no blood relation let alone ever met. Shoto and Diato formed a bond as brothers, enjoying a shared love for samurai films. Diato sadly fell victim to the Sixers underhanded ways and was murdered by the villainous group both in OASIS and in real life. Shoto greatly mourned the loss of his brother and good friend seeking revenge against the Sixers. Later when he fought against the Sixers elite gamer Sorrento, his avatar had been killed. Parzival believing Sorrento deserving of defeat annihilated Sorrento's avatar; ultimately got the revenge against the Sixers for his friends Shoto and Diato, as well as his aunt and neighbor who had also been killed by the Sixers. Shoto and Diato brought their own element to the book, although not as big of characters they held their importance to OASIS, as well as to Parzival, and his character development.
I knew the moment Parzival had discovered the out of order Pacman arcade game that he had discovered something of importance, although I did not for see the coin being of an artifact let alone another life. Parzival gaining Halliday's avatars abilities was quite interesting and a fantastic reward, I also did not for see him resurrecting his friend's avatars, but I glad he was able to do so. I do hope Sorrento receives the punishment he deserves for the crimes he committed, although I do believe the Sixer higher ups deserve to be punished as well. I look forward to the sequel, as well as the movie in the works. I give Ready Player One a scoring of 4.5 out of 5 rating.
