Book Cover
ANNOTATION
Wade Watts takes on the virtual world while society falls apart in the real world.
SUMMARY *Spoiler Alert*
The year is 2045. Wade Watts is an orphan who lives in the slums of Oklahoma City. His only escape is the OASIS-and virtual world. The OASIS is now the cultural and economical center of the world. At the time of his death John Halliday, one of the creators of the OASIS, announces that he has left three keys somewhere in the OASIS. Whomever can find all three keys and unlock their respective gates and complete the tasks and get the easter egg will inherit his fortune of one quarter of a trillion dollars and become the owner of the OASIS. Wade's avatar is named Parzival. He becomes the first person to obtain a key. His best friend in the OASIS is Aech who is also what they call a "gunter", or easter egg hunter. He also meets Art3mis, another player and gunter and who is famous for her expertise in the hunt and Parzival's love interest. They along with two gunters named Daito and Shoto from Japan set off on the journey to find the keys-though not together, because they are competitors-in the hopes that they succeed before IOI (Innovative Online Industries) finds the egg. If IOI finds the egg they will own the OASIS and commercialize the entire program, thus excluding everyone but those who can afford to pay a subscription to use it. Parzival and his peers are constantly being hunted down and eventually Diato is murdered by order of Nolan Sorrento-the main antagonist and leading member of the IOI operation to find the easter egg. Fortunately, the remaining characters avoid being murdered. Eventually, the showdown between IOI and the rest of the virtual world comes to a head when Parzival, Aech, Art3mis, and Shoto enlist the help of billions of other players to wage war on IOI while they attempt to pass the 3rd and final gate the easter egg. Parzival is the only one who survives the battle and successfully obtains the easter egg, thus ensuring John Sorrento and IOI are denied ownership of the OASIS and becoming the heir to John Halliday's fortune and the owner of the OASIS.
MY REVIEW
If you are looking for a fast-paced, 80's culture saturated, fun, video-game based book then this is the perfect fit. If you're doubting your ability to enjoy, because you're not a gamer nor have a knowledge of 80s culture do not fear. Ernest Cline does a fantastic job explaining it all that anyone could enjoy the book while getting a lesson on these topics as well. The book gives an honest effort to represent a diverse set of characters from different culture and ethnic backgrounds to strong female characters to LGBTQ+ characters. However, if you're hoping for deep, thought provoking subjects, then this book might not be for you. Though there are parts where we see the humanity of the characters and more than their vitual avatar, they are small glimpses and development of the real world and the characters in that setting is relatively minute. In contract, Cline weaves together an incredible virtual world that even the most video-game averse individual would enjoy. It is like enjoying a fun video-game in print form with the right amount of violence, swearing, adolescent humor, and adventure at every turn.
RATING
Quality: Silver
Popularity: Emerald
AWARDS
Prometheus Award for Best Novel (2012)
BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
Cline, E. (2011). Ready player one. London ; New York : Crown
PAGES
374
PURCHASING OPTIONS
Hardback $20.80
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Kindle $9.99
Hardcover $19.50
Hardcover $19.50
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Mass Market Paperback from $5.05
Audio CD $26.34
Audio CD $26.34
ANNOTATION
Wade Watts takes on the virtual world while society falls apart in the real world.
SUMMARY *Spoiler Alert*
The year is 2045. Wade Watts is an orphan who lives in the slums of Oklahoma City. His only escape is the OASIS-and virtual world. The OASIS is now the cultural and economical center of the world. At the time of his death John Halliday, one of the creators of the OASIS, announces that he has left three keys somewhere in the OASIS. Whomever can find all three keys and unlock their respective gates and complete the tasks and get the easter egg will inherit his fortune of one quarter of a trillion dollars and become the owner of the OASIS. Wade's avatar is named Parzival. He becomes the first person to obtain a key. His best friend in the OASIS is Aech who is also what they call a "gunter", or easter egg hunter. He also meets Art3mis, another player and gunter and who is famous for her expertise in the hunt and Parzival's love interest. They along with two gunters named Daito and Shoto from Japan set off on the journey to find the keys-though not together, because they are competitors-in the hopes that they succeed before IOI (Innovative Online Industries) finds the egg. If IOI finds the egg they will own the OASIS and commercialize the entire program, thus excluding everyone but those who can afford to pay a subscription to use it. Parzival and his peers are constantly being hunted down and eventually Diato is murdered by order of Nolan Sorrento-the main antagonist and leading member of the IOI operation to find the easter egg. Fortunately, the remaining characters avoid being murdered. Eventually, the showdown between IOI and the rest of the virtual world comes to a head when Parzival, Aech, Art3mis, and Shoto enlist the help of billions of other players to wage war on IOI while they attempt to pass the 3rd and final gate the easter egg. Parzival is the only one who survives the battle and successfully obtains the easter egg, thus ensuring John Sorrento and IOI are denied ownership of the OASIS and becoming the heir to John Halliday's fortune and the owner of the OASIS.
MY REVIEW
If you are looking for a fast-paced, 80's culture saturated, fun, video-game based book then this is the perfect fit. If you're doubting your ability to enjoy, because you're not a gamer nor have a knowledge of 80s culture do not fear. Ernest Cline does a fantastic job explaining it all that anyone could enjoy the book while getting a lesson on these topics as well. The book gives an honest effort to represent a diverse set of characters from different culture and ethnic backgrounds to strong female characters to LGBTQ+ characters. However, if you're hoping for deep, thought provoking subjects, then this book might not be for you. Though there are parts where we see the humanity of the characters and more than their vitual avatar, they are small glimpses and development of the real world and the characters in that setting is relatively minute. In contract, Cline weaves together an incredible virtual world that even the most video-game averse individual would enjoy. It is like enjoying a fun video-game in print form with the right amount of violence, swearing, adolescent humor, and adventure at every turn.
RATING
Quality: Silver
Popularity: Emerald
GENRE & SUB GENRES
Science Fiction
Dystopia
Fantasy
APPEAL FACTORS
This book will have a strong appeal to video gaming users and lovers of 80s culture as well as those who enjoy futuristic science fiction. It is a relatively easy and face-paced book with a large dose of humor and action. It also will appeal to those interested in LGBTQ+, African-American, Japanese, and strong female characters as this book has each of these represented.
BOOKTALKING
Wade is the typical abandoned, orphaned underdog that we all love to cheer for. His peers in the book are just as likable and underrated as well.
Ernest Cline concerted a strong effort to giving us characters that represented LGBTQ+, Japanese, African-American, and strong females. However, they were still led by a white, heterosexual male who was the center of the story, the main hero, the overall smartest character, and the winner of the game. Despite this, however, it was a good step toward fair representation of these communities.
The book advocates the ideology of free access to information and resources to information such as free access to the OASIS. The antagonistic entity, IOI, is the epitome of those endeavoring to restrict access to a select and elitist few.
Virtual relationships cannot provide for the type of connect we both yearn for and need as humans. This books looks at this topic and how our ability to connect with others is affected by living behind a virtual avatar.
DISCUSSION POINTS
Living in a virtual world has many pros, but it also has serious cons. What are some cons you noticed in the book? How are we affected today by virtual relationships, social media, etc.?
What does Wade helping Art3mis with the first key by giving her the tip to play on the left say about his character? Would you have helped Art3mis out?
The 80s culture is a major part of the story because of the influence it had on John Halliday, the creator of the OASIS. How as the culture of your childhood shaped who you are today?
Do you feel that the author represented characters of Japanese, African-American, and LGBTQ+ well? Why or why not?
In 2045 the real world has all but fallen apart. Do you think people being stuck in the OASIS all the time had a part of that? Do you think there is the possibility this type of futuristic world becoming a reality?
WHY THIS BOOK?
I used to be a pretty big gamer and a lover of RPG video games. My interest in video games dissipated about 6 years ago, but despite this I've always carried fond memories of my gaming time. When I saw this book and read the premise I knew this was a book I would enjoy and appreciate. Not only that, but if I was going to see the movie made based on this book I wanted to read the book first not just because the book is almost always better than the movie, but also because I didn't want my imagination influenced by the movie.
THE AUTHOR
Dystopia
Fantasy
APPEAL FACTORS
This book will have a strong appeal to video gaming users and lovers of 80s culture as well as those who enjoy futuristic science fiction. It is a relatively easy and face-paced book with a large dose of humor and action. It also will appeal to those interested in LGBTQ+, African-American, Japanese, and strong female characters as this book has each of these represented.
BOOKTALKING
Wade is the typical abandoned, orphaned underdog that we all love to cheer for. His peers in the book are just as likable and underrated as well.
Ernest Cline concerted a strong effort to giving us characters that represented LGBTQ+, Japanese, African-American, and strong females. However, they were still led by a white, heterosexual male who was the center of the story, the main hero, the overall smartest character, and the winner of the game. Despite this, however, it was a good step toward fair representation of these communities.
The book advocates the ideology of free access to information and resources to information such as free access to the OASIS. The antagonistic entity, IOI, is the epitome of those endeavoring to restrict access to a select and elitist few.
Virtual relationships cannot provide for the type of connect we both yearn for and need as humans. This books looks at this topic and how our ability to connect with others is affected by living behind a virtual avatar.
DISCUSSION POINTS
Living in a virtual world has many pros, but it also has serious cons. What are some cons you noticed in the book? How are we affected today by virtual relationships, social media, etc.?
What does Wade helping Art3mis with the first key by giving her the tip to play on the left say about his character? Would you have helped Art3mis out?
The 80s culture is a major part of the story because of the influence it had on John Halliday, the creator of the OASIS. How as the culture of your childhood shaped who you are today?
Do you feel that the author represented characters of Japanese, African-American, and LGBTQ+ well? Why or why not?
In 2045 the real world has all but fallen apart. Do you think people being stuck in the OASIS all the time had a part of that? Do you think there is the possibility this type of futuristic world becoming a reality?
WHY THIS BOOK?
I used to be a pretty big gamer and a lover of RPG video games. My interest in video games dissipated about 6 years ago, but despite this I've always carried fond memories of my gaming time. When I saw this book and read the premise I knew this was a book I would enjoy and appreciate. Not only that, but if I was going to see the movie made based on this book I wanted to read the book first not just because the book is almost always better than the movie, but also because I didn't want my imagination influenced by the movie.
REVIEWS
SIMILAR TITLES
Neuromancer by William Gibson
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
AWARDS
ALA Alex Award (2012)
Lincoln Award Nominee (2014)
Tähtivaeltaja Award Nominee (2013)
Mary Shelley Award for Outstanding Fictional Work (2016)
Green Mountain Book Award Nominee (2015)
POINTS TO REMEMBER
- Virtual reality gaming
- 80s culture renaissance
- Video gaming
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